Professional Membership

• Use the CAHP acronym behind your name, a signifier of specialized expertise in heritage conservation as vetted by peers
• A listing in CAHP’s searchable directory of heritage professionals, a resource accessed 8,700 times annually
• Eligible to apply for our Annual Awards
• Eligible to vote at the Annual General Meeting and serve on the Board of Directors
• Notice of job opportunities or RFPs exclusively shared with CAHP members
• Alerts you to sector-specific education opportunities
• Gains you membership to provincial or regional chapters (where available)
• Connects you with leading Canadian heritage professionals
• Supports advocacy efforts on behalf of the sector to government
• Reduced preferential rate to the CAHP / National Trust for Canada annual conference

Professional applications are reviewed for the following criteria:

• Education and training
• Knowledge of heritage conservation principles
• Favourable commendation from their CAHP sponsor and references
• Work in a heritage conservation profession (See a list of heritage professions)
• Work experience:
  • 7 years of heritage experience if the candidate does not have a post-secondary degree in a heritage related discipline;
  • 5 years of heritage experience and a degree/diploma/trade certificate in a heritage related discipline; or,
  • 3 years of experience and a graduate degree in a heritage related subject
    • What counts as heritage experience?
      For Professional membership, you should have more than half of your work dedicated to heritage under your respective area of specialization (Ex: if you have worked more than 5 years, but split the time between heritage and other projects, you would need to have 5 years of cumulative work experience on heritage projects).

Please note: Although CAHP values out-of-country experience, the candidate must demonstrate a minimum of 12 months of Canadian experience to ensure sufficient exposure to the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada and applicable legislation, policies, technical standards and regulations related to the candidate’s area of practice. The Membership Committee may apply its discretion regarding Canadian experience in exceptional circumstances.

CAHP confirms the competence of its members through a rigorous peer-reviewed process:

1. Your application is submitted
2. The membership committee will assign a liaison officer to review your completed application
3. The liaison officer will contact your references and confirm your experience
4. They will report to the membership committee, which will make a recommendation
5. All recommended professional members are then approved by the Board of Directors
6. If successful, you will receive a letter of confirmation with requirement to pay your membership fee
7. Once your membership fee is received, you will be added to the public directory and receive your official certificate.

To apply to become an Professional member, you will need to:

1. Create an account
2. Pay the one-time application fee: $75
3. Provide all biographical details (name and addresses etc.)
4. Agree and sign our Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics
5. Provide a letter of support from a CAHP Professional Member sponsor (pdf)
   1. (Please email us if you need assistance with this, and browse the online Professional Directory for one in your area or field of interest)
6. Provide 3 references (name and contact information) that are familiar with your heritage experience, 2 of which must be from outside your current workplace. 
7. Identify your area of expertise
8. Upload a copy of your resume (pdf)
9. Provide details of your work history, education, certifications, conferences and/or workshops and other relevant experience (from three to seven years is adequate)
10. Provide projects and/or publications you have worked on in the past.
11. Provide a percentage of your work dedicated to heritage.
12. Then submit!

Please note: It is highly recommended that you prepare this information ahead of filling in the application, and that you complete the steps in the order they are presented. If you encounter any issues during the online application process please contact admin@cahp-acecp.ca for help.