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Kingston’s heritage: Time and again

A study is being conducted that will hopefully result in the establishment of the Old Sydenham Heritage Area (representing approximately 550 properties) as a heritage conservation district

By

Marcus R. Létourneau

Buildings and architecture, Community

Published Date: Sep 11, 2008

Photo: A study is being conducted that will hopefully result in the establishment of the Old Sydenham Heritage Area (representing approximately 550 properties) as a heritage conservation district

The City of Kingston sits at a strategic location, halfway between Montreal and Toronto, where Lake Ontario meets the western end of the St. Lawrence. It has long been a First Nations meeting place and is one of the earliest sites of European settlement in North America. Kingston’s past is certainly a storied one. It was the site of several battles, first capital of the United Canadas, home to Sir John A. Macdonald and boasts one of North America’s oldest markets.

The city is known for its heritage initiatives, including the creation of its municipal heritage committee in 1958, the passing of the Kingston Act in 1970 and for being the location of the 1975 proclamation of the Ontario Heritage Act. Over the past three years, Kingston’s cultural heritage program has been significantly reorganized. There are now four components to the program: Built/Designed Heritage (including cultural landscapes), Archaeology, First Nations and Public Education.

For its size, the city has a tremendous number of heritage resources. It currently has 690 properties on its Register of Heritage Properties, with nearly 250 additional properties with some form of council endorsement and more than 500 properties identified as possibly having cultural heritage value. Since 2005, the city has completed 12 new Part IV designations, six bylaw updates and over 10 requests for an update or new designation – and only 30 per cent of the city’s inventory has been evaluated! The city is also one of the few municipalities in Ontario with a UNESCO World Heritage designation that includes the Rideau Canal and Kingston Fortifications (including Fort Henry). In addition, the city has over 80 identified marine and terrestrial archaeological sites.

Kingston has also developed new and innovative heritage policies. For example, its adjacent properties policy, based on the Provincial Policy Statement (2005), was developed in conjunction with Parks Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Culture. Other completed initiatives include the creation of a Heritage Incentives Program, Interim Archaeological Criteria and policies, a new Heritage Properties Evaluation template, a new plaque program and the Belle Island (First Nations) Agreement. Ongoing projects include the Archaeology Master Plan (to be implemented this fall), a heritage conservation district study for the Old Sydenham Heritage Area (representing approximately 550 properties), an Aboriginal Protocol, participation in the creation of the city’s new Official Plan and the Rideau Canal Landscape Project (in conjunction with Queen’s University and Parks Canada).

The city holds in trust over 20 heritage properties, including three national historic sites. To help protect these resources, it has prepared a Commemorative Integrity Statement, with the assistance of Parks Canada. It is also developing a designation bylaw for the interior of the city hall and has allocated $30,000 for the creation of the Kingston City Hall Management Plan. In 2004, the city prepared a Building Conservation Master Plan for many of its properties, and is actively restoring many of its sites. In response to new archaeological requirements, the city has also undertaken archaeological assessments of many of its major parks.

Staff are also involved in initiatives to make Kingston known for heritage education. The city has also partnered with several universities, including Queen’s and Waterloo. A number of heritage workshops have been held in the last few years, including a Marine Archaeological Workshop, a Conservation Review Board training workshop and an Edifice Old Home Magazine workshop. Additionally, the city has created an intern program for heritage planning; nearly 10 volunteer interns have participated since its creation. The city has also created a new series of heritage pamphlets, has begun updating its website to showcase Kingston’s heritage program and has developed a Communication and Education working group.

Kingston’s heritage planning program is being transformed into a broader cultural resource management program. It is an integrative management approach existing within an overall policy structure that requires four elements to be in place in all decision-making that affects cultural heritage resources: inventory, evaluation, monitoring and review.

The new cultural heritage program in Kingston has been designed and developed as a holistic program, speaking broadly to issues of sense of place, cultural tourism, economic development, sustainability, community development and community engagement. Cultural heritage has become an important part of the city’s overall economic development. Largely due to these efforts, the City of Kingston won the 2007 Cultural Heritage Category for Communities in Bloom. Time and again, heritage has changed the face of Kingston, as it continues to contribute to Ontario’s unique heritage fabric.