The iconic black and white Oakville Historical Society plaques that you see on properties around town have been provided by the Oakville Historical Society since the 1950s. 

The plaques typically include the date of construction of the property, the name of the original (or early) owner or tenant, and his or her occupation.

Any owner of a historical property may order an Oakville Historical Society black and white plaque whether or not the property is designated or listed as a property of interest. The purpose of the OHS plaque is to show pride in ownership and provide a bit of history of the building. Initially, properties had to be at least 100 years old to qualify but plaques are now available for homes of lesser age. 

Historical properties may, or may not, be designated under  the Ontario Heritage Act or listed by the Town of Oakville as a property of interest for cultural heritage or value (which means they could potentially become designated at some point). 

Properties which have been designated by the Town are identified by a Town of Oakville oval bronze plaque. 

To determine whether a property is designated or is listed as a Property of Interest, you can search the Town of Oakville's Heritage Register at www.oakville.ca. 

The Oakville Historical Society plaques do not imply that the property is designated or listed as property of interest.

Each plaque requires many, many hours of historical research, pouring through old registry documents, tax records, genealogical records, and numerous other books and records. As some properties require more detailed research, this can affect delivery times. 

Each plaque is meticulously handcrafted from high quality Extira board, which is an exterior grade fibreboard that will not shrink, crack, warp or bleed. The plaque is designed using Vcarve on a Computer Numerical Controlled router. Over 20 hours of labour, including at least 8 hand painting sessions, goes into production of each plaque.

All work is done by the volunteers of the Oakville Historical Society.

Plaque fee of $200 includes:

• Written version of the history of the property
• Handcrafted plaque and installation kit
• Installation of plaque by Oakville Historical Society
• Complimentary 1 year membership in the Oakville Historical Society
• Complimentary copy of the book "Oakville Street Names and Landmarks"

Owners may wish to replace older plaques which have deteriorated or may wish to replace a plaque that a previous owner removed. 

Replacement plaque requests follow the same process as above and due to the work involved the fee is the same.