Municipal Outreach

Municipalities are often in the best position to protect heritage places. Municipalities issue building and demolition permits and they can protect heritage in municipal plans. Many communities across the province have adopted heritage regulations, established heritage advisory committees, and designated local heritage sites. Others have included provisions for heritage conservation areas within their municipal plans and development regulations.

Heritage NL can provide the following for municipalities designating heritage sites:

-Advice on establishing heritage advisory committees.
-Examples of municipal heritage regulations which towns can modify to meet their individual needs.
-Assistance with identifying and researching possible sites for municipal heritage designation.
-Statements of Significance which highlight why a municipal heritage site is of value and what elements must be protected.
-Add municipal heritage designations to our online listing of heritage designations and commemorative sites. NOTE: this does not mean properties have protection or designation status beyond the town’s designation.
-Provide municipalities with a framed certificate for individual municipal designations for display in the town office.

Sample municipal heritage regulations
Town of Bay Roberts
Town of Cape Broyle
Town of Marystown

For more information contact Andrea at 709-739-1892, ext. 4 or andrea@heritagenl.ca

Heritage designation and the Towns and Local Service Districts Act

Every municipality in Newfoundland and Labrador has the ability to designate important buildings, structures and lands as heritage sites under the Towns and Local Service Districts Act. The Act states:

By-laws – discretionary
8. (1) A town council may adopt by-laws for town purposes respecting the following matters: (o) designation and protection of heritage property and practices and the commemoration of historic events and people.

Heritage buildings, structures and lands
188. (1) A building, structure or land designated by a town council as a heritage building, structure or land, shall not be (a) demolished; or (b) built upon.
(2) Where a building or structure has been designated by a town council as a heritage building or structure, the exterior of the building or structure shall not be altered, except under a written permit of a town council specifically authorizing the alteration and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the permit.
(3) A town council may establish a heritage advisory committee to advise the town council on by-laws made with respect to heritage buildings, structures and lands and the preservation of the real property designated under that by-law.

Municipal Designation Plaque Templates

Below are some examples of plaques towns can use to develop their own plaquing programs. Design and cost are the responsibility of individual towns but we can offer some advice regarding size and materials.

For more information contact Juliet at 709-739-1892, ext. 6 or outreach@heritagenl.ca