Historical Buildings and Resources Committee
Overview
Winnipeg’s first Historical Buildings By-law was passed in 1977 and established protective legislation to enable the City to designate structures within its jurisdiction that are of architectural and/or historical significance and to regulate the alteration and demolition of listed buildings.
The by-law also created the Historical Buildings Committee, now called the Historical Buildings and Resources Committee (HBRC), which is authorized to: advise City Council on heritage issues and policies; research, assess, and recommend structures for designation; and regulate proposed alterations to listed resources inside and outside the Exchange District.
In 2014, the by-law was replaced by the Historical Resources By-law, 55/2014 which made important changes to the Committee, its role, and heritage conservation in the City.
The Committee is chaired by a City Councillor and its volunteer membership includes appointees from the City, Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, Manitoba Association of Architects, Manitoba Association of Landscape Architects, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba, and citizen members at large.
The responsibilities of the Historical Buildings and Resources Committee have grown in recent years to include the administration of programs that provide financial assistance for conservation initiatives.
Duties of the Historical Buildings and Resources Committee
Under Historical Resources By-law section 38(1), the HBRC has the following powers, duties and functions:
- to make recommendations concerning nominations and applications with respect to the List of Historical Buildings and Resources;
- subject to the provisions of this By-law, to determine when reviews of nominated resources or applications under Part 1, Division 3 will take place;
- to give advice to the designated employee when applications for heritage permits are referred to him or her under subsection 31(1);
- to prepare guidelines referred to in subsection 31(2) for use by the designated employee in making decisions concerning applications for heritage permits;
- to provide expert advice, information and assistance to the Designated Committee in respect of heritage plans, policies and programs and on other matters relating to heritage;
- to encourage decision-makers to reflect heritage resource principles and facilitate heritage resource conservation activity in building standards, secondary plans, land use and other regulatory by-laws and planning decisions;
- to encourage integration of heritage considerations into overall city and community planning and into investment and development decision-making;
- to promote public understanding of the importance of conserving heritage resources and of protecting the physical and aesthetic context in which heritage resources and areas exist;
- to offer expert advice to property owners, construction trades and others concerning means by which heritage resources can be protected and conserved
- to carry out the other functions assigned to it by this By-law or by Council.