“Show and Tell” – A Learning Exchange!

Alberta's Historic Places
Members of the Village of Holden Historic Resources Committee

The 2011 Municipal Heritage Forum on October 27th and 28th featured “Show &Tell” sessions. Several municipalities working on municipal heritage planning projects with the assistance of the Municipal Heritage Partnership Program shared their experiences with the attendees. A mix of rural and urban municipalities spoke about their heritage projects, showcasing the opportunities, challenges and rewards that can result from identifying and evaluating potential historic places.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Yellowhead County – Debbie Charest, Director of Community & Protective Services

Yellowhead County’s Municipal Heritage Program – talked about how the County prepared to complete a Municipal Heritage Survey.

City of Lacombe – Peter Bouwsema, Councillor/Heritage Steering Committee

Overview of Lacombe’s Heritage Program – spoke about some of Lacombe’s historic resources and how the City is working to conserve them.

City of Edmonton – David Holdsworth, Principal Heritage Planner

Neon Light Museum, Historic Resource Management Program – talked about Edmonton’s plans to develop a museum of historic neon signs.

Smoky Lake County – Twila Bauman, former Planning & Communications Manager

Smoky Lake Region: Survey and Inventory Project and Heritage Management Plan – talked about the final year of their three year regional project.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Village of Holden – Katherine Whiteside, Chief Administrative Officer

Village of Holden Heritage Program – an overview of their Municipal Heritage Survey and Inventory, and future plans.

City of St. Albert – Ann Ramsden, Director of Heritage and Ian Morgan, Associate with HIP Architects

Conservation of St. Albert’s Grain Elevators – talked about the recently completed conservation work on two municipally owned grain elevators.

City of Calgary – Clint Robertson, Heritage Planner

2011-12 Calgary MHPP Project – Bridges – an overview of Calgary’s inventory of all the bridges and crossings located in the city.

Municipal District of Big Lakes – Cathy Wilcox, Grants Manager

Heritage Site Survey – talked about how GIS assisted with planning their Municipal Heritage Survey.

These presentations provide insights and inspiration to other municipalities interested in developing a local heritage conservation program. If you have any questions about how your municipality can participate in the Municipal Heritage Partnership Program, please contact MHPP staff.

Note: For a complete collection of the 2011 Municipal Heritage Forum presentations, please click here.

Written by: Brenda Manweiler, Municipal Heritage Services Officer

Remembrance Day

Michael

Several buildings constructed for Canada’s military are designated historic resources. These places can help us understand how soldiers preparing for service lived and worked. Tomorrow being Remembrance Day, we thought it appropriate to feature a piece of Alberta’s military history – the historic resource that Municipal Heritage Forum attendees experienced firsthand at the end of October.

The Municipal Heritage Forum was held at the Prince of Wales Armouries in Edmonton. Most participants enjoyed meeting in this historic place. The Prince of Wales Armouries is a great example of how to adaptively repurpose a historic place.

Several City of Edmonton staff members provided an excellent behind the scenes tour of the facility. We learned how the building was rehabilitated to meet its new role as an archive, museum and meeting facility. As part of the tour, we had the opportunity to hear Timothy O’Grady (Archivist, City of Edmonton Archives) speak about the history of the building. Click here to view Timothy O’Grady’s photo essay.

The Prince of Wales Armouries was built in 1915 to give the Department of National Defence a place in Edmonton to train men for service in the militia. Essentially a huge drill hall, the soldiers who trained here served Canada in both world wars and in many other operations. In recognition of the building’s historic use and its distinctive architecture, the armouries was designated a Provincial Historic Resource in 1979 and then a Municipal Historic Resource by the City of Edmonton in 2004.

The City of Edmonton acquired the facility in 1977. In 1989 the city began constructing a new archive facility in the centre of the drill hall. The Armouries is now home to the City of Edmonton Archives and several museums.

For a complete collection of the 2011 Municipal Heritage Forum presentations, please click here.

Written by: Michael Thome, Municipal Heritage Services Officer

What information did you miss?

Matthew Francis
Municipal Heritage Services Staff, L-R: Michael Thome, Brenda Manweiler and Matthew Francis.

At the 2011 Municipal Heritage Forum, “Roadmap to Success,” four concurrent breakout sessions provided by staff of the Historic Places Stewardship Section, Culture and Community Services allowed attendees to learn about managing a successful municipal heritage conservation program. Find out what you missed: click below to obtain PDF versions of the presentations.

“Creating Heritage Advisory Bodies that Work for your Community” – Brenda Manweiler, Municipal Heritage Services Officer

Heritage Advisory Bodies (HABs) are boards, committees or commissions established through municipal bylaw. The community members appointed to the HAB advise council on heritage conservation matters and assist with the implementation of heritage initiatives (such as a Municipal Heritage Survey or a Municipal Heritage Inventory). This presentation discusses the ingredients necessary to establish an effective HAB.

“How to Designate and Approve Interventions to Municipal Historic Resources” – Michael Thome, Municipal Heritage Services Officer

A Municipal Historic Resource may not be destroyed, disturbed, altered, restored or repaired without the written approval of the applicable municipal council, or their designate. This presentation provides an overview of the designation and alteration approval processes.

