HERITAGE THAT WORKS —
CANDIDATE-PROPOSED MOTION DIRECTION

Introductory Notice

This is a candidate-authored public-review draft. It has not been introduced, debated, legally reviewed, funded, or approved by London City Council.

Motion Direction

That Civic Administration BE DIRECTED to report back on options for a Heritage That Works framework, including:

1. a standardized financial-impact section for major Part IV heritage-designation reports;

2. a transparent decision framework addressing heritage value, owner position, building condition, viable use, adaptive-reuse potential, financial effect, property rights, existing employment, and public interest;

3. a public heritage-decision tracker showing staff recommendations, owner positions, committee recommendations, Council decisions, available incentives, conditions, next steps, and current status;

4. a review of existing municipal grants, loans, tax tools, Community Improvement Plan incentives, heritage-development tools, eligibility rules, funding levels, and program gaps;

5. a comparison with relevant Ontario municipal programs and financing models;

6. options to support voluntary adaptive reuse while preserving significant heritage attributes, respecting existing operations, and retaining employment;

7. estimated municipal costs, legal authority, funding options, implementation requirements, risks, and a recommended timeline;

8. a defined public report-back date;

9. a plain-language public status update if additional time is required;

10. recommended performance measures so Council and residents can track whether the framework results in preservation, viable reuse, retained employment, responsible investment, and transparent decision-making.

The complete working draft remains under review. This public edition may be revised after source verification, resident feedback, staff information, and legal review.

Status

This candidate-proposed motion direction is a Public Review Edition. It has not been introduced, debated, legally reviewed, funded, or approved by London City Council.

If elected, Schelley Bisson would seek to bring a motion in this direction forward in the first 60 days, subject to staff information, legal review, and Council process.

Resident Response

A public response poll is available on the Heritage That Works article page. Residents can indicate whether this motion direction should be brought forward. Aggregate results appear after the minimum response threshold is met.

Sources and Official Record

Source references are retained with the Heritage That Works public-review material. Heritage and redevelopment decisions in London are governed by the Ontario Heritage Act, the City of London Official Plan, and Council’s property and planning by-laws.

Version and Update History

Version 1.0 — Public Review Edition — 2026-07-19 — Initial public release.

This document may be revised after source verification, resident feedback, staff information, and legal review.