Federal Heritage Review Office

On this page

• Role of the Federal Heritage Review Office
• Definitions
• Federal Heritage Review Office processes
• Contact us

Role of the Federal Heritage Review Office

The principal role of the Federal Heritage Review Office at Parks Canada is to advise custodian departments regarding heritage requirements on the acquisition, use, and disposal of real property under the Treasury Board Directive on the Management of Real Property (TB Directive).

The FHRO coordinates various processes that are defined in the TB Directive, including:

• evaluations
• reviews of intervention
• disposals and best efforts

Definitions

Custodian department

A Government of Canada department whose minister has responsibility for the administration of real property for the purposes of that department. (Source: Treasury Board Policy on the Planning and Management of Investments)

Federal heritage property

The TB Directive defines a federal heritage property as a property on federal lands that has at least one of the following designations:

• UNESCO World Heritage site
• national historic site
• federal heritage building
• heritage lighthouse
• heritage railway station

It can include an Indigenous heritage site, a cultural landscape, an archaeological site, an engineering work or other place that has been formally recognized for its heritage value. (Source: Treasury Board Policy on the Planning and Management of Investments)

Real property

Land, mines, minerals, buildings, and fixtures on, above or below the surface, and any interest therein, both in Canada and abroad. (Source: Guide to the Federal Real Property Act and Federal Real Property Regulation)

Federal Heritage Review Office processes

The TB Directive identifies mandatory procedures for custodian departments for heritage assessment and conservation. These requirements are linked to specific FHRO processes, described below.

Evaluation

Custodian departments must seek a heritage evaluation of any building 50 years of age or older from the Federal Heritage Review Office at Parks Canada when the building is:

• crown-owned; or
• planned for acquisition by purchase

Real property must be submitted to the FHRO for a heritage evaluation when it meets the above-listed conditions and it meets the definition of “building,” based on the following three criteria:

• it is capable of containing or sheltering human activities
• it has an interior space, an exterior shell, and a roof
• it is fixed in a permanent specific location

Evaluation criteria

The heritage value of buildings is evaluated using the following criteria.

I. History

The history criterion measures the significance of the building in Canadian history, beginning with the earliest evidence of human presence and ending in recent times. It is used to assess the building’s associations with and capacity to illustrate any of the following:

• historic themes, phases, trends, or ideas
• historic events
• historic persons, groups, communities, or institutions

II. Architecture

The architecture criterion assesses the merit of the building’s design as originally conceived and executed, and as it was adapted over time. This criterion is used to assess any of the following:

• aesthetic design, association with architectural movements, trends, styles, or building typologies, including vernacular traditions
• materials, craftsmanship, and construction techniques
• functional design, including the plan, the effectiveness of the layout, and the degree of success with which the building programme was executed and maintained
• the work of notable designers, including architects, engineers, builders, artisans, or planners

III. Landscape

The landscape criterion assesses the building as part of its immediate and larger surroundings. It includes any landscape features associated with the building’s design and function. A building’s surroundings may consist of an ensemble, a complex, a streetscape, an historic district, a cultural landscape, a heritage place, or a protected area. This criterion is used to assess any of the following:

• the quality of the landscape design and its place within the history of landscape architecture
• the role of the building as a point of reference or marker in the landscape
• the building’s contribution to its context and the contribution of the landscape to the building’s aesthetic and functional design

IV. Community

The community criterion measures a building’s importance to one or more communities in the present. Communities with a particular attachment to a building are called “communities of interest.” Community value can take many forms, including commemorative, symbolic, experiential, or collective. This criterion is used to assess community value through any of the following:

• the ways in which communities of interest use, experience, or interact with the building
• a building’s association with Indigenous knowledge, local knowledge, or spiritual or religious beliefs and practices
• a building’s place in a community’s collective memory or important dimensions of a community’s identity
• the building’s role as an emotional, symbolic, or visual landmark for the community, or its contribution to a sense of belonging

Review of intervention

Custodian departments must consult with the Federal Heritage Review Office at Parks Canada before undertaking any intervention that may impact the heritage value of a federal heritage property or an archaeological site on federal land, to ensure that appropriate heritage conservation advice is obtained.

• An intervention is “any action, other than demolition or destruction, that results in a physical change to an element of a historic place” (Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada)
• Any intervention should be submitted to the FHRO for a review of intervention if it is being undertaken at a federal heritage property

Disposals and best efforts

Custodian departments must consult with the Federal Heritage Review Office at Parks Canada before deciding to decommission, dispose (including lease-out) or demolish a federal heritage property or its components, to ensure that best efforts are made to conserve the heritage value of the federal heritage property.

• “Best efforts” refers to the considerations and steps taken by the custodian department, with a view to protecting the values of a federal heritage property, when it is being considered for disposal
• All federal heritage properties, and their components, are subject to a best efforts process

Contact us

Your questions are important to us. We are committed to providing you with accurate information in a timely manner.

Email:  bepf-fhro@pc.gc.ca