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Rideau Heritage Initiative

OTTAWA - The Historic Places Initiative (HPI) at the Ontario Ministry of Culture is undertaking a pilot project with graduate students at the School of Canadian Studies, Carleton University. HPI is a federal, provincial and territorial partnership aimed at identifying and conserving historic places across Canada. In light of the 175th anniversary of the Rideau Canal and in conjunction with its current World Heritage nomination, the Ontario Ministry of Culture has developed a community capacity building project for the management of cultural heritage resources throughout the Rideau corridor. Specific needs within the corridor were identified by members of the Rideau Heritage Network and efforts are being made to address these within the project. Six Carleton graduate students have been employed to advise and support Rideau corridor communities from Kingston to Ottawa to strengthen and develop, where appropriate, planning, designation and nomination processes.

Over the next four months, these students will be working closely with community members to raise awareness and build support for heritage conservation. Project findings and results will be presented through community functions and workshops and shared with the Friends of the Rideau website. Final results will be presented at the upcoming ICOMOS Congress, “Principles and Practice,” in Ottawa, November 2006.

Please contact us for further information.
Rideau Heritage Initiative
School of Canadian Studies, Carleton University
rideauheritage@gmail.com