Federal Budget Has Nothing For Heritage

Federal finance minister Jim Flaherty’s March 22 budget took a cautious approach to new spending and included nothing for heritage. 

In general, the Conservatives have not been very friendly toward heritage over the past five years.  They effectively terminated the highly important Historic Places Initiative, and a plan to explore the creation of a new National Trust announced in the 2008 budget has gone nowhere.  The National Historic Sites cost-sharing program which has provided $8 million in infrastructure funding to a select group of heritage resources over the past two years has not been continued in the new budget.

The Heritage Canada Foundation noted two items that were conspicuous by their absence.  There was no sign of the long-sought tax incentive for private sector investment in heritage property which, according to HCF executive director, Natalie Bull, “…would have been a good fit with this budget, with its emphasis on jobs, economic growth and quality of life”.    

Heritage Canada was also disappointed at the lack of any seed money to help transfer hundreds of lighthouses, listed as surplus last year by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, into the hands of communities, as provided under the new Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act. 

The budget did include $400 million in additional funds for the ecoEnergy Retrofit-Homes project, providing up to $5,000 per unit to improve energy efficiency.  This program, however, is a double-edged sword which can be a threat to the heritage character of older homes if used indiscriminately to replace doors and windows with inappropriate new units.

VANCOUVER HERITAGE FOUNDATION

Places That Matter

The Vancouver Heritage Foundation is marking Vancouver’s 125th anniversary by choosing 125 places where plaques will be mounted to commemorate places, people and events that "helped shape the city”.

Anyone may nominate – the closing date is April 6, 2011.

UPCOMING EVENTS & COURSES

BC Historical Federation 2011 Annual Conference

Powell River, May 5-8, 2011
Early Bird Registration extended to March 31
» www.powellrivermuseum.ca

Vancouver Old School

Painted Shut: Opening Your Wood Windows
Saturday April 16, 2011
9–5pm / $125 + HST
Jim Stiven, Vintage Woodworks

Navigating City Hall: Permits, Zoning and more
Tuesday April 19, 2011
(rescheduled from March 16) $60 + HST
Vancouver Senior Heritage Planner, Marco D'Agostini,
and James Burton, MAIBC, Birmingham & Wood Architects
» www.vancouverheritagefoundation.org

UVic Cultural Resource Management Program

Cultural Landscapes
April 11-16, 2011
Instructor: Wendy Shearer
HA489G  Fee:  $669

Conserving Historic Structures
July 5–9, 2011
Instructor Richard Linzey
HA 489j  Fee:  $669
» www.uvcs.uvic.ca

Heritage BC Annual Conference

September 30 - October 1, 2011
Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Burnaby

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