Part 1: PEC Heritage Advisory Committee Reviews Historic Tours, Street Naming, and Heritage Training - 02/07/2024
- PECConnect
- Feb 7, 2024
- 6 min read
The Chair called the meeting to order and confirmed it was live streamed and recorded. The agenda was approved, and there were no conflict of interest disclosures. The committee approved the minutes from January 10, 2024 with no edits.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Staff updates and better agenda planning
Staff shared two key updates. First, the 2024 Waupoos Vintage Photo Show was canceled, so it was not included on the agenda. Second, staff explained a new process to make agenda planning smoother. The plan is to send committee members reminder emails two weeks before meetings, with a deadline about six days before the agenda goes out, so topics can be reviewed properly and the agenda can still be published on time. The Chair supported this since it gives everyone a fair chance to add items.
Presentation on historic walking tours
Jessica Chase from the Museums of Prince Edward County gave an update on historic walking tours.
She explained that the Graveyard and Gallows tour has been a long-running summer program, plus candlelight versions in October that have been popular. She shared that ticket sales dropped after COVID and have not returned to older levels. She also explained that the tour crowd is mostly tourists, not locals, so offering tours every other week did not really boost attendance.
She talked about other tours that have been offered as one-offs, like Demorestville, Consecon, Fifth Town, and Wellington, and said some of those might return. She also said she hopes to bring Ernie Marginson in for an architectural tour since those tours do very well.
The committee discussed how people now want tours that are more entertaining and interactive. The Chair emphasized that animated tours with actors and stories tend to be the biggest hit because people engage more than with simple walk and talk. They also discussed accessibility, since many older residents or people with mobility limits cannot do long walking routes or steep hills. The Chair shared that Glenwood has created a seated version using photos so people can still experience the tour without walking.
A big issue raised was staffing and burnout. Jessica explained it is hard to find tour leaders, and it is unrealistic to expect volunteers to lead long tours for free, so ticket pricing and staffing have to match the workload.
Councillor Hirsch pushed hard on promotion, saying Visit The County should be doing more to market tours and heritage events online. Jessica said Visit The County is aware of events, but the relationship could be stronger, especially with social media promotion. They agreed it is worth pushing for better promotion because walking tours are mainly for visitors. The committee passed a motion to receive the presentation.
Public comments about heritage training and work plan accuracy
A former committee member, Liz Driver, spoke during public comments. She said the committee’s work plan needs updates and also needs urgency in the right areas.
She pointed out that Heritage Impact Assessment guidelines are already completed and posted on the county website, and she stressed that committee members need to know about them because HIAs will come up in development files.
She also said that the Cultural Heritage Landscapes work is moving sooner than the work plan suggests. She said the contract has already been awarded to WSP and work will begin soon.
Her biggest point was training. She said heritage legislation training should not be treated like a maybe. She stressed that the committee is a statutory committee under the Ontario Heritage Act, and members need proper training to do the job well. She suggested contacting the ministry for training, or hiring a consultant if needed. She also flagged that the working group terms say no money can be spent on that group, but the committee itself has a budget that could support training.
The Chair responded that training was never meant to be ignored, but the committee was trying to get organized first. She agreed it needs to be revisited and said the committee will look at how to roll it out without overwhelming members. Councillor Hirsch thanked Liz and said they should adjust the work plan to reflect her updates.
The committee passed a motion to receive the public comments.
Commemorative street names reserve list
Chris Palmer updated the committee on the street naming task team’s work. He explained the street naming policy was adopted in 2021 and a task team was formed in May 2023. The task team reviewed 260 public submissions and applied policy criteria like historical significance, community impact, and equity.
The list was reduced to about 160 approved names after checks with emergency services and recommendations for Indigenous consultation where relevant. The report was going to council on February 13.
They also described an updated policy process for street renaming requests. The key points were 70 percent of residents on the street must support the change, and replacement names must come from the approved reserve list so the review work is already done.
Councillor Hirsch raised practical questions about consent forms for people’s names, the removal of confusing names like multiple turtle names, and whether names should match the ward where they have local meaning. Staff said ward links are a recommendation, not a strict rule.
The committee approved a motion recommending council approve the reserve list.
Adding a safety clause to the street naming policy
The committee discussed adding a clause to clarify how to correct administrative errors or remove names if new verified information shows a name no longer meets policy standards. The committee supported it and passed the motion to recommend this change.
Staff shared that there were no new permits and the permit list was unchanged. The committee passed a motion to receive it.
Working group updates
The Heritage Designation Working Group shared progress and challenges. They are contacting owners on the heritage list and trying to encourage designations, but responses have been limited, partly because many owners are not local residents. They planned a public info meeting on May 4 to explain the designation process and address common fears like insurance and resale value.
They also said a few designations are close to being ready for committee and council, but staff reports were not ready in time for this meeting. They shared that some new property owners are now approaching them about designation even if they were not on the original list.
The Cemetery Task Team is reviewing background materials and preparing for deeper work on the cemetery master plan. The Heritage Permit Task Team had no new updates and is waiting for a new staff person arriving in early March.
The committee passed a motion to receive the working group updates.
Work plan review and updates
They reviewed the committee work plan and updated it in real time. They confirmed the Wellington Heritage Conservation District appeal was resolved and the district can proceed. They discussed how being in a conservation district gives demolition protection, and permit review still comes to this committee for alterations.
They also agreed that properties already in heritage districts should come off the working list to reduce the workload view and make the list clearer.
They discussed the need to move faster on training and asked staff to take more direct action to arrange it, plus verify the HIA guideline documents are available and ready to be used as a practical tool.
They agreed it makes sense to have an annual update from museums staff about storage progress. The next meeting date was set for March 6. The committee approved the updated work plan and then adjourned.
Three takeaways
Heritage tours are changing, and the committee is leaning toward more engaging and more accessible formats.
Street naming work is basically ready for council, with a strong reserve list and clearer rules for renaming streets.
Training is now a priority, and the committee agreed it needs real action so members can handle major files with confidence.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:27:09. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.
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