Designation of Municipal Historic Sites
Beaver County acknowledges the significance of historical resources to the preservation and protection of local history and culture and will support the designation of municipal historic sites. Official recognition of important events and sites that have shaped the history of the County will forge a bond between the present and the past and will preserve the area as “a place to call home”.
Requests to designate a municipal historic site can be made to Beaver County Council in writing. The written request to Council must include the following information:
- Proposed Site for Designation
- Municipal Address
- Nearest Urban (Tofield, Ryley, Viking, Holden, Bruce, Kinsella)
- Legal Address
- Property Size
Naming conventions recommend that if the site is being designated for its association with a specific individual, the first and last name should be included (i.e.: John Doe Residence, John Doe Hotel, John Doe Farm, etc.). If a site is not being designated for its association with the specific individual, just use the last name of the name of the first occupant (i.e.: Doe Residence, Doe Hotel, Doe Farm, etc.). In the Alberta Register, there is an option to note “other” names in addition to the site name. For example, if the “Doe Residence” is located on what was historically known as “123 Farm”, the primary site name would be “Doe Residence” and the other name noted would be “123 Farm”.
- Description of the Historic Place
This should only be two or three sentences long. It should state what is going to be proposed for designation and where it is located.
Example
The 1822 built John Doe Residence is a unique Victorian style cottage house that includes original landscape elements including a tree lined driveway, shelter belt, groomed hedges, and large oak tree. The cottage sits on 160 acres located 25km north of Whoville, Alberta in Plane Jane County and has been a significant landmark for over 200 years.
The purpose of a heritage value statement is to communicate why the site is significant and what physical aspects of the site embody the significance. Heritage value statements should be relatively light on historical facts. This portion is recommended to be 2-5 paragraphs.
- Character-Defining Elements
This should be a bullet point listing of what physical elements the site has, but without being too restrictive (i.e.: rather than saying “bamboo shingles” you would say “wood shingles” or something less restrictive).
This is the opportunity to dive into the historical facts of the site (i.e.: was the original owner the Premier of Alberta?, was the farm the first duck farm in Alberta?, etc.). Include all of the historical facts you deem important and prudent to why this should be considered a designated historic site. This portion is recommended to be 3-6 paragraphs.
To visit the Heritage Resources Management Information System (HeRMIS) Alberta Register of Historic Places, click here. The County strongly recommends researching other designated properties on HeRMIS for examples on how to complete the elements required as part of the written request to Council.
In addition to a written request to Council, there is an administrative fee. Please refer to the current Fees, Rates, and Charges Bylaw for the Application Fee to Designate a Municipal Historic Site.
To view the Designation of Municipal Historic Sites Policy, please click here.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your historic property, please feel free to contact our Development Officer at 780-663-3730 ext. 1018 or via our contact form.
