Give History a Voice in the 2017 Election

The BC Historical Federation has launched a lobbying campaign to make the history of this province an election issue before the May 9 voting day.

Their Step Up for History campaign is intended to get voters and politicians talking about the importance of history to local communities. According to their website, “We want to celebrate and support the work of the not-for-profits that steward our historical buildings, our cultural landscapes, and the wealth of stories and documents that sustain them.”

The BCHF offers a number of tools and ideas that supporters such as Heritage Fairs teachers and students can use to lobby candidates, for example, a template for emails and pointed questions to ask at meetings such as

• How will you ensure that local governments have enough resources to preserve history?
• How do you plan to support engagement around history in your community?
• What do you do already do on a day-to-day basis to support the work of local history and heritage not-for-profits?

The BCHF asks us to share responses (or lack of responses) with them at caroline@bchistory.ca.

This is an important campaign that deserves the support of Heritage Fairs members, teachers and students.