Message from the Director-General

Archived Content

Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats on the "Contact Us" page.

CCI Newsletter, No. 25, May 2000

Message from the Director General

Symposium 2000 - The Conservation of Architectural Interiors is the latest in a continuing series of international symposia hosted by CCI which are one of the major ways we address our mandate to develop and disseminate knowledge. Over the years, these gatherings have brought world experts to Ottawa to examine many significant conservation issues.

We are delighted to welcome delegates from around the world to this important discussion. There is increasing understanding that preserving our heritage must not be compartmentalized into the convenient categories of movable, immovable, etc., but that we must deal in a holistic way with heritage in its real-world context. In this view, architecture is an intrinsic element of the heritage story, and is inseparable from the events and the objects that speak to us about our shared history.

Canadians, as well as the delegates coming here from other countries, are very much involved in the effort to ensure that our built heritage is managed in an appropriately respectful manner. There are a number of major projects underway in which experts from CCI are participating. One of the most significant is the restoration of Canada's Parliamentary Precinct, a multi-year project that is intended to modernize the facilities that house our parliamentary functions while ensuring that their heritage is fully respected. CCI played an important role in establishing the standards that will be applied as the work proceeds over the coming years. This intervention has also had the positive consequence of providing a large amount of work for private-sector conservators.

As a knowledge-based institution, CCI is dedicated to exploring significant conservation issues and equally to disseminating the resulting information. Events such as this symposium, bringing together practitioners from many parts of the world, are an important means of developing increased understanding. Their success, of course, depends on the lively exchange of ideas and information.

Based on past experience, there will be no shortage of ideas at Symposium 2000. We are pleased to be able to provide the forum for the debate.

Bill Peters
Director General and
Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Conservation Institute
tel: (613) 993-4266
e-mail:   bill_peters@pch.gc.ca