What does the committee do?
The Heritage Committee provides advice directly to Council about local heritage, providing recommendations about the care and conservation of the Township's heritage, guided by the Ontario Heritage Act.
The Terms of Reference outline the specific roles and responsibilities of the Committee and were last updated under By-law 2024-49. The Committee members review and recommend actions to Council on heritage matters including the following:
- Heritage Permit applications.
- Heritage Grant Program applications.
- Approval or denial for listing, designating, de-listing or de-designating buildings, properties, or cultural landscapes that fall under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
- Development and reuse of historical structures to integrate them into the community.
- Development applications that include Heritage Impact Assessments.
- Heritage Conservation District Studies.
- Ways of funding conservation and restoration.
The Heritage Committee also helps with identifying, preserving, and promoting significant local archaeological resources and other local heritage by encouraging heritage restoration projects and increasing public awareness of their value. Please refer to By-law 2024-49 and to the Heritage Committee FAQs for more detailed information.
Dry stone wall at Pentland Cemetery
Membership?
The Committee has seven members, one from Council and six volunteers from the public. There are no vacancies at this time. Current 2024 membership comprises:
- Councillor Proderick
- Herb Wemp
- Isaac McClelland
- Laura Burke
- Robert Hammond
- Ron Tasker
- Marsha Eldridge
When are the meetings?
Committee meetings are held on an "as needed" basis and are generally in-person at the Odessa Municipal Office. Meeting dates, agendas and minutes of previous meetings are available on our CivicWeb Portal.
For further information, please contact the Clerk's Division (address on the right)
What is the Ontario Heritage Act?
The Ontario Heritage Act came into force in 1975 with the purpose of giving municipalities and the provincial government powers to preserve Ontario's heritage sites. Its primary focus is to protect heritage properties and archaeological sites within the province of Ontario.
The Ontario Heritage Act also mandates the Ontario Heritage Trust, a Crown agency that was developed to conserve, interpret, and share Ontario's heritage. Together they conserve provincially-significant cultural, natural, tangible, and intangible heritage, interpret Ontario's history, and educate the public about the province's historical importance within Canada's overall national narrative.
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263 Main Street, Box 70
Odessa, ON K0H 2H0
T. 613-386-7351
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