Historical Society supports bid for designated business core

June 24, 2018 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

The Aurora Historical Society renewed its mandate as heritage advocate last week, throwing its weight behind a bid by the Town’s Heritage Advisory Committee (HAC) to designate 15 of Aurora’s historic downtown storefronts under the Ontario Heritage Act.
John Green, Vice President of the Aurora Historical Society (AHS), supported the measure at Council last week, accompanied by a number of AHS representatives.
“The HAC have done this with full transparency,” said Mr. Green, whose organization has a representative on the committee. “Aurora is special because of its place in history. It is the birthplace of famous Canadians, centres of successful businesses that have changed the western world. It has witnessed scenes of revolution and conflict that determine Canadian history. Aurora’s character has developed from its history and that is extremely important. It isn’t a new Town sprung up in the last 20 years. Aurora’s culture has developed from its past and Aurora’s essence is Yonge Street. Many people have chosen to live in Aurora because it is special and not just a whistle-stop on the way to Toronto.
“We must protect the uniqueness of Toronto by protecting its heritage and an important part of its heritage are the buildings that we can see and visit, not just by looking at photographs. Many of these buildings front onto Yonge Street, their facades are familiar to many of us. I implore you to maintain Aurora’s heritage and character by designating the properties identified by the HAC as heritage buildings, thus making sure that proper procedures are followed before the wrecking ball strikes.”