Engagement
To date, the Project has included three phases of engagement:
Phase 1: Summer and Fall 2022
Identified priority areas for change through broad engagement with First Nations, local governments and stakeholders. A backgrounder document was developed to inform dialogue:
Outcomes from Phase 1 engagement are outlined in the following What We Heard Reports:
Phase 2: Fall 2023
Broad engagement on proposed short-term changes with First Nations, local governments and stakeholders.
Outcomes from Phase 2 engagement with First Nations, local governments and stakeholders is outlined in the following What We Heard Report:
Engagement in 2023 indicated that the proposed changes were in the right areas, but First Nations, local governments and stakeholders desired more robust, longer-term changes. In January 2024, a decision was made to develop a broader scope of proposed changes for future legislative session(s).
Phase 3: Summer 2025 – Summer 2026
From summer through fall 2025, the Province engaged with First Nations, local governments, stakeholders and the public to gather additional feedback to inform policy proposals to modernize the Heritage Conservation Act (HCA).
In March 2026, a Technical Policy Paper that incorporated significant feedback was publicly released for further engagement, and to increase public transparency on proposed changes. This detailed HCA Technical Policy Paper, along with ongoing feedback from First Nations, local governments, stakeholders and the public will help the Province to develop updated legislation that works better for all people in British Columbia.
How the HCA has evolved through engagement
Policy proposals have and will continue to evolve, as the Province receives further input. The HCATP Technical Policy Paper outlines several key policy changes in response to engagement feedback. Examples of these updated policy changes outlined in the HCATP Technical Policy Paper include:
- Intangible heritage references removed
- Heritage Management Zones removed
- Greater clarity provided on scope of proposed shared decision making on scope operational agreements with First Nations
- Compliance and enforcement agreements removed
- Consent-seeking language on permit decisions removed
- Records of engagement requirement removed
- Greater clarity provided on application of heritage information archaeological checks