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The Sustainability Challenge

Protecting Unfunded Federal Heritage

Dr. Nancy Arsenault, DeanFaculty of Tourism & Hotel Management

www.royalroads.ca www.hatleypark.ca

2nd Annual Symposium on Cultural and Heritage Tourism

10 June 2008: Toronto, Ontario

… stewards of

• Royal Roads University was created to meet the needs of working professionals through applied programs, primarily at app ed p og a s, p a y atthe graduate level

• Our campus is located on Hatley Park National Historic Site

Canada’s Newest Tourism Educator and only Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management

• MA in International Hotel Management • MA in Tourism Management (new Sept 08)• Graduate Certificates in:

• Sustainable Tourism (new Sept 08)d h• Tourism Leadership

• Destination Development

• BA in International Hotel Management• 3rd & 4th year completion degree• 12 month intensive on campus, or 2-years

online

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A place we call home

Ancient forests, Edwardian gardens, and a Castle by the sea...

As did the Dunsmuir family (1906 – 1940) and the Department of National Defence (1940-1995)

Victoria, British Columbia

20 minutes from the inner harbour, 30 minutes from the airport

Hatley Park: 1908 - 1995• First nations and farmers were the early settlers on the land• 1906, estate purchased by BC’s Lieutenant Governor, James

Dunsmuir purchased the and commissioned renowned architect Samuel Maclure to build a replica of a 15th century, 40-room Edwardian castle.

• 1937 DND purchased the estate• 1937 DND purchased the estate

• 1995 (Apr) designated a national historic site

• 1995 (Sep)the estate is leased to Royal Roads, BC’s newest, special purpose university

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Designation

• Its distinctiveness as an evolved cultural landscape

• It is a superb Canadian example of an Edwardian park which remains practically intact in its plan the extent of its grounds intact in its plan, the extent of its grounds, and the quality and variety of its features

• The institutional imprint of Royal Roads Military College which occupied Hatley Park for over 50 years is apparent and, in many ways, complementary.

An evolved cultural landscape with four defined areas:nine gardens, old-growth forest, recreation, and agriculture

The Japanese Garden

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The Rose Garden

The Italian Garden

Old-growth forests

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… with exquisite walking trails with incredible views

Recreation Areas

All recreation areas have been decommissioned for public use

Agricultural Areas

None of the agricultural areas in use

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A rare eco-system: bird sanctuary, wildlife, adjacent to the Esquimalt Lagoon

Our Built Heritage: Hatley Castle (1908) ClassifiedThen a retirement home, now Royal Roads administration

In the basement of the castle is our humble museum and gift shop

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“The Cedar Building” (1912) RecognizedThen a cow barn and dairy, now teaching and research space

“The Mews” (1914) RecognizedThen stables and a garage, now a conference centre

“The Grant Building” (1942) RecognizedThen and now, an instructional building for DND and RRU

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“The Recreation Centre” (1949) RecognizedThen and now, a gymnasium/sports facility

“The Nixon Building” (1954 – 1956) RecognizedThen, cadet accommodations, now short-stay residence

“The Milward Building” (1990 modifications) RecognizedThen cadet accommodations, now offices & accommodations

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Plus our ‘yet’ undesignated built heritage: The Library (1975)

The Boathouse

Then, used for boat storage, now offices of our Foundation staff

And the newly restored 1914 Lord and Burnham Greenhouse

Part 1: $750,000 for Greenhouse and Head Gardener House• Hallmark Society Award of Merit (Dedicated for preserving historic and architectural landmarks)• Heritage BC Outstanding Achievement (For exterior restoration and interior rehabilitation)

Part 2: $350,000 Public education and historical use – fundraising enroute

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Hatley Park National Historic Site… a truly natural and cultural heritage treasure

A Unique Challenge: The owners and stewards are not in the ‘heritage business’

• DND’s priorities is to protect the nation and contribute to international peace

• Royal Roads’ priority is to provide post-secondary education

… and the University must preserve and present this 565 acre estate to federal heritage standards

The Magnitude of the Challenge

• Only public, post-secondary institution in Canada responsible for a national historic site

• Site not leased to the University in 1995 with the cultural resources in tact as later described in commemorative integrity statement, received in 2000

• Pay $1/year assume full stewardship responsibility includes • Pay $1/year, assume full stewardship responsibility, includes $20M+ deferred maintenance (2002 Public Works Study)

• Province does fund federal heritage, nor does the federal government fund this site

• Standards and Guidelines for the Protection of Historic Places, 2004 – limited expertise on island

• A sense of ownership in community, significant densification enroute, increasing impacts on the site (human and wildlife)

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Our Opportunity – From a Culture and Heritage Tourism Lens

• To manage the protection and public education of the heritage site in ways it becomes an example of excellence as a ‘living learning destination’ fordestination for

oSustainable heritage managementoEnvironmental stewardshipoResponsible tourism

• Lead through innovation linked by education• Protect through advancing the shared

appreciation and responsibility for federal heritage

A Birds Eye View of the Heritage Challenges

1. Understanding & appreciation

2. Expectation management

3. Financial

4. Relevance

… and solutions!

