MAPPING THE WORK FORCE AND SETTING STRATEGIC PRIORITIES3. The <strong>Built</strong> <strong>Heritage</strong> <strong>Sector</strong>:Scope and TrendsOur built heritage is <strong>the</strong> physical manifestation of our communities’ collective past. Canada’s built heritageconsists of structures and sites recognized by public authorities for def<strong>in</strong>ed characteristics on <strong>the</strong> basis of <strong>the</strong>irarchitectural, historical and community significance. Although age is nom<strong>in</strong>ally a factor <strong>in</strong> recogniz<strong>in</strong>g aheritage structure, with public authorities often sett<strong>in</strong>g a forty or fifty-year age as a qualify<strong>in</strong>g criterion, <strong>the</strong>age factor is a constantly chang<strong>in</strong>g variable.Fundamentally, heritage build<strong>in</strong>gs and sites relate to all aspects of human settlement and habitation,<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g residential, <strong>in</strong>stitutional, commercial and <strong>in</strong>dustrial properties. <strong>Built</strong> heritage embraces all sizesand classes of structure, from <strong>the</strong> “high-style” architecturally-designed build<strong>in</strong>gs to <strong>the</strong> vernacular build<strong>in</strong>gsconstructed without formal plans, us<strong>in</strong>g traditional methods and materials. In addition to <strong>in</strong>dividualstructures and sites, built heritage can also <strong>in</strong>clude clusters of build<strong>in</strong>gs, historic districts or may be part of acultural landscape.Legislative and government action to protect historic places began <strong>in</strong> Canada follow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> First WorldWar. S<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong> 1960s, federal and prov<strong>in</strong>cial/territorial statutes, municipal by-laws, regulations and policieshave constituted <strong>the</strong> official mechanisms by which recognition has been given to heritage structures. Thescope, number and types of <strong>the</strong>se regulatory tools have expanded greatly over <strong>the</strong> past forty years.<strong>Heritage</strong> conservation laws provide <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>cipal authority for <strong>the</strong> recognition and protection of buil<strong>the</strong>ritage, often through a ‘designation’ procedure.All governments - municipal, prov<strong>in</strong>cial, territorial, federal, have developed a range of <strong>in</strong>centive programs topromote heritage conservation. These <strong>in</strong>clude: grants, municipal and prov<strong>in</strong>cial tax relief programs, sales taxrelief programs, and federal f<strong>in</strong>ancial <strong>in</strong>centive programs. Governments also use <strong>the</strong>ir regulatory powers toprotect heritage properties through project review, zon<strong>in</strong>g, plann<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>in</strong> certa<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>stances, through <strong>the</strong>adoption of build<strong>in</strong>g codes that specifically reference built heritage. Governments and heritage conservationstakeholder organizations also actively promote our build heritage as an opportunity for <strong>the</strong> futureeconomic expansion through tourism, community renewal and ‘smart growth.’Our built heritage engages bus<strong>in</strong>esses and <strong>the</strong> community. A small but <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g number of propertydevelopers are actively <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> heritage conservation projects. As this report will describe. <strong>the</strong>re are agrow<strong>in</strong>g number of professionals and tradespersons who are specialized <strong>in</strong> heritage conservation.Support<strong>in</strong>g this work are heritage stakeholder organizations that actively promote heritage values at <strong>the</strong>national, prov<strong>in</strong>cial and community level.From a modest and fragmented beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g, built heritage has evolved <strong>in</strong>to a dist<strong>in</strong>ct sector engaged <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> socialcultural, economic and physical development of communities <strong>in</strong> Canada.Canada’s built heritage <strong>in</strong>cludes:• <strong>the</strong> pool of historic sites and structures managed by all three levels of government or <strong>the</strong>ir associatedheritage bodies,• <strong>the</strong> pool of sites and structures (both public and private) currently registered with heritage bodies at<strong>the</strong> federal, prov<strong>in</strong>cial or municipal level,• o<strong>the</strong>r public build<strong>in</strong>gs or districts constructed approximately 40 years prior which have architecturalor historical significance,©CULTURAL HUMAN RESOURCES COUNCIL7
