Nelson, BC – The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) is developing a Community Heritage Register to formally acknowledge places of cultural heritage significance.
The public is being asked to complete a survey to better capture the places that matter to the community as a whole.
“Every community has those special pieces of history that will forever define the place and the people. A Community Heritage Register will help us to celebrate our past, value the present and build a sustainable future.” said Aimee Watson, Chair of the RDCK Board of Directors.
“This is an exciting project for the RDCK, and I encourage everyone to get involved and provide their input.”
A Community Heritage Register is a planning tool within the Local Government Act (section 598 -1) that allows a local government to formally identify historic resources so they may be integrated into land use planning processes. It is an official list of places recognized by the Regional District as having heritage value.
Being ‘listed’ does not mean that the property is protected, nor does it limit a property owner’s ability to renovate or change their property. Listed properties simply gain formal recognition as a heritage resources by the RDCK. Heritage Registers can include only one listing, or hundreds of listings.
Heritage resources listed on a Register may be identified during day-to-day planning activities, nomination by the public or from other sources.
To develop this list of local sites, properties, events and even stories, a heritage consultant team hired by the Regional District is reaching out to local residents, organizations and community groups to help pinpoint the places that matter to the community, and that are perceived to have heritage value.
The public engagement period will last until end of December 2019.
The proposed sites and heritage resources to be included on the RDCK Community Heritage Register will follow in early 2020.
Residents are invited to fill out a survey to help inform this project. There are three ways to access the survey:
1.Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RDCKHeritageRegister to take the survey online
2.Send an e-mail to [email protected] and a link will be sent to you directly
3.Pick up a printed survey form at any RDCK office location or at your local library branch
This project is made possible by a Heritage Museums and Archives grant, which is funded by the Columbia Basin Trust and administered and managed by Heritage BC.
To learn more about Community Heritage Registers or about the project visit: https://rdck.ca/EN/main/services/community-planning/community-heritage-register.html
Or watch the Youtube video explaining what a Community Heritage Register is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1EgMlKr9Nw&feature=youtu.be