Heritage Strategic Plan
Our Heritage Strategic Plan guides the long-term management of our heritage homes, structures, parks, landscape features, and community spaces.
The plan reflects our community’s vision for heritage conservation, helps us identify and evaluate our important heritage resources, and determines the most effective ways of preserving and protecting them for everyone.
Read the Heritage Strategic Plan
We are pleased to announce that the District’s Heritage Strategic Plan has earned a 2021 BC Heritage recognition award. Get details on Heritage BC's website.
News and updates
September 9, 2019 — Council meeting
Council approved the final draft of the Heritage Strategic Plan. View the plan and additional reports in the 'Documents' tab.
July 17, 2019 — Council workshop
Staff presented the final draft Heritage Strategic Plan to Council for discussion. View the presentation, video, staff report, and draft plan in the 'Documents' tab.
September 18, 2018 — Stakeholder workshop
During this workshop, seventeen participants — including heritage property owners, and representatives from not-for-profit organizations, community associations, community organizations and committees — had small group discussions about the draft vision, goals, and actions.
June 27, 2018 — Community Heritage Advisory Committee meeting
We met with the committee to discuss the proposed Heritage Strategic Plan directions for the goals and actions.
April 12-29, 2018 — Online questionnaire
For those who couldn't make our community open house on April 11, we made an online survey available on this page containing the same questions we asked at the open house. We'll report back on what we heard from the online survey at a later date.
April 11, 2018 — Community open house
We held a public open house, and encouraged residents to drop by and tell us what heritage meant to them, and how we should be conserving and celebrating it. We'll use that input to shape our new Heritage Strategic Plan.
March 28, 2018 — Community Heritage Advisory Committee meeting
We provided a project update and a presentation on potential heritage incentives, for discussion.
November 22, 2017 — Community Heritage Advisory Committee meeting
We met with the committee to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the current heritage program, and their vision for heritage preservation in the District.
Details
How we created our plan
To create the new plan, we met with the public and community partners to gather input. We also reviewed, analyzed, and updated our previous Heritage Strategic Plan (completed in 2002), to align with more contemporary approaches to and views of heritage preservation.
The new Heritage Strategic Plan was completed in three phases:
Plan goals and objectives
By creating this plan, we hope to:
- expand our community's awareness of and appreciation for our diverse history
- encourage residents, local community groups, business owners, governments, and others to get involved in helping preserve our heritage
- gain enhanced tools to enable improved preservation of our shared history
How we all benefit from a heritage plan
With a well-managed heritage program in place, we can:
- retain more of our community’s unique physical heritage
- celebrate historical events and traditions
- conserve a broad range of historical sites that support other objectives, such as tourism development and education
- help owners of heritage properties retain them
- invest in heritage sites through community, private industry, or senior government partnerships
- generate employment opportunities and other economic benefits
Background
Why we are developing a strategic plan for heritage
Past heritage initiatives in the District have successfully identified, protected, and celebrated many of our area's significant heritage resources, including buildings, landscape features, and structures.
However, over time, external forces such as ongoing development pressures, rising land and construction costs, and changing neighbourhoods, have put a number of heritage resources at risk.
At the same time, how we think of 'heritage' has evolved, and we now recognize community heritage values as the basis of heritage management.
To continue to preserve and protect our community history as effectively as possible, we need to focus and prioritize our heritage initiatives.
An overview of our history
Documents
Council documents
September 9, 2019 — Council final vote
Council approved the Heritage Strategic Plan.
- Final plan document
- Staff report to Council
- Background and analysis report
- Supporting documentation report
July 17, 2019 — Presentation to Council
Staff presented the final draft Heritage Strategic Plan to Council for discussion.
- Download the presentation to Council
- Watch the video of the presentation
- Staff report and draft Heritage Strategic Plan documents (starting on page 5)
Related policy documents
Additional heritage information
Preserving our heritage
Ensuring we have a clear sense of identity and place — and a legacy that links our past, present, and future — is one of the objectives of our Official Community Plan.