The Heritage Inventory project, which aimed to identify significant buildings in the Drumheller Valley, has identified 50 buildings suitable for preservation. One of the recommendations is to create a heritage management plan with a new bylaw to designate historic sites.
As part of the Municipal Heritage Program, sites around Drumheller were investigated for their historical significance.
The program was made possible through a grant from Alberta Historic Resource Fund (AHRF), and contributions from the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce, Community Futures Big Country, and the Town of Drumheller.
“It was quite an exciting project,” said Laura Pasacreta from Donald Luxton and Associates. “Some of the sites range from [the] early 1900’s to the 1950’s.”
The sites are eligible for Municipal Historic Resource Status and therefore have access to provincial funding through AHRF. The sites are also added to a Canadian heritage inventory.
“It’s a completely volunteer program. If a building or property owner comes forward and says they want to designate [to be a historic resource] they have that opportunity. The statements of significance is an official planning document that allows them to be designated as well as having a designation bylaw in place,” explained Pasacreta.
The sites can apply to receive $50,000 from a lottery based grant or a one time $5,000 grant. The grants could be used to help preserve the building.
Pasacreta recommended that the Town explore funding opportunities for restoration and re-use of structures, main street, tourism opportunities, and education. It was also recommended that the town do heritage management and education for building/property owners to encourage restoration and maintenance.
The benefits of the heritage inventory are that it increases community pride, manages pace of change, preserves social and physical fabric of a built environment, potential to develop cultural and heritage based tourism, sustainable, low environmental impact, and job creation for local heritage trades.
Working with the Heritage Steering Committee (HSC), the first step was a heritage survey, which identified roughly 150 sites from workshops with HSC, site visits, archival research, public open houses, and community feedback.
The 150 were pared down to 50 since December. Among those recommended for the historic status are the Toshach house, the Elks Hall, Sam Drumheller’s house, Rosedeer Hotel, Waldorf Hotel, Atlas Coal Mine, East Coulee School Museum, Dinny the Dinosaur, the Jesus statue, and the Midland train bridge.
Paul Salvatore, Director of Community Services, indicated that the Town would present a bylaw draft within the next few months to establish the guidelines and mechanisms to designate Municipal Historic Resource Status.
“The next logical step...is heritage management and a big component of that is for us to look into...developing a heritage preservation bylaw. It would be something that I would put forward in the months ahead,” said Salvatore.