Northumberland County needs permission from Trent Hills to demolish two designated heritage homes that it has purchased to make way for a new bridge in Campbellford.
Trent Hills Planner Cameron Law told the municipal Heritage Advisory Committee on Wednesday that he has been alerted that the county will soon apply to demolish 109 Saskatoon Ave., which is at the south corner of Saskatoon and Second streets.
Law said the application will go to the council which could make a decision on its own or refer the matter to the heritage committee for its advice. Council is only meeting once a month; its next meeting is September 23.
He said the Saskatoon home’s heritage designation will expire on January 1, 2027. It’s unlikely the home would meet current requirements to be considered a heritage house because it is not unusual architecturally and was never owned by anyone famous.
But the county will also need town approval to demolish the Spite House, which is a significant landmark.
Heritage Committee member Skye Morrison noted that she had been a vocal opponent of the bridge for years and now feels misled by the county.
“They said only one building would be demolished and that was on the other side of the river,” she said. “We were lied to. The whole process is really disappointing.”
The design that was released in April 2023 does not show any homes on the east side the Trent River being demolished. That plan has clearly changed, but the county has not released a revised design.
Its website now says the final design will be completed by the end of 2025, but it previously said it would be done months ago.
Law told the committee that he and Planning Director Jim Peters are urging the county to save the Spite House, perhaps by moving it elsewhere.
“Originally, they wanted to demolish it, but Jim and I are putting pressure on them to either reuse or relocate it,” Law said.
“Demolition of three homes is planned for the fall of 2025,” the county’s website says.
This week work has started to relocate utilities in the area. “In early 2026, it is anticipated that a project tender will be issued, dependent on approval of financing and permits,” the county says.
County representatives sought provincial funding during the convention last month with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario but no decision has been announced. As I reported recently, the county is looking for ways to cut spending in its 2026 budget and one suggestion is to defer funding for the bridge.
The estimated cost of the project won’t be known until it is tendered and bids are received. Construction is expected to take two years.
You can read all Trent Hills News stories on my website here.
"Spite House" must be saved. The bridge proposal is a death penalty to the building as we see it today. It is technically possible to move the house. The town and county should either find a new location for it , or a preservationist who will do the move to a private location. Why not put it on the vacant lot on the river where the old mills were, across from the old Post Office?
As I remember this house was going to be saved with a driveway off Saskatoon. Perhaps the Mayor could reply why they changed the plan and didn,t let the citizens know.