Ottawa city councillors have rejected the idea of declaring Hintonburg as a heritage conservation districts, potentially creating an easier path to more growth and development in the area.
Following a feasibility assessment, one of five done in the city, the Built Heritage Committee has concluded that, instead of a blanket designation for the neighbourhood, individual heritage designations could see faster protection for Hintonburg’s most significant sites.
Shifting the priority to individual properties will “allow us to tell many more stories about Hintonburg, which has a lot of interesting stories,” said Heritage Ottawa’s Linda Hoad during the Oct. 6 meeting.
The assessment found some 65 properties that reflect the neighbourhood’s industrial roots, diverse architecture and strong Irish and Franco-Ontarian histories. While there is a range of styles and historical integrity along Wellington Street West, years of demolitions and alterations have chipped away at the area’s heritage. But there was concern that a heritage district designation could make it more difficult for an area to change and grow.
“I don’t want to throw a lot of bureaucratic hurdles in the way of further development in Hintonburg,” said Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper, a member of the Built Heritage Committee who also represents the neighbourhood. The community “has become more vibrant as a result of the development and so I’m not seeking to throw a bunch of heritage hurdles in that path.”
The assessment looked at Wellington Street West, from Somerset to Parkdale, including side streets such as Sherbrooke and Rosemount. To qualify as a heritage conservation district under Ontario’s Heritage Act, at least 25 per cent of properties in an area need to meet two of nine provincial criteria.
The city assessment found the area had the potential to meet one criterion strongly in terms of the way properties along Wellington Street West have value in maintaining the area’s character. However, it only had medium potential to meet or exceed the threshold for criteria that outlined a need for properties to carry value because of rarity, the insight they give into historical culture, or direct historical value to a person or activity significant to the community.
Staff concluded that a blanket designation would unnecessarily duplicate existing conservation safeguards for Wellington Street West, already identified as a priority under the city’s Official Plan.
There is a range of architecture displaying influences along that stretch that are of various styles prevalent throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The street has been a bustling main street, serving as a key throughfare to communities further west. It is most prominently known as a centre of industry and manufacturing.
It’s a history that is very important to the Hintonburg Community Association, which has its own heritage committee and mission to preserve and celebrate local history.
The assessment recommends alternatives to conserve Hintonburg by identifying dozens of individual properties eligible to receive heritage designation and for the committee to engage with the local community in developing historically informative plaques.
Full city council will consider the assessment at the end of the month.
