Recommendation:
Whereas Subsection 27(16) of the Ontario Heritage Act stipulates that any non-designated heritage property listed on the municipal register of properties as of December 31, 2022 shall be removed from the municipal register on or before January 1, 2025, if the council of the municipal does not give a notice of intention to designate the property under subsection 29(1) of the Ontario Heritage Act on or before January 1, 2025; and,
Whereas since January 1, 2023, communities across Ontario have been diligently working to: review the municipal heritage register; research the heritage value and interest of listed (non-designated) properties; review and research the heritage value and interest of non-designated properties; contact owners of such properties; determine which properties should potentially be designated in accordance with the provisions of Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act; and take all required steps to designate such properties; and,
Whereas it is becoming apparent that the above-noted work is extremely time-consuming, costly and will not be completed by most municipalities by December 31, 2024;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
Heritage Markham recommends to Council that the Mayor or City Clerk be authorized to send a letter to Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, with copies to Michael Ford, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism; Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance; and John Ecker, Chair, Ontario Heritage Trust, requesting that Subsection 27(16) of the Ontario Heritage Act be amended to extend the above-noted deadline for five years from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2030.