"Personal property rights may be impacted by heritage property conservation laws designed to protect historical and cultural sites by limiting how these sites may be altered "

CALGARY, Nov. 10, 2015 /CNW/ - Frontier Centre for Public Policy has released Dr. Frank Atkins insightful paper "Issues Concerning Heritage Preservation". Dr. Atkins acknowledges that while some are convinced that historical designation results in increased value to property, there are areas of concern that require further analysis. These issues include:

• How do we determine the value of heritage properties? How to determine the monetary effects that historical designation will have on the property (i.e. limiting use of private property once it has been designated as "historical").
• The trade-off between perceived needs of society and the lack of constitutionally entrenched property rights (how to guarantee proper compensation).
• Overlapping jurisdictions within federal departmental and interdepartmental politics.

Dr. Atkins has released this piece at a time when governments are showing an increasing interest in heritage preservation. He suggests that there is a need for a deeper understanding of the effects that heritage designation has on property values. This paper reminds us that property rights are not guaranteed under the Constitution and could leave individuals vulnerable to potential decreases in property value without compensation from the government.

Dr. Atkins is Chair of Finance and Capital Markets for Frontier Centre for Public Policy. His experience includes 2 years as an Economic Analyst with the Bank of Canada prior to leaving to continue his studies. Atkins has taught at the University of Calgary for over 30 years. In addition to having his work published in leading economic journals, Dr. Atkins is a frequent commentator for major national television networks.

Frank Atkins' "Issues Concerning Heritage Preservation" can be found here: Issues Concerning Heritage Preservation

About the Frontier Centre for Public Policy

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is an innovative research and education charity registered in both Canada and the United States. Founded in 1999 by philanthropic foundations seeking to help voters and policy makers improve their understanding of the economy and public policy, our mission is to develop ideas that change the world.

SOURCE Frontier Centre for Public Policy

Image with caption: "Some issues concerning Heritage Preservation by Frank Atkins, November 2015 (CNW Group/Frontier Centre for Public Policy)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20151110_C6624_PHOTO_EN_541030.jpg

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