Federal government doesn't know what historic buildings it owns, AG warns

Canada's auditor general has found the three federal agencies that own most of Canada's heritage buildings are not doing enough to preserve them, which means future generations of Canadians could lose important parts of the country's history.

Parks Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and National Defence collectively own 70 per cent of all federal buildings designated as heritage sites. They include lighthouses, armouries and buildings kept because important history happened in them.

Auditor General Michael Ferguson and his predecessor have filed numerous audits since 2003 highlighting concerns over conservation efforts for these properties, but this latest audit has found efforts to address these concerns have not kept up with needs.

Some buildings have crumbling bricks, no roofs and graffiti, and some are in real danger of collapsing, the latest report says.

This year's audit found the three departments don't even have full lists of the buildings they own, let alone ways of keeping track of the condition of heritage buildings.

Meanwhile, new buildings are acquired every year and resources are not always added for conservation.