Newsletter

In our SPRING 2007 issue you'll find…

-> Interview with a Heritage Conservation Advisor
-> The Language of Heritage Conservation
-> On the Road Again


Interview with a Heritage Conservation Advisor

The Historical Resources Act requires owners of all Provincially designated historic resources to notify the Minister of Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture of any proposed alterations to their resources.  Consultation with Heritage Conservation Advisors is required prior to issuance of approval documents to ensure that work does not compromise the heritage values or integrity of the building or site.

Tom Ward is Head of the Heritage Conservation Advisory Services Program for Alberta and represents the Edmonton and area region of the province.  MHPP asked him a few questions:

MHPP:  What does a Heritage Conservation Advisor do?

Tom Ward:  Essentially, Heritage Conservation Advisors (HCAs) provide advice regarding acceptable materials and methods for conserving historic places, to owners of designated, or potentially designated, properties in Alberta.  Interventions on designated historic places must meet the conservation principles outlined in the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.

MHPP:  What is the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada?

Tom Ward:  The Standards and Guidelines document was developed as part of a pan-Canadian initiative which included input from the federal government and all provinces and territories. It is based on 30 years of accumulated international heritage conservation knowledge and provides an easy to follow planning process for determining the best approaches for interventions to character-defining elements in order to protect heritage value.  The document is intended for professionals, building owners and volunteers involved in the development or management of historic places.

In 2003 Alberta formally adopted the Standards and Guidelines, replacing similar provincial guidelines.  The Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada is the official management tool, used by Heritage Conservation Advisors, by which the heritage values of Alberta’s historic places will be safeguarded.

MHPP:  How are HCAs involved in the funding of interventions for historic places in Alberta?

Tom Ward:  HCAs work closely with the coordinator of the Heritage Preservation Partnership Program regarding funding through the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation and provide a number of services to the Foundation including ensuring that fundable work is completed in accordance with the Standards and Guidelines.

MHPP:  How many Heritage Conservation Advisors are there?

Tom Ward:  There are five HCAs assigned to dedicated regions in Alberta.  The idea is that owners of historic places will have a consistent regional contact for these matters over the years.  The Heritage Conservation Advisor for your area can be found on our website at: http://www.cd.gov.ab.ca/preserving/heritage/pands/technical_advice/ preservation/HCA_map/HCA-2006A4.pdf

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The Language of Heritage Conservation

When working with the conservation of historic places, it is essential to use universally understood and accepted terminology in order to not only communicate effectively and authoritatively, but also to foster high standards in the profession.  Consistent communication is necessary to avoid confusion and misunderstanding which could add controversy to what may already be a complicated situation.  One of the Historic Places Program’s tools, the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada helps normalize terminology across the country by providing the following clear and consistent guidance that has been adopted by all of the provinces and territories:

Conservation is the overarching term that refers to all actions or processes that are aimed at safeguarding the character-defining elements of a cultural resource so as to retain its heritage value and extend its physical life.  Conservation may involve preservation, rehabilitation, restoration or a combination of these actions or processes.  Reconstruction or reconstitution of a disappeared cultural resource is not considered conservation.

Preservation is the action or process of protecting, maintaining, and/or stabilizing the existing materials, form, and integrity of a historic place or of an individual component, while protecting its heritage value.

Rehabilitation is the action or process of making possible a continuing or compatible contemporary use of a historic place or an individual component, through repair, alterations, and/or additions, while protecting its heritage value. Rehabilitation can include replacing missing historic features.  The replacement may be an accurate replica of the missing feature, or it may be a new design that is compatible with the style, era and character of the historic place.

Restoration is the action or process of accurately revealing, recovering or representing the state of a historic place or of an individual component, as it appeared at a particular period in its history, while protecting its heritage value.

Uniformity of definition, understanding and expression of these basic terms are more easily grasped when individuals and groups concerned with heritage conservation communicate their shared ideas.  The Standards and Guidelines can be adopted by Alberta’s municipalities in their endeavors to promote responsible heritage conservation.  This publication is available online at www.pc.gc.ca/docs/pc/guide/nldclpc-sgchpc/index_E.asp or you may contact one of MHPP’s staff to receive a binder or CD by mail, and a glossary of terms is available on the MHPP web site at http://www.mhpp.ab.ca/glossary.html.

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On the Road Again

Interested in finding out more about what MHPP has to offer?  Following up from the success of our first Roadshow in September ’06, MHPP staff will be hitting the highways again this Spring for two informative workshops in East Central Alberta.

Here are some of the highlights of what you can expect from the workshop:

This time, Coordinator Scott Barrett and Outreach Officer Matthew Francis will be joined by Tom Ward, Head of the Heritage Conservation Advisory Services Program, Matthew Wangler, the Registrar of Alberta’s Historic Places, and Monika McNabb, Program Coordinator for the Alberta Historic Resources Foundation.  All guest speakers are experienced heritage professionals and bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise.  All staff will be happy to answer any questions you might have about heritage conservation.

The Spring Roadshow will showcase great information for elected officials, municipal staff, owners of heritage resources, and all people interested in conserving Alberta’s unique local heritage.

You are invited to attend the meeting nearest you:

Wainwright
Wainwright Museum
Thursday April 10th 2007
7:00-9:30pm

Cold Lake
Cold Lake Information Centre
Wednesday April 11th 2007
1:30-4:00pm

Photo: St. Norbert's Roman Catholic Church, near Provost

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