The Canadian Pacific Railway Dam is set to undergo a restoration project.

The dam located in Riverside Park has been subject to some weathering over the last few years with parts of the wooden frame starting to fall apart.

The City of Swift Current put aside $275,000 to restore the 1985 heritage property in last year's budget, but the City has learned that it could cost more.

Carlos Germann is the director of the Heritage Conservation Branch with the Ministry of Parks, Culture, and Sport, and says the City doesn't have to restore the dam to it's fullest but thinks they should.

"They have sort of an obligation as a city to do what it can to preserve the site because they took steps to designate it," he said. "There are other procedures under the heritage authority act for the de-designation of the site."

Germann said as long as the site remains a heritage property act they do have to follow requirements.

'"The city is the designated authority in this case," he said. "Both the owner (which is the City) and the designation authority, under heritage property act is authorized to provide whatever requirements or standards for maintenance and preservation and conservation that are required."

German talked about what it means to have a heritage property.

"A formal process under the provinces heritage property act has been followed to provide some formal public recognition to an important place within the community," he said. "The main purpose is to draw attention to the community that this is a place that matters and that's what they've (City of Swift Current) done by formally designating it as a municipal heritage property."

The director of the Heritage Conservation Branch of the Ministry of Parks, Culture, and Sport said that heritage properties have an important role in a community.

"Heritage properties are important for the community because they really represent the history and important and where the community has come from and how it grew," Germann noted. "These are landmarks within the community that all communities have and want to ensure they are maintained for the benefit of present and future generations. They have an important to the people's sense of place and quality of life."

An options report regarding the restoration of the 1888 dam will be presented to City administrators in the near future.