Why conserve places and objects of historical and cultural significance?

The 1999 Australian Burra Charter for the Conservation of Places of Cultural Significance probably answers this question best when it states - because “they provide a deep and inspirational sense of connection to community and landscape, to the past and to lived experiences. They are historical records, that are important as tangible expressions of [our] identity and history.” They “reflect the diversity of our communities, telling us about who we are and the past that has formed us…They are irreplaceable and precious.”

In 2006, Oak Bay celebrated its centenary as a municipality. But of course before it was incorporated, there were pioneer farmers and fur traders settling here under the auspices of the Hudson’s Bay Company from the mid-1800’s, and before they arrived Spanish and nglish explorers navigated the coastal waters, and even before these last arrived the original First Peoples, the various groups of the Straits Salish, lived, fished and traded in various locations throughout Oak Bay. Artifacts provide evidence of settlements dating back 3000 years.

It is this accumulation of history that Heritage Oak Bay seeks to commemorate for the benefit of citizens and visitors alike. The notion of what is heritage has evolved over time, from the preservation or restoration of individual existing buildings to the inclusion of cemeteries, landscapes, gardens and streetscapes; from the tangible bricks and mortar to the intangible cultural. spiritual and artistic vestiges of the past; from the notion that economic development and heritage preservation were at opposite ends of the planning spectrum to one where they can even co-exist and thrive together; from the sense that heritage was a matter of what happened only in Victorian days to one that now includes the recent past; and from the idea that heritage only concerned elite groups to one where all members of society are included.

Heritage Oak Baytakes the broadest and most inclusive approach in its view of preserving and promoting heritage. The definition will no doubt continue to expand and evolve over the years to come, and our views will likewise evolve. We invite you to explore Heritage Oak Bay's website, we welcome your feedback and we hope that you will delight along with us in the heritage treasures that Oak Bay has to offer.