Heritage Conservation Planning

Cultural heritage is a major part of what makes Newmarket unique. Cultural heritage resources can take many forms, including:

  • Buildings and structures
  • Streetscapes and landscapes
  • Cemeteries and archaeological sites
  • Documents, photographs and artifact collections

Cultural heritage resources tell us who we are, where we have come from and what we have accomplished. These resources not only enrich us, inspire us, enlighten us and guide us in our growth, but they also:

  • Support community economic development, as the spin-offs of heritage conservation can bring tourist dollars into the community
  • Help revitalize a main street
  • Create jobs
  • Enhance a neighbourhood and increase property values and the municipal tax base

​The Town of Newmarket employs several methods for protecting built heritage. The Town has designated properties under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The Town has also created a Heritage Conservation District under Part V of the Act.

Ontario Heritage Act

For advice on built heritage matters, Council looks to the Planning Department and the Newmarket Heritage Committee​.

Heritage registry​​​​​​

Section 27 of the Ontario Heritage Act requires the clerk of every local municipality to keep an up to date register of properties of cultural heritage value or interest located in the municipality.

The municipal register is the official list or record of cultural heritage properties identified as being important to the community and must include all properties in the municipality that are designated under Part IV (individual designation) and Part V (district designation) of the Ontario Heritage Act, as of 2005.

Please be advised that the name and address of owners of property designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (individually designated properties) are not included in the electronic version of the Register, but as per Section 27 of the Act, are available upon request. Please make requests to the Town's Cultural Heritage Planner either in writing or via email at heritageplanning@newmarket.ca.

Heritage permits

The Town of Newmarket maintains the official list of heritage properties identified as being important to the community. ​​Under the Ontario Heritage Act, permits are required for certain works on properties that are designated on the heritage registry list. ​​

If you own a designated property [PDF/12.7MB], please contact the Planning Department prior to making any changes. 

You need a heritage permit when you are: 

  • Making alterations to or demolition of a designated property
  • Making Alterations to or demolition of a property within the Heritage Conservation District

You do not need a heritage permit when you are: 

  • Making general repairs to weather-stripping, eaves troughs, roofs, chi​mmneys, fences, existing cladding
  • Repairing broken window panes to original specifications
  • Adding backyard patios, garden sheds, gazebos and other small outbuildings that are not readily visible from the street (and which do not require a Building Permit)
  • Planting and removing vegetation on private property

Tax rebates

The Town of Newmarket offers a tax rebate for heritage properties, subject to designation and the registration of a heritage easement agreement. 

To apply, please complete the Heritage Tax rebate form [PDF/42KB] and submit it to Planning Services.

Related documents

Heritage Conservation District (HCD)

Heritage conservation districts form an integral part of our cultural heritage. Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act enables a municipality to designate an area with a group or complex of buildings, and to manage and guide future change, through the adoption of a district plan.

The Town of Newmarket presently has one heritage district – Lower Main Street South. The Heritage Conservation District Plan for this neighbourhood as well as an index of properties is available. 

Heritage Conservation District Plan

The purpose of declaring an area a heritage conservation district is to conserve and enhance the character of the neighbourhood. A heritage conservation district plan guides physical change over time so that any change contributes to the district's historic character.

The plan sets out policy statements and guidelines to address such matters as public and private landscape, land use, additions and new construction, existing buildings, and lands adjacent to the district. As well, it addresses the types of work that either require a heritage permit or are minor in nature and are exempt from heritage review. The plan also includes the process for heritage permit applications.

Heritage designations come in the form of a by-law, which is registered on the title of each property within the heritage district.

Financial incentives

There is a financial incentive program for properties within the Town's Community Improvement Plan area, which includes the Lower Main Street South Heritage Conservation District. More information is available through the Economic Development Department. 

Related links