Heritage Permit Guide

Application Types

Heritage attributes are detailed in the designation by-law for the property.

Alteration(s) that affect the heritage attributes

An alteration means that a change is being proposed to the property that is likely to affect one or more of the property’s heritage attribute as described in the designation by-law (S.33).

Demolition or removal of any of the property’s heritage attributes.

The demolition or removal of a heritage attribute means the complete removal of one or more of the attributes described in the designation by-law (S.34(1)1).

Demolition or removal of a building or structure

The demolition or removal of any building or structure on the property whether or not its demolition or removal would affect the property’s heritage attributes as set out in the designation (S.34(1)2).

The City requires an application form and detailed documentation with your application(s) to ensure that:

• the cultural heritage value and interest of designated properties within the City of Toronto are protected and conserved in accordance with City and Provincial policy; and
• to allow an accurate assessment of the merits and technical details of your proposed works.
  The following submission requirements are required with your application. The level of detail required for reports and/or studies listed below can vary, depending on the nature of your property and your proposal.

Application Form

2021 Heritage Permit Application Form and Checklist

Photographs

Photographs that depict the existing buildings, structures and heritage attributes that are affected by the application and their condition and context.

The photographs should:

• be recent (within 3 months of the application submission date);
• depict all elevations of the existing buildings, structures and each heritage attribute affected by the proposed works
  include the buildings, structures and heritage attributes that are unobstructed by landscaping, vehicles etc.
• Show the existing condition and context of the building, structure and/or each heritage attribute(s).The context includes other buildings and existing landscaping (mature trees, fences, walls, driveways) on the subject property.
• Include interior heritage attributes that are described by the designation by-law or written confirmation that these attributes are being conserved and are not being demolished, removed or altered by the proposed works.
• Include archival photographs if available

Location Plan

A site plan or sketch that illustrates the location of the proposed alteration, demolition or removal.

Location Plan should:

• Include details of the location of each building, structure and/or heritage attribute and/or value that are to be altered, demolished removed, retained and/or erected should be clearly shown on the plan.
• Include buildings, structures, heritage attributes and/or landscape features that are to be demolished or removed should be shown in red.
• Be drawn to a standard metric scale (i.e. 1:100, 1:200, 1:500)
• Include all property lines, abutting roads and building footprints on the site and on adjacent lot

Drawings and Written Specifications

The drawings and written specifications for the proposed alteration, demolition or removal.

The drawings and written specifications should include:

• Existing and Proposed plans, sections and elevations that show the details of each building, structure and heritage attribute that is proposed to be demolished, removed, altered or erected.
• Buildings, structures and attributes to be removed or demolished should be shown in red on the existing drawings.
• Buildings, structures and attributes that are to be retained should be shown in black on all proposed drawings.
• New construction should be shown in blue.
• If no changes are being proposed to a specific building, structure or heritage attribute on the subject property a written confirmation of this and confirmation of its proposed conservation can be provided instead of including proposed plans, sections and elevations of that specific building, structure or heritage attribute.
• Plans and/or specifications should show materials, colours, dimensions, massing and the extent of work.
• The drawings and specifications should show any proposed changes to existing chimneys, external walls, cladding, external doors, floors, eaves troughs and downspouts, windows, exterior trim, fencing/means of enclosure, porches/verandahs, roofs, shopfronts, signs, boundary treatments, exterior lighting, vehicle access and surface treatments.
• The drawings and specifications should also show any internal heritage attributes described in the designation by-law and show any proposed changes to them.

A Description of the Property

The description of the property that is the subject of the application, including such information as the concession and lot numbers, reference plan and part numbers, and street names and numbers.

The description should include:

