Take notice that the Council of the Corporation of the City of Guelph intends to designate 88 Ontario Street West as a property of cultural heritage value or interest under section 29, Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter 0.18.
Description of the property
The legal description of the property known as 88 Ontario Street is Pt. Lot 2, Plan 120.
Statement of cultural heritage value or interest
The residential dwelling at 88 Ontario St. is worthy of designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act because it meets four of the nine prescribed criteria for determining cultural heritage value or interest, according to Ontario Regulation 9/06 as amended by 569/22. The subject building at 88 Ontario St. has design and physical value, historical and associative value, and contextual value.
Design/Physical Value
The subject property meets criterion 1 because it is representative of a late nineteenth-century worker’s cottage.
Historical/Associative Value
The subject property meets criterion 4 because it was the early home of David Little, a significant businessman and city councilor.
The subject property meets criterion 5 because it yields information regarding the Little family, their connections to the Murton Oatmeal Mill, and David Little Choice Family Groceries.
Contextual Value
The subject property meets criterion 7 because it aids in maintaining the character of the surrounding neighborhood on Ontario Street, which is defined by low-rise commercial and residential buildings.
The subject property meets criterion 8 because it was in proximity to the historic Mill Lands, where David Little worked.
Description of heritage attributes
The following elements of the property at 88 Ontario St. should be considered as heritage attributes in a designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act:
- Building form, including:
- Brick exterior walls
- Symmetrical facade
- Hipped roof with small gable above front entrance
It is intended that non-original features may be returned to the documented earlier designs or to their documented original without requiring City Council permission for an alteration to the design.
A more detailed description of the property’s cultural heritage value may be found in staff’s report to City Council dated November 12, 2025 and at guelph.ca.
Notice of objection
Any person may send a notice of objection to this proposed designation, before 4 p.m. on Friday December 19, 2025. This notice must be sent by registered mail or delivered to the Clerk of the City of Guelph and must set out the reason for the objection and all relevant facts. If a notice of objection is received, the Council of the City of Guelph shall consider the objection and make a decision whether or not to withdraw the notice of intention to designate the property within 90 days after the end of the 30-day objection period. If Council decides not to withdraw its intention to designate, a heritage designation bylaw must be passed within 120 days after the date of publication of the notice of intention to designate. Council must publish a notice of passing of the designation by-law which is followed by a 30-day appeal period when appeals of the by-law may be given to the Ontario Land Tribunal for a hearing and decision.
Stephen O’Brien
City Clerk
City of Guelph
1 Carden Street, Guelph ON N1H 3A1
For more information
Jack Mallon, Planner I – Heritage
Planning Services 519-822-1260 x 3872
[email protected]
Notice date: November 20, 2025