Photo by B. Shakyaver
The Municipality of Bluewater has received a request from the owner of 41 Bayfield Main St. South to remove the property’s heritage designation. The request is to repeal By-law 257-1985, which protects the property under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The property, known as Orlagh, Woods House, or Keillor Residence, was built in 1868 as the home of Dr. Ninian Mahaffy Woods, a doctor and the first reeve of Stanley Township and Bayfield. The home is a three-story Georgian-style building made of buff brick, surrounded by gardens and parkland. Other heritage features include a summer kitchen connected to the barn by a covered walkway, a hidden space in the barn known as a Fenian hole, and original interior details such as a wooden staircase, arched-door windows, and deep wood trim.
Bluewater Council will discuss the request to remove the property’s heritage status at its meeting on April 7, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Anyone who wishes to object has 30 days from the date of this notice to submit a written objection to the Municipal Clerk.
If Council approves the request, the decision can be appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). More details on the appeal process can be found at olt.gov.on.ca.
For more information, contact Aaron Stewardson, Manager of Development Services.
