SERVICES

A Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) documents information about why built heritage or cultural landscapes may be of cultural heritage value. The study is based on research, visual inspections, comparative analyses, and scholarly judgment. In Ontario, prescribed criteria are included in the Ontario Heritage Act. For properties determined to be of heritage value, a summary statement (known as a Statement of Significance or Statement of Cultural Heritage Value) is written to accurately describe what is of value and why it matters. All types of properties can be the subject of cultural heritage studies – buildings, bridges, gardens, streetscapes, etc. In some cases, scientific sites, such as fossil beds, can be assessed for their cultural heritage value to advance planning, conservation, and interpretation.

Conservation plans allow property managers to balance the needs of heritage conservation with the ongoing use of a property and its landscape and built features. The process of writing the plan and the plan itself ensures that custodians fully understand heritage values before decisions about site alterations are made. Conservation plans are usually developed by a team of conservation professionals, including an historian and an architect, an engineer, and/or landscape architect. If archaeology is involved, an archaeologist is also part of the team.

Planning and creating content for exhibits, publications, and special promotions is an important element of our work. Matrix Heritage will develop story lines, negotiate rights, prepare texts and captions, review texts and drawings for accuracy and map out learning objectives.

Projects that have the potential to affect properties of cultural heritage value are often required to document and address potential impacts through a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA). A typical HIA will examine how a project might positively or negatively impact the heritage value of built heritage or cultural landscapes and propose measures to conserve heritage or reduce impacts. Some municipalities, including the City of Ottawa, require an HIA for planning applications in Heritage Conservation District, near the Rideau Canal, or adjacent to designated heritage properties.

Matrix Hertiage's drone technology and certified pilots allow us to complete cost effective aerial surveys of large sites or properties, and inspections in dangerous or difficult to access locations. Imagery, video, and 3D modelling of existing conditions for heritage sites or new developments greatly aid in  interpretation and management of  resources. 

Matrix Heritage assists government organizations to develop, evaluate and fine-tune programs or policies in both cultural resource management and information management. We understand the importance of properly aligning programs within legislative and policy frameworks to meet specific objectives.

A Statement of Significance (SOS) is an integral element to listing a designated heritage resource on provincial, territorial, and federal registers. It is a concise statement of the heritage value that includes a brief description, an identification of the key heritage values, and a list of its principal character-defining elements.

Matrix Heritage uses photogrammetry and other technological approaches to complete detailed scaled recording and 3D models of heritage features or buildings. This creates a record of the condition, nature, and context prior to heritage asset conservation, renovation, or excavation. 

History is at the core of all of our heritage work, but Matrix Heritage also provides historical services for applied projects, such as exhibits, publications, and media productions. Our team has led major public history projects for litigation and inquiries in the areas of Indigenous history, healthcare, transportation, and urban development.