Introduction
On the recommendation of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), the federal Minister of the Environment has designated some locations as National Historic Sites of Canada. A federal corporation called Parks Canada oversees the National Historic Sites program. There were 1,004 National Historic Sites as of July 2023, of which Parks Canada managed 171, and various governmental or private organizations controlled the remaining sites. There are ten provinces and three territories, including two in France. Unlike the Welland Canal, recognized as a National Historic Event, the Rideau Canal is a National Historic Site.
Buildings
Many buildings have the title of historic sites because of their ties to the past. Old government buildings, train stations, and homes are value for their age or architecture. Other examples include Perkins, Haliburton, and McCulloch houses, as well as those that are significant to Canadian history and culture. Sometimes community street scenes, such as Dawson or the old Quebec City, are designated historic sites. Historical structures are frequently renovated and repurposed as lodging, museums, or tourist destinations. Old canals, lighthouses, cemeteries, and fortresses are more examples of constructed heritage that are officially designated.
Archaeological sites
Historic sites include many archaeological sites that depict significant periods in Native American and European history. They typically consist of artifacts, rock art, or structural remnants (such as those at L’Anse aux Meadows). Archaeology serves to interpret these remnants. Some of these locations, such as snai’pi (Writing-on-Stone) and Serpent Mounds, are still revered by Native Americans.
Battleground and landscapes
Some historic sites do not necessarily have landmark buildings, monuments, or artifacts. Many of these locations have hosted significant events or are associated with a particular group or custom. Numerous locations have been honored as sites of historical conflicts, for instance. There are other examples, including historical gardens and rural landscapes that represent the agricultural philosophy of the 19th century, such as the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, as well as rural settings and Indigenous cultural landscapes.
Individuals
Prime ministers and political, military, or religious leaders are examples of prominent people named under the National Historic Site program. Typically, a place connected to them will have a memorial plaque built there. For instance, outside Kingston Women’s Medical College, which Dr. Trout assisted in funding, there is a plaque honoring Dr. Jennie Trout, Canada’s first licensed medical practitioner.
The Fork National Historic Site: Winipeg Menitoba
The Forks National Historic Site lies at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers in the center of Winnipeg. This region has seen more than 6,000 years of Canadian history. The Forks was a meeting and trading place for many First Nations groups in addition to being a fishing camp and village since the two rivers served as important transportation routes. The location of trade forts, a Hudson’s Bay reserve, and a significant railway yard in the 19th and early 20th centuries helped pave the way for growth into western Canada.
The Niagara Parks Power Station
The first significant power station on the Canadian side of the Niagara River is now home to the immersive and interactive Niagara Parks Power Station. While appreciating the spectacular architectural features like the Romanesque-style circular window arches and water-filled forecourt, learn about hydropower through restored artifacts. The first structure was finished in 1905 to exploit the famed Horseshoe Falls to provide hydroelectricity to Fort Erie and Buffalo. After being shut down in 2006, the factory got a multi-million dollar makeover, and it reopened in 2021.
Saint John City Market
It feels like going back when you visit the Saint John City Market. It is Canada’s oldest continually operating farmers’ market almost wasn’t, having been constructed between 1874 and 1876. The Great Saint John Fire of 1877 decimated two-fifths of the city and almost missed the structure. It is a unique surviving example of a 19th-century intended expressly as a market. It was created by New Brunswick architects McKean and Fair-weather in the Second Empire style, distinguished by rich elements such as a classically styled cornice and ornamental iron gates. In 1986, it received the designation of a National Historic Site.
Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site
The oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland stands on a sheer rock at the easternmost point of North America. The red and white beacon, built in 1836, served as a crucial signpost for mariners navigating the choppy, iceberg-filled waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site was opened to the public in 1983 by Charles and Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales, following Parks Canada’s restoration work. Today, the lighthouse provides a window into the lives of Cape Spear’s 19th-century light keepers and their families. You may even try your hand at real Victorian tasks like making candles and tying rope.
Province House National Historic Site
Even if you’ve never heard of this historical site, you’re probably well aware of the events that happened here more than 150 years ago. At the Charlottetown Conference in 1864, representatives from the British North American colonies gathered within the Province House without knowing that the talks would eventually result in the Confederation of Canada.
- Gross lle and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site
This little island in the St. Lawrence River, only three kilometers long and one kilometer wide, served as the primary entry point for more than four million immigrants into Canada in the past. From 1832 to 1937, Grosse Île served as a quarantine facility for the port of Quebec to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
