A longtime heritage advocate in New Westminster has been recognized by Heritage BC.
Heritage BC recently handed out the BC Heritage Awards in five categories. The annual awards celebrate achievements in heritage across the British Columbia.
New West resident Steve Norman received an Honourable Mention in the Distinguished Service category.
“Steve Norman’s history of heritage volunteering began in 1979 when he and his wife Kitty moved to New Westminster and they connected with like-minded heritage preservationists,” said a Heritage BC profile. “There was never a more determined and principled heritage enthusiast than Steve Norman. His sense of heritage justice is legendary.”
The profile stated that Norman long sought heritage conservation and design guidelines for the Queen’s Park neighbourhood. He has served as a director of the New Westminster Heritage Preservation Society on and off for more than 30 years and he has also served on the Queen’s Park Residents’ Association’s board of directors.
According to Heritage BC, Norman and fellow Queen’s Park resident Kathleen Langstroth led a grassroots movement in 2016 and 2017 to help create a Heritage Conservation Area in the Queen’s Park neighbourhood.
“Their commitment to the HCA and the quest for the heritage Holy Grail cannot be overstated,” said the profile. “Steve is also being recognized for his role with the Heritage Homes Tour as a house volunteer – a position that involves representing the society as a guide on tour day.”
Britney Dack, chair of Heritage BC, said that recognizing Norman for his volunteerism highlights his passion for principled heritage conservation.
“He has been tireless in his determination to ensure that New Westminster does the best by its community’s heritage – and it worked,” she said in a news release. “He has been integral in so many projects and programs’ successes.”
A volunteer on the homes tour since 1980, Norman welcomed tour-goers into his home during the recent New Westminster Heritage Homes Tour. Three homes on this year’s tour highlighted a heritage revitalization agreement initiated by Norman.
Norman lives in a 5,596-square-foot 1910 house on Queens Avenue that was located on a 22,617-square-foot lot facing Queens Avenue in the front and Manitoba Street at the rear. After receiving the city’s support for a heritage revitalization agreement, he relocated two heritage houses (one from St. Patrick Street in New West and one from Vancouver) to the rear of his lot, subdivided the property, restored the houses and designated them as heritage homes.
