Heritage Properties

The heritage that survives from the past is unique and irreplaceable. It contributes to sustainability, character, local distinctiveness and a sense of place. The Heritage Resources Working Group explores opportunities to bring more public awareness of Medicine Hat's heritage resources, and how everyone can get involved in the authentic character of the city's roots.

Why conserving heritage is important

• Increases community pride
• Manages the pace of change
• Preserves social and physical fabric of built environment
• Increases cultural and heritage-based tourism
• Keys into sustainability and environmental initiatives
• Creates jobs for local heritage trades and tourism
• Guides and fosters business development in the commercial core
• Creates awareness of the range of heritage resources in the community
• Helps to set direction for local planning initiatives

Municipal Historic Resource Designation is a legal process enabled through a designation bylaw passed through City Council, after which the designation is registered on title with the Alberta Land Titles office. A property may only be designated by the owner.

After Municipal Historic Resource Designation, a bronze plaque is unveiled.

If your property is protected as a Municipal Historic Resource, and is listed on the Alberta Register of Historic Places, you may be eligible for cost-sharing funding provided by Historic Resource Conservation Grants.

Determine the potential historic value of a building or site with our evaluation tool.

Doing alterations or renovations to a Municipal Historic Resource

Municipal Historic Resources are legally protected, therefore the city is responsible for safeguarding the heritage values of these properties. Any planned alterations or renovations must be disclosed to the city and approved by Council.

Apply for Municipal Historic Resource Intervention.

Canadian Register of Historic Places (CRHP): A Federal, Provincial and Territorial collaboration, it is Canada's definitive source of information on historic places, administered by Parks Canada.

View Canadian Register of Historic Places.

Character-Defining Elements (CDE): Materials, forms, location, spatial configurations, uses and cultural associations or meanings that contribute to the heritage value of a historic place, which must be retained to preserve its heritage value.

Heritage Resource: A structure, place, object or feature which is deemed to have heritage-related significance. 

Heritage Resources Working Group: A group of local citizens who act in an advisory capacity to Medicine Hat City Council with respect to heritage resources (a function formerly performed by the Heritage Resources Committee).

Heritage Resources Inventory: A list of properties that are deemed by the City of Medicine Hat to have architectural, heritage or cultural value and thereby merit preservation. See Inventory chart at the top of this page.

Heritage Resources Policy: A policy adopted in 2008 by Medicine Hat City Council to encourage protection, retention, restoration and awareness of heritage resources in the City.

View the Heritage Resources Policy. 

Listing of Historic Resources: A list compiled by the Province of Alberta to provide information about the Historic Resource Value, if any, that has been assigned to various historic structures, archaeological sites, palaeontological sites and Indigenous traditional use sites of a historic resource nature (burials, ceremonial sites, etc.)

View the Listing of Historic Resources.

Historical Resources Act: A legal document of the province of Alberta which gives the Minister of Alberta Culture and Tourism the authority for the orderly development, preservation, study, interpretation and promotion of appreciation for Alberta's historic resources, and the means to achieve these goals.

View the Historic Resources Act

Municipal Historic Resource: A place of historic significance, as designated by bylaw, that is protected from unsympathetic alteration or destruction. Designation is not expropriation, but a tool which municipalities use to ensure significant places are preserved.

View Managing Historic Places.

Statement of Significance (SOS): A document, usually completed by a heritage professional, which follows a prescribed format and gives a detailed description of a City of Medicine Hat Heritage Resource and its character-defining elements.

Thematic Framework: A chart which outlines the settlement (patterns, economic drivers, major events and eras of development) in a community and provides examples from the built environment for each theme.

View the Thematic Framework chart.