Thirty Years On – Where Is The Passion In Ontario For Preserving Our Heritage?

By Pamela Minns

As is traditionally the case, Heritage Day has come and gone in Ontario with hardly a ripple.

Heritage Day – first established in 1974,  to take place every year on the third Monday in February – has not only come and gone but has been re-named Family Day by the Province and “heritage” has been dropped from the calendar entirely. 

The run-down Beaverdams Church in Thorold, Ontario - one of the oldest churches of its kind in the province - has become a symbol of heritage neglect.

Of course, it is good to have another holiday for families, but there are 365 days in the year from which to choose a new holiday.   Since heritage preservation is basically in the hands of volunteers, this a “black eye” for all of those who work so diligently indicate the lack of importance the government places on heritage and all of its hard-working volunteers in Ontario.

I have been a heritage volunteer in Regional Niagara for about 30 years. The time is probably right to look back to see how far we have progressed during this period.

During those 30 years … “20% of Canada’s pre-1920 buildings have been demolished – an attrition rate which would normally be associated with war or natural disaster and one that most other countries would consider unimaginable.  Demolition of these buildings has a significant negative impact on the natural environment and is contrary to the fundamental elements of sustainable development and is, therefore, not in the interests of healthy, integrated and sustainable communities.  Demolished buildings account for as much as 30% of the waste in our landfills”.  (Heritage Canada Foundation)

 Our heritage volunteers have a very challenging and difficult job, and not too many tools with which to work.  Municipal Heritage Committees (MHC) normally have small budgets and are only advisory committees to their Councils.  Some municipalities in Niagara have no MHCs and very few have Heritage Planners. At the beginning, volunteers, in order to maintain their position on the committee, were required to attend two thirds of the workshops a year. Now there is no formal training given and unless there is continuity on the committees they can, in the worst case scenario, fail.  Their work was fairly simple in the beginning but today there is a long learning curve since they are now consulted on many issues – eg. development, infilling, zoning changes, downtowns, signage, demolitions, etc. 

A big part of Port Dalhousie, Ontario's heritage district may be demolished to put up a condo tower overlooking Lake Ontario.

 In addition, the province is asking them to advise, recommend, provide expertise, facilitate community awareness, assist in open and honest dialogue on heritage matters, be sensitive to the range of community views, promote good-will and trust within the community and act as liaison with stakeholders in heritage matters.  Sounds like a full time job to me!

 When property owners designate their properties under the Ontario Heritage Act, they get absolutely nothing in return and,; in fact, face high costs for restoration, possible increased municipal taxes and insurance, and restrictions on their property — all of this in exchange for a plaque on their building.  It isn’t much of a trade and what that means is this. Only the most committed are willing to take this step and these property owners are the stewards of our Canadian heritage. We need to respect them for this commitment that they so willingly make.

Due to Smart Growth, continuous infilling is occurring in our communities, much of which takes place  in older, settled neighbourhoods where heritage buildings are given little or no consideration by developers.  The threats to our built heritage are very real with the situation in Port Dalhousie with the planned high-rise condominium, the demolition of 41 heritage buildings in downtown Brantford, and other losses in many locations throughout Ontario.

 Yet as real as the threats are, there has been a reluctance on the part of the Heritage Minister to intervene, where there are controversies about preservation. The situation in Port Dalhousie has threatened every Heritage Conservation District in Ontario.  OMB decisions over the years have consistently been made in favour of development.

 Heritage Canada Foundation now publishes the “Ten Most Endangered Places” list.  There are many heritage buildings, some designated, which are falling down with no funds to restore them.  It is not rocket science — the secret to saving our old buildings is to find a new use for them!  In general, preservation of heritage is considered a frill and elitist and not of economic benefit — this is a perception not a reality!

After many years, there is still a problem over legislation to protect Canada’s lighthouses.  “Saving Places” – an excellent TV show on the History Channel was discontinued after three episodes due to lack of funds.  The Register of Canada’s Historic Places has come to a stop due to lack of funds.  “Doors Open Niagara” was cancelled in 2011 due to lack of funds. There is no funding to assist designated property owners who are preserving Canada’s history,  and there is burn-out among volunteers who are disappointed in the system, There is lack of interest on the part of the press, politicians, government staff, developers, realtors, etc. in attending conferences/seminars on heritage; these are mainly supported by those already committed to  preservation!  There is a lack of education on local history in our schools, and what is left of our natural heritage is constantly under siege, with environmental problems and the expansion of our cities and towns.  

If all of that isn’t discouraging enough, the gains volunteers make are very small and slow in relation to the amount of time devoted.  Some people who have been heritage advocates for years have thrown up their hands and given it all up because there is no support and they just can’t do it any longer.  Most of us are getting tired and many times feel defeated. It is, and always has been, a walk up a steep hill. And lastly, nothing has changed in the past 30 years — we still have all the same problems and more…..many more ! 

 With the downturn in the economy, people have real concerns about their future – money, jobs, health care, education, etc. and don’t see heritage as an issue which directly affects them.  Steve Paikin – TVO “Agenda”, did a survey recently in Niagara, and heritage was 2^nd from the bottom of the list of important issues facing our communities and residents.

If the provincial and federal governments really want to preserve Canada’s heritage attitudes, legislation and actions have to change.

 Heritage, at best, is a fragile and delicate situation; I wonder if, under these circumstances,  our volunteers are going to have the stamina to stick around for another 30 years.

 Our future lies in our past….   destruction of our past could endanger our future.