In 2010, Heritage Collaborative Inc. conducted the Flagstaff County Heritage Survey in collaboration with Flagstaff County. Over 100 sites of heritage value within the County were identified and documented for the Heritage Survey including nine one‐ room school houses, six CPR ready‐made farmhouses, five rural churches, four cultural landscapes, two community halls, and a number of homesteads and barns. The Flagstaff County Heritage Survey will assist in the preservation and protection of historic resources, encourage public interest in local history and encourage the further conservation and designation of local heritage resources.
Who is Heritage Collaborative Inc. (HCI)?
HCI is a heritage planning consulting company that provides planning, training, leadership and organizational resources for cultural and heritage projects. HCI has offices in Canmore and Edmonton and works exclusively with heritage and cultural projects in Alberta.
What is a Heritage Survey?
A heritage survey is a way to document and record Flagstaff County’s rich “built” history and significant landscapes. This is done by:
- Photographing buildings, structures and landscapes
- Researching the history of the photographed resources
- Recording this history on Site Form provided by the Alberta Government
What is eligible for the survey?
Sites eligible for the survey should be 50 years or older and be significant to the history of Flagstaff County. These may include:
- Homes and homesteads
- Churches
- Schools
- Stores and post offices
- Grain elevators
- Monuments
- River crossings
- Barns
- Trails and roadways
Surveyors will not go on private property unless granted permission by the landowner. Inclusion in the survey has no legal impact on the property and does not limit its future use.
What is a Heritage Inventory?
A heritage inventory is a planning and management tool comprised of sites evaluated using the provincial standards for significance and integrity. A draft statement of significance is written for each evaluated site to record why it is significant to Flagstaff County. A site must be listed on a municipal heritage inventory to receive provincial and or federal designation, recognition, and funding. Statements of Significance are also sources of information for the development of heritage awareness, education and interpretation programs, and for promoting tourism. A heritage inventory will further enhance Flagstaff County’s ability to manage and promote its heritage resources.
What’s next?
Owners of the sites that were identified on the Heritage Inventory can now request that their property be municipally designated by simply writing a request to Flagstaff County Council.