Photo via peterborough.ca/heritage
The Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The committee, known as PACAC, was officially established on June 2, 1975, following the passage of the Ontario Heritage Act earlier that year. Peterborough became the second municipality in Ontario to create a Municipal Heritage Committee under the new legislation.
PACAC was created to advise City Council on the preservation and designation of heritage properties. The first committee included nine members: Dr. Eldon Ray, Betty Hinton, Maria Teresa Bradburn, J.J. Overvliet, Edgar Boland, Jennie Spurway, Victor Barry, Margaret Fleming and Martha Ann Kidd.
Today, PACAC continues to play an active role in promoting local heritage through events like Doors Open Peterborough, Heritage Week, and the annual Heritage Hunt. The group also provides education and support to owners of heritage properties.
Currently, 795 buildings are listed on the City’s Heritage Register. That includes 348 properties within The Avenues and Neighbourhood Heritage Conservation District and 142 buildings designated individually under the Ontario Heritage Act.
PACAC also emphasizes the environmental value of conservation, supporting adaptive reuse and preservation of existing structures as a way to reduce climate impact.
This year’s Heritage Hunt is scheduled for September, and Doors Open Peterborough will take place on Saturday, September 13.
More information is available at peterborough.ca/heritage.
