System of National Historic Sites

The national historic sites program consists of places declared to be of historic significance to the nation by the Minister of Canadian Heritage. The first step toward establishing the national historic sites program took place in 1914, when Fort Howe in Saint John, New Brunswick, was set aside as a Dominion park. The setting aside of historic Fort Anne in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia in 1917 and the establishment of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in 1919, laid the foundation for Canada's system of national historic sites. Canada's family of national historic sites now numbers over 864 sites across the country, 145 of which are administered by Parks Canada. The Historic Sites and Monuments Act of 1953 provides statutory authority for the commemoration of places of national historic significance. The first national historic sites system plan, organizing Canadian history into three major categories of social, economic and political history, was introduced in 1981. This system plan is currently being updated. In addition to national historic site designations, nationally significant persons and events are also designated. These designations are made by the Minister of Canadian Heritage on advice from the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada through a process managed by Parks Canada.

Historic canals form an integral part of the national historic sites program. In 1972, seven federally operated canals were transferred to Parks Canada from the Department of Transport because of their heritage value. Two other canals were transferred in subsequent years. Boaters and non-boaters alike can experience historic waterways such as the Rideau Canal, which was built after the War of 1812 to provide an alternate shipping route to Upper Canada that would be safe from American attack. The authorities for this program are the Department of Transport Act and the Historic Sites and Monuments Act.

System of National Marine Conservation Areas

In 1986, the national marine conservation areas program was established to protect and preserve a network of areas representative of Canada's marine environments. A system plan was published in 1995 to divide Canada's coastal waters and Great Lakes into 29 marine natural regions.

Through the national marine conservation areas program, representative examples of Canada's 29 marine regions will be represented. Still in its formative stages, there are agreements for three marine conservation areas and reserves, including Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park, which protects elements of the St. Lawrence River estuary, Fathom Five in Georgian Bay, and Gwaii Haanas (which spans two marine regions) in the Queen Charlotte Islands. Together, these represent four of the 29 marine regions, while a fifth is represented by the marine component of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. While the National Parks Act currently provides the authority to establish such areas, the proposed Marine Conservation Areas Act will provide the legislative framework for this program. New national marine conservation areas are established using the process followed for new national parks.

Other National Programs

Last Updated: 2002-05-07

Important Notices