Year of Action 2019

Do you think Federal Budget 2019 should include historic places?

We are calling upon the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to demonstrate federal leadership for historic places by working with the Minister of Finance to create federal financial measures in Budget 2019 that would support the efforts of Canadians including Indigenous Peoples, charities and not for profits to save and renew historic places, and to encourage private sector investment and heritage philanthropy.

Recent Developments

On December 10^th, the Government released its detailed response to the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development’s 10^th Report Preserving Canada’s Heritage: The Foundation for Tomorrow.

Thanks to your efforts, a parliamentary petition sponsored by Liberal MP John Aldag calling for funding for historic places in Budget 2019 garnered 4,276 online signatures – and more signatures on paper versions of the petition are still being tallied.

Read the Press Release

What Can You Do?

Meet with your MP concerning #Budget2019: Prepare for a meeting with your MP by reading the National Trust and its partner organizations’ submission recommending federal funding for historic places in Budget 2019 and the toolkit for action.
Make noise over social media: Share your places at risk using our sample tweets in our toolkit for action.
Join the open bi-weekly teleconference to #changethegame4heritage: A pan-Canadian opportunity for updates and strategy development held every second Tuesday. Next call: Federal Election 2019 Strategy Session: a post-mortem on Federal Budget 2019 and election strategy development on Tuesday, April 2 at 2 p.m. EDT. (Toll free: 1-888-289-4573, participant’s code: 2068348).

Timeline

2019

MARCH 19: Federal Budget 2019 – the National Trust’s response
JANUARY 16: Government response to Petition E-1778 (National Historic Sites)

2018

DECEMBER 10: Government releases detailed response to the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development’s 10^th Report Preserving Canada’s Heritage: The Foundation for Tomorrow
NOVEMBER 20: Auditor General’s report, Conserving Federal Heritage Properties
NOVEMBER 19: Petition E-1778 (National Historic Sites) tabled in House of Commons
OCTOBER 3: National Trust provides Additional Input to Government on recommendations in Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development’s 10^th Report Preserving Canada’s Heritage: The Foundation for Tomorrow
STARTING IN OCTOBER: Federal Budget in development
AUGUST 3: Heritage Sector Pre-Budget 2019 Submission
JULY 8: Petition E-1778 (NATIONAL HISTORIC SITES) launched
JUNE 5: Minister McKenna open to increased funding for National Cost-sharing Program for Heritage Places
JUNE 5: Parks Canada CEO Underscores Federal Leadership in Canada’s Built Heritage
MARCH 21: Bill C-323 was killed in the House of Commons – terminating a private member’s bill for heritage rehabilitation tax incentives that saw widespread support from organizations, municipalities, property owners and Heritage advocates.
FEBRUARY 27: The Federal Government released a budget with no financial measures to encourage investment in historic places, and no word on maintaining funding for the National Cost-Sharing Program for Heritage Places.