My name is Helen Edwards. I live in beautiful Victoria in the province of British Columbia, Canada.

Heritage Activities

For the last thirty years, I have spent a great portion of my volunteer time in the heritage preservation field. I am a Past-President of the Hallmark Society,Victoria's oldest and largest heritage preservation organization. I have been an active volunteer for many years, including 15 as the volunteer Office Manager.

In 1996, I was elected a Director of the Heritage Society of British Columbia, and accepted new challenges. I completed two years as Secretary/Treasurer and was elected President in 2000. For eight years, I was the Chair of the Awards Committee.

In 2004, I was elected to the Board of the Heritage Legacy Fund of British Columbia as a founding director and the first president. I was recently re-elected for my third term. The purpose of the fund is to provide financial assistance and guidance for community based heritage conservation in BC

I Love Architecture

In 1995, I returned to studies at the University of Victoria after a lapse of 30 years. I completed a BA in History of Art, with a focus on architecture, June 2001. One course I completed was FA225. For one assignment I produced a web page on The Art and Architecture of Samuel Maclure. I plan to enlarge the coverage to include more of Victoria's architects as I have time.

Since 2001 I have been working as a heritage professional. My principal work has involved the research for, and preparation of, Statements of Significance for heritage properties in the province of BC for public and private clients.

I am the Vice-President of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals and a founding director of the BC Association of Heritage Professionals.

In the fall of 2007, I made a presentation entitled "Neighbourhoods Under Threat" at the Heritage Canada Foundation annual conference in Edmonton, Alberta. I am a member of the Educators' Roundtable and will be the co-chair of a session at the 2008 conference in Quebec City.

Interests and Hobbies

Heritage Tours and Consulting Services

For three summers I worked as a Heritage Information Officer at the Victoria Civic Heritage Trust Information Kiosk, The following summer, I developed a training program for heritage information staff. I now offer guided walking tours of historic Victoria, including Downtown, Chinatown, James Bay, and Fairfield, by appointment. Tours can be customized to fit your requirements. I am also available as a step-on guide for bus tours. My rates begin at $10.00 per person. If you are interested, please contact me.

Does your group need a guest speaker on heritage preservation, historic architecture, or any related field? I can provide a number of lectures on different topics, or can develop a customized slide show to suit your needs. I have lectured at ElderHostel and at a variety of conferences.

I am an accomplished researcher and writer. I am a co-author of Ross Bay Villa: A Colonial Cottage: 1865-2000, published by the Hallmark Society. My next book will be entitled The Hallmark Society: Thirty-five Years of Heritage Excellence (release date: 2009).

Bed Buddies Toys and Gifts

Visit the page for my home-based business, Bed Buddies Gifts, which makes stuffed toys, slippers, scarves, gloves, and other gift items.

Contact me

If you wish to contact me for any reason, I'm at helen@highspeedplus.com.

Last updated January, 2008