Alberta Historic Resources Foundation Funding

The Alberta Historical Resources Foundation (AHRF) is a public trust agency and corporation of the Government of Alberta, and is the principal heritage support agency of the province. Through its Heritage Preservation Partnership Program, the AHRF provides matching Historic Resource Conservation Grants to individuals and organizations for the conservation of designated historic resources. There are currently 24 designated Municipal Historic Resources in Lethbridge, along with 15 designated Provincial Historic Resources.

Since Lethbridge’s Heritage Management Plan was adopted in 2007, the amount of money allocated to AHRF for grants has not been increased. As additional historic places continue to be designated across the province year after year, the available grant funding is spread increasingly thin. Project funding grants in recent years have typically been around 25-55% of the requested grant amount.

The benefits and value of conservation grants include the following:

• Attracting property owners to apply for designation, and thereby increasing the numbers of protected heritage properties;
• Aiding owners with the financial demands of conserving their property, which can often be more expensive to upkeep due to age and protected status;
• Encouraging dialogue between AHRF conservation experts and property owners, which can lead to better informed decisions being taken about conservation methods; and
• Investing in the preservation of Alberta’s historic places.

One of the key benefits of the matching Historic Resource Conservation Grants is to encourage property owners to invest in the restoration of their properties. While it may cost more to restore a property to its former glory, the availability of matching grants means that the additional work may be more feasible.