Historical Resource Designation Pros & Cons

Certain places may be formally designated as a 'historical resource'. This may be either municipally or provincially under the Alberta Historical Resources Act, or federally under the Canada Historic Sites and Monuments Act. Some sites are even designated as one or more of these! 

In 2012, Smoky Lake County partnered with the Villages of Waskatenau and Vilna, the Town of Smoky Lake, and the Province of Alberta to complete a Heritage Inventory and Survey, which identifies numerous 'sites of interest' across the region. Of these, some have subsequently gone on to be formally designated. 

Are you interested in applying for historical resource designation? If so, there are a few things for you to consider in order to understand if it makes sense for you... 

Pros 

Cons

Pride & stature, inclusion on the Alberta/Canada Historic Places Register Restrictions on renovation, demolition, additions
Possibility to seek grant money There is less grant money available than many people think and must be spent toward heritage conservation  
Heritage properties tend to retain their market value somewhat better than non-heritage properties during economic downturns 


RETROactive: Exploring Alberta's Past (Blog): 

Alberta's Municipal Heritage: 

The Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada provides further guidance for how to make conservation decisions.