History & Heritage

In 2002, the City of Cambridge designated Blair Village as a Heritage Conservation District. The Blair Village Heritage Conservation District Plan ensures that the community of Blair remains a village in character, form and function. The Plan also includes policies to:

• Protect the area from suburban development
• Protect and enhance the area's natural environment
• Protect and enhance the area's heritage features
• Promote the area's village design
• Ensure new developments fit the village's protected design

Under the Ontario Heritage Act, the City of Cambridge designates heritage properties to publicly acknowledge their value to our community. Designating heritage properties also helps to ensure the conservation of these important places for present and future generations to enjoy.

Is your property an important part of Cambridge's heritage? To have your property considered for designation, contact the Senior Planner - Heritage at heritageinfo@cambridge.ca, to request the Designated Heritage Property Application Form.

50 Dickson Street, Third Floor
Cambridge, ON N1R 5W8

In 2005, the City approved the Dickson Hill Heritage Conservation District Plan. The Plan provides a heritage conservation strategy for the City-owned public spaces in Dickson Hill - one of the most unique communities in Cambridge.

Dickson Hill features many different types of historical buildings, including:

• Residential
• Institutional
• Commercial
• Manufacturing

In addition to the buildings, key elements that define the character of Dickson Hill include:

• Tree-lined streets
• Distinctive globe street lights
• Prominent urban public spaces and landscape features

History of Dickson Hill
Credited with founding the Village of Galt, the Honourable William Dickson, arrived to the Dickson Hill area in 1816. Dickson was responsible for a lot of the commercial development on the west bank of the Grand River. His son, William Dickson Jr., acquired most of the lands that currently make up the residential area of Dickson Hill.

The development of the residential area of Dickson Hill occurred over several decades, completed by a series of developers. Florence Dickson, niece to William Dickson Jr., and his heir, controlled the development of this area until the 1890s.

The City of Cambridge introduced the Main Street Heritage Conservation District Plan in 1984. The district is in the heart of the former city of Galt and its boundaries are Main Street, Ainslie Street, Imperial Lane and Water Street.

Features of the Main Street Heritage Conservation District include a block of commercial buildings that form one of the most outstanding historic streetscapes in Ontario. This area has a variety of architectural styles and building ages, from the Granite Block of 1862 to the High Victorian Osborne Building of 1895. Subtle variations of detail and style make this area worthy of long-term conservation and enhancement.

The City of Cambridge provides financial assistance for owners of designated heritage properties through our Designated Heritage Property Grant Program. These Heritage Grants, provided through the City's Operating Budget, help pay for conservation and restoration work on these designated properties. Designated in accordance with Part IV and Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, these properties have historical and/or architectural significance.

The Ontario Heritage Act provides municipalities and property owners with a variety of ways to work together to identify and conserve local "heritage resources" - buildings, places, and landscapes that hold special cultural value and reflect the history of a community. The Act requires that the final stage of these efforts be reflected in a public municipal record known as the Heritage Properties. For more information visit the City of Cambridge's listed heritage properties.

How to Apply
Complete the Designated Heritage Property Grant Program application form and submit it to the Policy Planning Division by the last business day of January. Approved projects must be complete by November 1 of the same year. The Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee (MHAC) reviews applications for the Designated Heritage Property Grant Program. 

2026 Grant Amount
An owner may qualify for a grant of up to one half the cost of the work carried out to conserve the heritage attributes of the building, up to a maximum of $7,500 per calendar year.

Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation
If you own a designated heritage property, you may also qualify for funding from the Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation.

To request a document or information not included on this page, please contact heritageinfo@cambridge.ca.

In 2006, the City of Cambridge hired Bray Heritage to develop a Heritage Master Plan. Council adopted the Heritage Master Plan in September, 2008. The Plan outlines a strategy for conserving Cambridge's Built Heritage Resources by identifying, valuing and protecting them.

To request a document or information not included on this page, please contact heritageinfo@cambridge.ca.

Designated properties
The Heritage Register includes cultural heritage resources designated under Part IV (Individually designated) and Part V (Heritage Conservation District designation) of the Ontario Heritage Act for their cultural heritage significance. 

Non-designated properties
The Heritage Register also lists non-designated properties that have cultural heritage value and which may be considered for possible future designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. These properties are called "listed" properties.

If you own a listed property on the Heritage Register and are not sure what that means, see the Listed Heritage Properties brochure for more information.

To request a document or information not included on this page, please contact heritageinfo@cambridge.ca.

The Cambridge Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee (MHAC) assists Council to conserve our cultural heritage resources. We encourage citizens to join and contribute to the MHAC. Members of the Committee participate in decision-making processes related to heritage conservation and designation.

The MHAC has the following duties:

• To advise and make recommendations to Council, according to the MHAC Terms of Reference.
• To provide knowledge and expertise to Council.
• To facilitate the work of the organizing body by ensuring open and honest representation, aiming for overall agreement on decisions and maintaining the integrity of the committee.
• To be sensitive to the needs and wants of the Cambridge community.
• To promote good will and trust within the community.
• To act as a liaison between politicians, organizational staff, members of the public, and other stakeholders.
• To help Council make decisions on any matter relating to the legal designation and conservation of property of cultural heritage value or interest, including individual properties and heritage conservation districts.
• Learn more about the City's Boards and Committees.

The Ontario Heritage Act gives municipalities and the provincial government the power to preserve properties and archaeological sites important to Ontario's heritage. The Act also authorizes the Ontario Heritage Trust and the Conservation Review Board to make decisions related to heritage conservation and heritage designations.

To request a document or information not included on this page, please contact heritageinfo@cambridge.ca.

The Ontario Heritage Tool Kit is a series of guides explaining the Ontario Heritage Act, the Planning Act and other heritage related programs. The Ontario Heritage Tool Kit includes the following guides:

• Your Community, Your Heritage, Your Committee, a guide to establishing and sustaining an effective Municipal Heritage Committee
• Heritage Property Evaluation, a guide to listing, researching and evaluating cultural heritage property in Ontario communities
• Designating Heritage Properties, a guide to municipal designation of individual properties under the Ontario Heritage Act
• Heritage Conservation Districts, a guide to district designation under the Ontario Heritage Act
• Heritage Resources in the Land Use Planning Process, a guide to cultural heritage and archaeology policies of the Ontario Provincial Policy Statement
• Heritage Places of Worship, a guide to assist in the conservation and protection of all heritage places of worship in Ontario

The series of guides helps the following groups understand the heritage conservation process in Ontario:

• Municipal councils
• Municipal staff
• Municipal Heritage Committees
• Land use planners
• Heritage professionals
• Heritage organizations
• Property owners

To request a document or information not included on this page, please contact heritageinfo@cambridge.ca.

The Ontario Ministry of Culture outlines eight principles for conserving built heritage properties. These principles provide a basis for all decisions related to heritage conservation. The eight principles include:

• Respect for documentary evidence
• Respect for the original location
• Respect for historic material
• Respect for original fabric
• Respect for the building's history
• Reversibility
• Legibility
• Maintenance

The Parks Canada Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada provide guidance to achieve good practices when it comes to heritage conservation in Canada. These Standards and Guidelines establish a consistent set of national conservation principles to help conserve Canada's historic places. They also guide decision-making when planning for, intervening on and using historic places.

Published in 2003, these standards and guidelines have become an important tool for heritage conservation across Canada.

To request a document or information not included on this page, please contact heritageinfo@cambridge.ca.