Big Investment in Heritage PropertiesOn February 26 2009, heritage minister Bill Bennett announced $8.1 in new money for the province’s system of historic sites known as the Heritage Properties.In the Fall 2008 issue of Heritage BC Quarterly, we looked at a 2007 study of the state of the Heritage Properties.  Things were not in good shape, said the consultants’ report, and could not be expected to get better without a major infusion...
»More

Heritage Branch staff recently held nine workshops to inform the development of the emerging provincial heritage strategy.  The Branch heard from 184 stakeholders representing a diverse field that included Crown corporations, municipal and regional government land-use and economic development planners and building 
inspectors, owners and operators of gated heritage attractions, educators, councillors and advisory committee members...
»More

Recently, I wrote about the Homeowner Protection Act (HPA) and how it is affectingthe rehabilitation of heritage buildings in B.C. The Act, introduced to restore consumer confidence in the new-home market after the leaky condo scandal, requires that warranty insurance be in place before a building permit can be obtained to construct a new home.This applies as well to a heritage building being convertedto residential use, or a single-family heritage...
»More

For the past six years, the provincial government has struggled to implement the 2002 decision to devolve the Heritage Properties.  The operation and conservation of the dozen or so historic sites, from single houses to entire townsites, has been contracted to independent managers.  Devolution has been a rough road, and absorbed a lot of time and money from the Heritage Branch’s limited resources.Looking for a way to achieve a lasting...
»More