Election 2019 – The Economy, the Environment, and Historic Places
August 26, 2019 – OTTAWA
The National Trust sent 4 questions to every federal political party, and we invite you to pose them too – at all-candidates’ meetings and on doorstep encounters across Canada.
- What will your party do to ensure that the Canadian tax system encourages the re-use and retrofit of existing and older buildings, including heritage buildings – an essential part of any climate strategy
- How would you support the efforts of Indigenous Peoples to save and renew their heritage places, and commemorate their contributions to Canada’s history?
- How will your government get Canada’s federal house in order to protect nationally significant historic places?
- How does your economic development strategy address the needs of Canada’s rural regions and traditional small towns, in a way that protects heritage places and landscapes?
Read the full submission here.
Historic places are showing up in election platforms!
- The Green Party’s Platform responds to our Question 1: What will your party do to ensure the tax system encourages the re-use and retrofit of existing and older buildings? “Implement a federal income tax credit for restoration expenditures to encourage private involvement in preserving Canada’s built heritage. Establish charitable tax credits for the private donation of easements on heritage properties to charitable organizations or local governments.” https://www.greenparty.ca/sites/default/files/platform_2019_en_web_-_update_sep17.pdf (pg. 44)
- The Liberal Party of Canada’s Platform responds to our Question 3, about how the federal government will get its own house in order. “Preserving Canada’s heritage is essential to understanding the history of our communities, and to fostering a sense of connection between people…To provide clearer direction on how national heritage places should be designated and preserved, we will move forward with new comprehensive heritage legislation on federally owned heritage places.” https://2019.liberal.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/292/2019/09/Forward-A-real-plan-for-the-middle-class.pdf (pg. 49-50)
Liberal Party of Canada – National Trust for Canada Questions 2019 - The New Democratic Party Platform says “New Democrats will protect our heritage and support a strong, independent Canadian arts and culture industry.” https://action.ndp.ca/page/-/2019/Q2/2019-06-19_Commitments-Doc_EN.pdf (pg. 85-86).
NDP Response – National Trust for Canada Questions 2019 - The Peoples Party of Canada is being unveiled over the coming weeks – but no mention to date of historic places.
- The Conservative Party of Canada Announced on Oct 7- A new Conservative government would scrap admission fees from all of Canada’s national museums; designate the RCMP Heritage Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan as a national museum; and designate the gravesites of past Prime Ministers and Governors General as national historic sites.
