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Heritage and 2008 Federal Election HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND THE 2006 ELECTION: Make Your Voice Heard: Elections 2004 Heritage Canada Foundation Annual Conferences Heritage Canada Research Papers
Vol. XII. No. 4, Heritage
Vol. XII. No. 3, Heritage
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Vol. XI. No. 4, Heritage
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Vol. XI. No. 2, Heritage 2008
Vol. XI, No. 1, Heritage 2008
From the Fall 2007 Heritage Magazine
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From the Fall 2006 / Winter 2007 Heritage Magazine
From the Summer 2006 Heritage Magazine
From the Spring 2006 Heritage Magazine
From the Summer 2005 Heritage Magazine
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From the Spring 2001 Heritage Magazine
From the Winter 2001 Heritage Magazine
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Culture.ca Interviews (2006) Culture.ca Interview with Natalie Bull: Reusing Heritage Buildings Culture.ca Interview with Natalie Bull: Using the Internet to Preserve Heritage Buildings Young Canada Works – Summer 2007 Young Canada Works – Summer 2006 In 2006, the Heritage Canada Foundation assisted in the creation of Young Canada Works - Internships 2006 In 2006, The Heritage Canada Foundation assisted in the creation of These projects were made possible by funding provided through the Heritage Programs Directorate of the Department of Canadian Heritage. HERITAGE BUILDINGS AND THE 2008 ELECTION: Make your voice heard! Find out how you can raise the profile of built heritage issues in the upcoming federal election.
Make the candidates who are running in your riding aware of the importance of heritage buildings to the environment and the economy. How you can make a difference:
Let your candidates know your views on the importance of conserving our heritage buildings and historic places. By raising important questions you will help to increase the political profile of heritage issues. Spread the word:
2008 FEDERAL ELECTION 1. What will you and your party do to keep our landmarks from becoming landfill?
2. What will you or your party do to ensure that the federal tax system encourages the rehabilitation of Canada’s heritage buildings and attracts private investment?
3. What programs of direct support would you or your party put in place to support the rehabilitation of heritage buildings owned by charities?
For more information see the HCF Backgrounder. » Questions for candidates in PDF FEDERAL ELECTION 2008 Canada’s urban and rural communities are made up of historic places that define our cultural identity, and generate economic activity. Yet every day, these places are being destroyed through desertion, decay, and demolition. Canada has lost more than 20 percent of its pre-1920 heritage buildings to demolition over the last 30 years, despite polls that consistently show Canadians care deeply about these places. HCF Recommendations to the Federal Government: 2. Provide seed-funding for a national heritage endowment fund. Rationale: Benefits from the Rehabilitation of Heritage Properties: Reduce, reuse, recycle: The energy used in demolishing an older building and replacing it is not quickly recovered through the increased energy efficiency of the new building. Recent research shows that even if 40% of the materials are recycled, it takes approximately 65 years for a green, energy-efficient new office building to recover the energy lost in demolishing an existing building. Most new buildings, however, aren't designed to last anywhere near 65 years. Recommendation 1: Introduce a Federal Rehabilitation Tax Incentive for heritage properties in Canada.
Thanks to the CHPIF program pilot, the tools are in place to administer a Canadian rehabilitation tax credit:
Do Federal Tax Incentives for Rehabilitation Work?
The US federal tax credit has led the way for other levels of government. Half of the states now have a state tax credit for rehabilitation that can often be ‘stacked’ with the federal tax credit. These have also achieved remarkable success. In Maryland, the heritage tax credit program assisted more than 1,000 rehab projects, leveraging $400 million in private investment from $90 million in tax credits. Virginia and Missouri report similarly impressive ratios of private investment to tax credits. Recommendation 2: Provide seed-funding for a national heritage endowment fund. About the Heritage Canada Foundation What the federal parties are saying about heritage conservation » Liberal Response to the Heritage Canada Foundation
1. What will your party do to keep our landmarks from becoming landfill?
1. What will your party do to keep our landmarks from becoming landfill? Make
Your Voice Heard: Elections 2004 To increase the national political profile of built heritage issues in the context of the upcoming federal election, the Heritage Canada Foundation has contacted each political party leader and director of their respective research bureaus seeking a policy statement regarding the extent and nature of their party’s commitment to the preservation of Canada’s built heritage. As way of background, each has received copies of the foundation’s research reports, conference proceedings, policy briefs and the quarterly magazine, Heritage.The parties have until Friday, May 28 to submit their statements – at which time they will be posted here, on the foundation’s Web site, and be made available to the membership and other interested parties. In addition to the dissemination of party policy statements, the foundation is also encouraging its members to engage individual candidates in discussing their views on the importance of, and strategies for, preserving Canada’s historic buildings and sites. To assist the members in this process, the foundation has provided a fact sheet and suggested questions to be put to all candidates. 2004 Federal Election: Fact Sheet Heritage Canada Seeks Policy Statements On Heritage Conservation – Press Release (May 14, 2004) Heritage Canada Responds to Election 2004 Debates – Press Release (June 17, 2004) Policy
statements HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND THE 2006 ELECTION:
Make your voice heard! Find out how you can raise the profile of built heritage issues in the upcoming federal election.
HCF on Parliament Hill to Support Case For Preserving Historic Grenville Canal (November 18, 2009) The Prince of Wales Presents HCF Award (November 6, 2009) HCF Makes the Case For Heritage Building Rehabilitation Incentives (October 29, 2009) Ottawa Group Receives HCF Achievement Award(October 7, 2009) Lieutenant Governor of Ontario presents HCF National Awards in Toronto(October 2, 2009) HCF Releases 2009 Top Ten Endangered Places List (July 7, 2009) Heritage Vancouver Foundation Receives HCF Achievement Award (June 5, 2009) HCF marks launch of Main Street Ontario (May 20, 2009) HCF Strategic Plan (April 30, 2009) Special Heritage Magazine Issue on Greening Historic Buildings (April 23, 2009) The Heritage Canada Foundation Marks Earth Day With Green Initiatives– Communiqué (April 22, 2009) Call for HCF Awards Nominations Extended to May 8, 2009 – Communiqué (April 21, 2009) Two Ontario Towns Pass Resolutions Supporting HCF’s Landmarks, Not Landfill Campaign (Mar 12 2009) 2009 Conference SPONSORSHIP Opportunities (Mar 6 2009) Call for Abstracts & Proposals for HCF Annual Conference– Communiqué (Feb 24, 2009) Tell HCF about your “Heritage & the Environment” Heritage Day project– Communiqué (Feb 17, 2009) HCF Accepting Nominations to the 2009 Top Ten Endangered Places List – Communiqué (Jan 30, 2009) Heritage Canada Foundation Sees Positives in Federal Budget– Communiqué (Jan 28, 2009) Speech from the Throne sets the stage for heritage tax credit – Communiqué (Nov 21, 2008) Heritage Funding Sources Now Available Online – Communiqué (Nov 20, 2008) New Survey Supports HCF’s Call for Federal Funding – Communiqué (Nov 4, 2008) HCF Welcomes New Minister of the Environment– Communiqué (Oct 31, 2008) FCM Supports HCF’s Efforts to Stop Landmarks from Becoming Landfill – Communiqué (Oct 29, 2008) Heritage Conservation and Election 2008: What You Need to Know – Communiqué (Oct 6, 2008) Heritage Canada Foundation Announces 2008 National Award Winners – Communiqué (Sept 18, 2008) HCF Deplores Loss of Ontario Heritage Landmark to Fire – Communiqué (May 30, 2008) Call for Nominations: Awards Program – Communiqué (April 24, 2008) HCF Congratulates Former Board Members Appointed to HSMBC – Communiqué (March 4, 2008) Heritage Canada Foundation disappointed by Federal Budget – Communiqué (February 27, 2008) Heritage Canada Foundation Celebrates Heritage Day 2008 – Communiqué (February 18, 2008) Two Ontario heritage buildings from HCF’s Top Ten Endangered Places List threatened Heritage Canada Foundation Welcomes Passing of Heritage Lighthouse Bill – Communiqué (May 9, 2008) 2007 Top Ten Most Endangered Places List Heritage Canada Foundation Calls For Federal Incentives For Preservation – (December 7, 2007) Another building on HCF’s Top Ten Most Endangered Places List demolished – (July 30, 2007) Heritage Canada Foundation Announces 2007 Award Winners – Communiqué The Kentville Roundhouse: A Landmark Becomes Landfill – Communiqué The Kentville Roundhouse: Landfill or Landmark? – Communiqué (July 6, 2007) HCF Perspective on the 2007 federal budget announcement of a National Trust Backgrounder: Bill S-220, An Act to protect heritage lighthouses – from Senator Pat Carney's office The Heritage Canada Foundation’s D-Day Lighthouse Meeting Draws a Capacity Crowd – Communiqué Backgrounder Bill S-220: Decision day for heritage lighthouses is looming! (February 1, 2007) HCF Responds to the Recommendations in the Report of the Standing Committee on Finance – Communiqué HCF Says New Federal Funding for Cultural Institutions Is A Great Start – Communiqué Heritage Canada Foundation Members Elect New Governors – Communiqué Heritage Canada Foundation Criticizes Federal Government Spending Cuts – Communiqué Natalie Bull Appears Before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance 2006 Three important resolutions passed at HCF's AGM (October 2006) Heritage Canada Foundation Members Elect New Governors – Natalie Bull Appears Before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance (September, 25 2006) Heritage Canada Foundation Announces 2006 Award Winners – Communiqué (July 31, 2006) 2005 Heritage Canada Applauds Landmark Study – Press Release Heritage Canada Foundation Announces 2005 Award Winners – SOS-Églises to receive Heritage Canada's 2005 Achievement Award – Heritage Canada Welcomes Federal Budget – Press Release 2004 Heritage Canada Calls For Tax Incentives for Preservation – Press Release Heritage Canada Releases Pre-Budget Brief – Press Release Throne Speech Major Heritage Disappointment – Press Release 2003 Heritage Canada Celebrates Heritage Week in Victoria - Press Release (February 20, 2003) Heritage Canada Presents Heritage 2003 Education Kits Press Release (February 4, 2003) 2002 Heritage Canada Calls for Tax Incentives - Press Release (November 7, 2002) Heritage
Canada Launches Doors Open Canada - Press Release Heritage Canada Officially Opens its New Headquarters (June 6, 2002) Heritage Canada participates in the first annual Doors Open Ottawa HCF on Parliament Hill to Support Case For Preserving Historic Grenville Canal Ottawa, ON November 18, 2009 – Yesterday the Heritage Canada Foundation joined a delegation from the Village of Grenville, Quebec to request support from the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Environment, for the preservation of the historic Grenville Canal. Mayor Ronald Tittlit and MP Mario Laframboise (Argenteuil-Papineau-Mirabel) led the delegation. “With a population of only 1,500, the Village of Grenville is overwhelmed by the costs of restoring and maintaining the designated National Historic Site,” said Carolyn Quinn, representing the Heritage Canada Foundation. “The rehabilitation of the historic waterway could be a catalyst for renewal in this economically challenged area.” Included on HCF’s 2009 Top Ten Endangered Places List, the Grenville Canal, located along the Ottawa River between Montreal and Ottawa, was constructed as part of an extensive inland canal transportation network following the War of 1812. Owned by the federal government for more than 150 years, the canal was transferred to the provincial government in 1988 and downloaded to the municipality two years later. Suffering from deterioration and neglect, it was closed to boat traffic last year. The delegation presented a petition signed by over 3,000 supporters from as far away as Manitoba and British Columbia calling for federal help in saving the canal. Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, cquinn@heritagecanada.org Telephone: (613) 237-1066 ext 229; Cell (613) 797-7206 HRH The Prince of Wales presents Heritage Canada Foundation award to City of Edmonton during Royal Visit to Canada Toronto, Ontario November 6, 2009 – At a special ceremony held in Toronto Wednesday evening, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales awarded Heritage Canada Foundation’s PRINCE OF WALES PRIZE for Municipal Heritage Leadership to the City of Edmonton. Mayor Stephen Mandel, heritage planners Robert Geldart and David Holdsworth were on hand to accept the Prize. “We are thrilled with His Royal Highness’ ongoing interest in the Heritage Canada Foundation and in our National Awards Program,” said Natalie Bull, HCF’s executive director. “The Heritage Canada Foundation’s Prince of Wales Prize reflects HRH’s commitment to architecture and the built environment, and sets a standard in Canada for municipalities committed to protecting their heritage resources.” Mayor Stephen Mandel is proud that Edmonton’s work on heritage issues is being recognized at a national level. “We’re a relatively young city and in recent years, we, as a community, have developed a greater appreciation for the importance of our architectural history,” he said. The Heritage Canada Foundation is Canada’s National Trust—a membership-based, charitable organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Canada’s built heritage and historic places. Since 1973, HCF’s National Awards Program has recognized individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions to heritage conservation. HRH The Prince of Wales agreed in 1999 to lend his title to the creation of a prize to be awarded annually to a municipal government which has demonstrated its strong and sustained commitment to the conservation of its historic resources as a means to stimulate the cultural, social and economic health of its communities. Prize winning municipalities receive a bronze plaque, a framed certificate and a flag emblazoned with the insignias of The Prince of Wales and the Heritage Canada Foundation. Click here for Backgrounder and Photos For further information: Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, cquinn@heritagecanada.org Telephone: 613-237-1066 ext. 229; Cell: 613-797-7206 HCF Makes the Case For Heritage Building Rehabilitation Incentives Ottawa, ON - October 29, 2009 – Appearing yesterday before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance during its pre-budget hearings in Ottawa, Natalie Bull, Executive Director of the Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF), called for measures to encourage the rehabilitation and re-use of Canada’s older buildings. “We need measures that assist and reward those who show leadership in re-using existing buildings,” stated Ms. Bull, noting that new construction, no matter how green, cannot compete with the environmental benefits of rehabilitation. Ms. Bull also pointed to evidence that heritage rehabilitation creates green new jobs, stimulates the economy, and spurs the revitalization of adjacent properties. HCF’s recommendations included the introduction of a Heritage Rehabilitation Tax Credit, building on interest in the Home Renovation Tax Credit, and increased funding for the National Historic Sites of Canada Cost-sharing Program, a stimulus measure introduced in Budget 2009. Read HCF’s Pre-Budget Brief here. For further information: Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, cquinn@heritagecanada.org Telephone: 613-237-1066 ext. 229; Cell: 613-797-7206 Recipient of HCF 2009 Achievement Award: New Edinburgh Community Alliance Ottawa – October 7, 2009 – Last Friday, the Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) and Heritage Ottawa presented the New Edinburgh Community Alliance (NECA) with a 2009 National Achievement Award. Carolyn Quinn, director of communications at HCF, presented the award jointly with Heritage Ottawa vice-president David Jeanes, to David Sacks who accepted on behalf of NECA. For more than 30 years, NECA has been in the forefront of building awareness and undertaking efforts to preserve its built heritage. In 2001, the organization worked closely with the City of Ottawa to protect the heritage fabric of this former 19th-century village with a heritage conservation district designation. Since then, NECA has provided leadership in its workings with property developers, realtors and the city to preserve the district’s cultural heritage value in the face of constant development pressures. The Heritage Canada Foundation Achievement Award, given jointly with Heritage Ottawa, recognizes outstanding work and commitment in the field of heritage conservation. The award was presented at the Crichton Cultural Community Centre (former Crichton Street Public School) as part of the Second Annual New Edinburgh Heritage Forum on October 2, 2008. Click backgrounder for more information about this award recipient. For further information: Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, cquinn@heritagecanada.org Telephone: 613-237-1066 ext. 229; Cell: 613-797-7206 The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario presents the Heritage Canada Foundation 2009 National Awards Ottawa, ON October, 2, 2009 – The Heritage Canada Foundation is pleased to announce that The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, presented the 2009 Heritage Canada Foundation National Awards at a special ceremony to be held in Toronto on September 25, 2009. The National Awards Program is the most prestigious recognition for achievement and excellence in the field of built heritage conservation in Canada. The recipients of this year’s juried awards recognizing individual merit are Dr. Harold Kalman of Vancouver, British Columbia, for the Gabrielle Léger Award for Lifetime Achievement in Heritage Conservation in recognition of his momentous contribution as practitioner, advocate and educator in the field of heritage conservation in Canada and Mr. Stephen Otto of Toronto, Ontario, as the winner of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Heritage Conservation at the Provincial Level for his work in the protection and promotion of Ontario’s heritage legacy. Included in the celebrations are the recipients of one of the 2009 non-juried National Achievement Awards Jordan Grant and Jeremy Grant of Caledon, Ontario, for their successful rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the Alton Mill Complex. The recipients were celebrated at the Gala Awards Ceremony and Reception held on Friday, September 25, 2009 in Toronto at the Artscape Wychwood Barns, a unique award-winning environmental rehabilitation project. The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national charitable organization dedicated to the preservation of Canada’s built heritage and historic places. Click the Backgrounder on the 2009 Heritage Canada Foundation National Award recipients. Heritage Vancouver Foundation Receives HCF Achievement Award Ottawa, ON June 5, 2009 – The Heritage Canada Foundation and Heritage BC are pleased to announce that the Vancouver Heritage Foundation will receive a 2009 National Achievement Award in recognition of the innovative programs developed to foster the understanding, appreciation and conservation of built heritage in the City of Vancouver. The award will be presented to Diane Switzer, Executive Director of the Vancouver Heritage Foundation (VHF), at a special ceremony hosted by Heritage BC today. Created in 1992 as a registered charity, VHF supports the conservation of heritage structures for their contribution to the city’s economy, sustainability and culture. As well as a series of innovative programs, VHF has shown great acumen in fundraising, building links to the private sector, and attracting leading community figures to their cause. The variety and high quality of all of the Foundation’s programs, and its energetic drive to gain self sufficiency and ensure a permanent legacy for Vancouver’s heritage resources make the Vancouver Heritage Foundation one of the most remarkable community heritage associations in Canada. Click Backgrounder for more information about the Vancouver Heritage Foundation. The Achievement Award is given jointly by the Heritage Canada Foundation, and a local or provincial heritage organization, for outstanding work in heritage advocacy and volunteerism, and for conservation projects that demonstrate a community’s commitment to heritage conservation. For more information, visit the HCF National Achievement Awards Program online. The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non profit organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of Canada’s historic buildings and places. For further information: Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications cquinn@heritagecanada.org; Telephone: (613) 237-1066 ext 229; Cell: (613) 797-7206 HCF marks launch of Main Street Ontario Ottawa, ON May 20, 2009 – In recognition of the recent launch of Main Street Ontario, a new program of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), the Heritage Canada Foundation is releasing Main Street: Past and Present This report presents the Main Street approach to downtown revitalization in Canada, and describes existing programs in Alberta, Quebec, the United States and abroad. “We’re pleased to see OMAFRA bringing the Main Street approach to Ontario,” said Natalie Bull, HCF’s executive director. “Main Street Ontario focuses on business development strategies that strengthen local economies through investment, business retention and attraction.” The new program will provide matching funding to help communities hire a downtown coordinator and implement a revitalization strategy, to a maximum of $150,000 over 3 years. Rural Ontario communities interested in pursuing a Main Street Ontario program should contact the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Regional Economic Development Consultant (EDC) at 1-877-424-1300. The Heritage Canada Foundation was involved in the creation of Main Street programs that are now well established in Quebec and Alberta, and produced Main Street: Past and Present for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport. Main Street’s green credentials will be showcased in HCF’s September 2009 conference, The Heritage Imperative: Old Buildings in an Age of Environmental Crisis. For further information: Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, cquinn@heritagecanada.org Telephone: (613) 237-1066 ext. 229; Cell: (613) 797-7206 www.heritagecanada.org.
