Skip to main content

Heritage is more then a standing structure...

So I have been looking for a house to buy. I have even looked at some heritage homes. But man, that is a whole crazy kettle of fish. As I kept researching heritage properties in Atlantic Canada and the subsequent committees, guidelines, by-laws, and apparent etiquette of owning one of these homes, I realized that once again there was a glaring implicit statement here. Our only heritage and heritage of worth are structures that currently exist. Some may argue but I say the proof is in the pudding my friends.

http://www.heritagefredericton.org/
http://www.truro.ca/truro-heritage-visitors-309.html
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/heritage.trust/

The heritage movement in Atlantic Canada apparently excludes any kind of First Nations contribution or any early european contribution that has the poor luck of not having any aboveground evidence. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying these organizations are not doing good work, they simply aren't going far enough. How do we change it?

Changing something like this needs a two pronged approach. There needs to be a grassroots, ground up strategy for education, appreciation, and understanding. There also need to be a top down change in government policy at all levels (federal, provinvial, and especially municipal). The top down policy changes need to have harsher penalties for those who break a law or by-law. Developers will destroy something if it is cheaper to do that and pay the fine then to halt a project. Unfortunately, they need to see that it is more costly to do wrong then to do right. Also, the grassroots can get involved here to apply public pressure--newspapers, protests, boycotting, etc.

As always, I need to be the change I want to see. It is one of the reasons I started to write this blog in the first place.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Show 42

My wife and I are putting on our first art show. We have each produced 21 5x7 pieces for the show. We are excited. Check it: http://www.facebook.com/CalabreseDesigns
Post a Comment
Read more

Rememories

My Public School career was from the early 80s to the early 90s. I am just now reckoning with the fact that I am neurodivergent--and have been since I was born. I have spent the past few years going back through my memories to unweave and review some of these times. I do not know where to begin or end.  I was bullied every day of school until I hit my growth spurt. That is when I stopped bullying from happening when I could. I hate bullying. I am sure that due to this part of my story, my reaction to some things is not proportional to the actual action.  I know I went to school with Mi'kmaq and Wolastokiyik kids but their identity was never acknowledged, certainly not celebrated, and perhaps ridiculed. The thing is, I didn't pay enough attention to really know.  I am sorry. I know I didn't do a good job. I am sure I was never a good or safe friend. 
Post a Comment
Read more

The Colonial Gaze in Film: re-wathching Roland Joffé's "The Mission"

I thought I was so smart coming up with this idea after learning about the male gaze several years ago. Let us refresh our minds and re-examine the wiki defining "In  feminist theory , the  male gaze  is the act of depicting  women  and the  world , in the  visual arts  and in  literature , from a masculine, heterosexual perspective that presents and  represents  women as  sexual objects  for the pleasure of the  heterosexual   male  viewer." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Male_gaze. Last accessed July 22, 2021). There is an abundance of quality explanations and explorations on this topic from a variety of points of academic rigour. I personally will be using Mollie Bowman as a guide and model and inspiration. I need direction. Of course I will not be the first one to apply this technique to the ideas of a colonial gaze. This will be the first time that I have re-watched a film while critically reflect...
Post a Comment
Read more