Should Public Dollars be used to Support the Restoration of Private Historic Buildings? (Part 2 Q&A)

Private ownership is one of the cornerstones of our system. Each person is responsible for the care, maintenance and development of their own land, house or business. But what happens when a privately owned historic building is historically valuable? Lethbridge has a number of historically significant buildings that need repair and some of them are held privately. In some cases, like the Bow on Tong and Manie Opera Society buildings, provincial and municipal governments have provided approximately $80,000 in support of stabilization of these historically important privately held buildings. But should public money support the restoration of private historic buildings? And, if so, how? The speaker will explore this issue and suggest ways for private ownership and public need to harmoniously work together. Speaker: Belinda Crowson Belinda Crowson is a member of the Lethbridge Historical Society's Heritage Conservation Committee and sits as the LHS representative on the City of Lethbridge's Heart of Our City Committee. The LHS Heritage Conservation Committee, one of many initiatives of the historical society, is designed to advocate for historic buildings. Belinda is also the current President of the Historical Society of Alberta and the author of four books on local history.