• all existing buildings, structures and heritage attributes on the property and should include their age, location, type of construction and materials;
• existing landscaping including mature trees, boundary treatments and driveways. If this description is included as part of a technical study please confirm the relevant pages within the study where the description can be found.
• The reason for the proposed works
  The reasons for the proposed alterations, demolition or removal.
• Details of the potential impacts of the proposed works
  Details of the potential impacts to the heritage attributes of the property.
  • This should include:
    • mitigation measures that are being used to minimize the impact of the proposed changes on the heritage values and attributes of the property. If this information is included as part of a technical study please provide confirmation of the relevant pages within the study where this information can be found.
• Technical Cultural Heritage Studies
  All technical cultural heritage studies that are relevant to the proposed alteration, demolition or removal.
  • These may include:
    • A Condition Assessment by a suitably qualified heritage professional for alterations to a property where the condition of property is a reason for the proposed alteration, removal and/or demolition.
    • A Heritage Impact Assessment if the application proposes the demolition or removal of a building or structure, or if the Heritage Permit application is in association with any of the following application types:
      • Official Plan Amendment
      • Zoning By-law Amendment
      • Plan of Subdivision
      • Plan of Condominium
      • Site Plan Control
      • Minor Variance
      • Consent
    • A Conservation Plan if required by Council or as a condition associated with a Site Plan Control approval.
    • A Structural Assessment if structural issues are part of the reasons for the proposed works.
    • A report from a professional engineer if façade retention, temporary removal or relocation of all or parts of a building or structure are proposed.
    • Construction Management Plan if the applicant has confirmed that construction vehicles, materials and activities associated with the proposed works would affect the heritage buildings, structures and/or heritage attributes of the subject property. This Plan should include details to explain:
      • How the construction access to the subject lands would affect the heritage buildings, structures and heritage attributes on the property;
      • How the construction storage related to the proposed works would affect the heritage buildings, structures and heritage attributes on the subject property;
      • Mitigation measures to minimise impact of to the heritage buildings, structures and heritage attributes;
      • How any support structures associated with heritage buildings are affected by construction activity.
    • Heritage Lighting Plan that describes how the exterior of the heritage property or structure will be sensitively illuminated to enhance its heritage character if required by Council or as a condition associated with a Site Plan Control.
    • Heritage Interpretation Plan if required by Council or as a condition associated with a Site Plan Control approval.
    • Signage Plan if required by Council or as a condition associated with a Site Plan Control approval.
    • Mothballing Plan if required by Council or as a condition associated with a Site Plan Control approval.

• All drawings should be in metric and drawn to a standard scale (i.e. 1:100, 1:200);
• All drawings should contain one diagram, to scale, per page;
• Font of plans and drawings is to be sufficiently legible;
• Drawings should display the municipal address, project name, drawing title, preparation date;
• North arrow with appropriate cross-references to other plans, elevations or cross-sections;
  The Digital file name should describe the digital file and reference the subject property, for example:
  S.33 Application 100 Main St.pdf: “Survey_Plan_100_Main_St.pdf”
• Legend for all symbols, hatching and shading;
• Electronically-produced documents, plans and drawings (i.e. dwg, docx) should be converted into PDF format (version 7 or later); for submission. Printing to paper and scanning to create a PDF should be avoided.
• The maximum page size is an ARCH E (36″x48″ or 914.4mm x 1219.2mm).
• Plans/Drawings with multiple pages and sets should be combined into a single PDF file;
• All submission material should be submitted without a password and/or restrictions;
• All submission material should not have any layers and total size of each digital file should be less than 10 MB;
• Forms should be completed and signed electronically. All Heritage Permit forms are available and can be completed online. Please refer to instructions on how to create an electronic signature. Acrobat Reader X (10) is required to add multiple signatures to forms.
• Documents/Drawings should have no comments. Text placed on the PDF as a comment must be flattened or removed. When rendering drawings to PDF, options for saving text as comments should not be selected.

All scanned documents should meet the following requirements:

• Plans/drawings should be at a resolution that is easily legible on screen, and the pages must not be skewed.
• Scanned resolutions of 1-bit black and white 300 dpi is usually acceptable. For plans/drawings containing fine lines and detail, 600 dpi resolution is required.
• Do not reduce the scanned document size.

Email your Heritage Permit Application with all required submission materials attached to Heritage Planning at heritageplanning@toronto.ca.

Emails should not exceed 10 MB. If you have a large document please email: heritageplanning@toronto.ca.

You do not have to meet or discuss your proposal with Heritage Planning staff before submitting a Heritage Permit application. However, consultation with staff before drafting or submitting your application may simplify the application process.

Submission of Application

After receiving your application the City will review the documentation provided to determine if all submission requirements have been fulfilled. If they have been fulfilled the application is deemed complete.

Complete Application Decision/Notice of Receipt

The City has the statutory authority to require information, studies and plans for a complete application submission beyond the minimum requirements of the Ontario Heritage Act.

