Cultural Heritage Resources - Ministry of Tourism

2.1: Key TermsThis section provides further detail on some of the important terms in section 23 of O.Reg. 359/09.Section 23 of O. Reg. 359/09 outlines therequirements of the heritage assessment. Theheritage assessment must include historicalresearch and a visual inspection to determinewhether there is potential for heritageresources, or abutting protected properties.Below are some of the key terms and conceptsthat will be relevant to this report. Please note thatthe assessment should be conducted by aqualified person, and the report must provide asummary of the qualifications and experience ofthe person(s) who conducted the assessment andprepared the report.Heritage ResourcesUnder O. Reg. 359/09 a heritage resource refersto real property that is of cultural heritage value orinterest and may include a building, structure,landscape or other feature of real property.Generally speaking, heritage resources would bedivided into built heritage resources and culturalheritage landscapes. Of particular importance forconsideration within the context of renewableenergy projects is the inter-relationship between abuilding, structure or ruin with the surroundinglandscape including significant views from and ofthe heritage resource.Consideration of all heritage resources includesresources that have not yet been identified assignificant, that are identified through the research,evaluation and assessment process. It alsoincludes resources that have been previouslyidentified or commemorated by the community,province or in the national context (e.g., a propertythat is listed on the municipal register, identifiedwith a local plaque, included on a local walkingtour, the subject of a provincial plaque, ordesignated a National Historic Site).Built Heritage Resources:Examples of built heritage resources include:residential structures, farm buildings, mills,industrial, commercial, institutional buildings,bridges, water systems, dams, canals, locks,cairns, statues, monuments, fountains, retainingwalls, boundary or claim marker, or ruins.Cultural Heritage LandscapesCultural heritage landscapes provide the context,setting or support for the character of an area.Cultural heritage landscapes are groupings ofbuildings, structures, spaces, archaeologicalsites, and/or natural elements that collectively aresignificant or representative. Examples include:burial sites, cemeteries, historic roadways, railcorridors, waterscapes, historical settlements,battlefields, streetscapes, agricultural landscapes,a park or designed recreational community space,or a heritage conservation district.The following definitions of cultural heritagelandscapes are taken from the OperationalGuidelines adopted by the United NationsEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) World Heritage Committee in 1992,and are widely accepted as the three primarylandscape types:Designed landscapes: those which have beenintentionally designed (e.g., a planned gardenor downtown square).Evolved landscapes: those which haveevolved through use by people whoseactivities have directly shaped the landscapeor area. This can include continuing orongoing use, or a relict landscape where theevolutionary processes has come to an end(e.g., an abandoned mine or historicalsettlement area).Associative landscapes: those with powerfulreligious, artistic, or cultural associations of thenatural element, as well as with materialcultural evidence (e.g., a sacred site within anatural environment or an historic battlefield).These landscapes may have material culturalevidence or material culture may be absent.Abutting Protected PropertiesProperties that share a common boundary orborder, or overlap for some distance areconsidered abutting. For the purposes ofrenewable energy projects, the term ‘abutting’ also5