“Getting your Municipal Historic Resources Listed on the Alberta Register” – Matthew Francis, Manager of Municipal Heritage Services

The Alberta Register of Historic Places is a listing of formally recognized historic resources in Alberta. Owners of Municipal Historic Resources and Provincial Historic Resources listed on the Register may apply for cost-shared conservation funding through the Historic Resource Conservation category of the Heritage Preservation Partnership Program. This presentation reviews the eligibility and listing process.

“Understanding the Standards & Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada” – Fraser Shaw, Heritage Conservation Advisor

The Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada provides practical guidance on the preservation, rehabilitation and restoration of historic resources. This presentation is a general introduction to the principles and recommended/not recommended actions contained in the Standards and Guidelines.

NOTE: For a complete collection of the 2011 Municipal Heritage Forum presentations, please click here.

Written by: Brenda Manweiler, Municipal Heritage Services Officer

Bobbin Lace?

Alberta's Historic Places

Rutherford House Provincial Historic Site in Edmonton is delighted to host a bobbin lace demonstration. Join Jamie Graham as she reveals the delicate and complicated nature of this historic craft.

Sunday Nov. 13, 12:30 – 4:30 pm

Bobbin lace is a lace textile made by weaving, braiding and twisting lengths of thread, which are wound on bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow. The placement of the pins is usually determined by a pattern or pricking pinned on the pillow.

Jamie will be at Rutherford House all afternoon. Feel free to drop by to see what this is all about. (Good highways permitting as Jamie is coming to Edmonton from Innisfail.)

Read about the significance of Rutherford House by visiting the Alberta Register of Historic Places.

“The Other Side of the Rockies”

Alberta's Historic Places

On Thursday, October 27, at the 2011 Municipal Heritage Forum, “Roadmap to Success,” Berdine Jonker, Senior Heritage Planner with the BC Heritage Branch, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, travelled over the Rockies to share her expertise and the experiences of the BC Heritage Branch. As the keynote speaker, Berdine discussed how values-based heritage conservation is completed in British Columbia. She showcased a heritage context study completed for the City of Prince George, featured a cultural tourism workshop conducted with the Nisga’a Lisims Government and discussed design guidelines that were developed for the City of Grand Forks, all through the use of a values-based approach.

For a copy of Berdine’s presentation and supplementary information, please click on the following links:

“The Other Side of the Rockies: B.C.’s Experience with Community Heritage Context Planning”

Prince George Heritage Context Study

City of Grand Forks Heritage Program

BC Heritage Branch

Thank you, Berdine, for travelling to Alberta and presenting at the Forum! MHPP staff and Forum attendees really appreciated learning about some of the municipal heritage initiatives occurring in British Columbia.

For a complete collection of the 2011 Municipal Heritage Forum presentations, please click here.

Written by: Brenda Manweiler, Municipal Heritage Services Officer

“Roadmap to Success” – Thank you for a great FORUM!

Matthew Francis

On Thursday, October 27th and Friday, October 28th, ninety-seven registered participants representing twenty-seven municipalities from across Alberta gathered at the historic Prince of Wales Armouries in Edmonton for our 5th annual Municipal Heritage Forum. From the Town of Pincher Creek in the south, to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in the north, and all places in between, each Forum attendee contributed a unique element to our “Roadmap to Success.”

We were very pleased to have with us Berdine Jonker, Senior Heritage Planner for the Government of British Columbia, as our keynote speaker. Berdine’s presentation on heritage context planning, “The Other Side of the Rockies,” opened up a lively conversation between all attendees, which continued over the two days of the Forum. In addition, it was a privilege to have with us the Honourable Heather Klimchuk, the new Minister of Culture & Community Services, who brought us some important concluding messages.

A good time was had by all who were able to attend the Thursday evening reception at Rutherford House, Provincial Historic Site & Provincial Historic Resource.

All of the presentations given at the Forum will be soon posted on RETROactive and also on the Municipal Heritage Partnership Program website, for your benefit. Stay tuned for updates!

Having been involved in organizing each Forum since 2007, I can say personally that this year’s gathering was a dramatic leap forward. Each community “showing and telling” about its work – at all different stages – demonstrated strong ownership and first-hand experience and knowledge of heritage conservation planning. It is truly amazing to see how much has been learned and put into practice!

On behalf of the staff of MHPP, I would like to thank each of you for attending the Forum, and also for filling out your evaluation forms. We received 38 evaluation forms filled with useful comments! Your suggestions are greatly appreciated and will go towards making Forum 2012 an even more practical and helpful event. It’s great to work with each of you as we create a future for Alberta’s historic places.

Written by: Matthew Francis, Manager of Municipal Historic Services

Heritage at the Prince

Alberta's Historic Places

Today and tomorrow the annual Municipal Heritage Forum is being hosted at the Prince of Wales Armouries, in Edmonton. This impressive building was constructed in 1914-15 as the Edmonton Drill Hall. In 1979 it was designated a Provincial Historic Resource and in 2004 the City of Edmonton designated it a Municipal Historic Resource. The facility currently serves as the Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre. The current tenants include:

– City of Edmonton Archives

– Edmonton Heritage Council

– Telephone Historical Centre

– Loyal Edmonton Regiment Military Museum

– Edmonton Arts Council

To learn about the historic significance of the Prince of Wales Armouries please click here.

