A share of $75,000 in funding from the Heritage Legacy Fund goes to 17 heritage projects in British Columbia this year, including one being undertaken by the Ktunaxa Nation.

The Heritage Legacy Fund (HLF) was established in 2003 by the provincial government of British Columbia with an endowment of $5 million, held by the Vancouver Foundation. The fund provides grants for heritage conservation and heritage awareness projects in British Columbia. Heritage BC is the fund adviser.

Since June 2005 the Heritage Legacy Fund has supported heritage conservation in British Columbia with nearly two million dollars of project funding. Applications come from a variety of sources including museums, heritage societies, local governments and First Nations. Many of these funding applications are for basic repair and maintenance work required to safeguard the historical character of these buildings and sites.

Over one hundred grants have been provided to date and 80% of those have been for the conservation of historic buildings and other structures; from small community halls to civic landmarks such as Victoria’s City Hall or the former municipal building in Nelson.

The remaining 20% of grants provided have been for heritage awareness projects including interpretive signage, walking tours, and online applications that increase public understanding, appreciation, and education of built community heritage resources, including Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s Interactive Map of their Heritage Register and Hudson’s Bay Company Heritage Trail signage.

Ktunaxa First Nation is getting funds for foundation and flashing repair of the former Cranbrook Central School building, currently used as the Ktunaxa Nation Government Building in Cranbrook.

This year’s projects receiving contributions from the Heritage Legacy Fund range from the restoration of the City of Quesnel’s iconic Cornish Water Wheel to the exterior restoration of Port Atkinson Lighthouse in West Vancouver.

Heritage Legacy Fund Committee Chair and Heritage BC Board Member Eric Pattison talks about the range of project applications this year, “The HLF committee was again impressed by the diversity of project applications submitted from around the province.  Local communities are engaging with their historic places ranging from First Nations’ churches, to near derelict buildings, to grand train stations, and even a towboat and a flying boat!

Heritage BC Executive Director Kathryn Molloy follows with: “All these places and things are rich with Heritage Values and significance for their communities.  The only regret is the limited resources the committee could allocate to each project.  This year we received requests totaling over $228,000 representing total project costs of over $745,000. These projects are team efforts that need many hands working hard to realize community ambitions of a sustainable historic identity but the many hands are not enough; the fund must be increased over the coming years to help meet the demand.”

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