A heritage group in New Brunswick is turning to the public to help find places at risk of being demolished or that are not being used to their full potential.

Erin Jeffries, project co-ordinator for Association Heritage New Brunswick, said historical buildings are important in making sure the province is represented authentically.

"We're asking people to look around their community and decide what matters to them," said Jeffries.

Anyone can submit a nomination for the Endangered Places List, which can be found on the group's website. The list of those selected will be released on the Victoria Day weekend in May.

Within the year there will be updates published on the buildings — about what is being done to preserve them, said Jeffries.

She said it is important to hold onto New Brunswick's history in a visual way. At the same time, affordable housing concerns can also be alleviated by reusing buildings rather than demolishing them, she said.

One spot that came to mind for Jeffries was Brown House in Saint John, which was recently demolished and will be replaced with a playground as part of a larger development.

She also mentioned the St. John the Evangelist Church in Fredericton which could face demolition if the $51,000 repair bill can't be covered.

Another example is the Swallowtail Lighthouse in Grand Manan, which is also in need of over $479,000 for renovations to save the structure.

And Stone Church in Saint John is a heritage site also in need of repairs, said Jeffries. The church, officially known as St. John's Church, was one of the few buildings that survived the Great Fire in Saint John in 1877. The church hall wing of the building was previously torn down because of leaks and a mould infestation.

Once the list of buildings that need attention is compiled, Jeffries said the association will continue to watch those properties and raise awareness about their importance.

"There's so many different people who call New Brunswick home, and I think it's really important that we make a concentrated effort to preserve our heritage … or maybe establish an inclusive interpretation of what New Brunswick heritage really looks like," said Jeffries.

The association has a scoring system that will allow them to wade through the nominations, and weigh the heritage value of the property against the risk assessment, to help them decide whether the property could be rehabilitated.

She hopes the project will attract buyers or create a solid foundation for people to seek out provincial funding.

"I think a lot of the time the public ends up in a position where they don't really know how they can help," said Jeffries.

"We just hope that, with this project, we can get to a place where we have a system that allows for people to do something."