WHEREAS heritage in our communities includes not just old buildings, but also artifacts and architecture, historic sites and land, historic and prehistoric resources, archival and interpretive materials and activities that reflect our roots; AND WHEREAS the current BC government has relinquished responsibility for heritage sites and buildings of the province through a policy of privatization of services; AND WHEREAS the current BC government is divesting itself of responsibility for stewardship of a public trust, eliminating funding to programs such as the Heritage Trust, and jeopardizing future heritage policy and investment through ministry downsizing of the Provincial Heritage Branch: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities urge the BC government to maintain stewardship of heritage resources by investing the appropriate funding levels required to preserve, protect and enhance our heritage resources throughout British Columbia and on Vancouver Island.
MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY, ABORIGINAL AND WOMENS SERVICES In order to implement the direction from the Core Services Review and to meet budget reduction targets, the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Womens Services undertook several initiatives to refocus the role of the Province in heritage conservation and to facilitate the long-term stewardship and sustainability of BCs heritage resources. These included: - devolution of Provincial heritage properties to community management through 15-year site management agreements, a step that will enable increased community and private sector participation and investment in these historic places, promote heritage tourism and produce greater economic and social benefits for many communities; - establishment of the Heritage Legacy Fund of BC, in collaboration with the Heritage Society of BC, The Land Conservancy of BC and the Vancouver Foundation, through an initial Provincial endowment of 5 million, as a non-governmental source of funding for community heritage initiatives; - development and implemention of the Historic Places Initiative, a major national program to recognize, protect, conserve, rehabilitate and promote Canadas heritage sites, in partnership with the Federal government, other provinces and territories, local governments, volunteer organizations and the private sector; - refocussing staff efforts and program investments to build community heritage planning and management capacity and to enhance heritage-related training and education.