Ontario Land Tribunal
Tribunal ontarien de l’aménagement
du territoire
ISSUE DATE:
January 20, 2026
CASE NO(S).:
OLT-23-000729
PROCEEDING COMMENCED UNDER subsection 34.1(1) of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.18, as amended
Applicant/Appellant:
Southbridge Health Care GP Inc., CVH (NO. 6) GP INC., CVH (NO. 6) LP
Subject:
Refusal of application to demolish a building or structure
Description:
Applied for Heritage Permit to demolish the buildings and structures to construct a new 192-bed long term care home
Reference Number:
2023-12
Property Address:
65 Ward Street, 36-38 Hope Street & 20 Hope Street
Municipality/UT:
Port Hope/Northumberland
OLT Case No.:
OLT-23-000729
OLT Lead Case No.:
OLT-23-000729
OLT Case Name:
Southbridge Health Care GP Inc., CVH (NO. 6) GP INC., CVH (NO. 6) LP v. Port Hope (Municipality)
Heard:
January 16, 2026, by video hearing
APPEARANCES:
Parties
Counsel
Southbridge Health Care GP Inc., CVH (NO. 6) GP INC., CVH (NO. 6) LP
Thomas Sanderson David Tang (in absentia)
Municipality of Port Hope
Jennifer Savini Daniel Querques
memorandum of oral DECISION delivered BY STEVEN T. MASTORAS ON January 16, 2026, AND ORDER OF THE TRIBUNAL
INTRODUCTION
1This matter is a third Case Management Conference (“CMC”) held in anticipation of a future hearing of the merits of an appeal by Southbridge Health Care GP Inc. (amalgamated with CVH (NO. 6) GP INC.) and CVH (NO. 6) LP (“Appellant”) pursuant to s. 34.1(1) of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.18, as amended (“Act”), resulting from the Municipality of Port Hope’s (“Municipality”) decision to deny a Demolition Permit (“Appeal”). The properties are municipally known as 65 Ward Street, 36-38 Hope Street, and 20 Hope Street (“Subject Properties”).
2The Appellant is seeking to acquire permission to demolish some or all of the existing buildings on the Subject Properties, including the former Port Hope Hospital and Hope Street Terrace, which operates as a long-term care facility (with approximately 97 residents), a red brick dwelling, and the power facility (collectively, the “Subject Buildings”), with the intention to construct a new 192-bed long term care home.
3The matter commenced in 2018 and includes inter alia a decision in 2019 on the heritage designation by the Tribunal, previously known as the Conservation Review Board. In February 2022, the Municipality approved the issuance of a permit for the demolition of the Subject Properties, subject to conditions.
4In December 2022, the Municipality started a process intended to repeal the Demolition Permit following the municipal refusal of the Zoning By-law Amendment needed as a condition of the Development Agreement.
5On June 3, 2023, the Appellant made another Demolition Permit Application based on the revised development that was submitted to the Municipality. On June 9, 2023, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (“MMAH”) issued a Ministerial Zoning Order (“MZO”) respecting the Subject Properties, allowing the 2023 Revised Development to proceed. On June 29, 2023, the Municipality’s Council denied the 2023 Demolition Permit Application.
6The Appellant subsequently appealed the decision of Council to the Tribunal. A series of events followed, including two CMCs, a Tribunal Motion Hearing, a previously set down hearing date (which was adjourned), and a further written Motion for Leave, which was dismissed (December 13, 2024). The matter presently before the Tribunal, appeared ready to proceed again, and ready to be set down for a hearing on the merits of the Appeal (“merit hearing”), if necessary.
UPDATED STATUS OF THE MATTER
7Following a brief update from Counsel to the Parties, the Tribunal noted that three (3) Participants were granted status by the Tribunal, and the only outstanding administrative issue was the fulfillment of the Tribunal’s direction requiring Bruce Bowden to submit an authorization form, confirming his appearance as a Participant, before the Tribunal, on behalf of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, Port Hope Branch (“ACO”).
