Rebecca Sciarra, MA

Rebecca has extensive experience working in accordance with Ontario’s legislative and regulatory framework for conserving Ontario’s cultural heritage resources. She has worked in both the private and public sectors, leading Class Environmental Assessment studies and technical cultural heritage studies for provincial undertakings, applications made under the Planning Act, and matters pursuant to the Ontario Heritage Act, particularly Parts III, IV and V of the Ontario Heritage Act. She has developed and implemented heritage policies and procedures for public sector agencies and has managed hundreds of cultural heritage resource assessment studies, heritage evaluations, heritage bridge assessments, heritage impact assessments, and conservation plans. This experience has involved high profile infrastructure projects, private sector developments, and public sector heritage planning work, all requiring Rebecca to provide excellent strategic planning, conflict resolution, and successful budgetary performance.

Rebecca first joined ASI in 2007 and since then has led growth of the company’s Cultural Heritage Division. Over the last ten years, she has been a major contributor to cultural landscape technical work completed as part of Heritage Conservation District Studies and Plans, Master Plans, Planning Act applications, and municipal Official Plans across the province of Ontario. She also lead and facilitates sensitive and high-profile consultation programs with provincial government and agency staff, municipal representatives, private sector clients, sector stakeholders, and the public.. She routinely makes industry presentations about trends and issues in heritage conservation planning and has led projects that have received Canadian Association of Heritage Professional Awards.

She has served as a juror for the Canadian Association of Heritage Professional’s Heritage Awards and is also a permanent member of the professional advisory committee associated with the Herb Stovel Scholarship Fund, a heritage award administered by the National Trust for Canada. Rebecca’s career in cultural heritage management focuses on working with clients to best conserve our province’s cultural heritage fabric, from monumental places to everyday structures and spaces. Heritage sites can be complicated places to untangle. Understanding their specific opportunities and constraints in the context of redevelopment, adaptive reuse, and intensification requires an iterative process. Rebecca brings rigorous research, strategic thinking and collaborative problem solving to her clients. She strives to integrate and enhance significant heritage fabric and places into new projects so that their stories can continue to be told in compelling and sustainable ways.

Rebecca received a BA (Hons) in Political Science from McMaster University and a MA in Canadian Studies (Heritage Conservation and Cultural Geography specialization) from Carleton University. She is a Professional Member in Good Standing with the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP) with Areas of Practice in Planning and Environmental Assessment.

Rebecca is often found busy at work in our Bathurst office in downtown Toronto. Her husband Bryan and young kids Amis and Mallory are never far away. Together, they enjoy cooking (and eating), hiking, gardening, and experiencing Ontario’s beautiful landscapes and unique communities.