Niagara-on-the-Lake is home to many properties of historical significance.

The town became a National Historic District back in 2003 via the Canadian Register of Historic Places, based on NOTL’s collection of homes dating between 1812 and 1850.

But, whether you’re a homeowner, a real estate agent looking to put a potential heritage asset on the market or a member of town staff looking into the designation of a property, how do you go about finding out more about a home’s history?

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum is hosting an event on Saturday, April 6 that will share how to use the Ontario Land Registry to learn more about a building’s heritage.

Representatives from the Brown Homestead in St. Catharines will conduct an all-day workshop to teach the ins and outs of using the registry to trace the history of a property.

“This workshop provides unique learning opportunities to both staff and the public on a subject that garners ongoing curiosity and fascination,” said Amy Klassen, the museum’s director of finance and marketing.

Representatives from the homestead will walk participants through the process of using OnLand, an online portal of property records for Ontario.

The workshop will give an overview of Ontario’s land registry system and structure, best practices for using the OnLand database, as well as how to trace the history of any given parcel of land from its Crown patent back to the present time.

Participants are welcome to bring their laptops or tablets, or simply take notes.

The Brown Homestead was founded in 2015 to preserve and maintain significant heritage buildings and sites.

The workshop runs from 9 am until 3:30 p.m. and all are encouraged to bring a packed lunch for the break.

The cost is $50 per person or $40 for museum members.

Registration is required as space is limited. To register for the workshop, call 905-468-3912.