Written by: Brenda Manweiler, Municipal Heritage Services Officer

Lacombe: An Evening of Heritage

Michael
Back L-R: Donald Luxton, Peter Bouwsema (Councillor), Jason Haggkvist. Front L-R: Kelsey Van Grinsven, Laura Pasacreta, Marie Péron, Andrea Becker, Sean Stroud, Kirstin Bouwsema

It’s been a busy few weeks for friends of heritage in the City of Lacombe. On Friday October 14th, I led a workshop on values-based management for members of the city’s Heritage Steering Committee. The City of Lacombe, with the advice of the committee, will soon begin evaluating several historic places for heritage value.

Then, on Thursday October 20th, the City of Lacombe hosted an “Evening of Heritage”. About 80 residents listened to several presentations and afterwards had many great questions. Over the course of the evening:

  • Laura Pasacreta, of Donald Luxton and Associates, updated the community on the progress of the ongoing heritage inventory;
  • Donald Luxton, Principal of Donald Luxton and Associates, showed the audience how to maintain and repair a historic wood-frame window; and
  • David Holdsworth, a Heritage Planner with the City of Edmonton, spoke about Edmonton’s municipal heritage conservation program.

The City of Lacombe began working with MHPP in 2008. Since that time, the entire community has been surveyed and the heritage steering committee has identified well over 100 places that deserve further study. Since 2009, Lacombe has been steadily evaluating these sites to determine which have sufficient value to the community to warrant Municipal Historic Resource designation.

Not content to simply evaluate historic places, the “Evening of Heritage” marks the first step in Lacombe’s efforts to develop municipal polices to protect and conserve locally significant historic places. The event was a great way to introduce the community to the idea of heritage conservation.

We congratulate Lacombe’s ongoing efforts to conserve locally significant historic places, or at least we plan to just as soon as we catch our breath …

Written by: Michael Thome, Municipal Heritage Services Officer

Lecture Series: Rutherford House Provincial Historic Site

Alberta's Historic Places

Have you ever been curious about Rutherford House?? 

What is the history behind this provincial historic site? 

Who was Rutherford and what did this man do that was so important? 

How did this house become protected and why? 

What about the architecture of the house? 

Is it Edwardian, Jacobethan, or Queen Anne Revival?

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Rutherford House, we have asked our colleagues to help us answer these questions and more.  Join us in Edmonton for a mini lecture series at Rutherford House Provincial Historic Site, take a tour of the house and enjoy some tea and fresh baked cookies.

Sunday, October 16, 2 pm; Rutherford House:  A House, a Family, their Community and Times

Presented by Ron Kelland, Historic Places Researcher and Geographical Names Program Coordinator

Sunday October 23, 2 pm; Conserving Rutherford House

Presented by Larry Pearson, Director of Alberta’s Historic Places Program

Sunday October 30, 2 pm; Achnacarry: Designed for a Purpose

Presented by Dorothy Field, Coordinator of the Alberta Heritage Survey

PROGRAM FEE: $5.00 per person / includes lecture, tour of the house museum, along with tea and home baked cookies.

For additional details, please click here: Rutherford House Mini Lecture Series, 2011. For location information, please click on the attached map.

Pre-registration required by calling (780)427-3995 or (780)427-0357.

High River Heritage Work off to a Great Start!

Matthew Francis

Back in August, we announced on this blog that the “cool little town” of High River was one of four communities to be approved for funding from the Municipal Heritage Partnership Program. Over the next year High River will be completing a Municipal Heritage Inventory project. Shortly after the funding announcement, I met with Town staff in High River, and since then the community’s heritage planning efforts have gotten off to an excellent start.

Over the Summer, a key staff appointment was made by the Town. Vidya John, a new member of the Planning and Development Team, and High River’s new Heritage and Cultural Planner, will lead and guide the Town’s Heritage initiatives. Vidya brings with her a background both in the arts, as well as in urban planning – a stellar combination to help a community create a future for its historic places.

One of the key assets to any community in carrying out a project like a Municipal Heritage Survey or Inventory is a Heritage Advisory Body, or “H.A.B,” for short. This group, which may otherwise be known as a “Committee,” “Board,” “Commission,” “Group,” or “Team,” is formally appointed by a municipal council, and provides strategic advice to Council on heritage-related matters.

The Sheppard/Maccoy House, located in the Town of High River, is a designated Municipal Historic Resource.

On September 26th, High River’s Town Council approved the creation of a Heritage Advisory Board, which will provide community-based advice on the Inventory project. Soon the HAB members will be selected and High River’s Heritage conservation work will be off to a great start with their Heritage Inventory project.

Great job, High River!

Written by: Matthew Francis, Manager of Municipal Heritage Services

Note: The Alberta Register of Historic Places lists both Provincial Historic Resources and Municipal Historic Resources located in High River. Click here to read about these sites.