Heritage buildings in Edmonton facts for kids
Heritage buildings in Edmonton, like in other parts of Canada, are special old buildings. They are officially recognized and protected by different levels of government. This helps keep their history and unique look safe for everyone to enjoy.
There are three main levels of government that can protect these buildings:
- The Government of Canada (federal government)
- The Government of Alberta (provincial government)
- The City of Edmonton (municipal government)
Each level has its own way of deciding which buildings are important and how to protect them.
Federal Historic Places
The federal government, through Parks Canada, helps protect important historic places across Canada. They put up special plaques to mark these sites.
There are two main types of federal historic places that protect buildings in Edmonton:
- National Historic Sites: These are places where important events happened or that show Canada's history. In Edmonton, two examples are the old site of Fort Edmonton and Government House.
- Federal Heritage Buildings: These are buildings owned by the federal government itself that are considered historic. In Edmonton, some examples include the Grierson Centre and buildings at CFB Edmonton.
The federal government also protects special railway stations because railways are managed by the federal government. The old Strathcona Canadian Pacific Railway Station is one of these "Heritage Railway Stations."
Provincial Historic Places
The Government of Alberta protects historic places using the Historic Resources Act. They have different ways to recognize important buildings and areas.
- Provincial Historic Sites: These are places owned and run by the province, often as museums or parks. In Edmonton, the Royal Alberta Museum and Rutherford House are examples.
- Provincial Historic Resources: These are buildings or sites owned by people, companies, or other governments that the province has officially recognized as very important. They get a higher level of protection.
- Registered Historic Resources: These are also important historic places, but with a slightly lower level of protection than Provincial Historic Resources.
Since 2007, the province has also recognized the Old Strathcona area as a "Provincial Historic Area." This means the whole neighbourhood is special because of its history.
The province also lists buildings that the city calls historic on the Alberta Register of Historic Places. This list is also part of the bigger Canadian Register of Historic Places.
City Historic Places
The City of Edmonton also keeps its own list of historic places called the "Register of Historic Resources in Edmonton." This list helps the city keep track of important buildings.
The city's register has different groups of historic places:
- Municipal Historic Resources: These are buildings that the city council has officially voted to protect. They are safe from being torn down (demolished).
- A-List Resources: These are important buildings that the city has identified as historic, but they don't have the same strong protection as Municipal Historic Resources.
- B-List Resources: These are also historic buildings, but they have the lowest level of recognition on the city's list.
The city can add buildings to its register at any time. However, to make a building a "Municipal Historic Resource" and protect it from demolition, the owner must be told, and the city council must vote to approve it.
The city also lists historic places that were torn down after being added to the register. This helps everyone remember what was lost.
Besides buildings, the city's register also includes things like:
- Buildings at the Fort Edmonton Park museum.
- Important historic landscapes.
- Old cemeteries.
- Historic monuments.
- Special street furnishings.
- Interesting pieces of old buildings (architectural fragments).
