Heritage Assessments

Adding value for DND at CFB Esquimalt

When DCC's site office staff at CFB Esquimalt learned the base was struggling to keep up with its heritage assessment obligations, they decided to go beyond the call of duty.

With 475 buildings at CFB Esquimalt requiring assessment, the base had its work cut out. Plus, Treasury Board policy deems that federal buildings 40 years or older need to be assessed by the Federal Heritage Building Review Office.

We moved quickly to determine exactly what base officials needed. Environmental Services staff at the site organized training, recruited other DCC staff, and crafted a tailor-made building assessment program to help the base get a leg up on the assessments.

The DCC team conducts research on the buildings, gathers blueprints, takes photos, and are trained to evaluate each building based on several criteria. Histories of the various buildings are also being compiled and written.

DCC has now assessed more than 60 buildings at CFB Esquimalt. The program may also be extended to other bases across Canada.