Angus calls out Minister Prentice for failing to protect Canadian heritage

TIMMINS – Forty-one pre-confederation heritage buildings in the city of Brantford are about the be demolished, and the minister responsible for protecting Canada’s built heritage has done nothing to stop it; in fact, a fellow cabinet minister is using $1.38 million of ‘stimulus’ to make it happen.

“I appreciate the concerns of the City of Brantford to undergo commercial revitalization. I support the mandate of the Southern Ontario Development Program to ‘build on the assets of communities," New Democrat Heritage and Culture Critic Charlie Angus said in a letter to Minister Prentice. “It is, however, questionable as to whether this mandate is being met if federal tax-dollars are being used to send a historically-significant neighbourhood to the landfill site.”

The 41 buildings, half of which were built before 1870, occupy three blocks of Brantford’s Colborne Street. The City’s council pushed for the demolition, saying that the rush was necessary in order to qualify for the federal stimulus money. As Minister of the environment, it is Prentice’s responsibility to protect Canada’s built heritage and examine federal projects to ensure heritage and environmental preservation concerns are considered and prioritised.

“This demolition has been rammed down the throats of the people of Brantford without proper public consultation or a plan of what to do after,” said Marc Laferriere, New Democrat federal candidate for Brant. “The federal government gave millions to the city but didn’t allow for serious consideration of other options. Obviously, more oversight is needed for the federal funding program and this project moving forward.”

“Minister Prentice needs to pick up the ball on this,” said Angus. “He must ensure that federal stimulus spending is, in fact, developing infrastructure in Canada, and not tearing it down.”

Minister Jim Prentice
Environment Canada
10 Wellington Street
Gatineau, Quebec KIA OH3
February 26, 2010

Re: Demolition of heritage buildings in Brantford, Ontario

Dear Minister Prentice,

I am writing you today with regard to the federal government's participation in the demolition of a significant number of pre-confederation heritage buildings in southern Ontario. Under the mandate of "stimulus" the Southern Ontario Development Program has committed $1.38 million for the demolition of 41 heritage buildings on Brantford's Colborne Street. Almost all of these buildings have been listed on the city's heritage inventory.

What is unusual about the demolition is the number of buildings (three city blocks) and the fact that they represent one of the unique examples of an intact, pre -confederation neighbourhood.

I appreciate the desire of the City of Brantford to undergo commercial revitalization. I understand the hope of using stimulus dollars to help improve urban infrastructure. As well, I support the mandate of the SODP to "build on the assets of communities ." It is, however, very questionable as to whether this mandate is being met if federal tax -dollars are being used to send a historically-significant neighbourhood to the landfill site.

The situation in Brantford speaks to the need to establish a federal program of tax incentives, such as exists in the United States, to assist in urban renewal through heritage redevelopment. As we have seen in communities across this country, once built heritage has been destroyed, the move cannot be undone.

As the Auditor General's office acknowledged in 2003 and again in 2007, there is an important responsibility within your portfolio to protect Canada's built heritage. I submit that your responsibilities include ensuring that another department of your government is not facilitating the demolition of the built heritage that you are meant to help preserve. I would ask you to intervene in this file, and to seek assurances from your fellow Minister that his stimulus spending is, in fact, developing infrastructure assets in Canada, rather than demolishing them.

Finally, I am seeking clarification on the priority that your government places on heritage and environmental preservation when examining projects requiring short term stimulus spending.

I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible on this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

Charlie Angus, MP
NDP Heritage Critic