Provincial Heritage Register
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this directive on the Provincial Heritage Register is
to provide guidance to Archaeology Branch staff and other government
and public users as to the form and content of, and access and input
to, the Provincial Heritage Register.
MANDATE:
To develop, maintain and provide public access to a coordinated Register
of heritage sites and objects.
AUTHORITY:
Section 3 of the
Heritage Conservation Act (1996, RSBC Chap.
187), hereafter referred to as "the
Act," requires
the establishment and maintenance of one or more registers, to be known
collectively as the Provincial Heritage Register, for the recording
of:
- heritage sites and objects designated under S.9 of the Act;
- known heritage sites and objects which, in the opinion of the Minister,
are protected under S.13 of the Act;
- buildings, structures and sites for which the minister has received
notice from a local government under section 977(1) of the
Municipal
Act or section 602(1) of the
Vancouver Charter;
- heritage sites and objects included in a schedule under S.4 of the
Act; and
- other prescribed heritage property.
The register is to be accessible to any person during regular business
hours, subject to provisions of the
Freedom of Information and Protection
of Privacy Act, and any reasonable conditions the minister may
impose. The minister may require payment of a prescribed fee to inspect
the information contained in the register.
POLICY STATEMENT:
The Provincial Heritage Register will consist of a series of registers
including, but not necessarily limited to:
Archaeological Sites Register:
Normally this register will contain detailed information on archaeological
sites in accordance with the BC Archaeological Site Inventory Form Guide
developed by the Archaeology Branch.
Provincial Heritage Sites and Objects Register:
Normally this register will contain information on the location and
type of site or object provincially designated, as well as the designating
Order in Council number and information as to where more details can
be obtained
Local and Regional Heritage Sites Register:
Normally this register will contain only limited information on the
location and type of buildings and structures designated by a Municipality
or Regional District, as well as the designation by-law reference and
information as to where details can be obtained
Traditional Use Sites (TUS) Register:
Normally this register will contain only limited information on the
location of sites and pertinent contacts as to where detailed information
can be obtained.
Records of heritage sites and objects must normally conform to form
and content guidelines to be established by the Archaeology Branch and
will not be formally incorporated into the Provincial Heritage Register
until such recording guidelines have been established.
The Provincial Heritage Register will normally be available to the
public between the hours of 9:00 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday,
excluding statutory holidays.
DEFINITIONS:
Some confusion exists about the difference between archaeological sites
and traditional use sites and also about what constitutes a culturally
modified tree site. The following definitions are used for the purposes
of the Provincial Heritage Register.
Archaeological Site:
A geographically defined location that contains physical evidence of
past human activity for which the application of scientific methods
of inquiry (i.e., site survey, excavation data analysis, etc.) are the
primary source of information. These sites do not necessarily hold direct
associations with living communities. Examples of archaeological sites
may include shell middens, lithic scatters, house pits, petroglyphs,
pictographs etc.
Traditional Use Site:
A geographically defined location that has been customarily used by
one or more contemporary groups of aboriginal people for some type of
culturally significant activity. These sites may not reveal physical
evidence of use. Traditional use sites are usually documented through
oral, historical, and archival sources. Examples of Traditional Use
Sites may include: ritual bathing pools, resource gathering areas, locations
of culturally significant events, etc.
Culturally Modified Tree Site:
A tree or remnant of a tree associated with old growth forests which
bear evidence of traditional aboriginal forest use. Examples of Culturally
Modified Trees may include: bark-stripped cedar, cedar trees with evidence
of plank removal, etc.
PROCEDURES
Site inventory forms and other data intended for incorporation in a
register must be submitted in an approved format, and reviewed by Branch
staff for conformance with relevant Branch policies, procedures,
standards and guidelines. Therefore, to register a heritage site, the
following procedures will normally be implemented (exceptions may occur
where circumstances warrant):
- Upon receipt of a heritage site record, the Coordinator of the Provincial
Heritage Register will assign it to a project officer to be reviewed.
- If deficiencies are apparent, the project officer will require additional
information from the party submitting the form.
- When records are considered sufficiently complete, a permanent site
number will be assigned and the recorder will be informed of that
number.
- Site inventory data will be entered into the Heritage Resource Inventory
Application (HRIA).
- If the record results from a permitted project, the project officer
will indicate receipt of the form on the permit tracking form.
Normally, site locations will be plotted on hard copy 1:50,000 scale
NTS maps and digitized as points on the branch Geographic Information
System (GIS).
Archaeological Site Register:
In order to be included in the Register, all archaeological sites must
be recorded using the British Columbia Archaeological Site Inventory
Form and Guide available from the Archaeology Branch.
Normally, both hard copy and digitized inventory forms and maps will
be accepted for data entry. Information concerning technical requirements
for digital inventory forms can be obtained from the Branch.
Provincial Heritage Sites and Objects Register:
Normally, information collected for a Provincial Heritage Site or Object
will conform to the recording standards established for the specific
type of site, and include reference to the designating instrument (i.e.,
Order in Council number). For example, site records for provincially
designated archaeological sites will normally contain the information
categories recorded for an archaeological site in the Archaeological
Site Register.
Local and Regional Heritage Sites Register
In order to be included in the Register, notices from local governments
under section 977 (1) of the Municipal
Act or section 602 (1)
of the Vancouver Charter, must contain the following information:
For all heritage property designated by a heritage designation
bylaw, including heritage property identified by a Municipality or Regional
District: Use the British Columbia Local and Regional Designated
Sites Inventory Form available from the Archaeology Branch. In
the space provided on this form, indicate if the property is subject
to a tax exemption, is included in a schedule to an Official Community
Plan, or subject to a Revitalization Agreement. If a designation is
revoked or varied, a copy of the original form with the appropriate
revocation or variation section filled out, must be submitted.
For all undesignated heritage properties, including heritage property
identified in a Community Heritage Register or any undesignated property
included in a schedule to an Official Community Plan or heritage property
subject to a Revitalization Agreement: Provide a list of the undesignated
properties noting the Municipality or Regional District name, site name,
and address only.
Traditional Use Site Register
In order to be included in the Register, traditional use sites must
be recorded using the Traditional Use Site Recording Form and Guide
available from the Archaeology Branch.
For detailed information concerning Traditional Use Studies refer to
the Ministry of Small Business, Tourism and Culture and Ministry
of Forests Protocol Agreement on the Management of Cultural Heritage
Resources (July 1994).
The Archaeology Branch will accept traditional use sites data in electronic
format only. Spatial data must be exportable to ArcInfo GIS format and
database data must be exportable to Oracle format.
Culturally Modified Tree Site Register
Culturally modified trees are recorded on either a Level I (minimum
detail) or Level II (maximum detail) CMT recording form available from
the Archaeology Branch. Level I forms are completed during the field
reconnaissance component of an archaeological overview assessment. Level
II forms are completed during archaeological impact assessments conducted
under a permit issued pursuant to the Heritage Conservation Act.
Normally, both hard copy and digitized inventory forms and maps will
be accepted for data entry. Information concerning technical requirements
for digital inventory forms can be obtained from the Branch.
Please see this recent bulletin concerning
Culturally
Modified Trees.
Shipwrecks Register
Shipwrecks are recorded using the British Columbia Shipwreck Recording
Guide and either the Basic or Detailed Shipwreck Recording Forms
available from the Archaeology Branch. The Basic Form is intended for
a survey project limited by time, size of crew, or crew inexperience.
The Detailed Form is used for systematic survey or excavations.
Normally, both hard copy and digitized inventory forms and maps will
be accepted for data entry. Information concerning technical requirements
for digital inventory forms can be obtained from the Branch.
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