Ontario Heritage Act

Ontario Heritage Act is a piece of legislation in Ontario.^[1]

In Anishinabek News

August 2019: The act requires an archaeologist to be present at most construction excavations but does not specify what to do with the items found.^[2]
April 2020: The act allows the province to determine policies and priorities for the preservation of heritage. Critics argued in April 2020 that the act is used to assert problematic rights over Indigenous archaeological and historical pasts. The legislation has been described as colonial for putting settlers in charge of managing the cultural heritage of displaced Indigenous peoples.^[3]
April 2020: Passed in 1975, the Ontario Heritage Act requires heritage assessments for new land development projects in Ontario. The Ontario Heritage Act led to the rise of private Cultural Resource Management companies which perform the majority of archaeological investigations in the province.^[4]
May 2025: This act is one of nine pieces of legislation that Bill 5, Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025 seeks to amend.^[5]
June 2025: This act is one of several pieces of legislation targeted for sweeping changes under Bill 5, Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025.^[1]