Describing a building as a 'heritage building' may mean different things, depending where the structure is located, when it was built or even how it was built.

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The formal classification of heritage and historic structures in Canada will fall under guidelines laid out by the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office (FHBRO) AND through an equivalent provincial heritage conservation authority.

Here are some general boundaries identified by FHBRO:

• it is 40 years of age or older;
• it meets the definition of "building", based on the following three criteria:
  • it is capable of containing or sheltering human activities
  • it has an interior space, an exterior shell and a roof
  • and it is fixed in a permanent specific location

Here are further qualifiers for federally designated buildings from the FHBRO 'Heritage Evaluation'...

The heritage character of federal buildings is evaluated on the basis of the following factors:

Historical associations - thematic association, person/event and local development

Architecture - aesthetic design, functional design, craftsmanship and materials, designer

Environment - site, setting and landmark status.