HRC Banner

Residents and visitors alike probably have a certain image pop into their head when they think of Lacombe: the Flatiron building in our historic downtown. We’re pretty proud of our history, but preserving it has taken a lot of work supported by an incredible community spirit.

The Flatiron may be the most photographed landmark in Lacombe, but it is just one of the many outstanding buildings that are part of the very fabric of our community.

We’ve put together an assortment of pages dealing with topics like how to designate a property, what financial incentives exist, and a visual map providing details about designated buildings. We also try to tackle common misconceptions, like the idea that designating a building turns it into a museum. Absolutely not!

Each page has a range of information for those with a casual interest in what programs Lacombe has for heritage preservation all the way to those who want all the details. Quick summaries can be found at the top of each page while those in-depth details for the curious at heart are located further down the page. Topics include:

If you still have questions after browsing around, please give us a shout and we’ll do what we can to help you!

Thanks for your interest in Lacombe and its history! We’re proud of the ongoing work and are excited to share with you our community’s achievements.

  1. Program History
  2. Operational Details
  3. Guiding Documents

Lacombe’s efforts to maintain and preserve its unique collection of not only commercial but also residential historic properties began in earnest in the early 1970s. The Canadian Inventory of Historic Buildings (CIHB) conducted the first official survey of Lacombe’s heritage buildings in 1972. 15 years later, Lacombe became one of the first communities in Alberta to benefit from the Provincial Government’s Alberta Main Street Program. Between 1987 and 1993, 31 historic sites were rehabilitated. The downtown commercial core was also landscaped, and new streetlights were installed.

While there was no formal program in place for designating Heritage Resources at the municipal level, several buildings became Provincially recognized, including Michener House (1977) and the Flatiron Building (1990).