April 30, 2009 - The Heritage Canada Foundation is developing a new strategic plan. We are seeking your input about our current activities and services, and how we can maximize our relevance and impact in the future. Please take 5 minutes to complete our online survey. Your feedback is important to us. Submission deadline is May 19, 2009. Special Heritage Magazine Issue on Greening Historic Buildings April 23, 2009, Ottawa – A special issue of Heritage Magazine on the inherent green qualities of historic buildings is about to be released. The issue looks at what historic buildings can teach us about environmentally-friendly design and how they can be adapted to meet new energy-efficient standards. Our illustrated feature articles include: To purchase a copy of this special issue of Canada’s only national magazine dedicated to the conservation of heritage buildings and historic places, or to subscribe to Heritage Magazine by joining HCF contact Daria Locke, Communications and Membership Officer, at dlocke@heritagecanada.org or call toll free 1-866-964-1066 ext. 238. Heritage Magazine is a bilingual quarterly published by the Heritage Canada Foundation. Its readers include heritage property owners, conservation specialists, advocates, elected officials and others who are committed to keeping historic places alive. Carolyn Quinn Director, Communications and Editor, Heritage Magazine cquinn@heritagecanada.org 613-237-1066 ext. 229; cell 613-797-7206. The Heritage Canada Foundation Marks Earth Day With Green Initiatives Ottawa, ON April 22, 2009 – In recognition of Earth Day the Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) offers a collection of online resources that celebrate the inherently green credentials of historic buildings. Visit HCF’s website to access these heritage resources. Call for HCF Awards Nominations Extended to May 8 THERE IS STILL TIME TO MAKE A NOMINATION! The nomination deadline has been extended to May 8, 2009. All nominations must be received on or before May 8, 2009, so don’t delay! For information on nomination procedures, contact Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications at cquinn@heritagecanada.org or visit the Heritage Canada Foundation website. Two Ontario Towns Pass Resolutions Supporting HCF’s Landmarks, Not Landfill Campaign Ottawa, ON – March 12, 2009 –This past February, the towns of Collingwood and Markham, Ontario joined the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and over a dozen other cities and towns in passing resolutions endorsing the Heritage Canada Foundation’s Landmarks, Not Landfill campaign which calls upon the federal government to establish financial incentives to encourage private sector investment in the rehabilitation of historic properties. “HCF was encouraged to hear about Collingwood and Markham’s actions,” said Natalie Bull, HCF’s executive director. “We commend the federal government for earmarking $20 million for the National Historic Sites of Canada Cost-Sharing Program as part of the economic stimulus package announced in February’s Federal Budget. The next step, however, should be to introduce tax measures to stimulate private sector investment in locally and provincially recognized historic properties.” Studies in Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere demonstrate that the rehabilitation of heritage buildings stimulates the economy, revitalizes communities, and creates jobs. In the U.S., the 30-year-old Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program has helped the private sector rehabilitate over 34,000 properties, leveraged $45 billion in private investment (with a 5 to 1 ratio of private investment to federal tax credits), and created an average of 45 new jobs with each project. “If ever there was a time to create this practical federal measure to help to further stimulate the economy and protect the environment, it is now,” stated Ms. Bull. HCF encourages other municipalities to take action to support the call for federal financial incentives for historic places. To see a sample letter to council and a sample resolution, click the following link: http://www.heritagecanada.org/pdf/Background_and_Sample_Resolution_Mar09.pdf The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non profit organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of Canada’s historic buildings and places. For further information: Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, cquinn@heritagecanada.org Telephone: 613-237-1066 ext. 4; Cell: 613-797-7206 2009 Conference SPONSORSHIP Opportunities Heritage Canada Foundation 36th Annual Conference in collaboration with the Ontario Heritage Trust and in cooperation with the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals Climate change. Green building. Economic renewal. Older buildings have answers for the biggest questions of our generation. Be part of this ground-breaking national event by becoming a SPONSOR. It’s a cost-effective way to connect with l Receive valuable profile, recognition and other benefits while contributing to the success of the conference. Download our Sponsorship Opportunities package. Don’t miss out! For more information about the conference, visit www.heritagecanada.org The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non profit organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of Canada’s historic buildings and places. For further information: Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, cquinn@heritagecanada.org Telephone: 613-237-1066 ext. 229; Cell: 613-797-7206 Call for Abstracts & Proposals for HCF Annual Conference Ottawa, ON February 23, 2009 – Climate change. Green building. Economic renewal. Older buildings have answers for the biggest questions of our generation. The conference is designed to foster exchange and collaboration through expert panels consisting of a session leader and presenters from the heritage, environmental and green communities – each of them bringing the perspective of their respective field. Each 15-20 minute presentation will use research results, examples and case studies as stepping stones to broadly applicable principles and/or concrete recommendations for practice. Proposals for presentations and field sessions are invited on the following themes: • Environmental Stewardship and the Built Environment: sustainable districts and neighbourhoods; innovative and challenging adaptive re-use projects; brownfield redevelopment; integrated community sustainability planning. Submissions should include the following: Deadline for submissions: March 15, 2009
To submit your proposal, or for more information: conference@heritagecanada.org http://www.heritagecanada.org/eng/conference.html Chosen presenters and session leaders will receive complimentary registration for the day they present. Tell HCF about your “Heritage & the Environment” Heritage Day project Ottawa, ON February 17, 2009– Reduce, reuse, recycle – Heritage Day 2009 is an opportunity for Canadian communities to celebrate the numerous environmental benefits achieved from the rehabilitation of heritage properties. HCF promotes the third Monday in February each year as Heritage Day and has long advocated adopting this date as a national holiday. This year, HCF is celebrating Heritage and the Environment: Saving Places Built to Last. A number of useful resources are available online to assist communities in developing a program around this theme—whether it is to celebrate the inherently green credentials of historic buildings, to highlight how they have been upgraded to more environmentally friendly standards, or to offer information on how to “green” heritage buildings. Visit HCF’s website to access these heritage resources. Tell us about your “Heritage and the Environment” Heritage Day project, and we will post it on our website. Just send a short story and a photo to heritagecanada@heritagecanada.org and type “Heritage Day Project” in the subject line. HCF will continue to celebrate the Heritage 2009 theme when we host our annual conference, The Heritage Imperative: Old Buildings in an Age of Environmental Crisis, in Toronto this coming September. Join us in finding out how old buildings have answers for the biggest questions of our generation. HCF Accepting Nominations to the 2009 Top Ten Endangered Places List Submit your nominations to Canada’s TOP TEN Endangered Places List by March 20, 2009 Ottawa, ON January 30, 2009 – The Heritage Canada Foundation is accepting nominations to Canada’s Top Ten Endangered Places List. The list is released annually to bring national attention to sites at risk due to neglect, lack of funding, inappropriate development and weak legislation. It has become a powerful tool in the fight to make landmarks, not landfill. HCF uses three primary criteria to determine the 10 final sites for inclusion on the list:
If you know a site that should be included on our list, tell us about it today. Click here for the 2009 Top Ten Endangered Places List Form. Nominations should be received by Friday, March 20, 2009. The 2009 list will be announced in April. Feel free to contact us if you’re considering a nomination or have any questions. By email: heritagecanada@heritagecanada.org or phone: (613) 237-1066. Heritage Canada Foundation Sees Positives in Federal Budget Ottawa, ON January 28, 2009 –The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) expressed measured satisfaction that the federal Budget tabled yesterday by the Minister of Finance includes some recognition of the need to invest in historic buildings. The budget contained $75 million for the long-dormant National Historic Sites Cost-Sharing Program which will make bricks-and-mortar matching funds available for a few of Canada’s approximately 900 National Historic Sites (NHS). There is also $323 million over two years for the restoration of federally-owned buildings and $2 million to plan the future of Quebec City’s historic drill hall, the Manège Militaire, a NHS damaged by fire last year. “These amounts will help keep traditional skills alive and prolong the life of a handful of iconic places which shape our identity, create jobs, and attract tourist dollars,” said HCF executive director Natalie Bull from Parliament Hill yesterday. “But HCF is disappointed that a broad federal incentive for the rehabilitation of historic properties is absent from this budget.” In the United States, a strong preservation industry exists because 30 years ago, the U.S. established a 20 percent federal tax credit for rehabilitation of heritage buildings and a 10 percent tax credit for the rehabilitation of non-heritage, non-residential buildings built before 1936. The program has leveraged over $36 billion in private investment in historic buildings with a 5 to 1 ratio of private investment to federal tax credits. An average of 45 new jobs are created by each project. The budget does contain a number of measures which while not specifically targeting heritage buildings, can be used to encourage much needed investment in them:
To review the entire budget, please click here. The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non-governmental organization created in 1973 as Canada’s National Trust. HCF Calls Upon Supporters to Promote Need for Rehabilitation Tax Incentives in 2009 Federal Budget Ottawa, December 12, 2008 – With the federal government gearing up to present a budget that provides practical and immediate measures to stimulate the economy, the Heritage Canada Foundation calls upon heritage supporters to promote changes to the federal tax system designed to encourage investment in heritage buildings and older homes. The HCF is providing Key Facts and Messages to help you make the case for a 2009 Federal Budget that includes heritage rehabilitation tax incentives. This information and how to contact the pivotal federal ministers and your MPs with your message is available here. To participate in the government’s online pre-Budget consultation go to: For more information about removing disincentives and creating incentives for rehabilitation in Canada’s Tax System contact Natalie Bull at nbull@heritagecanada.org The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non profit organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of Canada’s historic buildings and places. Visit www.heritagecanada.org. For further information: Heritage Canada Foundation Announces Theme for Heritage Day 2009: Heritage and the Environment: Saving Places Built to Last Ottawa, ON, December 3, 2008 – Reduce, reuse, recycle —Heritage Day 2009 is an opportunity for Canadian communities to celebrate the numerous environmental benefits achieved from the rehabilitation of heritage properties. HCF promotes the third Monday in February each year as Heritage Day and has long advocated adopting this date as a national holiday. For further information: Speech from the Throne sets the stage for heritage tax credit, says the Heritage Canada Foundation Ottawa, ON November 21, 2008 – This week’s Speech from the Throne contained no direct references to heritage buildings. But the emphasis on stimulating the economy, meeting pressing social needs and tackling climate change is a perfect fit with the Heritage Canada Foundation’s call for a federal tax credit to stimulate investment in the rehabilitation of older buildings. “Affordable housing, green building, economic renewal—old buildings hold solutions for these big challenges,” said Natalie Bull, executive director, speaking from HCF’s headquarters in Ottawa. “The rehabilitation and re-use of old buildings reduces waste, generates less carbon, creates more jobs than new construction, revitalizes communities and attracts tourist dollars.” The Heritage Canada Foundation has long promoted the introduction of federal tax measures that would attract developers to invest in existing buildings, and encourage homeowners to upgrade older homes. In the United States, The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 introduced heritage-friendly changes to the federal tax system designed to stimulate the economy. The results are impressive: over $25 billion in private investment in historic buildings—much of it in urban neighbourhoods and commercial districts; over 60,000 units of low and moderate income housing created; and an average of 45 new jobs per rehab project. Created in 1973 as the National Trust for Canada, the Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non profit organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of Canada’s historic buildings and places. Visit www.heritagecanada.org For further information: Heritage Funding Sources Now Available Online Ottawa, Ontario, November 20, 2008 – The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) is pleased to announce that over 600 links to Canadian heritage and cultural funding sources are now available online. The resources are divided into three categories: National, Provincial, and Regional and Community Heritage Funding. Each section includes direct links to funding bodies that are offering grants and subsidies for projects ranging from conservation work on heritage properties to research and development and employment opportunities. Funding sources listed are directed primarily at not-for-profit registered charitable organizations. Visit HCF’s website to access this funding resource tool. The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non profit organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of Canada’s historic buildings and places. For further information: New Survey Underscores Funding Gap for Canada’s National Historic Sites Ottawa, Ontario, November 4, 2008 – The findings of a recent Environics survey of national historic sites lends greater urgency to Heritage Canada Foundation’s (HCF) call for a national landmarks fund. Commissioned by Parks Canada, the survey found that 69% of the 689 National Historic Sites managed by owners other than the federal government are deteriorating, and will need major rehabilitation within the next two years. Despite the national significance of the sites, the federal government is largely absent as a funding partner. Between 1988 and 2000, the National Historic Sites Cost Share Program (NHSCSP) provided bricks-and-mortar funding to 57 non-federal sites. The funding benefited sites like the Inglis Grain Elevators in Dauphin, Man. and the Saint John City Market in N.B. NHSCSP projects leveraged 2-3 times the $27 million invested by the government. Since 2000, however, the program has been dormant and without funding. In 2003, the Auditor General reported that at least 118 requests for funding had gone unanswered. The Heritage Canada Foundation has encouraged the federal government to make a national landmarks fund and a federal rehabilitation tax credit the cornerstones of any new federal investment in heritage. With federal seed money, HCF could leverage matching donations from corporations and individuals and create a dedicated source of funding for national historic sites in non-government hands. In the United States, Save America’s Treasures—a public-private partnership established by Congress—has provided funds to the Statue of Liberty and other iconic U.S. sites from the National Trust’s Most Endangered Places List. To date, $116 million U.S. has been awarded to 431 projects and more than $217 million U.S. has been matched by individuals, businesses and foundations. The Parks Canada Survey of Owners of Non-Federal National Historic Sites – 2008 can be viewed online. The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non profit organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of Canada’s historic buildings and places. For further information: HCF Welcomes New Minister of the Environment OTTAWA, ON, October 31, 2008 – The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) congratulates the Hon. Jim Prentice on his appointment to Cabinet as the new Minister of the Environment. Polls consistently show that Canadians care deeply about the country’s historic places. The Minister of the Environment has primary responsibility for Canada’s built heritage through the Parks Canada Agency and HCF looks forward to a productive working relationship with Mr. Prentice in his new role. “We look forward to meeting with the Minister very soon,” said HCF executive director Natalie Bull. “Re-using old buildings is good for the environment and the economy. With 35 years of national leadership in protecting the historic built environment, the Heritage Canada Foundation is eager to work with Mr. Prentice to help Canadians make landmarks, not landfill.” The rehabilitation and re-use of heritage buildings reduces waste, generates less carbon and creates more jobs than new construction, revitalizes communities and attracts tourist dollars. Canada’s communities are made up of historic properties that define our national identity and give shape and texture to our urban and rural neighbourhoods. Learn more about the Hon. Jim Prentice. Created in 1973 as the National Trust for Canada, the Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non profit organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of Canada’s historic buildings and places. Visit www.heritagecanada.org
