Historian hopes “reason will prevail” in Heritage District debate

April 23, 2014 · 0 Comments

Controversy has arisen over the proposed Southeast Old Aurora Heritage Conservation District.
As Graham Wride suggested in a recent letter to The Auroran, what began as a legitimate need for information by residents is degenerating into fear mongering by a few.
There are dozens of successful Heritage Conservation Districts throughout Ontario.
Our Northeast Old Aurora Heritage Conservation District is one of them.
Studies from the University of Waterloo have shown that property values are more likely to rise than to fall in these districts. If there are particular concerns regarding the impact a Heritage Conservation District may have on properties which are used for business or commercial purposes, we may look to the success of Markham’s Main Street or Yonge Street as it passes through the old part of Thornhill.
The information people need is out there. Let us hope that reason will prevail. Otherwise, years of hard work by area residents and our hope that other parts of Aurora may benefit in future from district designation will be destroyed.

John McIntyre
Aurora