Heritage Resources

Heritage Resources
In 2009 the MD of Bighorn Council recognized the need to document and preserve our Heritage by establishing a Committee of Council to address that need. The Heritage Resources Committee was established to:

promote the identification and protection of historic resources
advise Council on matters relating to historical resources and municipal heritage policies and programs
encourage and advocate for the preservation and safeguarding of significant historical structures and sites
investigate and support ways to document or protect heritage material that is not structural or tied to a specific property
educate and engage the public.

Activities of the Heritage Resources Committee include the following:

In partnership with the province’s Municipal Heritage Partnership Program and with consultants Heritage Collaborative Inc., the Committee completed a heritage survey of 100 buildings and sites located within the MD of Bighorn aged 50 years or older.
Following completion of the Heritage survey, the Committee undertook a heritage inventory that selected 20 sites. During this process, the eligibility, significance and integrity of each building or site was thoroughly evaluated and a statement of significance was prepared.
The third phase of the province’s Municipal Heritage Partnership Program is to develop a heritage management plan. The Committee is hoping to undertake that project in 2011.
The Committee is researching the possibility of capturing stories from seniors in an oral history project. This has been done in many communities and the Committee is eager to get this project under way.
The Committee has researched what is necessary to properly store old documents or photographs that would be of heritage value.
An investigation has been started with the intention of compiling information from different sources about the old Exshaw cemetery and its preservation.
A few books which relate to the history of Bighorn and area have been collected in an effort to create a small heritage collection.
Photographs were taken when the Olympic Torch came through the MD of Bighorn in January 2010 as a first step in creating a photographic record of important events as they occur.

Municipal Heritage Partnership Program (MHPP)
The MHPP is an initiative of the Historic Resources Branch of the Department of Alberta Culture and Community Spirit. The MHPP offers assistance to municipalities through guidance and project funding opportunities. The MD of Bighorn has received assistance from the MHPP since 2005 in the form of guidance and funding for the recently completed historic resources survey and inventory.

Alberta Historical Resources Foundation
The Alberta Historical Resources Foundation supports individual initatives in heritage preservation through a variety of grants under the Heritage Preservation Partnership Program. The owner of a designated Municipal Historic Resource (for example, a historic house or building) can apply for grants of up to $50,000 per application for the repair and maintenace of the designated Resource. Information about the program can be found on the website of the Governement of Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Alberta Historical Resources Foundation.