Heritage Committee

The Heritage Committee is appointed by Council under the authority of the Ontario Heritage Act. The Committee advises Council on matters related to the Act. It may also advise Council about properties in the Town of Essex that have cultural heritage value, which the Town or property owner may wish to preserve or protect from destruction or harmful change by passing a Heritage Designation By-Law. 

Essex Council is required, under the Ontario Heritage Act, to consult with its Heritage Committee during the designation/repeal-of-designation process for individual properties or districts and on applications to demolish, remove structures from or otherwise alter designated properties.

The Heritage Committee is comprised of up to 9 members, including Council appointees. 

Terms of Reference

View the proposed Terms of Reference.

Meeting schedule

The Heritage Committee generally meets on the last Thursday of each month. Committee meetings are open to the public. To be placed on the agenda, contact the Planning Division at least 5 working days before the next meeting.

Please consult the Meeting Calendar for up-to-date information and agendas.

Heritage Committee initiatives

To date, the Committee has initiated the heritage designation of six cemeteries. Designation by-laws have been passed for the British Methodist Episcopal, Iler Settlement, Hutchins, McCormick and Quick Cemeteries, located in the former Townships of Colchester North and South. The designation process was recently started for the Tofflemire-Snider Cemetery, located on County Road 50.

Other designated buildings in the Town of Essex include John R. Park Homestead, the former Carnegie Library which is now occupied by the Essex and Community Historical Research Society, the former Essex Railway Station, now occupied by Heritage Essex, and the Kowtiuk home in Essex Centre. There are several private homes that the Town hopes to designate in the near future.

With the assistance of university students over the past few summers, the Committee has been able to research and photograph many local buildings and properties with heritage qualities and value. An inventory of these buildings and properties has also been initiated.

Find out more about heritage planning

To find out more about Heritage Planning and the designation process, visit our Heritage Planning page.

Find out more about heritage designation and our built heritage by visiting our Heritage Register page.

Heritage Event Survey

To  improve our heritage events, the Town of Essex Heritage Committee provides a Heritage Event Feedback Survey. Event attendees are asked to complete the survey online. Feedback will be incorporated into future events.