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“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

MIKE RIGGS: Property owners still carry the risk, the cost, and the uncertainty

RE:  Proposed Heritage Conservation Act changes won’t shift financial burden landowners  (Castanet – March 25th, 2026)


This is a perfect example of how out of touch the government is with people on the ground.

You’ve got situations where a homeowner can suddenly be hit with massive costs because something is found on their property that they had nothing to do with. And honestly, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc Chief Rosanne Casimir is right on that point, if the burden stays on the landowner, people are going to think twice before reporting anything.

That’s just reality.

Then the government turns around and says they’re “streamlining” things with fewer permits and faster timelines. That sounds good on paper, but it completely misses the point. The government is tweaking the process to make it smoother, but they’re not fixing the biggest issue, property owners still carry the risk, the cost, and the uncertainty.

So, what’s actually changed?

You’ve got a slightly faster process, but the same financial hit, the same lack of clarity, and the same risk of being locked out of your own property. That’s not a solution, that’s just repackaging the problem.

Where is the common sense here?

If you want people to do the right thing and report findings, you can’t punish them for it. All this does is create more hesitation, more frustration, and more division on something that should be handled openly and transparently.

Instead of fixing the root issue, they’re dressing it up and calling it progress, and people are the ones left dealing with the consequences.


Mike Riggs ... is a contractor, and the father of two disabled daughters. He values hard work, real world perspective, and speaking common sense.

 

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