Heritage Designation of Old Oakville Shopping District:

Oakville has lots of great shopping, from large modern shopping plazas to smaller neighbourhood malls. We are also lucky in that we have a unique collection of the old and the new on the stretch of Lakeshore Road between Allan and Navy. There are first class restaurants and coffee shops, banks, pharmacies, bakeries, greengrocers, butchers and fishmongers, clothing, home decor and furniture, and a host of other specialized stores.

If you have been to Port Hope, Niagara-on-the-Lake, or Cobourg, you will know what a historic downtown can add to a community.







Unlike these other downtown districts, Oakville’s is not protected, other than by the heritage designations which apply to some of our downtown buildings. The Oakville Historical Society believes that a Heritage District designation as provided for under the Heritage Act would be appropriate for this area, and has begun work on compiling an inventory of all the buildings, including the history of past owners and uses.

This is not the first time work has been undertaken in this area. For those who are interested, OHS has in its archives and available a 1984 study undertaken by the Town entitled "Streetscape and Site Plan Guidelines Study - Final Report - October, 1984. While unconfirmed, our understanding is that a recommendation to apply a Heritage District designation to this area was made at about that time, but as a result of Council elections and retirements it was never acted upon.

The aim of the current work and interest is to maintain the historic character of the area while at the same time adding to its attractiveness and economic viability.