FCM Supports HCF’s Efforts to Stop Landmarks from Becoming Landfill Ottawa, Ontario – October 29, 2008 - The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) applauds the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) National Board of Directors for adopting an important resolution calling for federal financial incentives in support of the rehabilitation of heritage buildings. In a recent letter informing Finance Minister Jim Flaherty of the board’s decision, FCM president Jean Perrault reminded the Minister that the vast majority of Canadian urban municipalities offer financial incentives for heritage buildings, and that Canada remains the only G-8 country lacking a national system of funding policies and programs to preserve its heritage properties. The resolution, SOC08.3.07 – Federal Tax Incentives for Heritage Places, calls on the Government of Canada to establish financial tax measures for the rehabilitation of heritage properties which would encourage private sector investment. The U.S. Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program introduced some 25 years ago has leveraged $36 billion in private sector spending from $7 billion in federal tax credits. The results include the rehabilitation of more than 32,000 commercial heritage properties, the creation of approximately 350,000 housing units and thousands of new jobs. In Canada, over the past 30 years more than 20 per cent of the country’s pre-1920 buildings have been lost to demolition. HCF’s backgrounder on key issues related to fiscal incentives is available online. For further information: Heritage Conservation and Election 2008: What You Need to Know Ottawa, October 6, 2008 – The Heritage Canada Foundation is committed to assisting members and others in staying informed about the positions all major political parties are taking with respect to heritage conservation issues. The HCF Election 2008 Information Package has been developed to help you make informed choices and to help us raise awareness about heritage issues during this election campaign. The Information Package includes key questions for candidates, a backgrounder on key issues and suggested ways that you can make a difference. In keeping with HCF’s belief that the rehabilitation of Canada’s heritage buildings makes environmental and economic sense, we have asked all major party leaders what policies they’ve developed to keep Canada’s landmarks from becoming landfill. Their responses will be posted on our website. Stay tuned! Canadians polled have consistently indicated that they want their governments to support the preservation of heritage properties. Only working together can we increase the national political profile of issues associated with the preservation of the built heritage of Canada. Thank you in advance for your active involvement. Heritage Canada Foundation Announces 2008 National Award Winners Ottawa, ON September 18, 2008 – The Heritage Canada Foundation today announced the winners of its National Awards Program, Canada’s most prestigious recognition for achievement and excellence in the field of built heritage conservation. This year’s juried award recipients include the Town of Aurora, Ontario, winner of the Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership, an award created with the support of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to encourage and reward sound conservation policies and practices at the municipal level and, for the first time since its inception, a Honourary Mention to the Town of Saint-Raymond de Portneuf, Quebec. Mr. Julian Smith of Ottawa, Ontario, is the recipient of the prestigious Gabrielle Léger Award for Lifetime Achievement in Heritage Conservation for his contribution to the practice and management of heritage conservation in Canada and Mr. Dinu Bumbaru of Montréal, Québec, is the winner of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Heritage Conservation at the Provincial Level for his lifetime leadership and commitment to heritage conservation in Québec. The 2008 non-juried award recipients include l’Auberge Saint-Antoine in Quebec City, recipient of a National Achievement Award for its extensive three-phase architectural and archaeological restoration project as well as Sen. Pat Carney (Ret.) of British Columbia and Mr. Barry MacDonald of Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia, as the first-time recipients of the Governors’s Award in recognition of their tireless efforts in bringing about the recent passage of the federal Act to Protect Heritage Lighthouses. The recipients will be celebrated at the Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony to be held on Friday, September 26, 2008 at the beautifully restored Théâtre Impérial in Québec City. (Sen. Carney will be presented with her award at a special presentation to be held later this year in British Columbia). The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national charitable organization dedicated to the preservation of Canada’s built heritage and historic places. Click the Backgrounder on the 2008 Heritage Canada Foundation National Award recipients. Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, cquinn@heritagecanada.org Telephone: (613) 237-1066 ext 229; Cell (613) 797-7206Recipient of HCF 2008 Achievement Award: Reader Rock Garden Restoration Project Ottawa – July 31, 2008 – Yesterday, in Calgary, the Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) and the Calgary Heritage Authority (CHA) presented the City of Calgary’s Reader Rock Garden Rehabilitation Project with a 2008 National Achievement Award. Catherine C. Cole, Chair of HCF, presented the award jointly with Gerry Meek, CHA Chair, to project manager, Anne Charlton, Director of Parks, who accepted on behalf of the City of Calgary. Click backgrounder for more information about the Reader Rock Garden project. . For further information: Telephone: 613-237-1066 ext. 229; Cell: 613-797-7206 Heritage Canada Foundation 35th Anniversary Conference presented in partnership with the Canadian Land Trust Alliance Work That Endures: Power to the People Keeping Places Alive Québec City, September 25 – 27, 2008
Designed to make the heritage workforce stronger by nourishing ideas, enriching the conservation sector and strengthening ties between built heritage and the environmental movement. Over 60 speakers will be joining us in historic Québec City—don’t miss this milestone event! Register online today and save! Printable registration form (pdf) Conference at a glance Featured Speakers:
Featured Sessions:
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This conference is held in conjunction with the Rues principales/Main Street Colloquium on September 24, 2008, and in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals. Feel free to share this message with your friends and colleagues. We look forward to seeing you in Québec City! The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non governmental, charitable organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of Canada’s historic buildings and places. Visit www.heritagecanada.org. For further information: Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, cquinn@heritagecanada.org Telephone: 613-237-1066 ext. 229; Cell: 613-797-7206 Heritage Canada Foundation Deplores Loss of Ontario Heritage Landmark to Fire  Photo: Robert Chaulk, Sun Media Corp. Ottawa, Ontario – May 30, 2008 - The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) deplores the devastating loss of the historic Alma College in St. Thomas, Ont., to fire on Wednesday shortly after the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) agreed to its demolition last week. The 130-year-old building’s needless destruction indicates the failure of both the Ontario Heritage Act and the OMB to protect this heritage site despite the efforts of so many individuals and organizations. Designated a heritage site by the municipality in 1994, the college spent the intervening years deteriorating as development plans repeatedly surfaced and floundered. The current owner, Alma Heritage Estates, appealed city council’s decision not to issue a demolition permit to the OMB last year. The city subsequently negotiated a deal with the developer—that was endorsed by the OMB in mid-January—allowing for the demolition of everything but the central tower. That agreement was overturned last week in favour of full demolition although any new construction would have had to include a replica of the tower. “The tragic loss of Alma College is a microcosm of all that is wrong with the heritage conservation system in Canada,” stated Natalie Bull, HCF executive director. “Fundamentally, it shows a lack of commitment to reusing our existing building stock—something countries like the U.S. actively encourage through financial incentives for rehabilitation.” HCF included the distinctive high Victorian Gothic Revival landmark on its 2006 Top Ten Endangered Places list and just this past January urged the Ontario Minister of Culture to intervene on its behalf to ensure protection by designating it a provincial heritage site. The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non governmental, charitable organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of Canada’s historic buildings and places. For further information: News coverage: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080530.walma http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2008/05/29/5702351-sun.html http://stthomastimesjournal.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1049412 http://stthomastimesjournal.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1051450& http://stthomastimesjournal.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1056440& http://www.lfpress.com/perl-bin/publish.cgi?x=galleries&p=2453 http://www.lfpress.com/perlbin/publish.cgi?x=articles&p=234961 http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/alma-college-burns-down.php Heritage Canada Foundation Releases 2008 Top Ten Endangered Places and Worst Losses Lists OTTAWA, ON-April 30, 2008 - The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) has released its Top Ten Endangered Places and Worst Losses Lists drawing attention to a total of 20 architectural and heritage sites in Canada either threatened with demolition or already lost. The Top Ten Endangered Places List, compiled from nominations received as well as from news items that HCF has been following and reporting on throughout the year includes:
Click Backgrounders for the full story and photographs. Topping the Worst Losses List is the historic Québec City Armoury needlessly lost to fire in April. Examples of historic places destroyed by the wrecking ball are plentiful: Toronto comes up big with the demolition of the Bata Shoe Headquarters, a hallmark of modern design, and Walnut Hall, the once elegant Georgian row that crumbled into the street due to chronic neglect. Elsewhere in Ontario can be found the Seagraves Building in Windsor where a 1905 industrial heritage building ended up in landfill thanks to a permit office oversight, and Hamilton’s historic Balfour Building, part of the infamous Lister Block, collapsed from decay. Out west, Vancouver lost the stunning Graham House to demolition—an early design by Canadian architecture icon Arthur Erickson; Edmonton saw one of its mid-century Modernist designs, the Central Pentecostal Tabernacle, fall to the wrecking ball; and in Saskatoon the Legion Building was demolished in the name of progress. In the Maritimes Kentville, Nova Scotia demolished the rare DAR Roundhouse in favour of new development and in Rothesay, New Brunswick, the site of the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was paved over to put up a parking lot. Click Worst Losses for more information. A handful of root causes—not the least of which is Canada’s status as the only G8 country without a national system of heritage-related incentives and legislation—underlie these lost and threatened sites. For an update on HCF’s past Top Ten Endangered Places lists, click Updates. The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non-profit organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of Canada’s historic buildings and places. For further information:Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, cquinn@heritagecanada.org Telephone: 613-237-1066 ext. 229; Cell: 613-797-7206 THERE IS STILL TIME TO MAKE A NOMINATION! If you know someone whose work and dedication in preserving and promoting Canada’s rich architectural heritage then consider nominating them for a Heritage Canada Foundation Award. The nomination deadline has been extended to May 5, 2008! Gabrielle Léger Award for Lifetime Achievement in Heritage Conservation Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Heritage Conservation at the Provincial/Territorial Level Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership The Gala Awards Ceremony will be held on Friday, September 26, 2008 at the Théâtre Impérial as part of our annual conference. All nominations must be received on or before May 5, 2008, so don’t delay! For information on nomination procedures, contact Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications at cquinn@heritagecanada.org or visit the Heritage Canada Foundation website at http://www.heritagecanada.org/eng/services/awards.html Heritage Canada Foundation Marks Earth Day with Landmarks, Not Landfill Campaign Ottawa, ON April 21, 2008 – In recognition of Earth Day the Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) calls for an end to the wasteful demolition each year of countless heritage buildings across the country that end up as landfill. In Ontario alone, 2.2 million tonnes of landfill (23% of the total) comes from demolition and construction waste, representing an irreplaceable loss of environmental and cultural resources. The many heritage buildings recently lost to Canadian communities and bulldozed into landfill sites over the past year includes:
On April 30th, HCF will release its 2008 Top Ten Endangered Places List drawing attention to other sites destined to become landfill. The government of Canada can help reverse this demolition trend with financial incentives to encourage private sector investment in the preservation of historic places. For over 30 years, the United States has used tax credits for heritage building rehabilitation, successfully preserving hundreds of historic places. Landmarks, Not Landfill is a postcard advocacy campaign that gives Canadians a voice in calling for financial incentives in the next federal budget. Visit: http://www.heritagecanada.org/petition_start.htm For further information: Heritage Canada Foundation Marks World Heritage Day with Release of Short List of Historic Places of Worship At Risk OTTAWA, ON – April 18, 2008 – To mark World Heritage Day and its theme, religious heritage and sacred places, the Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) is releasing a short list of four endangered religious heritage sites—a small sampling of the many places of worship at risk in Canada. Short listed endangered places include the Heyfield Memorial United Church in Heart’s Content, Newfoundland, targeted for demolition; St. Patrick’s R.C. Church in Halifax, closing in June because of a collapsing congregation; Toronto’s All Saints’ Church Community Centre, suffering from severe neglect while its land value skyrockets; and the Church of the Holy Cross in Skatin, B.C., a national historic site in desperate need of repair. For the backgrounder and photos click: Endangered Places Shortlist At least one of these sites will appear on HCF’s 2008 Top Ten Endangered Places List to be released on April 30, 2008. This year, an issue of Heritage magazine will explore conservation action for Canada’s historic places of worship, while HCF’s 2008 annual conference “Work That Endures: Power to the People Keeping Places Alive” includes a roundtable on this emerging crisis. World Heritage Day, also known as International Day for Monuments and Sites was created in 1982 by ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) and endorsed by UNESCO in 1983. The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non-profit organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of Canada’s historic buildings and places. www.heritagecanada.org For further information: Heritage Canada Foundation Calls for Passage of Lighthouse Protection Bill Ottawa, ON – April 3, 2008 – Appearing yesterday before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans (FOPO) to comment on Bill S-215 An Act to protect heritage lighthouses, the Heritage Canada Foundation’s (HCF) executive director, Natalie Bull, called on committee members to support legislation that will protect the icons of Canada’s coastal and inland waterways. HCF and heritage advocates from across Canada have been working toward this legislation to preserve Canada’s lighthouses for a number of years. Ms. Bull stressed that protection of lighthouses under current federal heritage buildings policy is inadequate and doesn’t incorporate public notice or consultation when a lighthouse is altered, transferred or demolished. This new heritage lighthouse protection act “would engage communities in the protection of their historic places by putting a clear process in place, and increase accountability by providing opportunities for pubic scrutiny,” stated Ms. Bull. The Act would establish a process to select and designate heritage lighthouses; prevent their unauthorized disposal; require their maintenance; and facilitate sales or transfers in order to ensure their continuing public purpose. HCF is hopeful that with the strong presentations made to the committee and the number of committee members expressing support for the legislation, it will soon be passed into law. Ms. Bull thanked the many Senators and MPs who have supported the bill over the last number of years. Particularly the Senator Pat Carney and Senator Lowell Murray, and MPs Larry Miller (Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, Ont.), Peter Stoffer (Sackville-East Shore, N.S.) and Gerald Keddy (South Shore – St. Margaret’s, N.S.). Also appearing before the committee were Barry Macdonald, president of the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society, David Bradley, chair of the Association of Heritage Industries – Newfoundland and Labrador, and Peter Noreau, Vice-president of the Corporation des gestionnaires de phares de l’estuaire et du golfe du Saint-Laurent. Debate on the bill will wrap up at the committee on Thursday, April 10th. The bill will then go back to the House of Commons for 3rd and final reading. HCF urges all supporters of built heritage to contact the chair and vice-chairs of the FOPO committee and MP Larry Miller to express their support for this bill. MP Fabian Manning (Chair, FOPO) Manning.F@parl.gc.ca For more information: Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, Heritage Canada Foundation cquinn@heritagecanada.org Tel: 613-237-1066, ext. 229, Cell: 613-797-7206 HCF Congratulates Former Board Member Christina Cameron on receiving a Public Service Achievement Award Ottawa, ON – March 7, 2008 – The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) congratulates Dr. Christina Cameron on receiving the Outstanding Achievement Award of the Public Service of Canada from Prime Minister Stephen Harper for her exceptional 35-year career with Parks Canada. In her various roles as the director general of the National Historic Sites program, and secretary to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Christina Cameron has been instrumental in creating public policies and programs to support the protection of Canada’s historic built environment. She was a central player in the Historic Places Initiative, a unique federal/provincial/territorial collaboration designed to create a culture of conservation across Canada. In her most recent appointment as chair of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee–which is responsible for implementing an international agreement that aims to protect places that are considered to be of outstanding universal value–she has advanced Canada’s reputation as a world leader in the protection of natural and cultural heritage. “National recognition is well warranted for the role Dr. Cameron has played in building Canada’s system of heritage programs, institutions, tools and measures,” remarked executive director Natalie Bull, speaking from HCF headquarters in Ottawa. Dr. Cameron served on the board of directors of the Heritage Canada Foundation from 1991 to 1995. In 2005, Dr. Cameron was appointed the Canada Research Chair on Built Heritage at the University of Montréal, where she currently holds a full-time teaching position. Achievement awards were also presented to Philip H. Amundson, Canada Food Inspection Agency, Denis Comeau, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Michael Horgan, Environment Canada and Dr. Calvin Wayne Lindwall, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. HCF Congratulates Former Board Members Appointed to HSMBC Ottawa, ON – March 4, 2008 – The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) congratulates Dr. Harold D. Kalman of Vancouver and Ms. Loree Stewart of Marsh Lake, Yukon—two former members of HCF’s board of governors—who were among five individuals recently appointed to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada to advise the Minister of the Environment on the designation of places, people and events of national historic significance. Harold Kalman is a principal at Commonwealth Historic Resource Management Ltd. His extensive knowledge and experience in the conservation and development of historic sites and structures throughout Canada and abroad proved an asset to the Heritage Canada Foundation’s board of governors. He served as representative from British Columbia from 2001 to 2004. The executive director of the Yukon Heritage Resources Board, The HSMBC will also be well-served by three other distinguished appointments. They include Ms. Ingrid Diana Kritsh of Yellowknife, Heritage Canada Foundation disappointed by Federal Budget Ottawa, ON February 27, 2008– The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) expressed disappointment that the federal Budget tabled yesterday afternoon by the Minister of Finance again missed the opportunity to help make landmarks, not landfill. “A federal incentive for the rehabilitation of historic properties is absent from this budget. Also missing is a clear commitment to the Historic Places Initiative, an exceptional model of federal-provincial-territorial collaboration that laid the groundwork for such an incentive,” said executive director Natalie Bull. A cornerstone of the Historic Places Initiative was the Commercial Heritage Properties Incentive Fund (CHPIF), which leveraged private dollars to rehabilitate landmarks like the Lougheed Block in Calgary and CenterBeam Place in Saint John. CHPIF ended early in 2006, and today’s budget was silent on its future. “Municipal officials, developers and property owners from across Canada tell us that many more historic buildings would be reused and recycled if they could count on a predictable incentive or source of funding for rehabilitation,” said Ms. Bull. Canada has lost more than 20% of its pre-1920 heritage buildings to demolition over the last 30 years. Demolished buildings account for as much as 30% of the waste in Canada’s landfills. The Heritage Canada Foundation Joins Minister’s Roundtable on Canada’s New National Trust Ottawa, Ontario February 22, 2008 – The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) joined representatives from Canada’s built heritage and natural heritage organizations, leading private sector developers, and representatives from Britain’s National Trust and the U.S. National Trust for Historic Preservation at a two-day roundtable on the creation of a Canadian National Trust. Hosted by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment on February 21 and 22, 2008 the roundtable was part of the government’s efforts to follow through on the 2007 federal budget announcement of a new National Trust. “With 35 years experience helping Canadians keep historic