Project Introduction
The Heritage Conservation Act (or “HCA”) encourages and enables the protection and conservation of sites with historical, cultural and/or archaeological value in B.C. These sites hold physical evidence of how and where people lived. Many of these sites in B.C. are culturally sensitive, contain ancestral remains, and have important sacred and spiritual value to First Nations in B.C. Altering these protected sites without a permit is prohibited under the Act.
The HCA hasn't been significantly updated since 1996. This project addresses long-standing concerns including:
- Making permitting faster and easier, to avoid waiting for multiple permits and navigating unclear rules and processes
- Helping people and communities rebuild quicker after disasters such as wildfires and floods
- Protecting heritage more effectively, reducing the risk of accidental damage to sacred or other significant sites
- Strengthening the role of First Nations in decision-making about their own heritage and ancestors, in alignment with the Declaration Act
- Increasing transparency and access to information (including making it easier to find out if there is a protected site on your property) to support planning and development decisions
More information about the Heritage Conservation Act Transformation Project can be found here:
Heritage Conservation Act Transformation Project.
Feedback from First Nations, local governments, stakeholders, and the public will inform new legislation. This survey is the tool being used to gather feedback from the public on proposed changes. We recommend reviewing the information in the above link, including the section on intended outcomes and practical examples to learn about the proposed changes prior to completing this survey.
Goals of Public Engagement
Public engagement is a key component of The Heritage Conservation Act Transformation Project. At this stage, we are seeking public input to better understand the following:
- The public’s general understanding of the HCA and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA)
- The public’s experience interacting with the HCA
- The public’s perspective on the proposed changes to the HCA
- How to mitigate possible unintended consequences related to the proposed changes
This survey does not ask questions about each of the changes proposed to the Heritage Conservation Act. For a more comprehensive list of changes see the intended outcomes. At the end of the survey, there is an opportunity to provide additional feedback on changes not included here.
The survey takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
The survey will be closed for feedback on October 1, 2025 at 4:00 pm.
Please note: This online feedback form supports all newer comparable browsers like Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Microsoft Edge, etc. with activated JavaScript. Your browser settings must have cookies enabled for the questionnaire to run properly and inactivity on the questionnaire for longer than one hour will result in the questionnaire timing out. Please also note that some survey content may perform better on larger displays.
Collection Notice: The information you provide will be collected to inform the implementation of proposed changes to the Heritage Conservation Act (HCA) for the Heritage Conservation Act Transformation Project. If you have questions about the collection of this information, please contact: Senior Director, Citizen Engagement, CitizenEngagement@gov.bc.ca. This information is being collected by the Ministry of Citizens’ Services on behalf of the Heritage Conservation Act Transformation Project under the authority of section 26(c) and 26(e) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (“FOIPPA”).
AI Processing Notice: Survey answers submitted through the Heritage Conservation Act Transformation Project website may be processed using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support regulatory review, data extraction, and reporting analysis. These tools may assist in extracting feedback provided in the survey. All AI-assisted processing is conducted under the supervision of authorized Ministry staff. Submitted files may be manually reviewed to verify accuracy and ensure compliance with applicable legislation, including the Heritage Conservation Act. Please be advised: Personal or sensitive information should not be included in survey answers. If you have concerns about AI processing or require clarification, please contact engageHCA@gov.bc.ca prior to submission.
All responses will be kept confidential. Individual responses will not be linked to personal identities in our analysis or reporting. Participation is completely voluntary, and you may skip any questions you prefer not to answer.
Please click “Next” below to start the survey.
