We encourage you to consider keeping your house on the Register — it’s an important part of our local history.
If you would like to remove your house from the Register, you will have to prepare your case and make an application to Council whether the house is Registered or Designated.
In writing their recommendation to Council, Planning staff will consider the Foundation’s input. The Foundation may also weigh in at the Council meeting. Ultimately, the decision is with Council.
Most de-listings happen as a result of a heritage building having been registered decades ago, and the building having fallen into tremendous disrepair over that time, usually having its character-defining elements removed. This sometimes coincides with a redevelopment.
Note that a house not meeting the current Building Code is not usually a sufficient reason on its own for the Foundation to support a de-listing. The Building Code changes every few years, so most of Saanich’s homes are not fully compliant with the current Code. Key building systems and safety-related aspects of a building can be upgraded without de-listing the building or removing character-defining elements. In these cases the Foundation may offer advice, or encourage you to work with a Heritage Consultant to prepare a building condition assessment and maintenance plan.