places alive, HCF has much to contribute to this important discussion,” said executive director Natalie Bull who attended the roundtable. “This event provided an excellent opportunity to hear from a range of leaders and stakeholders about the longstanding gaps and challenges in the heritage sector.” The Heritage Canada Foundation looks forward to continued participation in evolving a National Trust for Canada. The Heritage Canada Foundation is celebrating its 35th anniversary as the national, membership-based, non profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Canada’s built heritage and historic places through national leadership, advocacy, education and demonstration. Heritage Canada Foundation Celebrates Heritage Day 2008 Ottawa, ON – February 18, 2008 – In honour of Heritage Day 2008, the Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) is presenting its newly released online resource guide Work that Endures—Careers in Built Heritage. Read the stories of more than a dozen Canadians from across the country working to keep historic places alive. This year HCF is celebrating the men and women whose specialized skills—be it as restorers of fine decorative plaster, as developers rehabilitating urban history, or as activists preserving community landmarks—are contributing to a sustainable future. People like stained glass restorers Norbert and Helga Sattler of West LeHave, Nova Scotia, whose expertise is sought after throughout the Maritimes and beyond, or master plaster specialist Jean-François Furieri of Toronto’s Iconoplast Designs, whose decorative detail work can be seen in the city’s Pantages Theatre, Royal Ontario Museum and New York City’s Selwyn Theatre and Manhattan Opera House. Uncover stories about developers like Calgary’s Neil Richardson who is making a profit investing in historic building rehab and along the way is giving the city’s landmark Lougheed Building and Grand Theatre a second chance. Learn about teachers and activists who are opening young people’s eyes to the endless possibilities of creative building conservation practice. And they all report loving their jobs. Not only is their work intellectually stimulating and never routine—it is literally work that endures. The full colour resource guide is available online at www.heritagecanada.org/eng/h_day.html Heritage Canada Foundation Calls for Better Protection for Federal Heritage Buildings Ottawa, ON – February 15, 2008 – Appearing yesterday before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates to comment on the federal government’s sale of nine buildings (including three heritage buildings) in August 2007, the Heritage Canada Foundation’s executive director, Natalie Bull, called on the government to recognize its important role as the trustee of legacy buildings and to put in place better protection for heritage buildings under its care and those transferred to the private sector. Ms. Bull’s recommendations include the creation of statutory protection and maintenance standards for federally owned and regulated historic places. The Foundation also urged the implementation of “heritage first” provisions to promote the reuse of existing heritage buildings by the federal government. Since 1996, United States federal agencies have been required to fill their accommodation needs in heritage buildings first, to the maximum extent feasible. Ms. Bull stressed that the only effective strategy for protecting heritage buildings leaving federal ownership is to register protective covenants on property titles. Current Treasury Board disposal practice requires the government to make “best efforts” toward protection, but does not make a covenant or other form of statutory protection a condition of sale. “Federal buildings do much more than provide accommodation for federal institutions,” underscored Ms. Bull. “ They were designed to make a big impression and to reflect our ideals as a nation and our system of government. They were built to last as public landmarks and monuments, representing the federal presence in towns and cities across the country.” Demonstrating the highest standards of design and construction, many federal buildings showcase some of Canada’s best architects and represent a national legacy that is held in trust for all Canadians. The federal government counts more than 1,300 designated heritage buildings among its property holdings. That number does not include an unknown backlog of federally owned buildings 40 years old or older, but not yet submitted for heritage review. To date, about 6,300 buildings have been evaluated, out of a total of about 46,000. Two Ontario heritage buildings from HCF’s Top Ten Endangered Places List threatened The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) is urging Ontario Minister of Culture Aileen Carroll to intervene on behalf of two heritage buildings featured on its 2006 Top Ten Most Endangered Places List—Hamilton’s historic Lister Block and the landmark Alma College in St. Thomas. For details, click here. To view letters sent to Ontario Minister of Culture Aileen Carroll, click here: Alma College Letter (pdf) & Lister Letter (pdf) To view letter sent to Mayor Fred Eisenberger, City of Hamilton, click here: Lister Letter (pdf) For local news coverage, click here. Heritage Canada Foundation Welcomes Passing of Heritage Lighthouse Bill The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) is delighted to report that bill S-215, An Act to protect heritage lighthouses was passed by Parliament on Wednesday after nearly ten years of effort. The private member’s bill, sponsored by former B.C. Senator Pat Carney who worked tirelessly on its passing, empowers communities to help preserve Canada’s heritage lighthouses. It is expected to receive Royal Assent shortly. For further information contact: HCF Responds to the Recommendations in the Report of the Standing Committee on Finance – Communiqué Ottawa Ontario - December 8, 2006 – The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) applauds the support for historic places that appears in the Report of the Standing Committee on Finance released yesterday. In its important lead-up to the 2007 Budget, the Committee stated, “we have a moral responsibility to preserve and restore our heritage buildings for future generations…” Recommendation 23 states that,
In a letter to finance minister, Jim Flaherty, HCF urges the adoption of Recommendation 23 along with the committee's recommendation that the government amend the Income Tax Act to eliminate the capital gains tax on donations of real estate and land to public charities, on a five-year trial basis. “We see and hear a clear recognition of the federal role in keeping landmarks from becoming landfill,” said Natalie Bull, HCF's executive director. “There are some positive signals here and we anticipate being front and centre in supporting the government's review.” The Heritage Canada Foundation is watching the budget process especially closely this year. In September, the federal government effectively ended the funding of a successful public-private project (the Commercial Heritage Properties Incentive Fund - CHPIF), a successful pilot for a tax-based incentive for rehabilitation. The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non profit organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of Canada's historic buildings and places. -30- For further information: Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, cquinn@heritagecanada.orgHCF Says New Federal Funding for Cultural Institutions Is A Great Start – Communiqué Ottawa Ontario - December 5, 2006 - The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) congratulated the Hon. Beverley Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women and the Hon. John Baird, Treasury Board President on their commitment to invest $100 million over five years to help repair, renovate and upgrade five federally-owned cultural institutions in the Ottawa area. The buildings receiving assistance include the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canada Museum of Science and Technology, and two national historic sites, the Canadian Museum of Nature and the National Arts Centre. "HCF applauds this worthwhile investment. It is an important first step in addressing the Auditor General's warning three years ago that heritage in federal hands was at risk," said Natalie Bull, executive director of the Heritage Canada Foundation. Many historic places face the same funding challenges as these institutions. Ms Bull noted that the majority of Canada's national historic sites are owned by individuals and local organizations, and recent cuts to modest programs like the Museums Assistance Program (MAP) and the Commercial Heritage Properties Incentive Fund (CHPIF) have hurt. "Canada is the only G8 nation without coherent funding policies and programs for its built heritage. As a result, our landmarks are becoming landfill: over 20% of Canada's heritage buildings have been demolished during the last thirty years," added Ms. Bull. HCF has asked the federal government to move forward with a new Canadian Museums Policy, and include financial incentives for historic places in the next federal budget. Executive Summary HCF believes that historic places and museum collections are an integral part of memory, community, and identity, telling the stories of who we are and where we come from. Because the majority of Canada's museums are located in historic buildings, cuts to programs like the Museums Assistance Program put those historic buildings at risk. HCF fully supports the Canadian Museums Association's call for a new museums policy. Further, we maintain that the federal government needs to do more to protect Canada's built heritage. HCF believes that the rehabilitation of historic places should be encouraged through federal financial measures. For example, tax measures would encourage the private sector to rehabilitate revenue-generating heritage buildings. Public-private partnerships would support the conservation of non-commercial ventures in historic buildings, such as museums and non-government owned national historic sites. Among G-8 countries, Canada alone lacks a system of funding policies and programs for built heritage, and this affects museums as much as it does the historic places that house our families, our businesses and our recreational activities. Resolution: Federal Legislation Heritage Canada Foundation Members Elect New Governors – Communiqué Ottawa, Ontario, October 18, 2006 - The Heritage Canada Foundation is pleased to announce the election of Ms. Cindy Tugwell of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Mr. Peter Hyndman of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and the appointment of Mr. Herb Stovel, of Ottawa, Ontario and Madame Odile Roy of Québec City, Quebec, to its Board of Governors. As executive director of Heritage Winnipeg for the past thirteen years, As an architect with a specialization in restoration and conservation, Herb Stovel, co-ordinator of the Heritage Conservation Programme at Carleton University's School of Canadian Studies in Ottawa, is considered a leading conservation professional and educator in Canada. Trained as a conservation architect, Mr. Stovel's career has focused on heritage education in Canada and internationally for the last 20 years. His primary interests include the economics of conservation, meaningful community participation, integrated approaches to urban and cultural landscape conservation, and risk preparedness for heritage. In June 2006, he was nominated as a member of the World Heritage Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). As an architect and educator at Laval University's School of Architecture, Odile Roy has dedicated her career to the field of heritage conservation. As a former councillor and a member of Québec City's Executive Committee, she was responsible for all matters relating to heritage conservation, urban planning and development. For the last 8 years, she has presided on the Commission d'urbanisme et de conservation de Québec. Mme. Roy is also a member of the Ordre des Architectes du Québec and a board member of la Fondation rues principales. Mme. Roy was appointed as interim governor for Quebec for one year. Heritage Canada Foundation Criticizes Federal Government Spending Cuts – Communiqué Ottawa, ON - September 26, 2006 - The Heritage Canada Foundation denounces the government's cancellation of the federal Commercial Heritage Properties Incentive Fund (CHPIF), announced yesterday by Treasury Board President, John Baird as part of a list of cuts to "wasteful" programs. In the short time since it was introduced, CHPIF has proven its value in helping save buildings across Canada from demolition, with as many as 60 projects in the works. "The early end of this program is only acceptable if it is replaced immediately with a tax incentive that encourages preservation of heritage buildings," says HCF's Executive Director Natalie Bull. "The US rehabilitation tax credit revolutionized the way American developers think about old buildings, encouraging re-use instead of demolition. The success of the CHPIF program proved that a made-in-Canada tax credit would do the same." "The US tax credit is internationally recognized for its success at preserving historic buildings, stimulating private investment, and revitalizing communities," Ms Bull stated only yesterday before the Standing Committee on Finance. Federal incentives for rehabilitation are proven and powerful tools. The Heritage Canada Foundation urges its members and supporters to speak out in support of a new federal tax incentive for rehabilitation. For more information, go to www.fin.gc.ca/news06/06-047e.html Natalie Bull Appears Before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Heritage Canada Foundation's Recommendations for the 2006 Federal Budget RECOMMENDATION: The Heritage Canada Foundation urges the federal government to create incentives?either a tax credit or capital cost allowance to save Canada's historic buildings. WHY: Tax incentives will encourage the private sector to rehabilitate some of our 20,000 deteriorating heritage buildings. BENEFITS: HCF RSPONSE TO KEY ISSUES Heritage Canada Foundation Announces 2006 Award Winners – Communiqué Ottawa, ON July 31, 2006 - The Heritage Canada Foundation today announced the winners of its 2006 Awards Program, the nation's most prestigious recognition for achievement and excellence in the field of built heritage conservation. This year's recipients include the Town of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, winner of the Prince of Wales Prize, an award created with the support of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to encourage and reward sound conservation policies and practices at the municipal level; writer, advocate and volunteer Mr. William Neville of Winnipeg, Manitoba, winner of the Gabrielle Léger Award which recognizes those individuals who have contributed outstanding services to the nation in the cause of heritage conservation; Cityscape Holdings Inc. and Dundee Distillery (GP) Commercial Inc., of Toronto, Ontario, winners of the Corporate Prize, for their ambitious project to rehabilitate the Stone Distillery Building (1859-1861) - the centrepiece of Toronto's Distillery Heritage District - into retail and office space; Ms. Margaret Kurtin of Toronto, Ontario, winner of the Lieutenant Governor's Award, for her years as a dedicated volunteer working tirelessly to preserve Toronto's built heritage especially in Cabbagetown where she founded the Cabbagetown Preservation Association and led the effort to establish the Cabbagetown Heritage Conservation District - a thriving community of 1,500 properties; and Ms. Catherine Nasmith of Toronto, Ontario, winner of the Journalism Prize in recognition for her regular contributions to The Globe and Mail and for producing Built Heritage News, an informative electronic newsletter of current conservation issues which she distributes biweekly, free of charge, to more than one thousand subscribers. The award winners will be honoured at a special ceremony to be held at the Foundation's annual conference on Friday, October 13, 2006 at the historic Government Conference Centre (former Union Station) in Ottawa, Ontario. The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, charitable organization dedicated to the preservation of Canada's built heritage and historic places. For the Backgrounder on the Heritage Canada Foundation's awards and this year's recipients, please contact: Town of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, to receive the Prince of Wales Prize – Communiqué Ottawa, ON July 31, 2006 - The Heritage Canada Foundation is pleased to announce the 400-year-old Town of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, as the 2006 recipient of the Prince of Wales Prize. Established in 1999 under the patronage of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, the award honours a municipal government for demonstrating an exemplary commitment to the preservation of its built heritage. As one of the smallest incorporated towns in North America, Annapolis Royal is committed to working with individuals and organizations to promote, and interpret the largest concentration of heritage properties in Nova Scotia. With over 135 designated properties - one of which includes Fort Anne, Canada's first national historic site - Annapolis Royal has recognized that heritage conservation is its most important asset and an essential aspect of the local economy. Each year, more than 100,000 visitors are attracted to the town. A leader among communities in the province of Nova Scotia, Annapolis Royal has developed and employed an array of bylaws, incentives and programs to protect and enhance its heritage fabric. The Town's successful conservation initiatives include maintaining and promoting a designated national historic district, administering both a Heritage Building Award program, created to encourage and honour contemporary construction that is sympathetic to the community's historic composition, and an incentive program that encourages the use of historically appropriate materials in the restoration of registered heritage properties. Most recently, the Town partnered with the Annapolis Heritage Society to create a series of 11 street panels designed to interpret the town's significant waterfront heritage. The Town has also made important inroads in public education and outreach with the publication and distribution of informative pamphlets such as Everything You Should Know About Planning and Development in Annapolis Royal. The Prince of Wales Prize, which consists of a plaque, framed scroll and a pennant with the insignia of The Prince of Wales and the Heritage Canada Foundation, will be presented to the Town of Annapolis Royal at a special gala ceremony to be held at the Foundation's annual conference on Friday, October 13, 2006, at the Government Conference Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. Previous recipients include Markham, Ontario; Victoria, British Columbia; Saint John, New Brunswick; Québec, Quebec; Perth, Ontario and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Ottawa, ON July 31, 2006 - The Heritage Canada Foundation is pleased to announce that Mr. William Neville of Winnipeg, Manitoba will receive the 2006 Gabrielle Léger Award for his remarkable contribution to built heritage conservation and education in Manitoba and across Canada. Through his public service as a Winnipeg city councillor, chair of both the Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee and the Manitoba Heritage Council, as well as board member of Heritage Winnipeg and the Manitoba representative of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, he has inspired municipal and provincial governments, heritage organizations and citizens to recognize and appreciate the importance of Canada's historic building stock. As the chair of Winnipeg's Historical Buildings Committee, Mr. Neville played an important role in developing the criteria for designating municipal heritage sites, such as the unique Exchange District, while as chair of the Manitoba Heritage Council, he contributed to the creation of the province's heritage policy. During his two-term tenure on the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, he advocated for new commemorations, particularly those which related to ethno-cultural communities, and the designation of several prominent landmarks including Winnipeg's Exchange District and Walker Theatre, and the Inglis Grain Elevators. In its decision, the Heritage Canada Foundation Awards Jury also cited Mr. Neville's talent as a communicator. His intelligent, passionate and articulate arguments made public through his regular contributions to the Winnipeg Free Press made him a persuasive voice for conservation campaigns such as the one to save Winnipeg's Eaton Building in 2001, as well as providing thoughtful insight into a variety of urban planning issues. Over the years, his articles have sparked public interest in heritage conservation, encouraged debate and discussion and influenced public policy. Mr. Neville will be honoured at a special ceremony to be held at the Foundation's annual conference on Friday, October 13, 2006 at the historic Government Conference Centre (former Union Station) in Ottawa, Ontario. The Heritage Canada Foundation's Gabrielle Léger Award recognizes those individuals who have contributed outstanding services to the nation in the cause of heritage conservation. Ottawa, ON July 31, 2006 - The Heritage Canada Foundation is pleased to announce that the 2006 Corporate Prize will be awarded to Cityscape Holdings