Jenny's London & Southwestern Ontario : Courthouse Concern

Friday, April 3, 2026

Courthouse Concern

A postcard printed by Middlesex County

The County of Middlesex will be moving out of the Old Courthouse at the end of 2026. After that, the fate of the old building is in limbo.

While that may sound dramatic, you have to remember that London's "castle" is now owned by York Developments. And that should make you nervous, considering what they did to Kent Brewery and what they intend to do here. What do they mean to do with our oldest, best building?

I have three main concerns:

1. York intends to build a 54-storey tower right next to this nearly 200-year-old beauty. The tower requires four storeys of underground parking extending to within 16 metres of the Old Courthouse. How will this impact an antique building? Will vibrations from the construction project destabilize it?

2. This is a National Historic Site. But guess what? That designation has no legal force behind it, nothing to prevent it from being demolished or changed. While you might think a federal designation should carry some legal protection, that's not the case unless the site is actually owned by the federal government. And Canada is the only G7 country with no federal legislation to protect heritage sites. Fortunately, the building is protected by a 1981 conservation easement and Part 4 of the Ontario Heritage Act. I hope that's enough.

3. Even if the Old Courthouse is preserved, what changes may be made to its appearance? Window replacement? A tower erupting from its middle? I know! How about a nightclub with flashing neon lights? Before you decide I'm being ridiculous, bear in mind that I did contact York Developments a few years back when I was ACO President, requesting their plans for the Old Courthouse. No response. And when there's no response, I figure it's because they know heritage activists won't like it.

One thing is for certain. If this London building doesn't matter, no London building matters.