Municipal Heritage Committee

Photo Gallery: Heritage Photos will appear here on the public site.

The Gravenhurst Municipal Heritage Committee (MHC) is an advisory committee of Council. All meetings are open to the public.

Heritage resources add value, quality and diversity to our daily lives and need to be protected for the future. As our community matures, our past shall not be lost to insensitive renovation or demolition, but rather retained as an asset adding unique contributions to our future.

The Town of Gravenhurst values its rich history, architecturally significant structures, and cultural heritage.

Learn more about this Committee by selecting a topic below.

Mandate, Vision & Primary Role

Mandate: to advise, assist and make recommendations to Council on matters related to heritage including the promotion of heritage conservation within the municipality and advising Council and the community on individual properties and districts of heritage and cultural significance.

Vision: “Preserving Gravenhurst's past and present for our future.”

Primary Role: provide recommendations for the conservation of heritage buildings, sites and resources and their integration in development. Specific tasks required to provide these recommendations to Council include:

  • identifying heritage resources and evaluating their condition and community value
  • recommending by-laws to establish processes for the conservation of heritage resources
  • monitoring, reviewing and taking protective actions on a property-by-property or area-wide basis
  • undertaking promotional programs to advise Town Council and the public of the value of heritage resources, to encourage awareness, appreciation, involvement and participation in heritage conservation activities and to provide Council the following information:
    • Designation – advise prior to the designation of a property
    • Repeal of Designation – advise prior to the repeal of a by-law or part thereof designating a property
    • Amendment of Designated Property – advise on amendments of by-laws or part thereof designating a property
    • Alteration of Designated Property – advise on applications to alter a designated property where such proposed alteration may affect the reasons for designation as set out in the by-law designating the property
    • Demolition – advise on applications to demolish or remove any building or structure on designated property
    • Easement/Covenants - advise before passing by-laws entering into easements or covenants with the owners of real property, or interests therein, for the conservation of buildings of historical or architectural value or interest
    • Districts – advise before passing a by-law to define one or more areas to be examined for designation as a heritage conservation district

Council also delegates the following responsibilities to this Committee:

  • monitoring of federal and provincial government directives and regulations on heritage related issues
  • conducting research on heritage related issues
  • liaising with other municipalities on heritage issues
  • holding public information sessions to inform members of the public about heritage related issues

All Boards and Subcommittees of the municipality are governed by the same legislation:

Terms of Reference

Terms of Reference outlines the purpose, structure, operating rules, and define the various roles of membership within a Subcommittee.

The Terms are jointly developed and approved by Council, and can change as the nature of the work of Council evolves.

View the Gravenhurst Municipal Heritage Committee's Terms of Reference

Membership
  • Lisa Brown
  • Joanne Fairbrass
  • Barbara McNeice-Stallard
  • Lindsay Nelan
  • Glenn Silver
  • Michael Wayling
  • Councillor Jorgensen (Council Representative)
  • Angela Ghikadis (Staff Liaison)

Annual Work Plans & Year End Reports

Current information about the activities of the Subcommittee will be posted here:

Work Plans

Year End Reports

Schedules, Agendas & Minutes

View this Committee's Annual Schedule of Meetings. 

Agendas and Minutes for this Committee's meetings can be viewed within our Council Calendar when posted. 

If you wish to speak at a meeting, visit our Information and Special Request Page.

For more information on Schedules, Agendas and Minutes, please contact the Deputy Clerk/Committee Coordinator.

Designating Properties & Municipal Register

As one of this Committee's mandates is to identify heritage resources and evaluate their condition and community value, the MHC will make recommendations to Council for new designations and updates to the Town's Municipal Register.

View the Town's current Municipal Register

View the Ontario Heritage Act

View Municipal Register Map

Educational Resources

This Committee has taken the lead role in organizing Doors Open Gravenhurst as well as the Port Hole to the Past events. 

 

CHO Workshop Presentation from October 29, 2019 

 

 Digital Photo Library
 

Historic pictures of Gravenhurst are available at these three sources:

Gravenhurst Archives
705-687-3382
judylynne@vianet.ca

Muskoka Discovery Centre
705-687-2115
archives@realmuskoka.com

Town of Gravenhurst
705-687-3412
ataylor@gravenhurst.ca

Digital photos on subjects including among others buildings, steamships, trains, businesses, recreation, pioneers, lumbering, families, Muskoka Wharf, sanitoria, Norman Bethune and Little Norway, from the 1870s to the present, are available.

The selection of photos shown below is just a sample of the numerous photos that are available! 

Please note: fees may apply to access photos from these locations. 

Photo Gallery: Digital Media Library will appear here on the public site.

 

Join the Committee
To be considered for a position on the Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee, please visit our Join a Board or Committee page and complete an application form. 

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