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Historical image of St. George's Square

Downtown Heritage Conservation District

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback throughout the project.

About the project

In 2021, Council approved the recommendations of the Cultural Heritage Action Plan which included: For Old Downtown, undertake a comprehensive strategy, including community consultation, to direct future cultural heritage conservation efforts and planned change.

The provincial government’s More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, significantly changed the structure of municipal heritage registers. As a result, all properties currently listed on the Municipal Register of Cultural Heritage Properties must be removed by January 1, 2025 (revised deadline January 1, 2027). About 1,700 properties will lose protections. 120 of these properties located in downtown Guelph.

Historical planning map of Guelph titled Plan of the Town of Guelf, Upper Canada, founded by the Canada Company 1827

Please note: This project began in an older version of our website. Some of the tools and information may appear different than originally designed.

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175 participants

Who's Listening

Imogen Goldie

Imogen Goldie, Project Manager, Heritage

imogen.goldie@guelph.ca

Rebecca Sciarra, Project Manager, ASI

rsciarra@asiheritage.ca

Phases

Phases overview
Downtown Guelph Heritage focus group recruitment
Character mapping
Downtown heritage conservation survey
Community character map
Heritage feature prioritization
Potential HCD plan - Objectives values and attributes
Levels of support for an HCD in Downtown
Heritage Conservation District Forum
Downtown Heritage Conservation District Plan survey
Open house for HCD Plan
Downtown HCD Plan and Guidelines development
Draft Downtown HCD plan and guidelines review
Downtown HCD Statutory Public Meeting
Council Planning Meeting
Designation by-law in effect

Draft Downtown HCD plan and guidelines review

September 18, 2025 - October 7, 2025

The Draft Downtown Heritage Conservation Plan and Guidelines are now available for you to read and review. There will be an opportunity to provide comments at the statutory public meeting on October 15.

If you want to speak about the Downtown HCD at the statutory public meeting, please register with the City Clerk’s Office by 10 a.m. on Friday, October 10, 2025. You can register in any of the following ways:

Once you register, we will send you a message to confirm and give you instructions on how to join the hybrid Council meeting. We will also explain during the meeting how people watching and attending in-person can take part and share their thoughts.

Share your comments in writing

You can send written comments to be included in the Council agenda in the following ways:

  • Email clerks@guelph.ca
  • Drop off in-person at the Service Guelph counter at City Hall, 1 Carden Street, Guelph
  • Send by regular mail or courier to Guelph City Clerk, 1 Carden Street, Guelph, ON N1H 3A1
  • They must be received by the City Clerk’s Office by 10 a.m. on Friday, October 10, 2025.
Downtown HCD Plan and Guidelines.pdf
(12.7 MB)

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