A well-respected local historian has achieved a prestigious position.
Agassiz’s Bev Kennedy has recently become a member of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP). By CAHP’s definition, a heritage professional is “a person who has specialized knowledge, supported by formal training, and/or work experience, in the conservation and stewardship of cultural heritage.”
With decades of experience in heritage preservation, Kennedy is a researcher for the Agassiz-Harrison Historical Society and can frequently be found at the Agassiz-Harrison Museum. She chairs the Old Cemetery Conservation Plan Sub-Committee, a group dedicated to restoring and preserving Agassiz’s historic cemetery on Limbert Mountain. She served as chief elections officer in Lytton months after a devastating wildfire virtually destroyed the community in the summer of 2021.
The Observer has reached out to Kennedy for further comment.
The CAHP states that there are certain projects and contracts for which only CAHP members can apply.
The CAHP membership process is rigorous with a membership committee deliberating over each application. This includes reviewing credentials, contacting references and bringing the application before the board of directors. The membership committee meets once a month to review applications, and the entire process from start to finish can take up to four months.
CAHP professionals fall under a number of specialties, including building experts, crafts/trades, environmental specialists and educators. Kennedy is listed as a cultural heritage expert.
Based in Ottawa and established in 1984, CAHP is the largest network of heritage professionals in the country.