The purpose of this project is to assess the cultural heritage value or interest of Niagara-on-the-Lake's Old Town Village against the HCD requirements as outlined under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. This Study is presented with the following options:

1. The creation of a new HCD encompassing part or all of NOTL’s Old Town Village (repealing the existing Queen-Picton HCD), or to re-evaluate the Queen-Picton HCD; or
2. A re-evaluation of the Queen-Picton HCD to determine whether or not its boundaries should be expanded; if so, properties need to be identified as contributing or non-contributing, and the potential for character areas should be assessed. 
   1. Consult with Town Staff and advise on the timing and potential use of an interim control by-law for the study area.

Should Option 2 proceed, the update of the Queen-Picton HCD is required so that it meets the requirements introduced as a result of Bill 23, and articulated in the Ontario Heritage Act:

Concurrent with the project launch, the Town Staff will provide the successful Proponent with an information package containing the aforementioned by-laws, studies, and reports, alongside a set of preliminary built-form surveys for properties located in Old Town that are not currently encapsulated by the HCD.

This project has two phases.

The first phase will begin with the study of Old Town’s built heritage, cultural landscapes, and potential character areas to determine the extent to which the existing boundaries of the Queen-Picton HCD should be expanded and the existing HCD Plan updated, or alternatively, whether a new HCD should be established in the Old Town urban area. The HCD must meet the requirements of Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. The consultants will use the existing information and the compiled surveys to determine the appropriate study boundary. 

Once the Proponent has identified the boundaries of the Study Area, it will be recommended that Council pass an interim control by-law for properties included within the expanded Study Area. the second phase of the project will proceed. This will include the development of a Heritage Conservation District Plan with policies and guidelines to be passed via by-law. The existing Queen-Picton HCD by-law will be repealed in due course.

The following steps will be undertaken by the successful Proponent:

1.  Review the detailed summary of information provided and any other research sources deemed appropriate, alongside the field survey data compiled by Town Staff with input from the MHC. Notwithstanding the field data collected, it is expected that the consultant will analyze current conditions, potential contributing and non-contributing properties, streetscapes, landscapes, views/vistas, geomorphological impacts on settlement patterns and Indigenous relationships to the land.
2. Evaluate the heritage value of the study area and conduct site visits to offer clarity in their proposed study area boundary justification.
3. Evaluate the heritage value of individual properties within the study area and identify heritage attributes and character-defining elements, as well as potential character areas, and the ways in which intangible histories can be commemorated throughout the District.
4. Prepare a detailed public engagement strategy and lead in-person and virtual engagement sessions.

The expectation is that the consultant will undertake an HCD study that would result in a detailed recommendation report advising Council on the creation of a new HCD, or an expansion of the existing Queen-Picton HCD, with clearly delineated and defensible boundaries. After consultation, and endorsement by Council, the consultant will then prepare a District Plan with a statement of objectives for the area, up-to-date policies, a description of heritage value and attributes (for the overall area and for individual properties) and guidelines to conserve heritage resources, address recent legislative changes, and manage change in future.