Heritage BC is asking you to nominate industrial heritage sites as part of their latest cultural map project.
The online map will provide users with an interactive tool for tracing the historic activities that profoundly impacted on livelihoods, community growth, economy, and the environment of the province.
Communities, organizations or individuals province-wide are encouraged to submit information on any local industrial heritage site or sites they believe belongs on the map.
“We cannot underestimate the impact of industrial heritage on BC,” said Heritage BC executive director Kirstin Clausen in a news release.
“It created communities and infrastructure that paved the way for the growth of the province. People are interested in the places and communities where historic industry occurred, and they are also interested in the many legacies that resulted.”
The industrial heritage cultural map will look at the full range of legacies from industrial
activity, both positive and negative. Clausen says “it is Heritage BC’s goal to share this information with researchers, educators and lifelong learners among others on their individual journeys to become more informed global citizens.”
While industrial activity is usually considered as occurring in the 19th and 20th centuries, Heritage BC’s project will be guided by UNESCO’s definition of industrial archaeology, which exists in all phases of human development. Submissions from BC indigenous communities with what they value as their industrial heritage will be welcomed.
“This project offers a real opportunity to identify and better understand the impacts of the many resources and industries that are part of our province’s history,” says Roger Tinney, director of the provincial Heritage Branch. “The map layer will help to tell a more complete story of British Columbia.”
All submissions will be evaluated with the final selection of sites place on the freely available map where users can learn about the heritage site, and its values. There will also be an inventory list of all sites submitted but not included in the final selection.
You can suggest sites until June 9 by going to this link.