HUMAN RESOURCES IN CANADA’S BUILT HERITAGE SECTOR• certa<strong>in</strong> types of civil structures constructed approximately 40 years prior, e.g., bridges, which havearchitectural or historical significance,• privately owned, non-residential build<strong>in</strong>gs constructed approximately 40 years prior which havearchitectural or historical significance,• residential build<strong>in</strong>gs constructed approximately 40 years prior which have architectural or historicalsignificance,• landscaped space associated with heritage structures,• some structures (private and public) constructed more recently which reflect particular architecturalqualities.The Canadian Register of Historic Places (CRHP) currently lists over 1,200 historic places. However, <strong>the</strong>CRHP estimates that as many as 20,000 historic places may meet its criteria for registration. 2 Variousprov<strong>in</strong>cial and municipal registries also <strong>in</strong>clude many more listed sites. One estimate put <strong>the</strong> number ofheritage build<strong>in</strong>gs or sites under some degree of legal protection at 158,296 <strong>in</strong> 2000. 3 A study for CMHCestimated that <strong>in</strong> 1997, 15.1% of dwell<strong>in</strong>gs were constructed prior to 1941. Of <strong>the</strong>se, two-thirds were builtbefore 1921. We have no reliable basis for estimat<strong>in</strong>g what proportion of <strong>the</strong>se pre-1941 residential structuresshould be classified as heritage structures. An earlier CMHC study found that, that 38.4% of pre-1941dwell<strong>in</strong>gs were <strong>in</strong> need of major repair, suggest<strong>in</strong>g that <strong>the</strong>re is a considerable degree of deterioration <strong>in</strong><strong>the</strong> pre-1941 hous<strong>in</strong>g stock. 4In 1999, <strong>the</strong> Department of Canadian <strong>Heritage</strong> commissioned a review of heritage build<strong>in</strong>gs that are listed<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Canadian Inventory of <strong>Heritage</strong> Build<strong>in</strong>gs. Based on a sampl<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>the</strong>se build<strong>in</strong>gs, <strong>the</strong> review concludedthat 20% of <strong>the</strong> build<strong>in</strong>gs had been lost s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong> 1970’s. The rate of loss was significantly higher <strong>in</strong>commercial build<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> larger urban centres. 5Park’s Canada’s Standards and Guidel<strong>in</strong>es for <strong>the</strong> Conservation of Historic Places <strong>in</strong> Canada describes <strong>the</strong>types of work related to built heritage sites. This term<strong>in</strong>ology is now widely used <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> built heritage sector.2 Canada’s Historic Places: http://www.historicplaces.caParks Canada - Standards and Guidel<strong>in</strong>es for <strong>the</strong> Conservation of Historic Places <strong>in</strong> Canada def<strong>in</strong>es a historic place as “a structure,build<strong>in</strong>g, group of build<strong>in</strong>gs, district, landscape, archaeological site or o<strong>the</strong>r place <strong>in</strong> Canada that has been formally recognizedfor its heritage value.” <strong>Heritage</strong> value is def<strong>in</strong>ed as “<strong>the</strong> aes<strong>the</strong>tic, historic, scientific, cultural, social or spiritual importance orsignificance for past, present or future generations. The heritage value of a historic place is embodied <strong>in</strong> its character-def<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>gmaterials, forms, location, spatial configurations, uses and cultural associations or mean<strong>in</strong>gs.”3 Margaret Carter, Towards a National Trust, Proceed<strong>in</strong>gs, <strong>Heritage</strong> Canada Foundation Conference, September 14-17, 2000Calgary p 324 CMHC, Research and Development Highlights, October 1991, p 25 <strong>Heritage</strong> Canada, CIHB Revisited, 1999. <strong>Heritage</strong> Research Associates8©CULTURAL HUMAN RESOURCES COUNCIL