Heritage Sites

Heritage Sites

Housing & Properties

Always (1:6,000 for VanMapLite)

CSG provides yearly update Heritage registers to council. The Vanmap Heritage data will be updated at the same time.

All the sites that are referred to as "heritage" are on the Heritage Register. The Heritage Register is a Council-approved listing of buildings, streetscapes, landscape resources (parks and landscapes, trees, monuments, public works) and archaeological sites which have architectural or historical heritage value. It provides a valuable record of Vancouver's heritage.

Buildings on the Heritage Register are "listed" in A, B, or C evaluation categories. Those buildings noted on VanMap as "Primary evaluation" are also known as "A-listings". These represent the best examples of a style or type of building, or they may be associated with a person or event of historic importance. Those buildings noted on VanMap as "Significant evaluation" are also known as "B-listings". These are good examples of a specific building style or type and may have some historical or cultural significance in a neighbourhood. Those buildings noted on VanMap as "Contextual evaluation" are also known as "C-listings". These contribute to the historic character of an area or street scape and they are usually found in groupings of more than one heritage building.

Heritage Designation:

The purpose of designation is to protect a heritage building from unsympathetic alteration and subsequent loss of heritage character or value. Buildings that are noted on VanMap as designated have their exterior and structure protected, either in whole or in part. Designation may also protect certain interior features. The two forms of designation as noted on VanMap are Provincial and Municipal.

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Provincial Designation:

In 1971, in response to a growing concern for the preservation of two areas of Vancouver's early development faced with destruction, the Province designated 230 individual properties located within Gastown and Chinatown. These properties were designated under the Provincial Archaeological and Historic Sites Protection Act of 1960. The designation included all buildings of heritage value as well as intervening properties which were vacant or occupied by contemporary structures. The result was a contiguous protected heritage area. This was the only time the Act was used to protect an entire historic district in an urban environment.

In January 2003, all provincially designated heritage sites in Gastown and Chinatown were transferred to municipally designated sites. This was by and large an administrative formality, as the Province had delegated authority to issue ministerial permits for changes and alterations to provincially designated properties to the Director of Planning in 1981. However, it marked the final step to fully integrate all designated heritage sites and buildings into the same process.

This leaves only one site protected by provincial heritage designation: the CPR Round House in Yaletown, built in 1888 and later, including the turntable and courtyard.

Municipal Designation:

This is similar to the provincial designation, in that the buildings are protected from demolition or alteration. However, they are identified individually under the Heritage By-law. Most buildings are designated Any alterations to such buildings must be approved by the City through a Heritage Alteration Permit.

Heritage Revitalization Agreements:

This is a form of heritage protection that in most cases, is used with heritage designation. However, there are a limited number of buildings protected by a heritage revitalization agreement. It is a binding agreement between the owner and the city that, by by-law, provides protection along with terms of restoration and rehabilitation. In certain cases, the heritage revitalization agreement may also allow relaxation to requirements of subdivision or zoning in exchange for heritage protection and restoration.