Heritage Conservation Districts

What Is a Heritage Conservation District?

A Heritage Conservation District (HCD) is a neighbourhood or commercial, industrial, or natural area of the city that is protected by a municipal by-law passed under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act (OHA), by City Council. HCDs are considered to be historically or culturally significant and require special care and attention in the planning process to ensure that they are conserved, and may contain multiple properties, landowners, resource types, and cultural heritage values.

There are 16 designated HCDs in Toronto. They are:

• Blythwood Road
• Cabbagetown (Metcalfe, North, Northwest, South)
• Draper Street
• East Annex
• Fort York
• Harbord Village (Phase I & II)
• Kingswood Road South
• Lyall Avenue
• North Rosedale
• Queen Street West
• Riverdale
• South Rosedale
• Union Station
• Weston
• Wychwood Park
• Yorkville-Hazelton

The City’s Heritage Preservation Services department is currently researching HCD applications for eight areas: The Garden District, Historic Yonge Street, King-Spadina, West Queen West, West Annex Phase 1 (Madison Ave), Queen Street East, St. Lawrence, and the Kensington Market area.

To learn more about these Heritage Conservation District Study Areas and to participate in Community Consultations or provide feedback for current HCD Studies, click here to go to the city’s new HCD Blog.