By ROY WOOD

The town of Oliver agreed Monday to join the regional district’s heritage conservation program at an annual cost estimated at under $1,000.

Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) projects coordinator Lindsay Bourque told council Monday the region has been working on the project since 2013 and now is the time for member municipalities to get on board.

All member municipalities must approve the RDOS bylaw creating the program in order to proceed.

Bourque explained that a regional heritage program would include workshops for local organizations preparing “statements of significance” aimed at getting heritage site registered and protected.

As well, there would be brochures and on-line resources aimed at marketing and promoting heritage sites in the region.

Councillor Jack Bennest expressed concern that while the current budget is $20,000 there is no official upper limit for the future. Bourque assured him that the RDOS envisions the project remaining in the $15,000 to $20,000 range.

Oliver’s portion of the annual budget would be about $975.

In supporting the proposal, Mayor Ron Hovanes said, “We all own all of our heritage” and that it is important for smaller communities to preserve theirs.

Oliver Heritage Society president Sue Morhun said that while the society hasn’t taken a position on the proposal, she believes it is valuable. “We have a lot of sites, like ‘the ditch,’ that could benefit,” she said.

The town of Osoyoos heard the pitch from Bourque last week and, after at least one councillor expressed a preference not to participate, referred the matter to staff for a report.