Inc. and Dundee Distillery (GP) Commercial Inc. in recognition of their ambitious project to restore and rehabilitate the Stone Distillery Building at Toronto's Gooderham and Worts Distillery. Founded in 1832 by William Gooderham and James Worts, the Gooderham and Worts Distillery was the largest of its kind in the British Empire. Now recognized as a national historic site, it is comprised of 44 brick and stone buildings representing the best-preserved collection of Victorian industrial architecture in North America. In late 2001, more than a decade after its demise as a distillery, Cityscape purchased the site with a vision of transforming it into a vibrant, pedestrian-only village dedicated to the arts, culture and entertainment. Designed by architect David Roberts Sr. and erected in 1859-1861, the Stone Distillery Building is the centrepiece of the heritage district and the oldest surviving distillery structure in Canada. Successfully rehabilitating the building into new office and retail space involved extensive repair work to the exterior masonry, the interior timber framework, as well as the windows and doors. A new roof was added reintroducing the dormers previously removed in the 1950s. While preserving several of the distinctive architectural features, the entire building was upgraded to current building code requirements. Much of the original equipment used in the distilling process was restored and remains on view as a testament to the building's contribution to Canada's industrial heritage. The project received financial assistance from Parks Canada through the Commercial Heritage Property Incentive Fund. The Heritage Canada Foundation applauds Cityscape Holdings Inc. and Dundee Distillery (GP) Commercial Inc., along with the numerous contributing architects and consultants, for demonstrating that the conservation of heritage buildings can be profitable and that Brownfield site development, although complex, can be a creative and rewarding experience. Because of their vision and dedication, the restored Distillery Heritage District has now become one of Toronto's top tourist destinations. Cityscape Holdings Inc. and Dundee Distillery (GP) Commercial will be honoured at a special ceremony to be held at the Foundation's annual conference on Friday, October 13, 2006 at the historic Government Conference Centre (former Union Station) in Ottawa, Ontario. The Heritage Canada Foundation's Corporate Prize is presented to any incorporated business, sole proprietorship or partnership that demonstrates outstanding stewardship of built heritage. Heritage Canada Foundation Calls For Tax Incentives For Conservation – Press Release Ottawa, ON, November 4, 2005 - Appearing before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance during its pre-budget consultations, Douglas Franklin, Director of Policy and Programs for the Heritage Canada Foundation, proposed that the federal government create incentives to encourage the private sector to rehabilitate revenue-producing heritage buildings. The federal government estimates that there are some 20,000 such buildings, with recognized heritage value, capable of generating revenue - however, as a national asset they are not being fully utilized. Providing evidence from other jurisdictions, such as the United States., Mr. Franklin stressed that a new forward-looking, federal incentive would encourage entrepreneurship throughout Canada, improve local economies and contribute to the quality of life in communities large and small. "Given such an incentive, the Heritage Canada Foundation predicts that approximately 200 buildings of the eligible stock of revenue-producing heritage properties would be rehabilitated each year under a mature program. In the United States, for example, approximately 1,000 buildings per year are rehabilitated through its tax incentive program," stated Mr. Franklin. Mr. Franklin appeared on the last day of committee meetings in Toronto. He also added that the proposed Canadian model could dovetail perfectly with the existing federal Commercial Heritage Property Incentive Fund, which was established three years ago, but is very limited in scope. This new incentive, he argues, could greatly widen participation and therefore make a greater impact. For more information and a copy of the Heritage Canada Foundation's brief, contact the Foundation. Natalie Bull Appointed The Heritage Canada Foundation's New Executive Director – Press Release Ottawa, Ontario, November 1, 2005 - The Chair of the Board of Governors of the Heritage Canada Foundation, Michel Grenier, has announced the appointment (effective October 24) of Natalie Bull as the Foundation's new Executive Director. Ms. Bull brings to the Foundation over 15 years of experience in heritage conservation at the municipal and federal levels. Born in New Brunswick, Ms. Bull completed her studies at the University of Montréal with a master's degree in Applied Sciences in Architectural Conservation. She has worked for Public Works and Government Services Canada since 1992 in progressively senior positions, including Architectural Conservation Advisor, Business Development Manager, Program Manager and Acting Director with the Heritage Conservation Directorate, Real Property Program. Last year, Ms. Bull completed a term as Manager of Certification for the Historic Places Program at Parks Canada. Natalie Bull also brings strong non-profit-sector leadership experience to her new position. Her active membership in the Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) culminated in her election in 2003 for a two year term as President and Chief Executive Officer. As an expert in heritage conservation, Ms. Bull has participated in a number of symposia as a panellist, lecturer and technical trainer. She is well known and respected in the conservation field in Canada and has participated in many speaking engagements across North America. "I am very excited about Natalie Bull joining the organization," said Mr. Grenier. "The Board was very impressed by her passion for heritage, her energy and vision. We, along with members of the staff, are looking forward to working with her."
Heritage Canada Applauds Landmark Study – Ottawa, ON - August 31, 2005 - The Heritage Canada Foundation welcomes the publication of the landmark study, Human Resources in Canada's Built Heritage: Mapping the Work Force and Setting Strategic Priorities. Produced by Prism Economics and Analysis and Ottawa architect Barry Padolsky for the Cultural Human Resources Council, the study builds on previous work undertaken by the Foundation, including its research report, Human Resource Issues in the Preservation of Heritage Buildings, and its 2003 conference on the same subject. Based on interviews and workshops with stakeholders in the built heritage sector, a review of published studies and statistical sources and a preliminary scan of practices in other jurisdictions, the report recognizes that Canada's built heritage sector is distinct, and that many occupational standards fail to take into account the specialized skills that are pertinent to it. Acknowledging that Canada needs effective and strategic human resource planning in the built heritage sector, similar to those found in Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.A., the report sets out five recommendations that will help to direct a human resource plan shaped by and for this sector. The recommendations address:
"The benefits of this report will be significant," says Doug Franklin, the Foundation's Director of Policy and Programs, and member of the study's steering committee. "The new study will encourage federal agencies such as Statistics Canada to gather data and identify the issues not only related to the people employed in the built heritage sector, but also the actual projects in which they are employed. Therefore, questions such as scope and scale of built heritage conservation, the financial value and impact of it, and others, are now legitimate in the realm of large government issues." Mr. Franklin is confident that the report will result in greater cooperation and communication among the professional associations, trade unions and the construction industry. The report is available on line at www.cultralhrc.ca/research/CHRC_BuiltHeritage_E.pdf
Heritage Canada Foundation Announces 2005 Award Winners – Ottawa, ON July 28, 2005 - The Heritage Canada Foundation today announced the winners of its Awards Program, the nation's most prestigious recognition for achievement and excellence in the field of heritage conservation. This year's recipients include the historic City of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, winner of the Prince of Wales Prize, for its remarkable and exemplary commitment to protecting, enhancing and celebrating its built heritage; Mr. George Muirhead of Kingston, Ontario, winner of the Gabrielle Léger Award, who has inspired governments, heritage organizations, businesses and citizens both within his city and beyond, to recognize and appreciate the importance of their historic building stock; The award winners will be honoured at a special ceremony to be held at the foundation's annual conference on Friday, September 16, 2005 at Government House in Regina, Saskatchewan. The awards will be presented by Her Honour the Honourable Dr. Lynda Haverstock, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan. For more information on the Award Winners and for a backgrounder on Heritage Canada's Awards Program, please contact the Heritage Canada Foundation at heritagecanada@heritagecanada.org or by phone at Ottawa, ON July 28, 2005 - As the City of Charlottetown celebrates its 150th anniversary, the Heritage Canada Foundation is proud to bestow upon it yet another accolade, the Prince of Wales Prize. Established in 1999 under the patronage of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, this prize honours a municipal government for exemplary commitment to the preservation of its heritage buildings. Previous recipients include Markham, Ontario; Victoria, British Columbia; Saint John, New Brunswick; Québec City; and Perth, Ontario. As the birthplace of Confederation and capital of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown has earned national and provincial historic prominence. For more than thirty-five years, the City has developed heritage policies and programs that demonstrate its firm commitment to the merits and value of heritage preservation. The City has established an effective heritage bylaw and a heritage incentive program which offers property owners both grants and a tax freeze on restoration work. The City has also made significant progress in public education and outreach, using publications such as Design Guidelines for the Preservation of Historic Resources and Sign Guidelines and an excellent Web site to further promote its heritage initiatives and programs. The Awards Jury also cited the City's substantial investment in preserving its own properties, as well as the level of support - both financial and technical - that it provides to community groups and private developers. The Prince of Wales Prize, which consists of a plaque, framed scroll and a pennant with the insignia of The Prince of Wales and the Heritage Canada Foundation, will be presented to the City of Charlottetown by Her Honour the Honourable Dr. Lynda Haverstock, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, at a special ceremony to be held at the foundation's annual conference on Friday, September 16, 2005, at Government House in Regina, Saskatchewan. SOS-Églises to receive Heritage Canada's 2005 Achievement Award – Press Release Ottawa, ON- July 28, 2005- The Heritage Canada Foundation is proud to announce that SOS-Églises will receive an Achievement Award in recognition for its perseverance and tireless determination to save the 121 year-old St. Joachim Church, one of the last remaining sentinels of French-Canadian life in Essex County, southwestern Ontario, from demolition. Since a parish vote in September 2000 resulted in a majority decision to close three local churches (St. Joachim,Église de l'Annonciation in Stoney Point and Notre Dame de Lourdes in Comber), and construct a larger church to serve the community's needs, SOS-Églises, a mostly francophone group, headed by David Tremblay, has invested a great deal of time and their own money in their challenge to preserve St. Joachim Church. In the last four and a half years, SOS-Églises has appealed several times to the Parish Council and the Roman Catholic Diocese of London for another vote, requested meetings with diocesan officials, applied to have the church designated under the Ontario Heritage Act and have twice been rejected in their offer to purchase it. In November 2003, the group won a significant legal victory when an Ontario Divisional Court panel put an indefinite hold on the demolition of St. Joachim and ordered the Town of Lakeshore to reconsider SOS-Églises' application to designate the property. In a landmark ruling, the Court stated that the Town had violated the Act when it passed a resolution in March 2002 requiring the owner's consent before a consideration for designation could take place. In its public campaign, SOS-Églises has successfully garnered the attention and admiration of several local and provincial heritage groups, as well as that of the media. The Heritage Canada Foundation has also documented the issue thoroughly in its Heritage magazine, and written letters of support. Recently, the Foundation listed St. Joachim as one of the most endangered heritage building in 2004. The Heritage Canada Foundation commends SOS-Églises for its continued faith and commitment to protect their community's 300-year-old francophone culture and built heritage and hopes that in the end, they will reign victorious. The Heritage Canada Achievement Award is presented to SOS-Églises jointly by the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and the Heritage Canada Foundation. Heritage Canada Announces New Landmark Preservation Program Heritage Canada Foundation Urges Passing of Act to Protect Heritage Lighthouses – Press Release Ottawa, ON June 16, 2005 - The Heritage Canada Foundation is today urging the federal government to pass the Second Reading of Bill S-14, An Act to protect heritage lighthouses. Once passed, the bill will be referred to the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development and following clause-by-clause reading, be sent back to the House of Commons for Third Reading. The Foundation regards this legislation as vital to the retention of Canada's heritage lighthouses - many of which are now under threat of decay, abandonment and loss. According to the Canadian Coast Guard, there are approximately 500 lighthouses in Canada, 200 of which have been deemed surplus. The Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office has examined some 285 lighthouses and the Government of Canada has given Classified status to 22, and Recognized status to 104 of these buildings. In a recent letter to the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of the Environment, Doug Franklin, Director of Policy and Programs urged the Minister to support Bill S-14. "While there is a modest program to recognize and protect a very few heritage lighthouses, such protection is not statutory, nor is maintenance of the historic fabric mandatory for the vast majority. As well, many lighthouses with heritage value have not been considered adequately for their historic, architectural or community importance." Bill S-14, An Act to protect heritage lighthouses is scheduled for a second hour of debate at Second Reading on Friday, June 17. Heritage Canada Foundation Announces Resignation of its Executive Director – Press Release Ottawa, ON March 10, 2005 - Michel Grenier, Chair of the Heritage Canada Foundation Board of Governors, announced the resignation of its Executive Director, Brian Anthony, effective March 1, 2005. Mr. Anthony who served as the organization's chief executive since 1995, said today that he was leaving in order to pursue other opportunities in the cultural sector. "I remain profoundly committed to the organization and the greater heritage cause it serves" said Anthony, "but, after ten years, I feel it is time for a change, both for me and for the Heritage Canada Foundation. I wish the board and staff well" Anthony went on to say "in their ongoing efforts to create a culture of conservation in Canada." Michel Grenier said: "The Heritage Canada Foundation has come a long way during the last decade and we thank Brian for his work and dedication during his term of office. I wish him all the best in his future endeavours." The Heritage Canada Foundation, otherwise known as Heritage Canada, is a national, non-governmental, not-for-profit membership-based organization with a mandate to promote the preservation of the built heritage of Canada. Administered by a professional staff headquartered in Ottawa, the Foundation is governed by a board elected on a provincial and territorial basis. Heritage Canada Welcomes Federal Budget – Press Release Ottawa, ON February 23, 2005 - The Heritage Canada Foundation today welcomed the heritage provisions in the federal Budget tabled this afternoon by the Minister of Finance. Commenting earlier today from Parliament Hill, Brian Anthony, executive director of the Foundation, congratulated the Minister of Finance and his departmental officials for renewing the funding for the federally-led Historic Places Initiative (HPI) over the next five years. "The HPI is a vitally important first step towards halting the alarming loss of our historic building stock," said Anthony, "and this multi-year funding is a welcome sign of the federal commitment to the preservation of our built heritage." The budget also contained a five-year commitment to assist Parks Canada in addressing the pressures on the physical infrastructure in the national historic sites and national parks under the care of that agency. "This welcome provision will go some way," Anthony indicated, "to responding to the problems identified last year by the Auditor General of Canada." The executive director expressed regret that the budget did not contain the tax incentives for heritage preservation recommended by the Heritage Canada Foundation, but said that federal officials had indicated to him that they would continue to work with the Foundation to that end." Ottawa, ON, February 21, 2005-The Heritage Canada Foundation has chosen Heritage Day to release its second annual report card - a listing of Canada's ""Top Five" worst building losses and its "Top Ten" most endangered places of 2004. Topping the list of destroyed heritage is Saskatoon's 1931 Gathercole Building, which despite the exhaustive opposition from a citizen's group, was demolished by the City as part of the private sector's redevelopment of the waterfront site. The Gathercole Initiative Group had tried various routes to save the former Saskatoon Technical Collegiate, including its rehabilitation for use as a combined market and arts centre. Its last effort was to try to force a city-wide referendum, which did not succeed, and the historic landmark came down. The Report Card also features the Hotel Shediac (1855) in Shediac, New Brunswick, one of the oldest hotels in Eastern Canada, and the Salmoni Building (1849), one of the oldest provincially designated properties in Amherstburg, Ontario, which despite public protests and reuse feasibility studies were both demolished. Each year, several grain elevators and lighthouses disappear from the Canadian landscape. Often left vacant and neglected, these structures are increasingly susceptible to vandalism and fire. Taking fourth and fifth places, respectively, are the Carstairs Grain Elevator in Carstairs, Alberta (1940 and 1976), demolished in October and the Pictou Bar Lighthouse (1903) in Nova Scotia, which was lost to fire. The second feature of the 2004 Report Card is the foundation's first annual Top 10 List of endangered places in Canada. The list, which was compiled from stories and news items that the foundation has been following and reporting on throughout the year, includes St. Joachim Church in Lakeshore, Ontario; the Roundhouse, E&N Railway in Victoria, British Columbia; Port Dalhousie's heritage conservation district in St. Catharines, Ontario; 5 Place Ville-Marie in Montréal, Quebec; Hamilton, Ontario's Tivoli Theatre; Woodward's Department Store in Vancouver, British Columbia; Edmonton's Immigration Hall; the South House at Rothesay Netherwood School in Rothesay, New Brunswick; the Wright-Scott House in Gatineau, Quebec and lastly, the Harding House in Regina, Saskatchewan. "Hopefully, by shining a national spotlight on our endangered places, we may be able to generate public and political support for their preservation. And in so doing, prevent them from being featured on any future worst loss lists," said Brian Anthony, the foundation's Executive Director, on the release of the 2004 Report Card. Heritage Canada continues to promote Heritage Day, the third Monday of February, as a national holiday. For more information, contact Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications at cquinn@heritagecanada.org or by phone at (613) 237-5987, ext. 229. The Town of Perth Unveils Heritage Canada's Prince of Wales Prize – Press Release Perth, ON - February 16, 2005 - On behalf of the Heritage Canada Foundation, Brian Anthony, the foundation's executive director, will assist His Worship, Dennis Cordick, Mayor of Perth, with the unveiling of the 2004 Prince of Wales Prize. The afternoon reception will be held, appropriately, at Perth's beautifully restored Town Hall on Friday February 18, 2005. 
