Downtown Dundas Built Heritage Inventory

The Dundas Inventory is an initiative to update the City of Hamilton’s database of information on heritage buildings in historic downtown Dundas. The goal is to evaluate each property to determine if it has cultural heritage value or interest that should be recognized by adding it to the Municipal Heritage Register or further evaluated for potential designation under the Ontario Heritage Act.

How to Determine if a Property has Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

Research will be done to understand the origin, evolution and historic patterns that define Downtown Dundas, and an Historic Context Statement will be drafted that identifies key milestones and themes that helped shape settlement and development in the area.

The heritage value of each property will be evaluated and classified based on its contribution to the historic character of the area. The City’s classification framework is based on provincial criteria for determining cultural heritage value or interest (Ontario Regulation 9/06) and was designed to identify:

• Properties that are historical, aesthetic or cultural landmarks of considerable heritage value (Significant Built Resources); and,
• Properties whose heritage value lies primarily in the contribution they make to their historic context (Character-Defining Resources and Character-Supporting Resources).

What You Need to Know

• The Inventory - There are over 6,700 addresses listed on the Inventory city-wide, and approximately 328 of those are in the Dundas Inventory study area.

• Designated Properties - There are over 640 designated properties in the City of Hamilton. Dundas has 97 designated properties, most of which are in the Cross-Melville Heritage Conservation District.