Town of Lunenburg trying to cope with spiralling heritage costs
Heritage properties are among 10 Lunenburg assets in need of $46M overhaul
Of all the small towns in Nova Scotia, Lunenburg may be the town with the richest history.
Founded in 1753, it became the hometown to the Bluenose and became a UNESCO Heritage site in 1995.
Now a town with 2,300 residents, there is a growing financial issue. A number of heritage properties owned by the town are in need of maintenance and there are other expensive projects that need to be addressed.
The town has listed 10 assets in need of maintenance that will cost an estimated $46 million.
"There are many benefits from being recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, but there are many costs that come with that as well," said Peter Mosher, the town's interim mayor. "It's very unfortunate we don't get any assistance from them at all."
One of the biggest jobs on the list is to refurbish the town hall. The estimated cost of interior and exterior work is $10 million.
"It is an old brick structure and it's just at that life cycle where a lot of exterior work has to be done," said Mosher. "Plus the roof needs to be replaced and the interior of the building needs to be upgraded."
The town has been selling off some of its historic properties. With a small tax base, a hike in the tax rate may be needed to offset some of the maintenance costs.
There is government money that is helping to pay for some infrastructure work, including a new wastewater plant that will still cost the town $3 million.
Mosher says they are pushing to get ongoing regular funding to help with the costs.
The federal government does not provide annual funding to sites on the World Heritage List.
A federal program administered by Parks Canada provides financial assistance to owners and long-term leaseholders of federally designated heritage places to assist with conservation and presentation.
The provincial government has a fund that provides grants for eligible heritage property owners for conservation work and conservation advice.
UNESCO does have a World Heritage Fund that amounts to $5.9 million for 2022-2023 and has a committee that makes decisions on where those funds are spent.
There are more than 1,150 UNESCO sites around the world.
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