Help Shape St. John's Heritage Strategic Plan (2025-2035)
Official title: Heritage Plan
St. John's is asking residents to review its draft Heritage Strategic Plan, a 10-year roadmap for protecting historic buildings, cultural traditions, and public art. The plan goes beyond bricks and mortar—it covers festivals, oral histories, place names, and landscapes too. You can attend an open house or share feedback online.
Why This Matters
Live in St. John's? This plan will shape what happens to your neighbourhood's historic buildings for the next decade. Love the downtown character, George Street, or local festivals? This is your chance to say what should be protected. Residents are already raising concerns about development pressures on heritage areas.
What Could Change
Council could adopt new policies on which buildings get heritage protection and how development is approved in historic areas. The plan proposes training city staff on heritage matters and investing in public improvements to heritage districts. A built heritage inventory could be created to formally document what needs protection.
Key Issues
- Does the vision statement capture what heritage means to St. John's residents?
- Should the city prioritize protecting built heritage over other development pressures?
- How can the city expand heritage beyond buildings to include cultural traditions, stories, and landscapes?
- What resources and training do city staff need to properly manage heritage matters?
How to Participate
- Review the Draft Heritage Strategic Plan to understand the proposed vision and goals for 2025-2035.
- Attend the open house on June 25, 2025 at City Hall (Foran Greene Room, 4th Floor) from 6-8 p.m. to hear a presentation and share your views.
- If you can't attend, email your feedback to engage@stjohns.ca.
Events
| Date | Event | Location | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 25, 2025 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM NST | Draft Heritage Strategic Plan Open House | Foran Greene Room, 4th Floor, St. John's City Hall |
Submit Your Input
Questions Being Asked (7)
- Does the Vision statement align with your vision for heritage matters in St. John's?
- What is your level of agreement with Goal 1: Protect Built Heritage?
- What is your level of agreement with Goal 2: Expand the Heritage Narrative?
- What is your level of agreement with Goal 3: Develop Municipal and Community Expertise?
- What is your level of agreement with Goal 4: Create Awareness and Support Heritage Education?
- What is your level of agreement with Goal 5: Collaborate with Governments and Agencies?
- Do you have any suggested changes to the vision statement?