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Municipality of the District of Yarmouth - truly connected

The Municipal Heritage By-Law states that no property which has been registered as a heritage property can undergo substantial alterations or demolition without permission of Council. Although demolition is easily defined, the term “substantial alterations” is not as clear.

Information regarding your property’s specific features, stylistic period and historic character can be found on your site inventory form which is the description of your property and its historic characteristics or at Canada's Historic Places. If you do not have a copy of your site inventory form or would like an additional copy, this will be provided for you by contacting the Heritage Coordinator.

Alterations that would not be affected would be items such as repainting your home, re-shingling your roof, or spot-replacing wooden shingles that are in poor condition. If at any time you have any questions regarding whether or not you would be required to make an application you can contact the Heritage Coordinator for verification. This is generally as quick as a phone call.

The Building Code of Canada and Fire Safety Regulations

If changes to your property are necessary to meet Provincial and/or Federal Building/ Safety regulations the specific Provincial and/or Federal regulations take precedence over the Heritage Property Act. If these required changes are substantial, you will be required to make an application to ensure that the alteration is in keeping with the Historic Character and Stylistic Period of the property. Some examples of these types of changes would be fire exits and stairs, changes in door frames to accommodate accessibility, etc.

There are some existing exceptions for registered heritage properties contained within some of these regulations if you have questions or concerns about these regulations such as the Building Code of Canada, please contact the Development office at 902-742-9691.

Making Application for a Substantial Alteration

There is an application for you to submit and it requires the following information: contact information, information about the proposed development/ alteration, pictures of the present site, and information on the materials being used. It is sometimes necessary for the Heritage Coordinator to require additional information which may include a site visit or clarification of items contained in your application.

When an application is completed it shall be brought forward to the Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee to review the proposed changes and make a recommendation to Council on the application. Most commonly when the Committee has concerns about a project we work with the owners to reach a reasonable resolution to achieve both the needs of the property owner and the preservation of the heritage value of the property.

View the application form here.

Factors Considered by the Heritage Advisory Committee

If the proposed development/alteration is considered substantial, the following factors will be considered in making any recommendations or decisions on the request.

  • The purpose of the request, such as for restoration to a particular period or recycling or rehabilitation;
  • The materials used should conform with the identified style, but modern, more economical substitutes may be approved for us;
  • The comparative costs of the various alterations;
  • The effects on the neighbouring environment of the requested alteration.

Council would then either accept or deny the committee’s recommendation at which time you would be notified by letter of your application's status. This process usually takes around 30 to 45 days.

Contact Information

For more information please contact:

Jenny Porter, Heritage Coordinator
Municipality of the District of Yarmouth
932 Highway 1
Hebron, NS B5A 5Z5

Phone: 902-742-7159
Contact by email