Start Here

Our historic buildings make Saint John a more interesting, dynamic, and pleasing place to live.  But they’re more than that: our heritage properties are also reminders of our past, and vessels for our City’s culture.  Community members worked hard over decades to ensure that many of our historic buildings have remained intact. This includes the largest and most cohesive collection of brick and stone Victorian buildings in Atlantic Canada.  Thanks to their efforts, future generations will see our rich built heritage, represented in the City’s architecture. 

Heritage Conservation identifies, protects, and promotes the elements of built heritage that are important to the culture of history of Saint John.  The Heritage Conservation Service works with the residents in Heritage Conservation Areas to: 

• Regulate any changes or work done to the exterior of properties, and any proposed new construction in Heritage Conservation Areas through the Heritage Conservation Areas By-Law. 
• Provide incentives like grants to encourage and assist in the conservation and development of heritage buildings. 
• Provide a process to designate Heritage Conservation Areas under the Heritage Conservation Areas By-Law and to designate Local Historic Places through the Local Historic Place Designation Policy. 
• Provide information to raise awareness of the social and economic benefits of heritage conservation to Saint John. 

What you need to know before beginning work 

If you live in a Heritage Conservation Area, all exterior work you do is subject to the Heritage Conservation Areas By-Law. 

Individual conditions for each application will be outlined in a Heritage Permit once it has been approved.  Depending on the nature of the work, approval can be granted by the Heritage Officer or by the Heritage Development Board. 

Electronic versions of City of Saint John by-laws, in the "Helpful Links" section, are provided for your convenience. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of each document’s contents, The City of Saint John does not assume any responsibility for the reliability of the contents. 

If your require an official version of a by-law, or to ensure that there have been no subsequent amendments, consult the paper version of the document which is held in the City Clerk’s Office located at City Hall between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on regular business days.

On behalf of the Chief City Engineer, Infrastructure Development administers municipal infrastructure and servicing requirements for sustainable development, and approves engineering drawings, municipal servicing plans, drainage systems, and utility installations.

Responsibilities of Infrastructure Development include:

• Advising on engineering standards necessary for reliable, effective, sustainable municipal infrastructure.
• Approval of the municipal engineering component of building permits, water and sewerage permits, street occupancy permits, and street excavation permits.
• Engineering input on development applications for municipal plan amendments, zoning by-law amendments, section 39 conditions, subdivisions, and various use permits.
• Approval of new utility installations within the City of Saint John.
• Utility locates for municipal infrastructure as part of “Call Before You Dig”.
• Inspection services related to development and maintenance projects.
• Policy development, recommendations, and administration related to municipal infrastructure.
• Liaison with other levels of government, utility companies and others on infrastructure and engineering issues.

Before you begin work

• Permits and approvals must be obtained prior to working within a municipal right-of-way (City limits).
• Infrastructure locates must be obtained prior to any excavation.
• Inspections of municipal services are required prior to backfilling.
• All work within a municipal right-of-way must be in accordance with the City’s General Specifications and/or approved regulatory authorities.
• Directing stormwater to adjacent lands is prohibited.
• Consult the Excavation By-Law for more information.