B.C. is holding off on planned changes to the Heritage Conservation Act until it can get more feedback from industry, local governments and First Nations.
The Heritage Conservation Act is the piece of legislation that governs the rules landowners must abide by when archeological artifacts are found on their property. In an effort to update this legislation, the government worked with First Nations’ leaders on 53 proposed changes.
Changes would have included stronger enforcement, simplified rules for property owners and expedited processes in response to natural disasters. First Nations were also to have been given a legislated say in decisions regarding their cultural heritage.
When local governments were informed of this plan in August, many were upset not to have been involved in the process.
As recently as November, Union of B.C. Municipalities President Cori Ramsey called for the government to hold off on changes to avoid “unintended consequences.”
Forests Minister Ravi Parmar had said he expected the changes to be introduced in 2026, at the earliest. The latest messaging from the government on Monday (Jan. 19) says the changes were anticipated to be introduced this spring but are now being delayed, with no new timeline provided.