The Oliver & District Heritage Society has received $20,000 to restore the original wood windows of the 1924 BC Provincial Police building which houses the Oliver Museum, thanks to a generous grant from Heritage BC.
At 95 years old, the heritage building’s windows have become weathered and damaged by UV light, moisture, wear, and past painting. Putty, hardware and interior trim is missing, causing drafts and indoor temperature and humidity fluctuations throughout the year. Upstairs temperatures in particular are often extreme in summer and cold in winter, making it difficult to work in and more costly to heat and cool. Humidity and drafts also place artifacts in the Museum at risk of damage.
The grant funding, which comes from Heritage BC’s Heritage Legacy Fund, will be used along with a donation from the late Carolyn Cope to repair cracked and splitting window frames, stabilize or replace cracked panes, and replace missing putty, trim and closing hardware. The windows will also be sanded and repainted, and lead paint will be safely removed.
Wood, paint, and putty
will be restored this winter thanks to grant funding from Heritage BC.
The project will follow guidelines established by the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada, with minimal change to original materials. Gerry Plante’s Carpentry Ltd. will complete the work this fall and winter, and has also recently restored five windows on the front and side of the building to prepare for issues that might arise during the larger restoration.
The funding will help to preserve the heritage-designated BC Provincial Police building and retain its character-defining elements for future generations. It will also produce a better environment for both artifacts and people, helping the ODHS to better serve Oliver and the surrounding community with a temperature-stabilized and more comfortable Museum building.
This project is funded in part by Heritage BC through the Heritage Legacy Fund.
About the Heritage Legacy Fund: The Heritage Legacy Fund (HLF) was established in 2003 by an agreement of the provincial government of British Columbia. With the termination of the BC Heritage Trust at the time, HLF was designed to take over the community support function, specifically to provide grants for the heritage sector of British Columbia. The province endowed the project with an initial gift of $5 million, which is held by the Vancouver Foundation. Today, Heritage BC is the administrator of the grants fund. For more information, contact Laura Saretsky, Heritage BC’s Heritage Program Manager at 778-995-7243.