For the fifth consecutive year, the foundation has awarded The Prince of Wales Prize to a local municipality which has shown exemplary commitment to the preservation of its built heritage. The Town of Perth, with its unique collection of nineteenth-century mills and factories along the Tay River, Victorian storefronts and grand homes, was recognized for its thirty year commitment to preserving the beauty and significance of its historic stone architecture and natural surroundings, and for the presence of Algonquin College's Heritage Trades program, which has been continued the preservation legacy by offering courses in heritage carpentry and masonry since 1989. The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, charitable organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Canada's built heritage and historic places. Since 1973, the foundation has bestowed awards on Canadians for outstanding contributions to heritage conservation. Heritage Canada Calls For Tax Incentives for Preservation – Press Release Ottawa, ON November 22, 2004 - The Heritage Canada Foundation today called for the creation of meaningful, broad-based tax incentives and other measures for heritage preservation to be included in the forthcoming federal budget. Appearing before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance during its pre-budget consultations, Heritage Canada's executive director Brian Anthony reminded the members that Canada has lost between 21 and 23 per cent of its historic building stock in the last thirty years and indicated that much-needed and long overdue tax incentives would have a powerful effect in significantly halting that attrition rate. Mr. Anthony stressed that the federal government has a great opportunity to show leadership by reconsidering and refocusing the way it taxes and spends and by introducing polices and practices which encourage the retention, restoration and adaptive reuse of Canada's built heritage. "If the laying to waste of our past is to end, as end it must, then all of us - not just the Heritage Canada Foundation and the larger heritage community, but all of us - must stand up and be counted," he said. Mr. Anthony urged that a comprehensive pan-governmental "heritage first" policy be adopted, and in a related area of federal initiative, the New Deal for Cities and Communities encourage the retention and adaptive reuse of historic buildings. Lastly, he recommended that the funding for the Historic Places Initiative, due to expire at the end of the fiscal year, be renewed on an ongoing basis and that its supportive legislation be introduced promptly. For more information and copies of the brief, click here Heritage Canada Releases Pre-Budget Brief – Press Release Ottawa, ON, October 14, 2004 - The Heritage Canada Foundation today released its 2004 pre-budget brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, soon to begin its annual consultative hearings designed to assist it in preparing recommendations to the Minister of Finance for the next federal budget. For some time now, the Heritage Canada Foundation has annually submitted a brief to, and appeared before, the Standing Committee on Finance, and in recent years the committee has shown support for the foundation in its pre-budget reports to the finance minister. As in previous briefs, the Heritage Canada Foundation has repeated its recommendations that federal tax incentives be created to encourage the preservation of Canada's historic building stock, and that the federal government adopt a comprehensive "heritage first" policy to guide it in all its undertakings. In addition, the foundation has this year added the strong recommendation that funding for the federally led Historic Places Initiative (HPI), set to expire at the end of the current fiscal, be renewed promptly on an ongoing basis. The foundation brief also urges the federal government to bring forward as soon as possible this parliamentary season the bill drafted to provide the legislative underpinnings for the HPI. The brief details the staggering loss of heritage properties that Canada has been experiencing for over three decades, and urges the federal government to play a leadership role in halting this attrition rate. "We have been greatly encouraged by the interest and support shown to date by the standing committee," said Brian Anthony, executive director of the foundation, "and look to the committee this year for continuing support. We also look to the Minister of Finance, in turn, to announce appropriate measures in the next budget," he went on to say. Throne Speech Major Heritage Disappointment – Press Release Ottawa, ON, October 6, 2004 – The Heritage Canada Foundation today expressed disappointment over the lack of any reference to built heritage preservation in yesterday's Speech from the Throne. While some elements of the Speech may prove relevant to heritage preservation, there were no explicit references to the Liberal government's election promises. "In the period prior to the recent federal election," said Brian Anthony, executive director of the Heritage Canada Foundation, "the Liberal government made strong commitments to the preservation of the nation's built heritage resources. That commitment is nowhere reflected in the Throne Speech." In its policy platform submitted to the Heritage Canada Foundation in the spring, the Liberal government promised to make the necessary investments to better protect Canada's built heritage. According to its statement, "the Liberal government is determined to preserve our historic buildings, which are so critical to preserving Canada's proud heritage for future generations to learn from and enjoy. The Government of Canada will strive to become a model custodian of historic places." "This is a major disappointment, and constitutes yet another missed opportunity in this vital national field," said Mr. Anthony. Established in 1973, the Heritage Canada Foundation is a national, membership-based, non-profit, non governmental organization dedicated to promote the conservation, understanding, and appreciation of Canada's built heritage, historic places, and cultural landscapes and their importance in the life of our communities. Heritage Canada Celebrates Heritage Week in Victoria - Press Release
VICTORIA, BC - The Heritage Canada Foundation, a national, membership-based organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of Canada's historic buildings, will be celebrating Heritage Week in Victoria with the unveiling of the Heritage 2003 poster in the chapel of the city's historic St. Ann's Academy. His Worship Mayor Alan Lowe, the 2001 recipient of Heritage Canada's Prince of Wales Prize, will unveil the poster, "Heritage 2003: Heritage of Our Town," which showcases Canada's civic architecture. Designed by acclaimed illustrator, Ron Lightburn, the full colour poster includes images of the Waterloo Public Library in Waterloo, Ontario (1905); Bonsecours Market, Montreal, Quebec (1847); Aberdeen Pavilion in Ottawa, Ontario (1898); and Emerson, Manitoba's Town Hall (1917-1918). The poster and accompanying Teachers' Guide reveal how civic meeting places, such as a city hall, library, courthouse and fairground buildings help provide a sense of place and purpose in a community. The evening ceremony will then conclude with the presentation of three Queen's Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medals to Janet Bingham, Martin Segger and David Spearing, who have each distinguished themselves by way of their commitment to heritage preservation in British Columbia during the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. An exemplary volunteer and leader in the heritage movement for more than thirty years, Ms. Bingham was a key figure in such campaigns as those to protect Vancouver's Gastown and Chinatown from the proposed development of a freeway. Serving in such organizations as the Victoria Heritage Advisory Committee, the B.C. Heritage Trust and currently as the Director of the Maltwood Art Museum, Martin Segger has dedicated both his time and expertise to the preservation of the province's rich architectural heritage. An influential British Columbia architect, David Spearing is recognized for his outstanding contribution to preserving the province's built heritage. Jim Bezanson, Heritage Canada chair, will present the commemorative medals to each of the recipients, on behalf of the Heritage Canada Foundation. City of Saint John Receives Heritage Canada's Prince of Wales Prize - Press Release
SAINT JOHN, NB - On behalf of the Heritage Canada Foundation, the Honourable Marilyn Trenholme Counsell, Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, proudly presented the 2002 Prince of Wales Prize to Her Worship Shirley McAlary, Mayor of Saint John, at a noon reception today. For the third consecutive year, the foundation has awarded the Prince Of Wales Prize to a deserving local government that has demonstrated exemplary commitment to the preservation of its built heritage. Saint John, which has the most intact collection of 19th-century commercial architecture in Canada, was selected for its heritage policies and programs that have earned it a well-deserved reputation as a pioneer in heritage preservation and promotion. Among its many achievements include being the first municipality in New Brunswick to establish a designated preservation area, as well as the creation of an effective grant program that provides financial assistance to the owners of heritage properties. Brian Anthony, executive director of the Heritage Canada Foundation, praised Saint John for the array of impressive measures they have put in place which have been extremely effective in maintaining the city's historic fabric. These types of measures are the exception among Canadian cities, according to Mr. Anthony, who said that 21 per cent of historic properties in urban areas has been lost during the past 30 years. In the case of Saint John, the loss has been less than one per cent. Mr. Anthony will re-present the Prince of Wales Prize to city council in Council Chambers at 7 p.m. As part of the province's Heritage Week celebrations (February 10-14), Jim Bezanson, Heritage Canada Chair and Saint John's Heritage Development Officer, will present the Queen's Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal to Mr. Robert Boyce, on behalf of the Heritage Canada Foundation. A former Heritage Canada award recipient (Lieutenant Governor's Award, 1985), Mr. Boyce is recognized for his tireless commitment and dedication to the heritage preservation field both locally and nationally. Heritage Canada Presents Heritage 2003 Education Kits - Press Release Ottawa, ON - The Heritage Canada Foundation, a national organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Canada's historic buildings and places, is proud to present Heritage 2003: The Heritage Of Our Town, an educational kit which focuses upon the nation's unique collection of civic architecture. Consisting of a full colour poster, designed by acclaimed illustrator, Ron Lightburn, and a bilingual teacher's guide, the educational resources reveal how civic meeting places, such as a city hall, library, arena, courthouse and fairground buildings help provide a sense of place and purpose in a community. Among the heritage sites explored in the teacher's guide are Montreal's Atwater Public Library which has served the public since 1828, Saint John, New Brunswick's Old City Market where farmers and fishermen have sold their produce for 125 years and Brandon, Manitoba's Display Building II, which stands as a rare reminder of the imposing Beaux-Arts style commonly used for exhibition hall designs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These buildings, and hundreds of other historic public structures across Canada, define our civic space - and our heritage. The Heritage Of Our Town education kits are currently being distributed to schools all across the country as well as to youth leaders, libraries and heritage groups. Copies are also available through the office of the Heritage Canada Foundation, Ottawa, Ontario. Celebrate Canada's civic heritage on Heritage Day, Monday, February 17, 2003 - a special day set aside each year to recognize and increase awareness of this country's diverse heritage. Heritage Canada Calls for Tax Incentives - Press Release MONTREAL,PQ – The Heritage Canada Foundation today called for tax incentives for heritage preservation to be included in the forthcoming federal budget. Appearing here before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance during its pre-budget consultations, Heritage Canada executive director Brian Anthony thanked the committee for recommending that the federal government examine such measures in its last pre-budget report, and encouraged the committee to now recommend implementation. "Sufficient time and attention have been devoted by the government to examining such tax changes," Anthony told the committee, "and now is the time for those incentives to be put in place." Anthony went on to remind the committee that Canada has lost between 21 and 23 per cent of its historic building stock in the last thirty years, and indicated that much-needed and long overdue tax incentives would contribute significantly to halting that staggering rate of loss. The Heritage Canada Foundation, better known as Heritage Canada, is a national, non-governmental charitable organization which promotes the preservation of Canada's heritage buildings and historic places. Click here for a copy of the speaking notes and brief to the committee. Or contact the foundation at Heritage Canada, 5 Blackburn Avenue, Heritage Canada Launches Doors Open Canada - Press Release OTTAWA, October 9, 2002. - Persuaded of the potential to generate public awareness of our built heritage and to increase support for its preservation, the Heritage Canada Foundation announced today that it is launching Doors Open Canada. The Doors Open concept is a simple one: buildings of architectural and historic significance, most of which are not normally open to the public, open their doors for a day or a weekend. Many provide guided tours, special exhibits, displays and performances - and, without exception, it is all absolutely free. Doors Open originated in Glasgow, Scotland in 1990 as Doors Open Days and quickly expanded nationwide under the overall coordination of the Scottish Civic Trust, evolving into Scotland's contribution to European Heritage Days, launched in 1991 as a Council of Europe initiative. By 1998, 19 million people had visited some 28,000 sites in 44 countries throughout Europe, making it the world's biggest festival of the built environment. The aim of Doors Open Canada is to facilitate people's understanding and enjoyment of their local architectural environment while encouraging awareness of their built heritage. "Doors Open will enable people to walk on the treasured marble and humble plank floors of Canada's past; to bathe in the mellow glow of Victorian stained glass windows; to ride century-old elevators and take their photos in places they only imagined existed, in their very own communities," said Executive Director Brian Anthony. The foundation's primary role will be to promote Doors Open, focusing on the principles of access, awareness and advocacy. The goal is to make Doors Open a nation-wide event, and to inspire communities to organize their own Doors Open Canada programs. Areas of support will include assistance with fostering local media relations and advice on such aspects of the event as developing project literature, sponsorship, insurance, health and safety, accessibility, and educational opportunities. Doors Open first arrived
in Canada three years ago when the City of Toronto's Culture Division,
with the support of Heritage Toronto, launched Doors Open Toronto.
More than 70,000 people visited 90 sites over the course of a May
weekend. In 2001, with the encouragement of the Ontario Heritage
Foundation, other cities and towns in Ontario began organizing their
own Doors Open events to similar acclaim. Doors
Open Canada: Celebrating Our Architectural Heritage Heritage Canada Announces New Research Report on Heritage Tourism - Press Release OTTAWA, September 19, 2002. - The Heritage Canada Foundation, a national organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Canada's historic buildings and places, announced today the release of its second research report, Built Heritage: Assessing a Tourism Resource.
Based upon the theme of the foundation's 2002 annual conference, which will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on September 26-28, this bilingual publication examines and quantifies the positive economic contribution of built heritage to the Canadian tourism industry. Brian Anthony, executive director of the foundation, said "Heritage tourism is a significant and rapidly growing element of the overall tourism market, and by fostering understanding and collaboration amongst various levels of government, industry, non governmental organizations and all citizens, a better appreciation for the use of our heritage buildings and historic places as a tourism resource will result." Copies of Built Heritage: Assessing a Tourism Resource are available through the office of the Heritage Canada Foundation, Ottawa, Ontario. To read, the Executive Summary, click here. Heritage Canada Officially Opens its New Headquarters Today, Thursday, June 6, 2002, the Heritage Canada Foundation officially opens its national headquarters located at 5 Blackburn Avenue in Ottawa, Ontario. Attended by members of the heritage and political communities, the ribbon-cutting ceremony will be presided over by the foundation's chair, Ms. Trudy Cowan and executive director, Mr. Brian Anthony. "This festive occasion will provide our guests with the opportunity of seeing our handsome new home before we begin the long and painstaking process of restoring it to its original glory," said Brian Anthony. "We look forward to welcoming friends of the Heritage Canada Foundation to our headquarters not only for its official opening, but on an ongoing basis," he went on to say. Built in 1904-1905, the large, three-storey red brick structure with a columned entry porch and a massive cross-gambrel roof was home to many prominent Ottawans and groups before it became the office of the Heritage Canada Foundation. From 1947-1956, it housed the Italian Embassy. In the late 1950s, 5 Blackburn was bequeathed to the Victorian Order of Nurses who used it as their national headquarters up until the summer of 2001.
The family of Captain William A. Bishop is amongst the home's most well-known occupants. Bishop was the top-scoring Canadian and Imperial ace of the First World War and Canada's first airman to receive the Victoria Cross. Heritage Canada participates in the first annual Doors Open Ottawa
During the weekend of May 25-26, 2002, the Heritage Canada Foundation welcomed 1,030 Ottawa-area residents through the doors of its national headquarters as part of the first annual Doors Open Ottawa. Visitors were interested in learning about the history and architecture of the 1904 building as well as the role and activities undertaken by the foundation in protecting Canada's architectural heritage.
Sponsored by the Ottawa Citizen, Doors Open Ottawa featured 88 buildings which celebrated the city's urban and rural architecture. Among the most popular were Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute, the Mother House, the Château Laurier, the French Embassy, the National Research Council's low speed wind tunnel and the Fleet Street Pumping Station. Organizers of Doors Open Ottawa say the two-day event was a fantastic success that exceeded their wildest expectations.
"It's really been more than we could have hoped for," said Carolyn Quinn, organizer of the festival. "Incredible numbers of people showed up."
Over 50,000 people participated in the weekend event.
"The response to Doors Open in Ontario communities has been wonderful," said Executive Director Brian Anthony, "and the Heritage Canada Foundation is now developing the capacity to promote it as a nation-wide event. Developments will be reported on our Web site and in our magazine."
Originating in Glasgow, Scotland, Doors Open invites people into private homes, commercial buildings, courthouses, churches and other heritage sites, many of which are normally not open to the public. The first North American city to organize a Doors Open event was Toronto. This year, over 40 communities are participating in the inaugural year of Doors Open Ontario, which was spearheaded by the Ontario Heritage Foundation.
The Ottawa Citizen, Ont., 04/26/02. Heritage
Canada Announces New Landmark Preservation Program - Press Release
October 3, 2001.
The Heritage Canada Foundation announced today the launch of the
Landmark Preservation Program. This new initiative is designed to
increase funds available to heritage groups for particular projects
by way of national appeals for support. Projects being undertaken
by local, provincial or territorial groups involving the acquisition,
restoration and preservation of heritage properties will be advertised
both on the Heritage Canada Web site and in its quarterly magazine.
Any and all financial support successfully solicited for those particular
projects will be passed on to the groups undertaking them. Trudy Cowan,
chair of Heritage Canada Foundation, stated "The Landmark Preservation
program gives all Canadians the opportunity to assist our country's
special places. It will be especially helpful to those small communities
that have outstanding landmarks but not the funding locally to undertake
restoration, particularly following a flood, fire or other unforeseen
disaster." Organizations
applying for support under this program must have registered charity
status and must be or become members of the foundation. Proposals
may be submitted at any time of the year. The program will come
into effect January 15, 2002, but the foundation will receive applications
beginning immediately. Criteria and guidelines are available on
the foundation's Web site or upon request at its national headquarters.
