St. John’s heritage grants trimmed by $142 each to fit pot

St. John’s city council approved 28 of 39 applications to its 2026 Heritage Financial Incentives Program on Oct. 20, trimming each grant by $142.27 so the total stayed within budget.

The city said the program’s budget was increased from $60,000 to $120,000 this year. Council carried the vote unanimously, according to the city’s recap of the regular meeting.

The recap does not say which properties received money or how large each grant was, and it does not explain why 11 applications were not approved. Applicants can ask the city’s heritage staff about the status of a specific file.

At the same meeting, council also approved the design of a new single detached dwelling at 33 Plymouth Road, which sits in Heritage Area 3. That vote was also unanimous.

Councillor Ryall gave notice of a motion to extend the city’s heat pump provisions to residential heritage buildings. A notice of motion is not a vote, and the proposal is to be considered at the next regular meeting.

The same meeting produced two split votes on housing. Council approved 147 new homes in two 6-5 votes, and it set the date for a public hearing on the Cowan Heights plan for Nov. 4.

The city posts a recap of each regular council meeting on its news page at stjohns.ca. The Oct. 20 recap is the source for the figures in this story.

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