What is a 'heritage building'?

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The Canadian Register at HistoricPlaces.ca provides this definition:

A historic place is a structure, building, group of buildings, district, landscape, archaeological site or other place in Canada that has been formally recognized for its heritage value by an appropriate authority within a jurisdiction.

In plain language, this means that a heritage building might be:

• A unique example of a historic building method, architectural style or building type from a specific year or era in the past.
• A building that is valuable to the community, town or city it is located in.
• A place of historical significance for an event or famous person.

Some heritage buildings may be registered and protected with architectural conservation authorities and may have a plaque that designates their status. Sometimes, there may even be a descriptive explanation of the building's significance.