Barrie's heritage register isn't just about old buildings.
It can also include fixtures in the community that reflect the city's identity, says Coun. Jim Harris, who sits on the Heritage Barrie committee, which has recommended a pair of new additions to the register.
At Monday night's general committee meeting, council gave initial approval to add the downtown cenotaph and Military Heritage Park to the list.
Heritage Barrie raises awareness around local sites, including cultural and geographical, while also providing information and encouraging the preservation of historical buildings and landscapes.
"People think buildings all the time, but it's greater than our buildings," Coun. Jim Harris, who's a member of Heritage Barrie, told BarrieToday following Monday's meeting. "It's an opportunity to honour some really significant heritage.
"It could be spaces. Think of the artwork on the walls of the Allandale rec centre and our sporting heritage. You walk through that building and Barrie's sports heritage is alive there," he added. "There are so many different things that we look to that make us who we are and what our community is."
The cenotaph and Military Heritage Park were chosen to highlight the city's deep military tradition.
"These are some of the really incredible features that we have in our community," Harris said.
The cenotaph was dedicated in 1922 to the local soldiers who died during the First World War. It was part of a massive construction project in 2017 that saw the long-standing monument moved to a more central location within the downtown space as part of the multi-million-dollar makeover of Memorial Square and Meridian Place along Dunlop Street. The space has been one of Barrie's central meeting places for more than a century.
"The further we get away from our military history and what we paid as far as our forefathers for our freedom, I think it's really important to never lose sight of that," Harris said.
Military Heritage Park, however, is much newer to the city's landscape, but carries just as much sentimental value. The park, located on the south shore of Kempenfelt Bay near Minet's Point, officially opened on Oct. 27, 2017.
The passive park recognizes Barrie’s military history and relationship with Canadian Forces Base Borden through the creat​ion of landforms distinct to each era of overseas and national military action, according to the city's website. Military Heritage Park includes interpretive areas, ANAF and Victoria Cross monuments, gardens and a marching green.
Having a property placed on the city's heritage register indicates its design or historical value. Demolition permits are subject to a 60-day review period. Properties can also be eligible for community improvement plan (CIP) funding or grants.
"It's about having recognition of where the heritage is in our community," Harris said. "If you don't have a list, it's hard to understand how to preserve it, what to do with it, and how to honour it. We need to have that list."
The matter still requires final approval from city council, which is expected at its March 23 meeting.
