Tour One Of Canada's "Historic Places"

Downtown Collingwood is unique in many ways. Our downtown Heritage District has now been identified as one of Canada's "historic places!" The Downtown Collingwood Heritage District has been honoured by being listed in the prestigious Canadian Register of Historic Places, a designation usually reserved for single sites. This is the first heritage district in the country to enjoy such status and is definately a major coup for the Town of Collingwood.

This designation gives the Downtown Heritage District recognition coast to coast. A group of dedicated Collingwood citizens and downtown merchants took it upon themselves in the late 1970's to raise awareness of the town's unique heritage resources. This group knew it was most important to preserve the downtown's architectural legacy."I'm very proud of the fact we've achieved heritage district designation" said Ed Christie, a driving force behind the accomplishments of the Collingwood Heritage Committee.

This designation is also good news for commercial property owners within the Collingwood Heritage District, who may be eligible for federal funding to help with the cost of conservation work. Owners may qualify for a grant under the Commercial Heritage Property Incentive Fund.

Downtown Collingwood's landmark and commercial buildings date back to 1880. Collingwood's wide main street is considered to be among the best-preserved, 19th-century grand main streets in Ontario, Canada.

When you visit Collingwood this Fall, be sure to spend time in our Downtown Heritge District. The many outdoor cafes represent a wonderful place to relax and to view the historic buildings. You can conduct your own downtown walking tour to view the many murals that paint a living picture of what life was like in Collingwood years ago. The murals celebrate our history and close association with the railway, ski hills, shipbuilding and harbour.

History of Collingwood
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