The City of Cambridge has a number of projects and programs to help promote and preserve our local heritage, including our Heritage Conservation Districts and the Heritage Register. For more information, please contact us at heritageinfo@cambridge.ca 

City's Cultural Heritage Resources

The City's Cultural Heritage Resources include:
Designating Heritage Properties in Cambridge

Under the Ontario Heritage Act, the City of Cambridge designates heritage properties to publicly acknowledge their value to our community. Designating heritage properties also helps to ensure the conservation of these important places for present and future generations to enjoy.

Is your property an important part of Cambridge's heritage? To have your property considered for designation, contact the Senior Planner - Heritage  at heritageinfo@cambridge.ca or submit the Designated Heritage Property Application Form to the Policy Planning Division at:

50 Dickson Street, Third Floor
Cambridge, ON N1R 5W8
Heritage Master Plan

In 2006, the City of Cambridge hired Bray Heritage to develop a Heritage Master Plan. Council adopted the Heritage Master Plan in September, 2008. The Plan outlines a strategy for conserving Cambridge's Built Heritage Resources by identifying, valuing and protecting them.

Learn more about the City's Master Plans, including the Heritage Master Plan.
Heritage Register

Designated properties

The Heritage Register includes cultural heritage resources designated under Part IV (Individually designated) and Part V (Heritage Conservation District designation) of the Ontario Heritage Act for their cultural heritage significance.

Non-designated properties

The Heritage Register also lists non-designated properties that have cultural heritage value and which may be considered for possible future designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. These properties are called "listed" properties.

If you own a listed property on the Heritage Register and are not sure what that means, see the Listed Heritage Properties brochure for more information.
Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee (MHAC)

The Cambridge Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee (MHAC) assists Council to conserve our cultural heritage resources. We encourage citizens to join and contribute to the MHAC. Members of the Committee participate in decision-making processes related to heritage conservation and designation.

The MHAC has the following duties:

  • To advise and make recommendations to Council, according to the MHAC Terms of Reference
  • To provide knowledge and expertise to Council
  • To facilitate the work of the organizing body by ensuring open and honest representation, aiming for overall agreement on decisions and maintaining the integrity of the committee
  • To be sensitive to the needs and wants of the Cambridge community
  • To promote good will and trust within the community
  • To act as a liaison between politicians, organizational staff, members of the public, and other stakeholders
  • To help Council make decisions on any matter relating to the legal designation and conservation of property of cultural heritage value or interest, including individual properties and heritage conservation districts

Learn more about the City's Committees and Boards.

Other Heritage Resources

The City of Cambridge uses a number of resources to help develop plans and initiatives related to heritage conservation.

Ontario Heritage Act
The Ontario Heritage Act gives municipalities and the provincial government the power to preserve properties and archaeological sites important to Ontario's heritage. The Act also authorizes the Ontario Heritage Trust and the Conservation Review Board to make decisions related to heritage conservation and heritage designations.
Ontario Heritage Tool Kit

The Ontario Heritage Tool Kit is a series of guides explaining the Ontario Heritage Act, the Planning Act and other heritage related programs. The Ontario Heritage Tool Kit includes the following guides:

The series of guides helps the following groups understand the heritage conservation process in Ontario:

  • Municipal councils
  • Municipal staff
  • Municipal Heritage Committees
  • Land use planners
  • Heritage professionals
  • Heritage organizations
  • Property owners
Guiding principles for built heritage property conservation

The Ontario Ministry of Culture outlines eight principles for conserving built heritage properties. These principles provide a basis for all decisions related to heritage conservation. The eight principles include:

  1. Respect for documentary evidence
  2. Respect for the original location
  3. Respect for historic material
  4. Respect for original fabric
  5. Respect for the building's history
  6. Reversibility
  7. Legibility
  8. Maintenance

Learn more about the Eight Guiding Principles in the Conservation of Built Heritage Properties.
Parks Canada Standards and Guidelines

The Parks Canada Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada provide guidance to achieve good practices when it comes to heritage conservation in Canada. These Standards and Guidelines establish a consistent set of national conservation principles to help conserve Canada's historic places. They also guide decision-making when planning for, intervening on and using historic places.

Published in 2003, these standards and guidelines have become an important tool for heritage conservation across Canada.
Additional Heritage Resources

Visit the following websites for more information and resources related to Canadian heritage:

 

For information on current City of Cambridge Heritage Conservation Studies , visit the Engage Cambridge page. 

Find A Heritage Property in Cambridge

The following interactive mapping tool functions as the City’s digitized Heritage Register. To find a specific property, enter the address of the property into the search box or click on the property on the map. The heritage property map includes the following:

  • Heritage Conservation Districts (properties designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act)
  • Properties designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act
  • Properties listed on the Heritage Register
  • Properties located within a Cultural Heritage Landscape

View map in full screen.