Resources

Other Resources

Registering a Heritage Property in Nova Scotia

Registration of a heritage building can be done at the provincial or municipal level and properties can be registered by multiple levels of government. Registration has many benefits including access to grants, ensuring the long-term preservation of the building, demonstrating the value of built heritage through display of a registration plaque and many more.

The process for registering a heritage building is governed by the Heritage Property Act and is similar across levels of government but with each community applying its own perspective. For information on what factors are considered for all registries, visit the province's heritage properties information page. To find out how to register a heritage building in your community contact your municipal government and ask how to contact the Heritage Advisory Committee.

 We are always happy to help you in this process in any way we can. You can reach us by email or phone .

Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada

The Standards and Guidelines are a Canada-wide benchmark for heritage conservation. Produced by Parks Canada, the Standards and Guidelines provide sound guidance for developing plans and interventions for the country’s historic assets and are a useful and free resource for anyone with an interest in heritage conservation.

Click here to view the Standards and Guidelines en français

Standards and Guidelines Webinar This webinar was created by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in conjunction with Parks Canada to explain the the application of the Standards and Guidelines in a wide range of contexts.

Insuring Heritage Properties

Obtaining appropriate insurance for a heritage property, particularly a registered heritage property can be a challenge. The resources below exist to you meet these challenges. You can also contact our office and we may be able to provide additional information.

The province of Nova Scotia has produced an information sheet on how to resolve issues around insurance you may be facing and includes language that you can use to educate insurers on heritage properties. You can find the information sheet here.

The National Trust for Canada has a helpful list of documents that offer guidance and advice, though be aware the situation is evolving. The list can be found here.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada also suggests keeping a detailed risk prospectus of your property and updating it yearly. They have provided us with a fillable PDF designed for this purpose. You can access it here.

Disaster Resources Ressources en cas de catastrophe

Preparing a historic structure for a storm or figuring out what to do after disaster has struck can be a complex, and at times intimidating, process. However, many resources exist to provide practical guidance. Below are some you may find helpful.

Préparer une structure historique à une tempête ou déterminer ce qu'il faut faire après une catastrophe peut être un processus complexe et parfois intimidant. Cependant, de nombreuses ressources existent pour fournir des conseils pratiques. En voici quelques-unes qui pourraient vous être utiles

Planning La planification

Preparedness and Recovery (National Trust for Historic Preservation, includes materials on climate change and historic structures)

Preparedness and Recovery Resources (US National Park Service, includes materials on a wide range of disasters)

Disaster Planning for Historic Buildings (Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, includes materials connected to cold weather disasters)

Risk Assessment in Historic Homes (Association for State and Local History, a free video that also includes information on recovery after disasters)

Disaster Mitigation for Historic Structures: Protection Strategies (Created by a coalition of groups in Florida, this document focuses on the impact of hurricanes)

Gérer les Risques Des Catastrophes Pour le Patrimoine Mondial (UNESCO, ICCROM, ICOMOS et IUCN, un manuel général pour la planification et le rétablissement)

Fire l'incendie

Fire Protection Issues for Historic Buildings (Canadian Conservation Institute)

La sécurité-incendie dans les bâtiments historiques (l'Institut canadien de conservation)

Fire in Heritage Buildings (Ecclesiastical Insurance, a series of guides connected to preparedness and recovery)

Fire Protection for Heritage Places: Principles and Resources (World Monuments Fund)

Fire (Chicora Foundation, includes an overview that explains how damage is caused and goes through how to approach recovery)

After the Fire (Cathedral Communications, buildingconservation.com)

Storms and Floods

10 Tips for Bringing Historic Properties Back from a Flood (National Trust for Historic Preservation)

After A Flood (Historic England)

Treatment of Flood-Damaged Older and Historic Buildings (National Trust for Historic Preservation)

What To Do When Disaster Strikes Historic Cemeteries (National Park Service)

Resiliency and Storm Preparedness for Historic Homes: Protecting Your Heritage Home from High Winds and Flood (Historic Hawai’i Foundation)