Built Heritage
Grants and other forms of assistance for heritage conservation are available from the federal and provincial governments as well as from not-for-profit organizations and private funders. Each program has specific eligibility requirements and is intended for different purposes.
There are several provincial programs created to preserve, revitalize, and maintain New Brunswick’s historical buildings:
The Community Cultural Places Grant (find the government website and relevant application documents here):
- Directed at small communities or communities at risk, who wish to take advantage of their art and heritage.
- Directed at community-based initiatives to restore, renovate, and re-purpose significant heritage places.
- Could include museums, halls, lighthouses, churches, streetscapes, squares, or parks.
- The program will contribute 75% of costs, up to a maximum of $75, 000
- The program uses the framework delineated in the “Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada” to evaluate proposals, which can be found here.
The Built Heritage Program (find the government website and relevant application documents here):
- For the rehabilitation of built heritage, that is, buildings and landscapes.
- Only structures owned, or in a long-term lease agreement, with a not-for-profit organization are eligible. Buildings must be registered provincial or municipal heritage places.
- Component A will contribute 75%, up to a maximum of $5,000 for conservation expertise and specialization.
- Component B will contribute 50%, up to a maximum of $50,000 for conservation-related aspects.
The Heritage Place Property Tax Abatement (find the government website and relevant application documents here):
- An incentive for heritage restoration for (primarily) commercial buildings.
- Eligible properties must meet certain criteria; the property must undergo a significant restoration with construction costs of at least $100,000, or 20% of the assessed value of the property (costs can include interior and exterior).
- The project must follow the guidelines referred to in paragraph 53(3)(e), see above, of the Heritage Conservation Act. The project also must adhere to the “Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada”
- Approved projects will be forgiven a “portion of the net increase in provincial and municipal property taxes resulting from the increase in the assessed value of the property for a four-year period.”
