PROVINCE PROVIDES $1.7 MILLION TO CELEBRATE HERITAGE

VICTORIA – In honour of BC150, the Province is providing $1.7 million to celebrate and recognize the significant role that heritage plays in the provincial economy, Tourism, Culture and the Arts Minister Bill Bennett announced today.

This funding is provided in partnership with the federal government’s Department of Canadian Heritage, in support of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Crown Colony of British Columbia in 1858.

“Heritage has a fundamental role in communicating the history, people, events and places that have shaped British Columbia as well as being a significant tourism asset,” said Bennett. “This funding will support projects that celebrate and showcase British Columbia's rich cultural heritage and provide provincial heritage property managers with the assistance they need to invest in stewardship and presentation efforts that will recognize BC150 and help promote our great province as we welcome the world in 2010.”

The funding is to be allocated in two ways. One million dollars will be provided to support community heritage projects through one-time grants of up to $20,000. This funding will be administered by the Heritage Legacy Fund of British Columbia Society and available to registered non-profit societies, registered federal charities and local governments for the creation of heritage legacy projects throughout the province. Projects can include presentations, demonstrations, school tours, historical research, first-person interpretations of people, special events, and minor preservation and maintenance work to heritage sites.

The remaining $700,000 will be provided to the community-based managers of provincial heritage properties such as Barkerville, Fort Steele and Hat Creek Ranch to facilitate similar celebratory and commemorative projects at these significant Crown-owned historic sites.

“We are pleased to be partnering with the provincial government on the distribution of these important grants,” said Ian Fawcett, chair of the Heritage Legacy Fund of British Columbia Society. “Our heritage connects us to our past, strengthens our sense of community and is a marker of our achievements. These grants will honour and celebrate B.C.'s heritage and provide a fitting tribute to BC150.”

Through BC150, every British Columbian is encouraged to learn, share and celebrate what it means to be a part of B.C.’s heritage. Conservation and appreciation of the province’s rich heritage can contribute significantly to the vitality, diversity and sustainability of communities across B.C. Cultural tourism, including heritage tourism, is one of the fastest growing tourism sectors in B.C. In September, the Province announced plans to develop a Cultural Tourism Strategy at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities Convention.

For more information, please contact the Heritage Legacy Fund of British Columbia Society, toll-free at 1-877-522-0150 or email bc150-heritagelegacyfund@shaw.ca.

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Media contact:	David Greer Communications Manager Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts 250 387-2799

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