The Township of Langley Community and Heritage Services Department (website) (Phone: 604-888-3922 E-mail: smorhun@tol.bc.ca) formally and organizationally links built heritage, museums, galleries etc., has a mandate to create and manage a holistic heritage conservation program centered on "that which we have inherited, value, believe in and wish to keep", and is responsible for the following functions:
Operation of the Langley Centennial Museum and National Exhibition Centre
The museum, located in Fort Langley, is home to the community's collection of artifacts, works of art and non- governmental archival material. It offers museum based exhibits, school and public programmes and special events throughout the year.
The Langley Centennial Museum and National Exhibition Centre is the core facility of the department and operationally focusses on artifacts, works of art and archival material. All staff also have community based arts and heritage responsiblities that go beyond traditional museum job descriptions. Sue Morhun, for instance, is the director of the facility and is the heritage planner for the Township (and more recently shares cultural tourism development planning responsibilities). All staff are charged with facilitating collaboration with other protectors/providers of a wide range of heritage products that exist in the Township. These other partners include a mix of other government and volunteer players - Kwantlen First National, Parks Canada, GVRD Parks, Township Engineering Division, Langley and Alder Grove Heritage Societies, BC Farm Museum, Langley Arts Council, Canadian Museum of Flight etc.
Management of a heritage conservation programme
The heritage conservation programme includes all aspects of heritage preservation planning, heritage resource protection, and providing staff support to two key community based groups: the Township of Langley's Community Heritage Commission and the inter-agency Community Heritage Network.
Sue did a workshop with them last spring "Let's get organized" last spring.
Heritage preservatin began collecting in the 20s, Fort Langely has kept it forfront
- centennial, collection at the site was separated and the museum facility. Small heritage group didn't have the sttrength to do it. Run by volunteers till 74 (owned by township). Becase NEC in 1964 and had to have paid staff. Community is a museum advisory committee. In 1980s as township grew it was transferred to the planning. Also
Langley Her soc 1978 active in 1980s focused on built env, worked in tandem with museum because of resources and technical ability.
DIdnt?' work under Parks and Rec. In 1996 big politcal problem with culture, and museum reported to admin directly for 2 years. Now in pl
SC: its not an easy sell. Ppl dont understand the economic value of the museum. Staff dont' have time or expertise. Probs: money, diverse uinreal expectations, lack of appreciation for services.
She thinks this is effective for local govt to use museum people as staff... with a little extra training can provide heritage planning, but must be provided with admin and toilet cleaning
SHe? has trouble finding generalists. Send people to Uvic prog for extra training. This is cause heritage is compartmentatlized archives/heritage etc must be integrated. Synergy. This is working at TOL. The tol situation has consistency and continuity. ALso? has 105 volunteers at musuem and 9 different orgs, facilitate and collaborate. Community Heritage commission appointed by council, deals with wholistic heritage conservation. Contains contracter, architecht, former building inspector.
Sue is liaison on the developing planning side. She is the one who intervenes withthe Buidling Insp .
The museum will not be enough of an attraction for the SCRD. They should be able to look at an interpretive plan that incorporates everything
Hazelton did something liek this - where interpretive sginage led people around, Ksan was the anchor.
Gibons might be the leader in developing a heritage policy.
they talked about the lower town of gibsons
CRM program - 3-day workshop at begining of april - geared to heritage planning professionals.