Heritage Covenants and Preservation: The Calgary Civic Trust

M. Wayne Cunningham is a past executive director of the Saskatchewan
Arts Board and the former director of Academic and Career Programs at
East Kootenay Community College.

Heritage Covenants and Preservation is a record of the proceedings of a
September 2000 conference that was sponsored by the Calgary Civic Trust
to explain and explore heritage covenant systems worldwide. It opens
with a general introduction that features a detailed explanation of
covenanting, references to the legislation and policies surrounding it,
examples of the legislation’s implementation and benefits in Canada
and abroad, and a description of the activities of the Calgary Civic
Trust.

The book’s first three sections detail the presentations made at the
conference by various experts; discuss the financial, tax, and legal
considerations arising from the Heritage Canada policy; and examine the
appraisal methods used for calculating market value. The fourth section
includes discussions of the design of a covenant, the effects of
covenanting on development, and the concepts of stewardship via
covenanting.

Among the book’s supplementary materials are black-and-white photos
of various projects, four appendixes that include a copy of section 29
of the Alberta Historical Resources Act, a comprehensive sample covenant
and agreement proposed by the Calgary Civic Trust, a list of 34 relevant
websites, a bibliography, and endnotes.

For individuals, organizations, and agencies interested in
heritage-preservation mechanisms, processes, and ramifications,
Pannekoek’s well-designed and comprehensive book is a must-read.