Brian Anthony,
executive director of the foundation, said " This program will provide
much needed assistance to heritage organizations across Canada in
their efforts to preserve heritage buildings in their cities and
towns." The Heritage
Canada Foundation is a national, non-governmental, not-for-profit
foundation established to promote the preservation of Canada's built
heritage and historic places. The Landmark Preservation Program
is but one initiative instituted by the foundation to halt the loss
of Canada's dwindling heritage building stock. For program
criteria and guidelines, click
here. Heritage Canada Foundation Annual Conferences 2006: Headlines, Hotlinks and Historic Places 2005: Heritage and Sustainability
The Heritage Imperative: Old Buildings
in an Age of Environmental Crisis Toronto – September 24-26 2009 Heritage Canada Foundation Annual Conference Climate change. Green building. Economic renewal. Older buildings have answers for the biggest questions of our generation. The 2009 Heritage Canada Foundation conference will bring together delegates and speakers from the fields of heritage preservation, environmental conservation and green building to explore these themes. This is an essential event for advocates, architects, municipal planners, developers, public policy makers, elected officials and property owners. Delegates will learn how the rehabilitation and re-use of older buildings and existing neighbourhoods can help save the planet – and how the green movement and architectural conservation will become more integrated in the process. Keynote Speaker: Firms/Organizations Represented Presentations from the 2009 conference are now available. For information about the sequence of presentations and the session in which they appeared, please consult the Conference Program. Please note that presentations are available only in the language in which they were presented. Thomas Homer-Dixon. Balsillie School of International Affairs (Waterloo, Ont.) Christopher Borgal. Goldsmith Borgal and Company Ltd. (Toronto, Ont.) Louis-Daniel Brousseau. Ville de Québec. (Québec, Que.) Darryl Cariou. City of Calgary (Calgary, Alta.) Quentin Chiotti. Pollution Probe (Toronto, Ont.) Stephen Collette. Your Healthy House (Peterborough) and David McAuley. J David McAuley Architect (Guelph, Ont.) Bruce Cox. Greenpeace (Toronto, Ont.) John Dam. Read Jones Christoffersen (Victoria, B.C.) Carl Elefante. Quinn Evans Architects (Washington, D.C.) Shawky Fahel. JG Group (Waterloo, Ont.) Joey Giaimo. E.R.A. Architects (Toronto, Ont.) Sarah Gray. Halsall Associates (Brantford, Ont.) Melanie Hare. Urban Strategies (Toronto, Ont.) Christopher Harrison and Matt Johnson. Vermeulen Hind Architects. (Ottawa, Ont.) Stephen Hazell. Sierra Club of Canada (Ottawa, Ont.) Nicholas Heap. David Suzuki Foundation (Vancouver, B.C.) Hans Honegger and Carolyn Butts. Bon Eco Design (Tamworth, Ont.) Jennifer Iredale. BC Heritage Branch (Victoria, B.C.) Mike Layton. Environmental Defence (Toronto, Ont.) Lori Martin. City of Toronto (Toronto, Ont.) Catherine Nasmith Architect (Toronto. Ont.) Ting Pan. Recollective Consulting (Vancouver, B.C.) Paul Sapounzi. Ventin Group Architects (Brantford, Ont.) Alex Speigel. ONE Development (Toronto, Ont.) Melissa Stickl. Carleton University. (Ottawa, Ont.) Diane Switzer. Vancouver Heritage Foundation (Vancouver, B.C.) Wayne Trusty. ATHENA Sustainable Materials Institute (Merrickville, Ont.) Hilary Van Welter. Windfall Ecology Centre (Aurora, Ont.) François Varin. Fondation Rue principales. (Quebec City, Que.) Jessica Webster. NRCAN (Ottawa, Ont.) Tim Weis. Pembina Institute (Gatineau, Que.) Headline Sponsors
Special Event Sponsors
Session Sponsors
Walking Tour Sponsors
Conference Supporters
Firms/Organizations Represented A-D E-L M-R S-Z Work That Endures: Power to the People Keeping Places Alive Heritage Canada Foundation and Canadian Land Trust Alliance Conference Designed to make the heritage workforce stronger by nourishing ideas, enriching the conservation sector and strengthening ties between built heritage and the environmental movement. Lodging and Travel Information This conference is held in conjunction with the Rues principales/Main Street Conference Building on Culture on September 24, 2008 and in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals. Featured Speakers: Featured Sessions: Places and Events: LODGING Hotel Clarendon - 2008 Conference Hotel We have reserved a limited number of discounted hotel rooms at Hotel Clarendon, our 2008 conference hotel. Guest rooms are available at a rate of $189 + taxes on a first-come, first-served basis. To make a reservation:
A limited number of rooms are also available at the following hotels: Please identify that you are attending the HCF/CLTA Conference to receive a discounted rate where available Hôtel Dominion 1912 Soixante & Onze Hôtel Hôtel Manoir Victoria
Auberge Saint-Pierre
Hotel Manoir de l’Esplanade
Auberge internationale de Québec
TRAVEL Quebec City Airline and Train Service In addition, Quebec City has excellent rail service provided by Via Rail www.viarail.ca. The train station is located downtown, convenient to all conference hotels. Car rental Avis : www.avis.com, 1 800 331-1212 (Canada) CAHP’s Colleagues Caravan This offer requires a minimum of 20 passengers signed up with CAHP by August 15, 2008. To express interest and obtain more information, please contact the CAHP Administrative Office at admin@caphc.ca or call (416) 515-7450 no later than August 15. Note that individual ticket discounts are also possible for connecting trains. VIA Train # 24 will leave the station in downtown Montreal at 16:15 (4:15 pm) on Wednesday, September 24 and will arrive in downtown Quebec City at 19:29 (7:29 pm) within walking distance of conference hotels and venues. Thank you to our supporters for their generous contributions to the 2008 Conference of the Heritage Canada Foundation and the Canadian Land Trust Alliance. Platinum level supporters: 
Gold level sponsors: Silver level sponsors: Bronze level sponsors: 2007: Big Plans Old Places: Heritage and Development in Canadian Communities
An essential event for heritage decision makers, planners, architects and developers, community activists, advocates and consultants.
Conference Program (PDF) Heritage Canada Works From October 11th to 14th Edmonton’s historic Fairmont Hotel Macdonald was the site of our annual conference, Big Plans for Old Places: Heritage and Development in Canadian Communities. It was one of the most successful annual conferences the Heritage Canada Foundation has mounted in a number of years in terms of high numbers of participants (both delegates and speakers), the range of subject matter covered, and the level of partnership on workshops and public lectures. This year’s conference format, featuring larger discussion panels and working lunches, also departed from past practice. The 220 delegates—who ranged from planners, architects and heritage conservation educators to students, volunteers and advocates—were inspired by keynote speaker Roberta Brandes Gratz, New York’s visionary urban critic and author of The Living City: Thinking Big in a Small Way and Cities Back from the Edge: New Life for Downtown. Ms. Gratz distinguished between “regrowing” urban areas and “rebuilding” them. Regrowing, she argued, is the way to create vital cities with life at street level that offers smaller shops and more intimate cafes while using existing buildings. Conference sessions kicked off with “Was it Good for You? Marrying Heritage and Development,” moderated by Carleton University’s Heritage Conservation Program director, Herb Stovel. Bringing together a panel of experts in municipal development—a developer, planner, heritage activist and elected official—allowed for a fruitful exploration of the benefits of developing historic places and the barriers working against it. Later in the conference delegates were treated to an exciting national Blue Ribbon Panel on heritage development, composed of five prominent heritage developers from across Canada, including the moderator, Toronto developer Margaret Zeidler. Frankly, and with humour, they drew from their own experiences to identify many of the missing pieces—creative financing, incentives and more development “intelligence”—required to make building rehabilitation projects the new normal. The first of the two conference streams, “Managing Change and Development,” focused on urban planning issues. It featured sessions identifying the pressures on Canadian heritage—from insensitive infill to the displacement of rural houses and heritage tourism. Other sessions evaluated the “sticks and carrots” in the heritage conservation toolbox, namely, the merits of heritage planning controls, incentives and protective measures. A particularly lively panel, moderated by City of Calgary heritage planner David Plouffe, examined the role of civic engagement in protecting heritage resources and how to cultivate involvement. Fascinating case studies were presented including B.C.’s Britannia Beach Mill, the Indian Residential School Museum of Canada in Manitoba, and the NOW House rehab project focusing on post-World War II Victory Housing. They showed how heritage building rehabilitation projects have transformed entire communities and how reusing heritage buildings can support sustainability goals. The second conference stream, “Revitalizing Communities,” brought to the fore cutting-edge urban renewal strategies in the United States and Canada. It featured Todd Barman from the U.S. National Trust Main Street Center, Bryan Van Sweden from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, François Varin from Quebec’s Rues principales Foundation and Larry Pearson from Alberta’s Main Street Program. The stream also included a presentation on how the oldest Main Street project in Alberta, Fort Macleod, was faring after 25 years. On Saturday morning, a mobile workshop took session delegates to Edmonton’s 118th Avenue—an area with social challenges, a burgeoning arts community and tremendous potential—to experience the challenges facing a current Main Street project first hand. HCF’s Engaging Stakeholders in Heritage and Development initiative was carried throughout the conference during question periods and the two lunches. The initiative—a national consultation with stakeholders about improving heritage outcomes in property development—kept conference participants busy discussing a variety of related issues. Their significant input will be used in developing HCF’s recommendations concerning priorities to overcome challenges and to more effectively influence decision-making. A variety of other meetings and events took place, including the 2nd annual meetings of the Built Heritage Leaders Forum and the Heritage Conservation Educators Roundtable. The forum, made up of leaders from province-wide heritage trusts and advocacy organizations, discussed the budget announcement regarding the National Trust. They also participated in working sessions designed to identify and enhance opportunities for collaboration. The educators roundtable focused on the issue of ethical standards for heritage conservation practitioners, the need for a concerted research and publication program, and the importance of distance education to promote collaboration and sharing. In each case, a working group was struck to address issues of interest to each of these sectors over the coming months. The conference also offered a total of seven tours, from Edmonton’s Modern built heritage to its Old Strathcona historic district, with the Rossdale Flats and Church Street in between. HCF would like to thank all our sponsors and all the hard-working volunteers who contributed to the shaping of the conference program, who developed and guided the excellent tours, and who assisted with general tasks. We couldn’t have done it without you! The Heritage Canada Foundation would like to thank the following sponsors and partners for their generous support:  City of Edmonton Planning and Development Department  Edmonton Historical Board Alberta Historical Resources Foundation City of Calgary Land Use Planning & Policy
2006: Headlines, Hotlinks and Historic Places: Heritage in an Electronic Age 2006 Conference proceedings (PDF) Ottawa’s old train-station-turned-conference-centre was the site of our October annual conference. The three-day event focused on new technologies for sharing information and raising public awareness of conservation issues. They included the digital reconstruction of buildings, creation and management of inventories and registers, rehabilitation project management, practical information on promoting conservation through web and internet communications, and how to work with the media. The 200 delegates—who ranged from planners, architects, educators and curators to students, volunteers and advocates—were inspired by keynote speaker Elizabeth May, former executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada. In her energetic talk on “Why Heritage Matters,” Ms. May said that many of the tools and strategies used to move the environmental movement from the fringes to the national stage can be adopted by the heritage conservation sector. Knowing how to “tell your story” builds relationships, grabs media attention, influences politicians and “turns people around to your point of view.” (For highlights of Elizabeth May’s keynote address, turn to page 40.) Gilles Morel, director of the Société de développement de Montréal, introduced the highly successful Old Montréal website. The site provides “one stop shopping” for a varied audience while promoting the historic quarter to potential visitors. In 2005-6, it topped one million hits! The site is packed with practical content: parking maps for tourists, area tours, a timeline of its history, a photo gallery, an important architectural inventory, a guide to renovation and restoration work, and much more. Another web-based tool was presented by Dr. Adriana Davies of Alberta’s Heritage Community Foundation. The Alberta Online Encyclopaedia is a new tool for public engagement and heritage dissemination. It has had more than 1.5 million site visits that lasted longer than 20 minutes. Dr. Davies stressed that digital resources are good vehicles for demonstrating the relevance of collections, historic buildings, landscapes and other heritage resources while also providing enormous scope for partnerships—both private and public. (See www.vieux.montreal.qc.ca and www.albertasource.ca.) The full conference program included sessions on preservation planning using computer “visualization tools” and on heritage management using electronic repositories. Delegates were impressed with a range of case studies from in-motion height controls to protect historic views in the nation’s capital to a systematic maintenance database for Winnipeg’s heritage property to an award-winning inventory system developed for 7,000 heritage buildings in Brantford, Ontario. While many presenters acknowledged the challenges of the digital age—fear of new technology, huge costs to digitize, maintain and enhance collections, and the need for special expertise to create multimedia educational content for both professional and informal learners—all concluded that its innovations could be tremendously useful. Representatives from the conservation movement in Canada, England, New Zealand and the United States discussed the value of developing registers of national heritage places and compared similar problems each faced in digitizing inventories. Launched in 2003, the Canadian Register of Historic Places—a listing of sites from across Canada recognized by federal, provincial, territorial and local governments—has 6,000 listings, with 20,000 expected by 2014. The Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) in Ottawa took front place for its amazing digital reconstruction of Montréal’s boulevard Saint-Laurent, commonly known as “The Main.” The significance of an evolving streetscape focuses on the relationship between people and place—a relationship that is difficult to capture using traditional methods of heritage recording. The CIMS technology transported delegates to “The Main”—a designated national historic site—using an interactive, immersive 360-degree digital environment as seen from the pedestrian’s perspective. This interdisciplinary studio, with members from the fields of architecture, industrial design, information technology, electrical engineering and cultural studies, works to integrate content production and applied technical research. The management of large heritage portfolios, particularly those owned by federal government departments like Public Works and Government Services Canada and the Department of National Defence, was examined in a plenary session led by Julie Harris, principal of Content Works Inc., and was followed by a round table discussion with government representatives. A huge inventory of post-WWII federal buildings still need to be evaluated for their heritage significance, yet we lack a long-range real property management policy that includes sound protection and commitment to reuse. Challenges include providing managers of federal heritage properties with the tools they need to protect heritage character, address the shortfalls in Treasury Board Policy, and sustain the growing federal heritage portfolio. The HCF annual conference also offered a half-day preservation planning mobile workshop focused on four geographic clusters of heritage planning activity, and a series of walking tours of historic Ottawa—including the Byward Market area. HCF would like to thank all who contributed to the insightful discussions that helped to shape the conference program and those who willingly shared their knowledge and their passion at the Ottawa event. Contact usHeritage Canada Foundation 5 Blackburn Ave., Ottawa, ON Tel.: 613-237-1066 ext. 227 Fax: 613-237-5987 E-mail: conference@heritagecanada.org 2005: Heritage and Sustainability: Canadian Communities and Kyoto "Heritage and Sustainability: Canadian Communities and Kyoto" September 15 to 17, 2005 Regina Saskatchewan (PDF*, 30 pages) Social Changes And Heritage Strategies The Heritage Canada Foundation Summary of the 2000 Conference Sessions (PDF*, 6 pages) 1999 Annual ConferenceOctober 21-23, 1999, St. John's, Newfoundland (PDF*, 16 pages) *These
files requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. To install, click
here. Heritage
Canada Heritage Canada Research Papers Exploring The Connection Between Built And Natural Heritage Preservation (PDF version of report) Simply put, reusing an older building rather than demolishing it keeps greenfield land available for wildlife, requires less energy for the manufacture of new materials, uses less landfill space, and its predominantly inner-city location reduces commuting and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions. To put it into some perspective, recent studies have shown that:
The new report of the Heritage Canada Foundation, Exploring The Connection Between Built and Natural Heritage Preservation, makes some very strong connections between environmental conservation and historic preservation. While on the face of it they may appear different, in fact, they have similar underlying interests. There is a growing recognition that preservationists and environmentalists are natural allies. They often seek to safeguard the same resources, face the same adversaries and share a mutual commitment to an enhanced quality of life and ecosystem health. Natural and cultural conservation go hand in hand; what is often lacking is urban ecology. We can help nature in the city by preserving older housing and districts. With 75% or more of Canadians living in urban areas, the question is how can we keep our cities sustainable? The current approach is all or nothing: we build new on green fields or create rubble on brown sites; this changes the landscape. We add roads and culverts and remove open-ground areas and good farmland. According to the report, the loss of older building stock is often unnecessary. It is also contrary to the fundamental elements of sustainable development and is therefore not in the interests of healthy, integrated and sustainable communities. The perspective on stewardship of built heritage needs to shift to a presumption in favour of reuse rather than demolition. The report indicates that there has been a tendency in Canada to separate natural from cultural resource conservation. Europe, on the other hand, more closely integrates planning, heritage preservation and, increasingly, sustainability. In the U.S., formal alliances between built preservationists and natural area conservationists were already developed by the 1980s. This has created a climate where built heritage goals are seen as supportive of natural conservation goals. "Canadians need to implement a broad range of policies that promote urban sustainability. By rethinking traditional planning and design, and by retrofitting our cities we can maximize social, economic and environmental benefits," states the report. It continues: "A country’s buildings constitute a huge investment in natural and human resources. By preserving buildings, demolition and new construction waste is eliminated and embodied energy in the existing building materials is conserved. Moreover, natural environments from which building materials are derived are not disturbed while cultural and architectural heritage is preserved." With the growing importance of sustainability in the mandate of the federal government, the Heritage Canada Foundation wants heritage preservation to be seen as a contributing element in the larger environmental context of land use and land-use planning. However, the foundation does not suggest that the preservation of built heritage be based just on environmental benefits; rather, preservation should continue to depend on a range of criteria including historical, architectural, social, economic and environmental. "That some buildings should be preserved primarily for their value as cultural resources is not in question; that many more buildings are not being preserved for their environmental value is," the report observes. It also quotes the Architectural Review: "Old buildings represent two kinds of capital: economic, in that ‘we inherit a massive investment of resources and energy from our ancestors which we should destroy only with the greatest deliberation and analysis of potential gains and losses in material terms,’ and secondly, they represent cultural capital which is the ‘essential link between the past and the future.’" Exploring the Connection Between Built And Natural Heritage Preservation states that in the context of action on climate change, continued and intensified use of heritage buildings–which are often centrally located–reduces the need for building further from the core. This, in turn, decreases the use of private vehicles, travel times and the production of greenhouse gases when compared with outer suburbs. The report also recommends that computer models, tools and data be developed to answer questions relating to the environmental costs and benefits of building preservation, adaptive use and retrofitting, demolition and rebuilding, and greenfield development. