Continuity with Change: Planning for the Conservation of Man-made Heritage

Michael Dicketts was Information Librarian at the Kingston Public Library in Kingston, Ontario.

When the reader picks up this book he sees on its cover a current view of Kingston’s lively market square, with its nineteenth century streetscape still intact, together with the same view taken at the turn of the century. At first little appears to have changed, but the eye soon wanders above the old 1860 roofs and discerns two multi-storey apartment buildings rearing up to the sky in the background. To this reviewer, this urban conflict encapsulates the challenge faced by many of us in coming to grips with the problem of heritage conservation and downtown revitalization.

The editors of Continuity with Change have selected six locations where different aspects of planned conservation were necessary to enhance the cultural heritage of Ontario. Each chapter offers a detailed examination of existing conditions, presenting well-defined methods by which preservation can be undertaken. Such disparate subjects as an early hydro-electric generating station, urban renewal in Dundas, and the mines and mills of northwestern Ontario are offered as case studies and reflect favourably on the work of the Heritage Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Culture.

Each chapter contains an historical perspective and provides considerable detail on the planning method required before any actual work of conservation can begin. Numerous photographs, maps, and drawings provide useful added information. The book can best be considered as a textbook for students in urban studies, and for architects, planners, and others seriously involved in the preservation of our historical past.

The book’s publication reflects the giant steps taken in the last fifteen years in the heritage conservation movement; it is a major addition to the growing literature in the field.