Cultural Heritage Resources - Ministry of Tourism

includes parcels of land that are separated by anintervening road allowance, trail, etc.Project LocationO. Reg. 359/09 requires consideration of heritageresources at the project location. Projectlocation is defined as a part of land and all or partof any building or structure in, on or over which aperson is engaging in or proposes to engage inthe project and any air space in which a person isengaging in or proposes to engage in the project.This includes all land, buildings or structures whichmay be impacted by activities for all projectphases (i.e. the construction, installation,operation and use, changing or retiring of thefacility).Study AreaAs the project location may be situated within acultural heritage landscape, for the purposes ofthe heritage assessment MTCS recommends thatthe qualified person consider the whole property(or properties) on which project components arelocated. Assessing a cultural heritage landscapeinvolves looking beyond the footprint of the projectand analyzing the surrounding area. As culturalheritage landscapes are included in the definitionof ‘heritage resource’, defining a broader studyarea is an important step in determining impacts tothis type of heritage resource.ImpactsEvaluating impacts can be broadly defined as theprocess of identifying, predicting, and evaluatingthe cultural, biological, physical, social and otherrelevant effects of the renewable energy project.With respect to a renewable energy project,alteration refers to the erection or construction ofproject components on the property which mayimpact views and vistas, alter the existinglandscape, require demolition of existing buildingsor structures, or have other impacts on heritageresources. Project components include not onlyprimary elements such as wind turbines or solarpanels, but also secondary elements such asaccess roads, laydown areas, etc.Impacts can be temporary (e.g., dust and vibrationduring construction) or longer term (e.g., visualintrusions of new or modified infrastructure). Theheritage assessment report must identify anddescribe the extent of all potential impacts;describe how each identified heritage resourcemay be impacted with reference to the specificcultural heritage value of the resource; andexamine mitigation options and project changes toprevent or reduce negative impacts. Finally, theheritage assessment report must recommend amitigation option and explain why it is preferred.Additionally, assessing a larger study area is abest practice that encourages identification ofheritage resources early in the design phase andallows for a broader range of options for avoiding,eliminating or mitigating impacts. This approachprovides proponents with greater flexibility shouldthey have to alter the project layout either becauseadditional environmental constraints are identifiedat a later stage, or as a result of the consultationand engagement process.6