Civic Trust Wants Heritage By-Law in St. Andrews

At the first of two regular Council meetings for the month of February for the Municipality of Saint Andrews, Barry Murray made a presentation on behalf of the Civic Trust regarding what the nonprofit organization believes is an urgent need for a heritage bylaw in the community. Murray stated that he and the other board members of the Civic Trust are concerned that, without a proper heritage bylaw in place, the town is at risk of losing some of its most iconic and historic buildings. With the downtown district deemed a National Historic Site, losing more historical buildings could not only dramatically impact the local tourism industry but also that character of the town.

The only buildings that currently have heritage protection are ones with federal heritage designations such as the Blockhouse and Pendlebury Lighthouse. While the town has designated over one hundred locations as municipal historic sites, these sites are not protected from renovation or demolition. While new structures in the downtown National Historic Site are supposed to be in keeping with the aesthetic of the other heritage buildings, developers can still apply for an exemption to the Secondary Municipal Plan. Murray said the Civic Trust would like to see a more rigid heritage by-law in place to ensure exemptions don't become the norm and history is preserved.

Mayor Brad Henderson said council is looking at introducing a heritage bylaw starting with the historic downtown area and then expanding on the initiative from there. 

"We need to walk before we run," said Henderson.