Take notice that the Council of the Corporation of the City of Guelph intends to designate 89 Arthur Street North 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 is LOT 37, PLAN 32 ; GUELPH.
Statement of cultural heritage value or interest
The residential dwelling at 89 Arthur St. N. is worthy of designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act because it meets five of the nine prescribed criteria for determining cultural heritage value or interest, according to Ontario Regulation 9/06 as amended by Ontario Regulation 569/22. The subject building as 89 Arthur St. N. 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 the City of Guelph’s early limestone cottages and homes. It also demonstrates an early farmhouse layout with Greek revival architectural elements.
Historical/Associative Value
The subject property meets criterion 4 because of its longtime ownership by the prominent Guelph Allan and Higginbotham families. Both families contributed to the development of early Guelph through property development and ownership, mills and milling industry and militarily.
The subject property meets criterion 5 because it is situated near the Speed River. The Speed River powered the local milling industry the Allan family helped establish in the City. The building aids in expanding knowledge of the Allan and Higginbotham families by highlighting the places they built, owned, lived and operated within.
Contextual Value
The subject property meets criterion 7 because of its exceptional limestone construction, reflective of other early limestone buildings on Arthur St. N. and many historic buildings within the City of Guelph. The subject property meets criterion 8 because of its proximity to the Speed River and the river’s connection to Allan’s Mill and the Allan family.
Description of heritage attributes
The following elements of the property at 89 Arthur St. N. should be considered as heritage attributes in a designation under Part IV, section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.
Building form, including:
- Limestone exterior walls
- Pick-face stone quoins
- Location and form of chimneys
- Building entrance verandah
- Pedimented twin window openings
- Heavy stone lintels
- Projecting stone sills
- Buff brick rear addition
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 January 20, 2026 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 February 27, 2026. 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 bylaw which is followed by a 30-day appeal period when appeals of the bylaw may be given to the Ontario Land Tribunal for a hearing and decision.
Dylan McMahon
City Clerk
City of Guelph
1 Carden Street, Guelph ON N1H 3A1
For more information
Imogen Goldie, Heritage Planner
Planning Services 519-837-5616 x 4240
imogen/[email protected]
Notice date: January 29, 2026