1. Understanding and Appreciation

1. What is means to be a national historic site in the ‘family’, not part of Parks Canada

2. Difference between FHBRO’s classified and recognized designation system vs. Level 1 and 2 assets in the commemorative integrity statement

3. What is legally required vs due diligence

4. Need to build on site to support RRU

5. What happens when heritage fails?

Lost to the elements

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Intervention Review Requirements“Multiple Lens”

Major new building

Minor new building

Classified building

renovation

Designated building

renovation

Non-heritage building

renovation

Land-scape

Civil works

Annual main-

tenance

External reviewDND lease

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DND MOAFHBRO uncertain uncertain

Internal reference CRM policyCISHCSS & G

Kalman, H. & Yardley, J. (2007). Enhancing the federal heritage approval process. A study commissioned by Royal Roads University

Heritage Authority Matrix - Impacts

Level of Authority

Federal Requirements Authority Consequence of Breech

Legal DND Lease Permission required for all significant changes

Revoke lease

Legal DND MOA Permission required for all changes in ‘Adjacent Lands’

Revoke lease

Legal EA Approval from DND required

(not our area of expertise)required

Regulatory FHBRO review FHBRO through DND

DND may refuse change.Treasury Board may place sanctios on DND.

Due diligence CRM Policy DND Lease FHBRO may deny/consentDue diligence Commemorative Integrity

StatementDND Lease FHBRO may deny/consent

Due diligence Heritage Character Statement

DND Lease FHBRO may deny/consent

Due diligence Standards & Guidelines DND Lease FHBRO may deny/consent

Kalman, H. & Yardley, J. (2007). Enhancing the federal heritage approval process. A study commissioned by Royal Roads University.

2. Expectation Management

Operational challenges in managing federal heritage• Federal government funds the heritage they designate• Sense of ‘government owned, access should be free’• Royal Roads funding is the same level as other universities • 3 layers of government, complex approval processes

As a tourism destination, we are often compared to• Butchart Gardens (102 years welcoming guests)• Craigdarroch Castle (30 years in tourism)• Parks Canada Sites• Known for 65 years as “Royal Roads” not

“Hatley Park” Craigdarroch Castle

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3. Financial• The cost of maintaining heritage, $20M+ • No steady funding source and lack of success in leveraging

philanthropic gifts towards any matched government funds• Increased cost of maintenance and intervention (heritage

expertise, assessments, approvals)• Speed and complexity of approvals, changing expectations• University high season is summer same as tourism – limited • University high season is summer, same as tourism – limited

space, unable to receive as much business as we can attract; hence revenue potential is limited

• Tax issues

4. Relevance

• How to make heritage relevant to people of all ages and stages, and voters

• Need to gather stories and engage visitors so they want to support preservation and presentationpresentation

• Ethics of allowing more buildings/sites to be designated, without funding, when what we have is struggling for survival!

Sometimes the solutions are not obvious, and there is always a higher priority, yet …

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Tourism Solutions

Generate needed revenues, but increases the human use impact

Philanthropic Solutions

• $1.3M site specific projects (2005-07)• Capital campaign

• $4.2 M of projects that will preserve, enable research and ultimately educate students inform research, and ultimately educate students, inform the general public

• Continue to advocate for government support to match or leverage ‘gifts’ from caring public

A catalyst for preservation … The Bateman Art and Environmental Centre

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Living our Learning!

Royal Roads University

The Bateman Centre

Hatley Park National Historic

Site

Some Long Term Solutions• Create innovative funding programs eligible to all – e.g. a

restoration fund with accountability over 5 years• Harmonize FHBRO/CIS requirements (federal sites)• Introduce tax benefits or alternative on-going support• Simplify language, ensure clearly defined, well articulated and

timely intervention approvals, tools to educate on heritage value• Create a National Trust - central access for info and expertise

Copies of the presentation:

nancy.arsenault@royalroads.ca

Thank you!

www.royalroads.ca

Hatley Castle, Victoria BC, Canada

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www.hatleypark.ca