The British Columbia government has announced a further delay to proposed changes to the Heritage Conservation Act, citing significant concerns from municipalities and business owners that the amendments could increase costs and stall critical infrastructure projects.
Minister Responds to Stakeholder Concerns
Forests Minister Ravi Parmar stated on Monday that he "heard loud and clear" from local governments and industry leaders worried about potential impacts. The proposed changes, initially intended for introduction last fall, aim to increase Indigenous oversight over development and expand definitions of protected heritage.
Parmar confirmed that more consultation will be conducted before any proposed amendments are drafted into a bill for the legislature. He did not provide a new timeline for when the legislation might be presented. A key point of contention was a proposed new definition for "intangible cultural values," which could have extended protections to Indigenous songs, ceremonies, food, and traditions.
Clarity Sought on "Intangible Heritage"
In response to confusion from the business community, Parmar directed his team to abandon the new definition. "The direction that I provided to my team is for us to propose to instead use wording that is already in the HCA," Parmar said, hoping this would provide more comfort to industry stakeholders.
The minister acknowledged that the current act, passed in the 1990s, is not working for British Columbians. He pointed to the years-long delays faced by Lytton residents trying to rebuild after the 2021 wildfire as an example of the system's failures.
First Nations Leader Expresses Disappointment
The decision to delay is a setback for Indigenous groups involved in the process. Judith Sayers, co-chair of the working group on First Nations Heritage Conservation and president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, called the further postponement disappointing.
Sayers argued there has been misinformation about the intent of the changes. "We're not in any way trying to stop development. We're just trying to protect heritage, and what is the best way about going about that," she stated. She expressed hope that additional consultation could clarify the goals of the legislation.
Balancing Protection and Development
The provincial government has argued that the revised legislation would actually streamline permitting for development. While municipalities and businesses supported aspects aimed at efficiency, they warned that expanded heritage protections could lead to increased costs and delays for:
- Housing projects
- Community centres
- Natural resource projects like mines
These concerns, combined with a perceived lack of public consultation, made the Heritage Conservation Act a major point of debate at the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in September 2025. The province is now taking a step back to engage further with stakeholders before moving forward.
