Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office

Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office
Name	Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office
Established	1977
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario
Jurisdiction	Canada

Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office is a Canadian agency responsible for surveying, evaluating, and advising on the conservation of federal built heritage. It operates within a network of heritage institutions, federal departments, and cultural agencies to protect buildings of historic, architectural, and environmental value across provinces and territories. The office works alongside landmark organizations, legal instruments, and heritage professionals to integrate conservation with public stewardship.

History

The office was created amid debates involving Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Public Works and Government Services Canada, and heritage advocates responding to losses such as Windsor Station (Montreal), Toronto Union Station, and controversies linked to National Capital Commission planning. Influences included international instruments like the Venice Charter, the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and Canadian precedents such as the Historic Sites and Monuments Act and the National Historic Sites of Canada program. Early interactions connected it with figures and institutions including Jack Granatstein, Heritage Canada Foundation, Canadian Conservation Institute, and the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of Canada. Over decades, it intersected with policy initiatives from ministries led by ministers such as Jean Chrétien and Brian Mulroney, and with events like the Expo 67 legacy projects and major restoration of Parliament Hill precincts after the 1916 Parliament Buildings fire.

Mandate and Legal Framework

The office acts within statutory and administrative frameworks shaped by instruments including the Federal Real Property and Federal Immovables Act and policy frameworks derived from Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat directives. Its advisory role links to entities such as Public Works and Government Services Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage, and the Office of the Prime Minister. Legal intersections involve decisions influenced by rulings from the Supreme Court of Canada and appellate courts in matters resembling disputes in cases like R v. Gladstone or property precedents including Ontario Hydro v. Ontario (Labour Relations Board). It coordinates with provincial regulators such as Parks Canada and municipal bodies exemplified by City of Toronto heritage bylaws and collaborates with professional bodies like the Canadian Institute of Planners, the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals.

Heritage Designation Process

The designation workflow involves surveys, evaluations, and recommendation steps interacting with stakeholders such as Department of National Defence, Correctional Service of Canada, Canadian Museum of History, Library and Archives Canada, and Crown corporations like Canada Post and Via Rail. Assessment phases reference methodological documents similar to those used by ICOMOS and draw on expertise from universities such as University of British Columbia, McGill University, University of Toronto, and Université de Montréal. Case management often includes consultations with indigenous partners represented by organizations like Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and Métis National Council, as occurred in evaluations near sites like Rideau Canal and Fort York.

Criteria and Evaluation

Evaluation criteria reflect comparative frameworks seen in instruments like the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada and categories comparable to National Historic Sites of Canada designations. Criteria assess architectural associations with figures such as John A. Pearson, Thomas Fuller, Ernest Cormier, and Frank Gehry-designed works, historical connections to events like Confederation and the Second World War, and community significance linked to personalities such as Emily Carr or Terry Fox. Technical assessments use conservation science from institutions like the Canadian Conservation Institute and heritage documentation practices aligned with the Historic American Buildings Survey. Evaluations consider integrity and authenticity in line with precedents set by UNESCO inscriptions like Old Québec, and provincial lists such as Ontario Heritage Act inventories.

Conservation and Maintenance Practices

The office promotes conservation strategies consistent with standards advocated by ICOMOS and operationalized with partners including Parks Canada, Canadian Conservation Institute, and provincial conservation authorities like Conseil du patrimoine culturel du Québec. Practices integrate restoration, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse exemplified in projects involving Rideau Hall, Banff Springs Hotel, Mackenzie King Estate, and the ongoing work on Parliament Hill Centre Block. Technical approaches draw on materials science from laboratories such as National Research Council Canada and the Royal Ontario Museum conservation labs, and incorporate training programs from institutions like the Canadian Centre for Architecture and the Frankel Lambert School.

Notable Designations and Cases

The office has advised on notable properties where federal stewardship overlapped with public heritage interest, including West Block (Parliament of Canada), East Block (Parliament of Canada), Library of Parliament, Central Experimental Farm, St. John's Railway Station (St. John's), and complex interventions at Diefenbunker Cold War sites. High-profile conservation debates involved projects at National Gallery of Canada, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Halifax Citadel, and restoration work associated with Rideau Canal lockstations. Cases often featured collaboration with municipal landmarks lists such as Vancouver Heritage Register and provincial sites like Fortress of Louisbourg.

Organizational Structure and Governance

Governance links the office administratively to Public Works and Government Services Canada while maintaining advisory relationships with Department of Canadian Heritage, parliamentary committees including the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, and oversight from central agencies like the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. The office convenes panels drawing expertise from professional associations such as the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the Canadian Institute of Conservation, and academic partners including Queen's University, University of Ottawa, and McMaster University. Stakeholder engagement includes coordination with indigenous governance bodies like Inuit Circumpolar Council and advocacy groups such as Heritage Canada Foundation and National Trust for Canada.

Category:Heritage conservation in Canada