A heritage property – historical building, bridge, archaeological site or natural wetland – is a precious and irreplaceable asset. Conservation easements offer a flexible, effective way for heritage-minded property owners to ensure the sympathetic care and preservation of these heritage resources for the benefit of future generations.

Ontario's heritage properties are precious, irreplaceable assets. The stories they tell and the pleasures they provide are well worth celebrating – and conserving for future generations.

By conserving Ontario's heritage, we enrich our lives. We also ensure that the exciting discoveries we have made, the important lessons we have learned and the remarkable landscapes we have inherited are passed along, intact, to succeeding generations.

Since 1967, the Ontario Heritage Trust has been at the centre of heritage conservation in this province. One of the conservation tools available to the Trust is the heritage conservation easement. Using this flexible, voluntary legal agreement, the Trust, property owners and communities throughout Ontario are working in partnership to protect significant properties.

Ontario Heritage Trust conservation easements are one of the most powerful conservation tools available today because they:

• provide provincial recognition of the heritage value of a property
• identify a heritage building's historical significance and the architectural details and features that comprise the property's unique heritage character
• raise awareness of good conservation practices
• ensure that good stewardship practices continue to each subsequent owner

See for yourself how easements are important to the ongoing preservation of Ontario's valuable heritage resources.