8As a result of recent further direction from the Tribunal, this authorization was submitted by Mr. Bowden on January 12, 2026. The Tribunal noted that there were no other status requests related to the Appeal.
9Counsel for both Parties, confirmed that following “a recent and promising mediation assessment [the Parties] are in the process of discussing next steps before finalizing updates to the draft Procedural Order that governed steps to date.”
10The Parties advised that there were four (4) dates set down for Tribunal-led mediation, following a mediation assessment on January 13, 2026, including:
Monday, March 23, 2026;
Thursday, April 9, 2026; and
Wednesday/Thursday, June 10-11, 2026.
11A further CMC was suggested, along with the prospect of a merit hearing. This was considered carefully, in the context of the Tribunal-led mediation process already underway. The Tribunal determined that hearing dates should be set down to commence on Monday September 21, 2026, continuing to Wednesday September 23, 2026, for a duration of three (3) days, and provided this direction on consent of the Parties, after consultation around their respective schedules, and those of any prospective witnesses, that may appear, factoring in the above noted dates in paragraph [10].
12The further CMC was also scheduled to commence before the Tribunal for a full-day, on Friday June 19, 2026. Please see below for details regarding all of the relevant dates.
13The further CMC and the merit hearing are scheduled to proceed by video as follows:
Friday, June 19, 2026 at 10 a.m. (one-day CMC)
GoTo Meeting: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/442599157
Access code: 442-599-157
Audio-only telephone line: +1-647-497-9391 or (toll-free) +1-888-455-1389
Audio-only access code: 442-599-157
Monday, September 21, 2026 at 10 a.m. (three-day merit hearing)
GoTo Meeting: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/914098901
Access code: 914-098-901
Audio-only line: +1-647-497-9373 or (toll-free) +1-888-299-1889
Audio-only access code: 914-098-901
14Parties and Participants are asked to log in to the event at least 15 minutes before it begins to test their video and audio connections.
15Parties and Participants are asked to access and set up the application well in advance of the event to avoid unnecessary delay. The desktop application can be downloaded at GoToMeeting or a web application is available: https://app.gotomeeting.com/home.html
16Persons who experience technical difficulties accessing the GoTo Meeting application or who only wish to listen to the event can connect to it by calling in to an audio-only telephone line.
17Individuals are directed to connect to the event on the assigned date at the correct time. It is the responsibility of the persons participating in the event to ensure that they are properly connected at the correct time. Questions prior to the event may be directed to the Tribunal’s Case Coordinator.
18The Tribunal was encouraged by the recent efforts of the Parties, in their attempts to scope issues, and to possibly seek resolution of the matter. The Tribunal further provides direction that if the matter is to proceed to the scheduled merit hearing, a draft final Procedural Order and Issues List be submitted to the Case Coordinator on or before the above scheduled CMC, on Friday, June 19, 2026, which will guide the proceedings of the merit hearing as scheduled.
ORDER
19THE TRIBUNAL ORDERS THAT:
The dates and particulars of the hearing on the merits of the Appeal by Southbridge Health Care GP Inc., CVH (NO. 6) GP INC., and CVH (NO. 6) LP in the Municipality of Port Hope, as noted above, is hereby confirmed;
The date and particulars of the further Case Management Conference related to the matter, as noted above, is also hereby confirmed; and
All other directions in this Decision are so ordered.
20The Member is not seized on this matter.
21There will be no further notice.
“Steven T. Mastoras”
STEVEN T. MASTORAS
MEMBER
Ontario Land Tribunal
Website: www.olt.gov.on.ca Telephone: 416-212-6349 Toll Free: 1-866-448-2248
The Conservation Review Board, the Environmental Review Tribunal, the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal and the Mining and Lands Tribunal are amalgamated and continued as the Ontario Land Tribunal (“Tribunal”). Any reference to the preceding tribunals or the former Ontario Municipal Board is deemed to be a reference to the Tribunal.