© National Trust For Canada
Edmonton 2020 Conference: “Hindsight 2020: Conservation, Disruption, and the Future of Heritage” – virtual sessions

HINDSIGHT 2020 will explore heritage conservation’s disruptive role in a 21st century defined by resource scarcity, climate change and sustainability. In an era seeking heroic solutions, historic preservation provides transformative ideas, highlighting the importance of adaptation, minimal intervention, reversibility and maintainability. While Edmonton is the research, refining, and manufacturing heart of the Canadian oil industry, it is also a hotbed of environmental innovation and activism. HINDSIGHT 2020 will be hosted by a vibrant historic city at the very forefront of the climate crisis, one wrestling with its petroleum legacy and the imperative to transition to a low-carbon future.

Building on the success of Ottawa 2017, the Association for Preservation Technology International and the National Trust for Canada (in association with the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals) have collaborated again to present HINDSIGHT 2020. Architects, engineers, planners, craftspeople, policy makers, preservationists and heritage volunteers will come together to share the best in technology, policy and techniques for conserving and renewing heritage buildings, communities, engineering works and landscapes.

North America’s northern-most metropolis, Edmonton is a richly layered heritage place offering much as an urban laboratory. The city is a traditional meeting ground and home for many Indigenous Peoples – including Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Nakota Sioux and Métis. From a pivotal fur trade center in the 18th century, it became Alberta’s capital in 1905 and is now a provincial hub for education, industry and culture. Edmonton’s captivating mix of cultural heritage includes heritage districts, diverse places of faith, industrial sites and icons of the early modern era. These, along with Edmonton’s spectacular river valley and the nearby Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village – a Canadian leader in conserving vernacular buildings and craft techniques – provide an ideal setting to inspire collaborative conversation throughout the conference.

The five tracks of HINDSIGHT 2020 explore the intersection of technical, design, policy and community issues. The conference organizers seek dynamic presentations that provide compelling insights, principles, lessons and solutions that others can apply in their projects and communities.

Date: October 1 – 7, 2020
Location: Edmonton, Canada

COVID-19 UPDATE:
Due to the COVID-19 situation, we have pivoted to a fully virtual conference for 2020. We will deliver the same content that was planned for the in-person event, and will offer the majority of the content on-demand.  The safety of our members is a top priority, but we also realize how important the knowledge and expertise shared at the conference is to preservation. As we navigate these challenging times, we will work to ensure our members have the latest information and invite all to bring their voice to the table.

Please visit the conference website to see this year’s agenda which will feature workshops, field sessions, special plenaries, paper sessions, a virtual exhibit hall, and more! Registration is now underway: link.