Heritage Designation

The best place to start researching the history of your home is through the Saanich Archives in person at 3100 Tillicum Road (inside the Saanich Centennial Library) or online

For additional sources, please see the following document prepared by Saanich Archives Researching the history of your house: Explore Saanich Archiv:es Resources for Researching Your House

There is no set date which defines a house as heritage. Age is only one factor in determining heritage. The history, use, architect, owners, architectural features and uniqueness are also considered

“Heritage designated” carries a higher level of protection and recognition, and is approved by Saanich Council through a Heritage Designation Bylaw. Designation generally applies to the exterior only, though interior or landscape features can be included.

“Heritage registered” means that a house has documented historical value, but has not been designated and protected by bylaw.

To receive a House Grant for any restoration to your home, it must be heritage designated.

The Saanich Heritage Register book includes both types of recognition, and hundreds of properties.

You submit an Application for Heritage Designation to the Saanich Planning Department. If you need help with the application or want input before you begin, you are welcome to contact the Foundation – we would be excited to work with you to have your home’s heritage value recognized.

If your budget allows, you may also choose to hire a Heritage Consultant to prepare a Statement of Significance, which will speed up the process and provide clear documentation of character-defining elements.

A statement of significance outlines the Heritage Value of a historic place, and is one of the first steps in conservation planning. It identifies key elements of a historic building, and becomes a critical link between heritage value and conservation actions. It also provides guidance to property owners, architects, developers and others who are making an intervention to the hisoric place. The SoS is part of the mandatory document for the Canadian Register of Historic Places and the BC Register of Historic Places.

There is no standard for creating a Statement of Significance, which can lead to very short, vague statements or detailed multi-page detailed reports, depending on who requested it (homeowner, developer, etc.) and the ultimate purpose (designation, alteration, demolition).

It can be prepared by the homeowner or by a third party. Heritage Consultants can also assist with developing a Statement of Significance. The Saanich Heritage Foundation has previously received reports from John Dam and Katie Cummer, who are both members of CAHP.

Additional information on how to write one can be found here:

• Canadian Register of Historic Places Writing Statements of Significance
• BC Heritage Branch Guidelines for Writing Effective Statements of Significance

Yes! The Saanich Heritage Foundation administers a house grant program for restoration and upkeep work. Owners of Designated Heritage properties are eligible to apply.

For more information and to apply, please visit the Grants page.

Your house has been recognized as having heritage value by Saanich.

Designation is a higher level of heritage recognition. This comes with obligations as well as benefits:

1. You may not alter the exterior of a Designated house without a Heritage Alteration Permit, which will be voted on by Council as part of the Building Permit process.
2. You are eligible to apply for grants from the Foundation, and obtain financial support for exterior and structural work.

Note that you may still renovate the interior of your home (unless the interior is Designated, which is very rare) and carry out repairs as most other homeowners are able to.

You may carry out regular maintenance and repair as most other homeowners do. Rotting wood, peeling paint, etc can be repaired without the Foundation or Saanich’s involvement.

Larger maintenance items such as entire new coats of paint, new windows, or a new roof, are eligible for grant funding if carried out in accordance with the Foundation’s guidelines. The Foundation can guide you through this process.

If your repairs involve altering the exterior of the building, as opposed to repairing existing materials, you should reach out to the Foundation for assistance, as well as to Saanich to check whether a Building Permit or Heritage Alteration Permit would be required.

In any case, you can contact the Foundation for advice on how to carry out repairs (interior or exterior) that will ensure the longevity of the historic elements of your home.

We encourage you to consider keeping your house on the Register — it’s an important part of our local history.

If you would like to remove your house from the Register, you will have to prepare your case and make an application to Council whether the house is Registered or Designated.

In writing their recommendation to Council, Planning staff will consider the Foundation’s input. The Foundation may also weigh in at the Council meeting. Ultimately, the decision is with Council.

Most de-listings happen as a result of a heritage building having been registered decades ago, and the building having fallen into tremendous disrepair over that time, usually having its character-defining elements removed. This sometimes coincides with a redevelopment.

Note that a house not meeting the current Building Code is not usually a sufficient reason on its own for the Foundation to support a de-listing. The Building Code changes every few years, so most of Saanich’s homes are not fully compliant with the current Code. Key building systems and safety-related aspects of a building can be upgraded without de-listing the building or removing character-defining elements. In these cases the Foundation may offer advice, or encourage you to work with a Heritage Consultant to prepare a building condition assessment and maintenance plan.

BC Register of Historic Places

Heritage BC. or their Resource Page