The village is adding a couple of ‘significant’ old buildings to its historical register.
At a meeting earlier in March, council members were presented with an update of the heritage committee’s work plan and summary of activities, along with the two recent additions.
Council approved the addition of the Waverley Hotel and the Cumberland Community Church, each with documented statements of significance, to the Cumberland Community Heritage Register. Council had budgeted for this work, but a provincial grant also supported it. The motion also included wording that the owners be notified and the minister responsible for the Heritage Conservation Act.
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Senior planner Karin Albert said typically the committee works on one to four sites a year for addition to the register. Sites added in recent years include the King George Hotel, Ilo Ilo Theatre, the Big Store and sites from the old mine.
“The heritage committee has been very busy over the past year-and-a-half,” Albert told council at the March 14 meeting. “We have now a very enthusiastic and active heritage committee.”
Members of council appreciated the report and some of its stories about the two buildings in question. Coun. Jesse Ketler thanked the committee for its work but had questions about the work plan and how issues would be addressed.
The staff report notes that for 2022-23 the committee could consider seven sites for proposed statements of significance, including the Bevan Houses, the jailhouse/Draegermans Building, Wellington Rail Line, ‘Moons Records’ building, Cumberland Recreation Institute, Cumberland Wetlands (agricultural and beaver impacts) and Perseverance Creek (completion).
For the broader work plan, the committee has a list of 10 tasks including the statements of significance, as well as other such as commemoration plans, a heritage conservation toolkit, online work, possible updates to the committee’s terms of reference and a review of the Cumberland’s street naming policy.
“I would like to put that to the top of the list,” Coun. Sean Sullivan said.
mike.chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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