Resolution No. 15-06A

WHEREAS, many of the cost-shared road construction projects require a heritage site review by Heritage Resources Unit, Culture and Heritage Branch of Saskatchewan Culture, Youth and Recreation; and

WHEREAS, during many of these "Heritage Resource Impact Assessments" the Heritage Resources Unit and/or its assigns or agents can be found wandering areas far removed from the area to be impacted by the construction process;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that "Heritage Resource Impact Assessments" be restricted to the road allowance and back slope sites shown to be impacted by the process on the engineering profiles for the project; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Heritage Resources Unit and/or its assigns and agents coordinate their review with the municipality in which the work is to be done.

Response from Honourable Glenn Hagel, Minister of Culture, Youth and Recreation:

I note that is the same resolution as No. 20-05A from your 2005 convention, to which the Honorable Joan Beatty responded on April 26, 2005. Minister Beatty's letter was followed up by a letter from Culture, Youth and Recreation (CYR) to the RM of Piapot No. 110 on July 5, 2005, and again by letter from CYR to the RM on February 15, 2006. The RM of Piapot appears to be concerned that contractors commissioned to study the potential impact of their proposed road re-development on heritage resources are: a) Not communicating their presence to the municipality at the time of the field work, and b) Not confining themselves to the impact area of the development.

In proposing resolution No. 15-06A, the RM again misunderstands the role of my Department in administering the heritage resource impact assessment (Hria) and development review process. In Particular; – CYR Heritage officials review development proposals to determine the need for and scope of Hria study, but do not conduct these studies; – Where required as a condition of project and/or funding approval, Hria studies are responsibility of the developer (the R.M. in this case); – Hria studies must be carried out by qualified contractors that are selected and retained by the developer; – Heritage contractors do not act as "agents" for the Department; and – Hria studies required under The Heritage Property Act are always directed at the impact areas of proposed land development.

I appreciate that the landowners and the RM would like to be notified by heritage contractors prior to work being conducted. As heritage contractors are hired by the RM or its representative, directing all contractors and sub-contractors to communicate directly with the RM office and land owners concerning their work may well avoid this sort of communication problem in the future. The department can assist by continuing to remind permitted contractors to contact local municipalities and land owners prior to commencing their field investigations.