A community heritage register is an official list of historic places in a community. As an information tool, it enables communities to track the importance of their historic places, monitor the state of their heritage resources, and take an integrated approach to community planning. A community heritage register is a planning tool provided for under provincial legislation (Section 954 of the Local Government Act). Local governments establish a community heritage register by resolution. Kamloops enacted a Heritage Register with 20 identified sites on October 30, 2007.

The Canadian Register of Historic Places is a searchable database accessible via the Internet. It 
describes historic places formally recognized by local, provincial and territorial governments, 
and by the federal government. Once appropriate documentation on the Kamloops Heritage 
Register sites has been provided to the BC Registrar for inclusion on the BC Register of Historic 
Places, they will be automatically included on the Canadian Register.

The main purpose of the Canadian Register is to identify, promote and celebrate historic places 
in Canada. It will increasingly enhance understanding of our cultural heritage by providing a 
comprehensive view of Canada’s historic places. The Canadian Register also provides a valuable 
source of easily accessible information for government authorities, land-use planners, 
developers, the tourism industry, educators, researchers, heritage professionals and the general 
public. The Canadian Register may also be used to establish eligibility for funding under heritage 
programs.

The ‘Statement of Significance’ is part of the required documentation that must be submitted for inclusion on the BC and Canadian Registers. The ‘Statement of Significance’  for a historic place is made up of three sections: ‘Description of Historic Place’, ‘Heritage Value’, and ‘Character-Defining Elements’. 

The three sections which comprise the ‘Statement of Significance’  explain: to what the formal recognition applies; why the place is important or significant; and which principal features of the place must be retained in order to preserve its heritage value. The ‘Statement of Significance’ is intended to explain the heritage value of a historic place to the Canadian Register users. It provides guidance to property owners, planners, architects and others involved in the conservation or rehabilitation of historic places. The ‘Statement of Significance’  helps identify the character-defining elements of the place that should be protected when undertaking a project. It may also be used to assess projects seeking funding under heritage programs.

The ‘Description of Historic Place’ section should paint a picture of the historic place in two or three sentences. It should describe very generally what the formal recognition applies to, and should make clear what elements on the property are included in the historic place and what is not. The description may also situate the place within its broader context, or setting, wherever this is helpful. The ‘Description of Historic Place’ answers the question: “What has been formally recognized?”

Heritage value may be defined as: the aesthetic, historic, scientific, cultural, social or spiritual importance or significance for past, present or future generations. The ‘Heritage Value’ section describes the core heritage value(s) on which the formal recognition of the place is based. It is intended to explain the significance of the historic place to a broad audience.

It is also used to guide the identification of character-defining elements. ‘Heritage Value’ answers the question: “Why is this place important or significant?” 

Historic places may have heritage value because they:

• illustrate achievement in concept and design, technology, and/or planning, or a significant stage in the development of a community, province, territory or the nation
• are associated with events that have contributed to patterns of history at the local, provincial, territorial or national levels
• are associated with the lives of persons of historical importance at the local, provincial, territorial or national level
• illustrate or symbolize in whole or in part a cultural tradition, way of life, or ideas important in the development of a community, province, territory or the nation.

The ‘Character-Defining Elements’ section identifies the principal features of the historic place that contribute to its heritage value. ‘Character-Defining Elements’ are: the materials, forms, location, spatial configurations, uses, and cultural associations or meanings that contribute to the heritage value of a historic place, which must be retained in order to preserve its heritage value. The information included under ‘Character-Defining Elements’ provides guidance to property owners, planners, architects and others involved in the conservation or rehabilitation of the historic place. 

Character-defining elements may be found in:

• the style, massing, scale or composition of the historic place
• features of the historic place related to its function
• the interior spatial configurations, or exterior layout, of the historic place
• the materials and craftsmanship of the historic place
• the relationship between the historic place and its broader setting
• traditional activities that continue to occur at the historic place
• cultural associations or meanings that continue to be associated with the historic place.

Character-defining elements must directly relate to the heritage value(s) of the historic place, and must exist at the time of its nomination to the Canadian Register. Character-defining elements should not simply describe the historic place, but should provide an analysis of where value lies. Their identification is a selective process

The provincial Heritage Branch works with local governments and helps fund the development 
and improvement of community heritage registers so they are consistent with the documentation 
standards of the BC Register of Historic Places. 

In addition to the sites now included on the Heritage Register, there are a number of others that 
have community heritage value that have been identified through various inventory projects. 
Over the next few years, the City of Kamloops could undertake a phased process that would add 
sites to the Heritage Register, formally identifying their heritage value and undertaking Statement of Significance documentation with the aid of senior government cost-shared funding. These resources could belong to a number of different categories of owners:

• Municipal Sites: Other municipal sites can be identified and added to the Register after 
  internal consultation.
• Private Homes: Those scheduled as part of a Heritage Conservation Area are considered 
  legally protected, so addition to the Register has no further implications. Other homes can 
  be added on a voluntary basis.
• Commercial and Institutional Properties: Heritage Register listing should be a 
  minimum prerequisite for any City incentives, including tax rebates.

Maintenance & Monitoring

A Heritage Register listing is not noted on Land Titles, therefore Heritage Register sites should 
therefore be clearly flagged on the municipal database in order to inform owners of recognized 
heritage significance prior to permit applications.

Proposed changes to Heritage Register sites should be assessed through the use of the Standards 
& Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada. A periodic review should be 
undertaken to ensure that each site is being properly maintained.