Mission could take steps to preserve its history by embracing heritage.
Council received a heritage overview at a special council meeting on Monday (Sept. 9) from planner Hardev Gill.
Gill’s presentation outlined both proactive and reactive tools the city could use depending upon the level of heritage the city wishes to advance to.
According to a report provided to council, heritage conservation has not been a primary focus in Mission.
“Heritage hasn't been a huge priority for Mission council or the City of Mission,” Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Barclay Pitkethly said. “We've had sort of starts and stops to our heritage program in Mission.”
Pitkethly told council the costs involved would likely be related to personnel.
“Expanding heritage services will require both dedicated staff and financial resources. It is important to emphasize that any service expansion related to and supporting heritage conservation would not be tied to the growth of the city and therefore, should be funded through taxation,” the report reads
Council unanimously carried a staff recommendation that a spending package of up to $175,000 be brought forward for the 2026 Budget to update Mission’s heritage inventory to assist with identifying significant heritage sites in Mission.
Mission Mayor Paul Horn was encouraged to review heritage. During the meeting, he mentioned the loss of a historic store in Silverdale that was demolished and is now a Canco location.
“We have not done this for a long, long time, and I've bemoaned this before — that one day I went to work and Benedict's Store was there, I went home and Benedict's Store was gone. And I've seen that happen way too many times in our community and I know I'm not alone in that,” Horn said.
Mission has already implemented several tools, including a heritage register with nine sites, heritage designation for three sites and community heritage committee. However, the committee has since been disbanded by council.
"For the heritage committee, the mandate of the committee was to work with the heritage strategy that was established back in 2006. In 2024, it was time to regroup and take a fresh look at all the strategies available to the City of Mission. We are collaborating with the Mission Archives and the Mission District Historical Society, as well as tapping into the skills and experiences of Planning staff. Council may decide to go back to a heritage committee at a later date," the City of Mission said in a statement.
The three sites with a heritage designation in Mission are the Mission Museum, Mission Memorial Centre and Silverhill Hall. The other six locations on the register are Fraser River Heritage Park, Stave Falls Power House, Mission Fairground, Mission Post Office, Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Xá:ytem.
The heritage inventory – a pre-register step that captures sites with potential heritage value currently boasts approximately 200 locations. Per the report, not much can occur in Mission without addressing the city’s heritage inventory, or lack thereof.
“Mission has an informal heritage inventory of approximately 200 sites that have very little or no integrity as they have not been vetted by a heritage professional. This is primarily due to the subjective nature (i.e. no professional heritage review) of identifying the sites,” the report reads.
The phased approach presented to council begins with a heritage inventory update to identify all of the heritage sites and buildings in Mission with value to the community, vetted through a heritage professional.
Future phases would depend on council preferences but could include an update to Mission’s heritage designations, better mapping, and online accessibility.
A future phase could also see the establishment of heritage conservation areas in the city such as "South of 7th" and "Ruskin" that would protect and enhance the areas through tools like design guidelines, or preservation incentives, per the report.
“This phased strategy will allow for careful planning and community engagement, ensuring the heritage conservation efforts align with the needs and desires of the community while preserving Mission’s historical character,” the report reads.