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has been working for a decade on a software program that estimates the life-cycle energy and environmental impact of residential buildings. Four target areas where the Heritage Canada Foundation could advance this role of heritage preservation in natural conservation are governments, the construction/renovation industry, building owners and society in general. Although the foundation has long recognized that fair taxation policies on heritage structures are imperative, it is only recently that the Department of Canadian Heritage has begun examining policy and tax instruments that would encourage private support and preservation of built heritage. Some provincial and municipal governments have already created new incentives in this area. For example, Ontario recently introduced a provincial sales tax rebate on building materials for the restoration/rehabilitation of heritage buildings. The report also suggests that there needs to be a rethink of the true costs of demolition and new construction. For example, an American study showed that pre-1940 buildings are more energy-efficient structures than those built between 1940 and 1975. The earlier buildings tend to maximize natural sources of lighting and ventilation and are built with features that conform to the site, climate and environment, such as thick walls and deep porches in the southern U.S. As such, they require fewer resources to upgrade and restore than would demolition and redevelopment. While much progress has been made in energy-saving construction materials since 1975, a CMHC study showed that it takes between seven and thirty years of marketing for these innovations (drywall, manufactured windows, and active solar heating systems) to reach into our homes. CMHC research shows that renovation choices have a direct impact on the integrity and longevity of older homes. It also concludes that the renovation sector of the residential building industry is equal in importance to new construction in terms of its economic impact–about $17 billion was spent on building alterations in 1999 in Canada. Another CMHC study documented the deconstruction rather than the demolition of three abandoned and badly deteriorated early 19th-century buildings. What it found was that 91% of the materials could be diverted from landfill and the revenue generated from material sales offset the higher labour costs incurred. Building owners could benefit by recycling materials and reducing their haulage and waste disposal fees while at the same time creating more employment. It is this kind of "green" thinking that will influence the goal of sustainability. Canada is one of the largest per capita producers of waste on Earth. It is also the fourth highest per capita producer of greenhouse gases and the fourth highest per capita energy user. Our per capita fuel consumption is up to three times higher than that of Europeans. In short, we are not at the forefront of sustainable urban solutions. Sustainable development recognizes the interconnections amongst goals, issues and communities, and considers communities holistically as physical and human entities. As the Brundtland Report states: "These are not separate crises: an environmental crisis, a development crisis, an energy crisis. They are all the same." Similarly, the loss of our heritage building stock is an environmental, historical, aesthetic and cultural loss–all the elements together that create a "sense of place." Exploring The Connection Between Built And Natural Heritage Preservation gives the Heritage Canada Foundation solid evidence to shape further action. The foundation plans to approach a number of key organizations and agencies, and also intends to communicate through the media to increase public understanding of the connections between cultural and natural preservation issues. Looking ahead, the foundation would also like to use the theme of heritage preservation and sustainability for a future annual conference. The report concludes with an extensive reference list of the pertinent literature for Canada as well as other countries, and an appendix listing CMHC-related research projects. There are also many sources useful for research on heritage preservation and the environment. PDF version Heritage
Canada Releases Study On Heritage Workforce During the last three decades, a workforce of built heritage preservation professionals and tradespeople has emerged in Canada. Even after 30 or more years of accomplishments, however, the cohort of trades and professional heritage conservation workers is not adequately acknowledged or understood. Recognizing this phenomenon, the Heritage Canada Foundation has prepared a study entitled Human Resource Issues in the Preservation of Heritage Buildings. The results are somewhat surprising: while the preservation field is growing, trainers and educators are struggling to keep up with the demand for workers. There is some urgency to this problem. If we do not meet the demand for skilled workers, Canada’s stock of heritage buildings, estimated to be 1.7 million pre-1920s buildings, will be seriously reduced.
Education, Training, And Certification—Trends, Gaps
And Needs The need for heritage education in the planning professions, in addition to architecture, is vital. If people in positions of planning, policy and program creation at the municipal, provincial and federal levels do not have knowledge of, or at least sensitivity to, heritage matters, then the climate for conservation suffers. Because work on heritage buildings requires skills distinct from more general renovation work, blending heritage skills training with contemporary trades training makes sense for both students and employers. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation recognizes that Canada’s existing housing stock represents an “enormous pool of private capital,” and renovation choices have a direct impact on the integrity, longevity and performance of these homes. Contractors today have a powerful influence on the way owners treat their heritage buildings. As one heritage trades educator pointed out, “Our graduates can explain to their clients the difference between renovation and restoration.” Apprenticeship is also central to the development of a skilled pool of workers in the building trades generally, but especially in the restoration field. Human Resource Issues points to an imminent shortage of skilled tradespeople. At the same time, owing to market volatility, restoration is a better long-term prospect than new construction for both building owners and tradespeople.
A Ghost Army? A review of Statistics Canada’s latest draft Framework for Culture Statistics (FCS) largely excludes built heritage from its definition of culture. Architects, planners and those who build highways, airports, land subdivisions, commercial, institutional and residential buildings are considered to be part of the cultural industry, as are individuals primarily engaged in developing plans for renovation. A highly skilled carpenter or stonemason, however, is not. Through this study, the Foundation has begun to paint a picture of human resources in the heritage preservation field. Parts of the picture still need to be filled in. Unfortunately, Canada has neither systematically collected data, nor started a national built heritage human resources strategy. The Foundation’s study is a first step toward remedying this situation. Copies of the study Human Resource Issues in the Preservation of Heritage Buildings are available free of charge by contacting the Heritage Canada Foundation at (613) 237-1066 or heritagecanada@heritagecanada.org View a PDF version of the report's Executive Summary Built
Heritage: The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF), an organization dedicated to the preservation of historic buildings and places, produced this report to stimulate discussion about built heritage as a resource for heritage tourism. One of the outcomes of heritage conservation is the development of tourism, which has itself become both an important element of economic development, and a key issue for the management of cultural heritage resources. This is particularly so with regard to built heritage, which is often considered to be at the heart of cultural and heritage tourism. HCF is concerned that the positive impact of built heritage on the tourism industry in Canada is not recognized to its full extent. In addition to the important role of discrete heritage sites, such as historic buildings and museums, a sense of place is essential to the tourism product. Created by the combination of heritage buildings, their setting and relationship to other aspects of culture and landscape, sense of place is the essence of the attraction. Recognizing the role heritage tourism plays in Canada's social and economic life, government bodies such as the Canadian Tourism Commission and Parks Canada have become extensively involved in the presentation, interpretation and promotion of historical and cultural resource. The Heritage Canada Foundation draws from its own experience in stimulating heritage tourism and positioning built heritage conservation in that context. HCF and others in the heritage tourism field recognize the critical need for better economic impact assessment of heritage conservation and its role in tourism development. The ability to quantify the economic impact of sense of place is necessary to create greater awareness and protection of the historic resources upon which much tourism in Canada relies. As one recent comprehensive analysis in the U.S.A. noted, the rising interest in heritage tourism adds even more impetus for heritage advocates to examine the economic consequences of historic rehabilitation. The HCF similarly learned from its Heritage Resources program that, by identifying, conserving and promoting built heritage and historic landscapes, communities can attract tourism and generate economic activity, while governments can derive increased revenue as a result. Data availability for analysis of the heritage tourism sector is an ongoing concern. One of the positive outcomes from the discovery of data gaps when developing the Canada Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) was the application of energy, time and resources to improve the primary and secondary data sources. Similarly, the gaps in data that have been recognized in the heritage tourism segment, such as precise demand volume and expenditure values associated with heritage tourism, provide an opportunity for the application of resources to gather the necessary data. While Statistics Canada collects data on many facets of the economy and society related to tourism and heritage, it acknowledges that there are gaps in the data required by those interested in the confluence of heritage and tourism and, in particular, built heritage tourism. Some tourism economic impact studies have been carried out in Canada at the city or regional level, and for specific historic sites and routes. Probably the most widely used tool for such estimates is the Tourism Economic Assessment Model (TEAM), developed by the Canadian Tourism Research Institute (CTRI), a subsidiary of the Conference Board of Canada. In the U.S.A., a potentially powerful model, the RSPC Per Capita Input-Output Model (RSPC PC I-O Model), was developed specifically for application in the historic preservation field. Both are input-output models, which are widely used in a variety of applications to estimate economic impacts. Given the collection of appropriate data, evidence suggests that existing assessment models could be applied as they stand, or modified to produce estimates of the economic impact of built heritage on the tourism industry. The relationship between our built heritage and Canada's economy would be strengthened by underlining the importance of heritage resources to the overall fabric of our landscapes, towns and cities, to the quality of life for residents and quality of experience for tourists. The challenge for those involved in heritage preservation is to understand and work effectively with the tourism industry. For those in the tourism sector, the challenge is to understand the needs of host communities as well as the principles of conserving heritage. Improved data collection and economic impact assessment would benefit understanding and effective collaboration. The potentially conflicting expectations and aspirations of visitors, host communities, entrepreneurs, government bodies and heritage managers ought to be aired fully. The use of heritage for tourism may be cause for concern due to its effects on the resources, host communities and managers of the resources. To date, the conflict between heritage and tourism in Canada has been pronounced only in the natural sphere, unlike in Europe and many developing countries, where the pressures of sheer numbers, poverty or development have overwhelmed some resources. Despite the potential barriers to a symbiotic relationship between tourism and built heritage, the trend is towards their conscious integration in development. Moreover, the International Council On Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) International Cultural Tourism Charter asserts that, without a high level of public awareness and encouragement, the conservation of buildings and cultural heritage generally will never achieve the political and funding support necessary for its survival. Copies of Built Heritage: Assessing a Tourism Resource are available through the office of the Heritage Canada Foundation, Ottawa, Ontario. 5 Blackburn Avenue, Ottawa ON K1N 8A2 The Executive Director's Notes for the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultations, 7 November 2002 Let me begin by thanking you for the welcome opportunity of appearing before you in your 2002 pre-Budget consultative round of hearings. This is my seventh such appearance as Executive Director of the Heritage Canada Foundation, and I want you thank you for the interest and support this committee has shown throughout. In particular, I want to tell you how appreciative I am of the strength and clarity of the conclusion and recommendation you made last year concerning the preservation of heritage buildings in your pre-Budget report, Securing Our Future. From past representations to this committee, and from the brief and the related material placed before you this year, committee members are familiar with the work of the foundation, its objectives and its expectations. I therefore need not expand on that at this stage, although I would be happy to do so in response to any questions you may have. Rather, I will simply summarize our position in the hope that you will reaffirm your support for it in your 2002 pre-Budget report. As you know, the built heritage of Canada has been subjected to a breathtaking attrition rate, with between 21 and 23 per cent of our historic building stock lost between 1970 and 2000 - - 21 per cent in larger centres, and 23 per cent in smaller or rural communities. In some cities, the rate of loss is nearly double these national averages, and this regrettable trend continues relatively unchecked. While the Heritage Canada Foundation applauds the recent federal Historic Places Initiative, as mentioned in our brief, this welcome development will not achieve its objectives without the requisite fiscal incentives for heritage preservation, as also described in the brief before you. The prerequisites established by the Department of Finance for such tax incentives have been put in place, and now is the time for those incentives to be put in place. Last year this committee recommended that the federal government "…examine appropriate tax changes that would promote the restoration and preservation of heritage buildings." Sufficient time and attention have now been devoted by the government to examining such tax changes, and this year it would be most helpful, in reaffirming your support, if you could recommend in your pre-Budget report that the federal government now proceed to implement appropriate tax changes for the preservation of heritage buildings in the forthcoming Budget. Thank you again for the opportunity of appearing for you today, and for your continuing interest and support. I would now welcome any questions you may have. Copies of the brief submitted to the Standing Committee on Finance are available from Heritage Canada. The Executive Director's Notes for the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultations, 26 September 2001 Mr. Chairman, members of the Standing Committee on Finance, let me first of all thank you for the welcome opportunity of appearing before you today in the course of your pre-Budget consultations. As is mentioned in our brief, which you have before you, the interest and support of this committee has been most helpful and is much appreciated. In thanking you again and for the record, I want to underscore the importance to the Heritage Canada Foundation of that interest and support. As committee members will recall, Canada has lost between 21 and 23 per cent of its heritage building stock in the past thirty years, that is to say nearly one-quarter in one generation. And while it may be difficult to imagine an attrition rate of this magnitude, it is by no means difficult to comprehend the inevitable mathematical consequences if this trend goes unchecked. At this rate, in three more generations, or ninety years, there will be virtually nothing left of our past. None of us wants that devastation to continue. Each of us wants to assure future generations the rich legacy that is our built heritage. In order for this trend to be halted, however, we must develop a comprehensive national strategy involving all orders of government, and the complete array of tools at the disposal of governments, including fiscal incentives. We believe the federal government could, and should - - and, with your support, will - - show leadership in this area, and anything this committee can do to encourage such a welcome development would be highly valued. There are two fiscal incentives we would like to see put in place, as committee members know. The first is the favourable tax treatment of restoration costs of heritage buildings. The second is the elimination of capital gains tax on donations of heritage properties, as is the case with donations of movable cultural property and environmentally sensitive land. These two tools would have a major impact in encouraging the retention and restoration of our built heritage. Now we recognize that before these fiscal incentives can be put in place, the universe of eligible properties has to be defined, standards have to be established to define what constitutes legitimate restoration activity, and a certifying function must be put in place to provide appropriate checks and balances. This issue was addressed in the reference contained in the February 2000 federal Budget, which is appended to the brief you have to hand. We were therefore greatly encouraged when the Prime Minister and the Minister of Canadian Heritage announced earlier this year a major investment in cultural growth and development, including the first step in the Historic Places Initiative, a national and comprehensive response to the staggering rate of loss. That first step included funding for a national register of eligible heritage properties, national standards and guidelines for their conservation, and a certifying role in that regard to be played by the Department of Canadian Heritage. Details of this announcement are also appended to our brief. The mechanisms and the funding for the prerequisites have been put in place, then, and the next logical and much-needed step is to follow through with the fiscal incentives under discussion. As the Historic Places Initiative referred to earlier unfolds, other requirements for support for some its components will become evident. The establishment of a true national trust for Canada is one example mentioned in our brief, and we look forward to discussing such subsequent developments with you during future hearings. In the short term, however, the pressing need is for these fiscal incentives to be put in place in the next federal Budget. As you know, and as we mention in our brief, the Heritage Canada Foundation promotes the preservation of our built heritage for cultural and historical reasons, but we also believe it makes sound economic and environmental sense. In the summer edition of our magazine, in the kits provided, you will find the program for our forthcoming annual conference “Preservation Pays: The Economics of Heritage Conservation.” In the autumn edition, also in the kit, you will find a summary of our forthcoming publication “Exploring the connection between Built and Natural Heritage Preservation.” The full reports -- on environmental links, and on our annual conference on the economics of heritage preservation – will be made available to the committee soon. I know you will find them of interest. In closing, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you and your committee colleagues for your support to date, and for anything and everything you can do to ensure that the federal tax regime contributes to the restoration and retention of our invaluable built heritage assets. Copies of the brief submitted to the Standing Committee on Finance are available from Heritage Canada. |
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Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon is a global visionary and one of Canada’s foremost public intellectuals whose research focuses on how societies adapt to complex ecological, economic, and technological change. The best-selling author of The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity and the Renewal of Civilization (2006) and The Ingenuity Gap (2000), he is Chair of Global Systems at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, University of Waterloo. 
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