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take5.ca
FEB 2024
Heritage - what's it really worth?
Award-winning downtown Ladysmith's charm is due to its heritage buildings. Photo: Bob Burgess
BY KERITH WADDINGTON BC Heritage Week (February 19-25) is fast approaching, which makes it the perfect time to reflect on the many ways in which it brings value to people, communities and even the economy. First, it is important to discern between the two types of heritage. “There is tangible and intangible” says Kirstin Clausen, Executive Director of Heritage BC. “Tangible you can see or touch, like a heritage building, a local monument, artifacts, or even an old tree in your neighbourhood. Intangible heritage includes traditions and values, like the preservation of language, the cultural spices you use to cook or the holidays you choose to celebrate because your forebears did the same.” Regardless of the form heritage takes, says Clausen, “it comes with stories, and stories are always tied to people and more and more we are giving space to new voices to hear their stories.” Beyond providing societies and individuals with identity, meaning and comfort, however, the question arises: does heritage have an actual monetary value? Clausen has no doubt that it does. “Preserving heritage is not a tool to prevent change – it is a tool for thoughtful change that responds to real needs in communities – needs like economic stability, climate action, reconciliation, social justice, affordable housing and more. Spaces that are well-planned and accessible for people draw locals and tourists alike, money gets spent, and people get to enjoy the beauty of the space”, says Clausen. “For instance, downtown Ladysmith took advantage of the main street program in the 1980s to refurbish and preserve its beautiful main street buildings, and now it’s a draw for visitors and locals alike. Local businesses fill those structures, which contribute immensely to the area’s economy. And because many older buildings are often very elegant in design, their preservation enables people to enjoy being in the same space others were years ago. It ties us in a very tangible way to our history.” Indeed, the preservation of heritage