What can I do if I receive a notice of intention to designate my property under the Ontario Heritage Act?

A notice of intention to designate starts a defined process, not an immediate, final designation, so receiving one gives you a real opportunity to respond before any bylaw is passed. Within the notice period, you can generally file a formal written objection setting out your reasons, whether that's disputing the claimed heritage value, disagreeing with the specific attributes identified, or raising practical concerns about how designation would affect the property's use.

Once a timely objection is filed, municipal council is generally required to consider it before deciding whether to proceed with the designating bylaw, which can result in council withdrawing the notice, modifying the proposed designation, or proceeding as originally proposed despite the objection. If council proceeds anyway, a further right to appeal the resulting designation to the Ontario Land Tribunal generally exists. Because the objection period is time-limited, an owner who wants to contest a proposed designation should act quickly, gather any evidence supporting their position on the property's actual heritage significance, and consider getting legal advice early rather than waiting until the deadline is close.