Cultural Heritage Landscape Study Implementation

To evaluate and conserve significant cultural heritage landscapes in Oakville.

A cultural heritage landscape is the recognizable imprint of human settlement and activities on land over time. 

While any landscape deliberately modified by humans is a cultural landscape, only cultural landscapes that have a strong connection with the history of the community and are valued by the community can be identified as ‘cultural heritage landscapes’.

Cultural heritage landscapes can include

  • Buildings/structures
  • Landforms (topography)
  • Natural heritage (tress, plantings)
  • Archaeological evidence
  • Transportation routes
  • Monuments and markers

In January 2014, the Town of Oakville adopted the Cultural Heritage Landscapes Strategy to identify, evaluate and conserve significant cultural heritage landscapes in the Town of Oakville. 

Cultural Heritage Landscape Strategy

Cultural heritage landscape protection and policies can limit alterations and development. They can also permit alterations where it doesn’t negatively impact the heritage resources.

The strategy is based on best practices in municipal heritage planning and legislation, including the Planning Act and the Ontario Heritage Act. It is not intended to be an exhaustive study on the history of Oakville, nor is it a full inventory of all potential cultural heritage landscapes in the town.

The strategy includes three phases:

The purpose of Phase One was to complete an inventory of publicly and privately owned properties in the Town of Oakville that had the potential to be a cultural heritage landscape. 

Individual Inventory Reports were completed for each property and recommendations were made on how to protect and prioritize the identified cultural heritage landscapes in the inventory.

The Phase One inventory is now complete and was endorsed by Oakville Town Council on February 26, 2016.


Publicly owned properties (municipal and provincial)

  • Balsam Drive Streetscape
  • IOF Orphanage - 37-53 Bond Street 
  • Inglehart Farm - 1470 Bronte Road 
  • Bronte Creek Provincial Park - 1219-1311 Burloak Drive 
  • Cross Avenue Bridge 
  • Sixteen Hollow Lions Valley Park - 2417 Fourth Line 
  • Fourth Line Bridge 
  • Lakeside Park - 144 Front Street 
  • Dingle Park - 204- 240 Front George Street 
  • Holyrood Park - 24 Holyrood Avenue 
  • Towne Square - 210 Lakeshore Road East 
  • Gairloch Estate - 1288-1306 Lakeshore Road East 
  • St. Judes Cemetery - 258 Lakeshore Road West 
  • Bronte Athletic Field - 2197 Lakeshore Road West 
  • 3014 Lakeshore Road West - Bronte Harbour 
  • Oakville St. Marys Cemetery - 659 Lyons Lane 
  • Ray Lawson Park - 148 Morrison Road 
  • Erchless Estate - 8 Navy Street and 110-114 King Street 
  • Merton Mt. Pleasant Cemetery - 2222 North Service Road West 
  • Seneca Drive Streetscape 
  • Sovereign Street Streetscape 
  • George's Square - 179 Trafalgar Road 
  • Shipyard Park - 5 Walker Street 
  • Tannery Park - 10-22 Walker Street 
  • Cox Estate Cemetery - 145 Wedgewood Drive 
  • Sovereign House - 7 West River Street 
  • Bronte Bluffs - 35 West River Street
  • Bronte Cemetery - 32 West Street 

Privately owned properties

  • Belair Farms - 126 Bath Street 
  • The Woodlands - 1242 Bronte Road 
  • Featherstone Farm - 185 Burnhamthorpe Road West 
  • McDuffie Farm - 191 Burnhamthorpe Road East 
  • Bowbeer Farmstead - 1086 Burnhamthorpe Road East 
  • William Secord House - 1141 Burnhamthorpe Road East 
  • Bowbeer Farm - 1158 Burnhamthorpe Road East 
  • Hoffman-Mayne Farm - 1265 Burnhamthorpe Road East
  • Slacer Cabin - 1495 Burnhamthorpe Road West 
  • Unnamed Farmstead - 2381 Burnhamthorpe Road West 
  • Schellenburg Stables - 2483 Burnhamthorpe Road West 
  • Ennisclare Cox Estate - 40 Cox Drive 
  • Raydor Estate Glen Abbey - 1333 Dorval Drive 
  • Turner Farm - 1297 Dundas Street East 
  • Smith Carrique Barn - 2165 Dundas Street West 
  • Jacob Lawrence House - 2391 Dundas Street West 
  • McMichael Farm - 3367 Dundas Street West 
  • Ford-Slacer Farm - 4022 Fourth Line 
  • Holyrood Estate House - 2 Holyrood Avenue 
  • Hopgood Estate - 1118 Lakeshore Road East 
  • Grenvilla Lodge - 1248-1250 Lakeshore Road East 
  • Ryrie Estate - 1475 Lakeshore Road East 
  • Estate Remnants - 2108-2134 Lakeshore Road East 
  • Horizons - 2182 Lakeshore Road East 
  • Unnamed Estate - 372 Lakeshore Road West 
  • Unnamed Estate - 390 Lakeshore Road West 
  • Appleby College - 540 Lakeshore Road West 
  • Old McCraney House - 549 Lakeshore Road West 
  • Hilton Farm - 2031 North Service Road West 
  • Rotary Gardens - 1285 Sedgewick Crescent 
  • Biggar Farm - 4243 Sixth Line 
  • Clements Family Farmhouse - 3371 Trafalgar Road 
  • Matthew Clements House - 3437 Trafalgar Road
  • Unnamed Farmstead - 3451 Tremaine Road 
  • Unnamed Farmstead - 658 Winston Churchill Boulevard 

In Phase Two, full assessments of the priority properties identified in the Phase One inventory are being completed. 

Based on these assessments, protection of these properties through designation under the Ontario Heritage Act or through Official Plan policies will be implemented in Phase Three.

Due to timing and budget restraints, Phase Two will likely take place in several stages with high priority properties being assessed first and medium and low priority properties being assessed when possible. 

Council has recognized the following areas as significant cultural heritage landscapes through the Phase Two assessment process. These areas are now subject to Phase Three Implementation work led by town staff to protect the heritage attributes of these properties:

Cultural Heritage Evaluation Reviews

For properties in Phase Three, appropriate protection measures are being recommended using tools under the Ontario Heritage Act, the Planning Act and Municipal Act

This phase is led by town staff and may also use external and internal consultants as needed. We continue to engage with the public and property owners to meet and exceed all statutory requirements. Consultation may vary with each individual property, tailored to the unique circumstances of each landscape.

As part of this implementation work, Council approved the Conservation Plan By-law which requires a Conservation Plan for cultural heritage landscapes. 

Additionally, updates were made to the Delegation By-law, Property Standards By-law, Private Tree By-law and the Site Alteration By-law to ensure consistency with provincial policy and definitions. See our By-laws page to access by-laws. These by-laws are currently under appeal.

The following properties are currently in Phase Three

A town-initiated official plan amendment (OPA) to the Livable Oakville Plan is proposed as described in the notice below. It affects the entire Livable Oakville Plan area, being all lands south of Dundas Street and north of Highway 407.

On September 26, 2017 Town Council adopted OPA 16 (Cultural Heritage Policy Updates) to the Official Plan.

Contact

Susan Schappert
Heritage Planner
Planning and Development
905-845-6601, ext. 3870

susan.schappert@oakville.ca