The City will issue a Notification of Completeness/Notice of Receipt when all of the required submission information as required by the Ontario Heritage Act and Chapter 103 of the City’s Municipal Code have been received. If additional information is required you will be advised in writing.

You are encouraged to submit all outstanding information and material as one comprehensive package.

Application Review

Once deemed complete the Heritage Planner assigned to your application(s) will review your application to determine how the heritage values and attributes of the designated property are being affected by your proposal. The Parks Canada Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada, relevant guidelines that have been adopted by City Council, guidelines from the Ontario Minister of Culture and the Government of Canada as well as any relevant Heritage Conservation District Plan will be taken into account in this review.

NOTE:

If you have not agreed to extend the Statutory Time Period in accordance with S.33(7)1, S.34(4.3)1 and/or S.42(4) of the Ontario Heritage Act the opportunities to submit revised/additional material to support your application are limited.

In order to comply with this Statutory Time Period Heritage Planning staff will make their recommendations with respect to your application on the basis of the original complete application submission material. Revised/additional material is unlikely to be considered.

If you would like an opportunity to submit revised/additional materials following discussions with Heritage Planning staff it is therefore strongly recommended that you agree to extend the Statutory Time Period in accordance with S.33(7)1, S.34(4.3)1 and/or S.42(4) of the Ontario Heritage Act.

Application Revision and Resubmission

If you agreed to extend the Statutory Time Period Heritage Planning staff will provide you with comments on your initial submission. You may be asked to revise your proposal and/or provide additional information and material. Where possible staff will work with you in an effort to ensure that your project meets the applicable policy framework and the relevant Municipal Code requirements to enable it to be approved at the staff level without requiring a Council process.

Please Note: You should include a covering letter with all resubmissions that clearly indicates how and where your proposal has been revised and, if appropriate, why any requested revisions were not made.

Public Consultation

The public is not involved in the submission and staff review of Heritage Permit Applications. Heritage Planning staff may consult the relevant Heritage Conservation District Residents Committee if your proposal is within a Heritage Conservation District. Heritage Permit applications requiring Council approval become public when the staff report on the application is published on the Toronto Preservation Board meeting agenda.

Application Decision Process

City Council has delegated to the Chief Planner and Executive Director authority to make some decisions under S.33(15), S.34(15 and S.42(16) of the Ontario Heritage Act. This delegated authority means that the decision to approve some Heritage Permits can be made by staff and will not be brought to the Toronto Preservation Board, Community Council and City Council.

Delegated decisions generally relate to proposals that are considered to be compatible with:

• The guidelines of the relevant adopted Heritage Conservation District Plan;
• Any guidelines adopted by Council to assist in the preservation of heritage property;
• Any guidelines for heritage conservation issued by the Ontario Minister of Culture and the Government of Canada;
• The Parks Canada Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada and provided that:
  • The alterations, additions and changes to exterior elevations and features are not visible from a public right-of way or public park.
  • The work is replacement where repair is not feasible and the replacement work utilizes the same types of materials as the original exterior heritage fabric.
  • The façade or building restorations is consistent with historic documentation.
  • The alterations address accessibility, life safety, mechanical and other applicable Building Code requirements. See Chapter 103 of the City of Toronto Municipal Code for further details.
  • For applications that do not have delegated approval authority Heritage Planning will have to seek a decision from City Council. Staff will prepare a report with recommendations. The Toronto Preservation Board and Community Council will make recommendations on your application(s) to City Council for a final decision. The Council decision making process is a public process. Owners and any other interested party will have the opportunity to provide comments to the Toronto Preservation Board, Community Council, and Council.
  • Heritage Permit applications will be:
    • approved;
    • approved subject to specific terms and conditions; or
    • refused.
    • Decisions under S.33, S.34 and S.42 of the Ontario Heritage Act can be appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

Decision Time

The Ontario Heritage Act requires that decisions under S.33, S.34 and S.42 of the Act are made within 90 days of the date that the Notice of Complete Application has been served on the applicant. If the applicant has not agreed to extend this period, and Council has not made a decision in this time, the permit is deemed approved.

In order to meet the 90 day time limit, opportunities to submit revised/additional material to support your application are limited if you have not agreed to extend this Statutory Time Period. As a result, if the Statutory Time Period has not been extended, Heritage Planning staff are likely to make their recommendations about your application solely on the basis of the original complete application submission material.