On Monday, municipal councillors unanimously approved the Chatham-Kent Municipal Heritage Committee's request to deny Marc St. Pierre from de-listing his property on Bay Line as a heritage designation.
The owner of a heritage home in Dover Centre is asking the municipality to repeal the heritage designation from his 140-year-old home, not because he doesn't want it, but because the insurance has become too expensive.
Marc St. Pierre lives in a home built in Circa 1881 at 7823 Bay Line and said he was terrified when his insurance company cancelled his house insurance policy in February after more than 30 years with them and over 10 years after the heritage designation was put in place.
St. Pierre said after many attempts to find new insurance for a heritage home, it became evident that it was going to be unaffordable. According to St. Pierre, he has called nearly 20 insurance companies and said their premiums are either too expensive or they flat out won't insure a heritage home.
He has a new insurance company, but said the new premium is more than double his current $1,300 annual premium, and he can't afford it because he is retired and on a fixed income. A couple of other premium quotes were as high as $9,400 and $9,500 a year.
St. Pierre said as a result, he is asking for some relief at Monday night's council meeting until he can find an insurance company that can cover the home at an affordable price and may have to contact a lawyer if the request is refused.
"I was really scared in February that we wouldn't be able to buy house insurance, and oh my God going to bed that night knowing that there's no insurance coverage on your home, it was terrifying. I couldn't sleep, I didn't know what to do," said St. Pierre.
St. Pierre said he is not against a heritage designation, but pointed out that if the house was lost or partially lost due to fire or another accident, it would no longer qualify for heritage status.
"It appears to me as though the insurance companies are petrified of the heritage designation that people have on their homes because they feel that if there's a partial or complete loss, they're going to have to finance the reconstruction of the original stature of the home, which is completely not true," he said.
He said he has no intention of doing anything that would change the original design.
"I just can't do it anymore. I was thinking I was doing a good deed by preserving my home, but now the insurance companies are just making it impossible," St. Pierre said.
The Chatham-Kent Municipal Heritage Committee (MHC) is asking council to deny St. Pierre's request to de-list the property, citing it is extremely important to understand that the province requires all municipalities to conserve its significant heritage assets.
"It is the MHC’s understanding that information regarding two local Chatham-Kent Insurance Companies that will insure designated properties at reasonable rates has been forwarded to the homeowner and we are aware that several local designated properties are already insured by said companies," wrote Heritage Committee Vice-Chair James Griffin in a letter to council. "According to these companies, insurance may be denied for any property, not just designated ones. Being designated should not place any additional requirements on a homeowner’s insurance."
According to Census Canada 2016 figures, Chatham-Kent has 5,815 dwellings that are 100 years old or more. Griffin said that's double the national and provincial average and triple that of Toronto and represents 13.4 per cent of all houses within the municipality.
"Sadly, Chatham-Kent lags far behind other municipalities of comparable population with only approximately 79 properties currently on our municipal heritage register while others have up to 1,100 and counting. Therefore the MHC volunteer members work very hard to try to save existing designations while searching for more properties deserving of designation," said Griffin. "Chatham-Kent is rich with cultural heritage, and it is the responsibility of all of us to preserve and protect all aspects of this history we have inherited from the past and not try to erase or alter it in any way."
A report going before council on Monday night stated that administration has noticed an increase in issues or concerns related to securing home insurance for designated properties for some property owners. However, it added that many owners of designated properties across Chatham-Kent have continued to secure reasonable home insurance.
The report also said the municipality continues to work to inform owners of designated properties, and insurance companies of their obligations under the Ontario Heritage Act to help alleviate insurance-related issues.
An appeal can be made to the Ontario Land Tribunal if the homeowner disagrees with the decision of council.
The property would also lose nearly $1,200 a year in tax relief if the heritage designation is repealed.