St. John’s council approves 10-year heritage strategic plan

St. John’s city council has unanimously approved a new 10-year strategy aimed at protecting and promoting the city’s heritage.

Council voted to adopt the St. John’s Heritage Strategic Plan 2026–2036, which outlines actions to guide heritage conservation, planning and promotion over the next decade.

Public consultation on the draft plan took place in June 2025. Feedback was generally positive and included suggestions related to maintaining inventories of historic buildings, demolition notifications, adaptive reuse of heritage properties, heritage tourism and increased collaboration with organizations such as Parks Canada and Heritage NL.

Based on that feedback, the plan was updated to clarify how it aligns with the city’s broader strategic plan, add references to natural heritage and strengthen language around conservation. Additional actions were also incorporated.

New initiatives in the plan include partnering with Heritage NL to develop a built heritage inventory, reviewing standards for federal heritage districts and preparing a management plan for the St. John’s Ecclesiastical District.

Other proposed actions include creating a laneway inventory and adding provincially and federally designated heritage sites to the city’s neighbourhood profile map.

City officials noted some suggestions raised during consultations were not included because they fall outside the municipality’s authority or the scope of the strategy.