Description of Historic Place

The Collingwood Heritage Conservation District spans a large portion of the traditional town. It is comprised of a main street of 1880-1910 commercial and public buildings that is linked by streets and pedestrian pathways to enclaves of historic residential, institutional, and public buildings, and park spaces. The District is recognized by Town of Collingwood Bylaw 02-112 as the
historic town core. Eight of the properties within the district are governed by separate heritage designation bylaws.

Heritage Value

This Heritage Conservation District has value in its representation of the history and development of the town of Collingwood from its founding in 1853 as a railway and shipping terminus on Georgian Bay, to a period of economic prosperity in the early 20th century. The District preserves the historic street plan with its duo-orientation to the shipping and shipbuilding activity
at the shoreline, as well as the railway line. The centre street, Hurontario Street, is wider (99') than the standard (66') and is among the best preserved 19th century grand main streets in Ontario. It is lined with 1880-1910 commercial and public buildings and is unique in maintaining the angled parking designed to accommodate the first automobiles in the town. Radiating from Hurontario Street is an important historic grid of streets, pedestrian laneways, and pathways. The area has a variety of residential neighbourhoods and enclaves of public and institutional structures and parks that are important in chronicling the evolution of the town's development and economy. Source: Collingwood Bylaw 02-112 and Collingwood Downtown HCD Study and Plan, Inventory of Buildings by Phillip H. Carter Architect and Planner, 2002.

Character-Defining Elements

Collingwood Heritage Collingwood District has a variety of elements that are important in preserving its heritage value including:
- historic street plan with two grids orientated to the railway and to the shoreline of Georgian Bay
- N-S laneways and E-W pedestrian paths forming linkages to principal streets
- 99' width and angled parking plan for Hurontario Street
-1880-1910 commercial buildings of 2 and 3 storeys with similar materials (primarily brick), scale, form, and architectural details
- public and institutional landmark buildings such as the town hall
- a variety of residential buildings ranging from modest, frame cottage style, to grand, architect-designed dwellings in stone
- park spaces