BC Heritage Awards

View our 2022 BC Heritage Awards Winners

The BC Heritage Awards celebrates outstanding achievements and best practices that have impacted and strengthened all forms of heritage as a valued cultural resource in communities throughout British Columbia.

The BC Heritage Awards recognizes the achievements of individuals, organizations, groups, businesses, and local and regional governments in communities across BC.

Nominations for the 2023 BC Heritage Awards will begin in October 2022.
Prepare using our 2022 application worksheet. (criteria may to change)

Award Categories :
» Conservation
» Education, Communications, and Awareness
» Heritage Professional: Planning and Management
» Heritage Professional: Lifetime Achievement
» Distinguished Service
» Indigenous and Diverse Cultures
» Best COVID-19 Pivot

Levels of Recognition

Eligibility and Process

Information for Nominators

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Award Categories

Conservation

Recognizing the best practices of built heritage rehabilitation, rejuvenation, re-use, and environmental resilience.

• For the preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, or adaptive reuse of historic places, sites, and cultural landscapes.
• For high standards of heritage conservation based on the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada and Building Resilience: Practical Guidelines for the Retrofit and Rehabilitation of Buildings in Canada.
• For innovation and commitment to heritage conservation that also contributes to environmental, economic, social and/or cultural sustainability. Examples of connecting heritage and sustainability include: climate change adaptation and mitigation; environmental resource management; downtown/main street revitalization; design and adaptation for affordability and accessibility; community or arts and culture spaces.

 

Education, Communications, and Awareness

Recognizing excellence in programming that advances the appreciation, understanding, and practice of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

• For increasing awareness and support for historic places, cultural heritage, and tangible and intangible heritage.
• For achievement in heritage education or interpretation through social media, publications, displays, exhibits, or other products or activities to promote all forms of heritage.
• For community engagement, collaboration, partnerships, or public involvement

 

Heritage Professional: Planning and Management

Recognizing individuals or organizations that have produced reports, studies and other efforts that demonstrate best practices of innovations and traditions, community consultation, long-term sustainability, building resilience, and accessibility, and who advance the diversity and inclusivity of heritage.

• For individuals or organizations that have produced reports, studies and other efforts that demonstrate best practices of innovations and traditions, community consultation, long-term sustainability, building resilience and accessibility and, through their work, advance the diversity and inclusivity of heritage.
• For community heritage planning and cultural and heritage resource management
• For planning initiatives which support the long-term conservation of heritage resources through conservation plans, community plans, zoning, or financial incentive

 

Heritage Professional: Lifetime Achievement

Recognizing those individuals who have made a career-long, cumulative impact and contribution to the practice and understanding of heritage.

• For individuals who have made a career-long, cumulative impact and contribution to the practice and understanding of heritage.

 

Distinguished Service Award

Recognizing long-time volunteers for their significant contributions and leadership in their communities.

• For exemplary volunteer commitment by an individual to heritage conservation, through leadership in public awareness, heritage education or interpretation, or heritage advocacy.

 

Indigenous and Diverse Cultures: reconciliation, redress, and expanded recognition

Recognizing initiatives and organizations that have made an ongoing commitment to reconciliation, redress, and expanded recognition, and have taken tangible steps that have made differences in how they operate, develop and deliver programs, and inspire their communities.

• Heritage BC recognizes that the heritage field has its roots in the Western, colonial systems of knowledge and practice, which have been imposed upon other cultures and peoples. Today, there is a movement to acknowledge with humility the harm that this was caused and to acknowledge the need for reconciliation, redress, and expanded recognition. 
• Heritage BC believes heritage professionals, volunteers, and enthusiasts must fully commit to action leading to the diversity and inclusivity of experiences and perspectives that inform our local and provincial heritage.
• This award recognizes initiatives and organizations that have made an ongoing commitment to reconciliation, redress, and expanded recognition, and have taken tangible steps that have made differences in how they operate, develop and deliver programs, and inspire their communities.  
• The award has been developed to recognize those organizations that, through specific initiatives, are striving for change within their communities and that are taking leadership roles in the heritage sector. 

Best COVID-19 Pivot Award

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, heritage organizations have had to adapt to the realities of the changes inherent in the world wide crisis, this award recognizes the most creative and successful ways that the sector has adjusted.

• For organizations that have responded to the pandemic with innovative and adaptable programs or activities that have the potential to change the way we operate in our organizations to address safety and interaction as public facilities.

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Levels of Recognition

There are three levels of recognition for the award categories.

• Outstanding: for excellence
• Honour: for high achievements
• Recognition: for noteworthy achievements

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Eligibility and Process

• Projects nominated for an award must have been completed within the past three calendar years (preceding the nomination deadline). Nominated individuals must live in British Columbia and sites must be located in the province.
• The nominations submitted to the BC Heritage Awards are considered by a  jury of peers, who will base their deliberations on the information as submitted.
• Incomplete nominations (e.g. nominations with insufficient information) will not be considered; it is important that each submission provides sufficient information to describe why the project/person suits the category and why the project/person is worthy of an award.
• The jurists will consider the alignment to the above criteria and the completeness of the submitted information.
• Special consideration will be given to projects that reflect one or more emerging heritage priorities. Examples of priorities include: community building; cultural heritage awareness; technology and social media; diversity and inclusion; environmental resiliency and climate action; recognition of and partnership with First Nations and distinct cultures.

If you have questions about the BC Heritage Awards form or process, or would like to discuss your potential nomination, please contact us. We will be happy to help you

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Information for Nominators

• No more than two nominations may be made by the same nominator in each year.
• The nominations are becoming increasingly competitive. A good tip to keep in mind is to ‘sell’ your nomination so the jurists understand your excitement and can clearly recognize the accomplishment.
• It is up to the nominator to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the information provided – this includes the list of nominees – please be accurate. Once the form is submitted, you will receive a copy of your submitted information by email. If you wish to update your information, please contact us.
• All decisions are final. Submissions may not be re-nominated in subsequent years; repeat nominations will be disqualified.
• Separate phases of large projects may be nominated, as long as they are clearly different from previously nominated work.
• Following the nomination deadline, nominators will be notified by email about next steps and updates. Awards are announced at our annual conference in May.