Ontario Heritage Trust

Ontario Heritage Trust

Fiducie du patrimoine ontarien
The agency headquarters, the Birkbeck Building, in 2022 [1]
Agency overview
Formed	1967 (1967)
Preceding agencies	Archaeological and Historic Sites Board Ontario Heritage Foundation
Type	Crown agency
Jurisdiction	Government of Ontario
Headquarters	10 Adelaide Street East Toronto, Ontario M5C 1J3
Minister responsible	Stan Cho, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming
Agency executive	John Ecker, Chair [2]
Key document	Ontario Heritage Act
Website	www.heritagetrust.on.ca

The Ontario Heritage Trust (French: Fiducie du patrimoine ontarien) is a crown agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. It is responsible for protecting, preserving and promoting the built, natural and cultural heritage of the Canadian province of Ontario. The Trusts headquarters are housed in the Ontario Heritage Centre, also known as the Birkbeck Building, itself a designated heritage building and National Historic Site. ^[1]

History

The trust traces its origins to the Archaeological and Historic Sites Board during the 1950s. It was incorporated into the Ontario Heritage Foundation in 1967 by the Ontario legislature. Its name was changed to the Ontario Heritage Trust in 2005 by an amendment to the Ontario Heritage Act . ^{[3] [4]}

Provincial Plaque Program

A plaque in Niagara-on-the-Lake

The Trust administers the Provincial Plaque Program, which began in 1955. Since the installation of the first plaque at Port Carling, it has erected 1,287 blue-and-gold plaques, the vast majority of which are found across Ontario, but also in France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. ^{[5] [6]}

In 2018, the Trust began reviewing its plaques for 'outdated interpretations and terminology', with plaques such as the Shingwauk Hall Residential Schools plaque in Sault Ste. Marie being replaced after it was vandalized in 2021. ^{[5] [7]}

Ontario Sports Awards

In 1965 the Ontario Heritage Trust began honouring sports achievements, with the Ontario Sport Awards Program being formally established in 1975. ^[8]

Ontario Heritage Trust buildings

Some of the properties managed in whole or in part by the Trust include:

• Ashbridge Estate ^[9]
• Barnum House ^[10]
• Birkbeck Building
• Canada Southern Railway Station ^[11]
• Duff Baby House ^[12]
• Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres ^[13]
• Enoch Turner School ^[14]
• Fulford Place ^[15]
• George Brown House ^[16]
• Josiah Henson Museum ^[17]
• Niagara Apothecary ^[18]
• Museum of Northern History ^[19]
• Wolford Chapel ^[20] (in Devon, England)

References

1. "Ontario Heritage Centre". historicplaces.ca. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
2. Paikin, Steve (2024-06-06). "One last hurrah for Ontario's 18th premier". TVO . Retrieved 2025-10-11.
3. Osbaldeston, Mark (2025-03-05). "The Origins of Heritage Preservation Law in Ontario". uwaterloo.ca. Heritage Resources Centre, University of Waterloo . Retrieved 2025-10-11.
4. "Long awaited amendments made to the Ontario Heritage Act". Canadian Architect. April 21, 2005. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
5. Anderson, Charnel (2022-11-18). "'The truth wasn't told': Why Ontario is updating its historical plaques". www.tvo.org. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
6. "List of international plaques". heritagetrust.on.ca. Ontario Heritage Trust. Archived from the original on 2025-10-11.
7. Gemmill, Angela (2022-09-30). "Plaque at former residential school in Sault updated to accurately reflect historic truths". CBC Northern Ontario . Retrieved 2025-10-11.
8. "Coaching Awards • Ontario Basketball Association". Ontario Basketball Association. 2017-01-31. Archived from the original on 2023-12-31. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
9. "Jesse Ashbridge House". historicplaces.ca. Canadian Register of Historic Places . Retrieved 2025-10-11.
10. "Barnum House National Historic Site of Canada". historicplaces.ca. Canadian Register of Historic Places . Retrieved 2025-10-11.
11. Ontario Heritage Trust The St. Thomas CASO Station
12. "Duff-Baby House". historicplaces.ca. Canadian Register of Historic Places . Retrieved 2025-10-11.
13. "Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres National Historic Site of Canada". historicplaces.ca. Canadian Register of Historic Places . Retrieved 2025-10-11.
14. "Enoch Turner Schoolhouse". historicplaces.ca. Canadian Register of Historic Places . Retrieved 2025-10-11.
15. "Fulford Place National Historic Site of Canada". historicplaces.ca. Canadian Register of Historic Places . Retrieved 2025-10-11.
16. "George Brown House". historicplaces.ca. Canadian Register of Historic Places . Retrieved 2025-10-11.
17. "Name change possible for award-winning Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site". cbc.ca. CBC News. 2019-02-02. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
18. "Niagara Apothecary". historicplaces.ca. Canadian Register of Historic Places . Retrieved 2025-10-11.
19. "Sir Harry Oakes' Chateau". historicplaces.ca. Canadian Register of Historic Places . Retrieved 2025-10-11.
20. Von Henning, Ottilie (2024-10-06). "Toronto couple visits Canadian Wolford Chapel in Honiton". Midweek Herald . Retrieved 2025-10-11.

External links

• Official website