Heritage Recognition and Built Heritage Awards

Heritage Recognition

As part of the annual Heritage Week celebrations in Ontario, City Council recognizes property owners for long-time heritage stewardship and/or recent well-done rehabilitations through the presentation of Built Heritage Awards. Owners of newly designated buildings are also presented a heritage designation plaque. City Council is proud to announce the 2023 Built Heritage Award recipients.

2023 Built Heritage Award Recipients:

• 787 Ouellette Avenue – Former Windsor Utilities Commission
• 1958-1998 Wyandotte Street East – Strathcona Building
• 1167 Mercer Street – International Playing Cards
• 455 Giles Boulevard East – Windsor Grove Cemetery

Read the 2023 Heritage Recognition Report for further details and photos.

The awards will be presented during the regular City Council meeting on Monday, October 16, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. along with a compilation video screening that showcases all the awarded sites.

The compilation video of the 2023 Heritage Recognition Award recipients will be made publicly available for viewing after the October 16 City Council meeting.

For a list of award recipients from previous years, see Previous Built Heritage Award Recipients.

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Built Heritage Awards

City Council has traditionally recognized excellence in long-time heritage stewardship and/or recent well-done rehabilitations through the presentation of the annual Built Heritage Awards.

Criteria:

• Property must located within the City of Windsor.
• The property must have cultural heritage value or interest. However, the property does not have to be listed on the Municipal Heritage Register or designated in the Ontario Heritage Act.
• The property can be of any use (residential, commercial, institutional, etc.)
• Active Windsor Heritage Committee members are not eligible for nomination.
• Work must adhere to the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.

Categories:

Heritage Conservation:

Properties that demonstrate extraordinary or exemplary conservation (preservation, rehabilitation or restoration) of the existing built heritage resource, while protecting its heritage value.

• Preservation work that protects, maintains and stabilizes the original form, material and integrity of a historic place
• Rehabilitation work involving sensitive adaptation of an historic place or individual component for a continuing or compatible contemporary use
• Restoration work that reveals, recovers or represents the state of an historic place or individual component as it appeared at a particular period in its history
• Property and buildings well maintained

Rehabilitation/Adaptive Re-use:

Properties that maintain original features while introducing new features that support the re-use of the property.

• Repurposing a building while retaining its heritage character
• Can include additions that are sensitive to the historic context of the heritage property
• Enhancement to the community and adds value to the streetscape

Built Heritage Awards Selection Process:

In April and May of 2023, Heritage Planning staff and the Windsor Heritage Committee members reviewed the list of candidate projects according to the award criteria and brought forward the chosen nominations through a staff report at the September 11, 2023, Development and Heritage Standing Committee meeting. Ultimately, Mayor Drew Dilkens will present the award certificates to the recipients at the upcoming October 16, 2023, City Council meeting.

Heritage Week

The third Monday of February is Canadian Heritage Day, a day to recognize and pay tribute to our land and landmarks, our nation's history, our diverse cultures and our traditions. The Heritage Canada Foundation first established Heritage Day in 1974. Heritage Day coincides with Ontario Heritage Week, which takes place annually during the third week of February.

For an example of past events, see the 2022 list of Heritage Week Celebrations.

For general information, please call 311. For detailed inquiries, contact the following: