The City of Kingston is one of the earliest sites of European settlement in Ontario and has a longer history as a meeting place of Indigenous peoples. The City is well known for its cultural heritage resources and its role in Confederation. This plays a key role in the City's identity, quality of life, and contributes to its economic prosperity.

These cultural heritage resources include protected heritage buildings, built heritage resources (such as monuments, structures and installations), cultural heritage landscapes (such as scenic vistas, viewscapes, streetscapes, battlefields and cemeteries), and archaeological resources. Most cultural heritage resources are non-renewable, and once lost cannot be regained.

Heritage Planning staff are available to provide information on the City’s processes, respond to questions and concerns, and help guide you through a heritage conservation or research project. 

Applying for a heritage permit

Meet our Heritage Planners to discuss your application and conservation project during the Heritage Roundtable. Meetings take place weekly on Wednesdays from 1 - 2 p.m. at the Heritage Resource Centre in City Hall.

The City's Official Plan directs that these resources are to be conserved, managed and marketed for their contribution to the City's unique character, history and sense or place in such a way as to balance heritage with environmental and accessibility concerns. Cultural heritage resources are non-renewable, and once lost cannot be regained.

Heritage Conservation Districts

Find out more about the City's Heritage Conservation Districts:

• Barriefield
• Market Square
• Sydenham

The Ontario Heritage Act provides the City with a number of tools to help conserve its cultural heritage resources including the formation of a Heritage Properties Committee, the keeping of a Municipal Register of identified heritage properties, and the creation of financial assistance programs for owners of designated heritage properties.