Government of Canada announces 12 new national historic designations

Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna, announced the designation of 12 new nationally significant persons, places and events that helped define Canada’s history.

These new designations reflect the rich and varied history of our country. They bear witness to our country’s defining moments and illustrate its human creativity, evolving values, and cultural traditions.

The new designations include:

Places: La Petite-Ferme du cap Tourmente (Saint-Joachim, Québec), Reader Rock Garden (Calgary, Alberta).

Persons: Mary Grannan (1900-1975), Northrop Frye (1912-1991), Henry Youle Hind (1823-1908).

Events: The Dionne Quintuplets, Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club, The Universal Negro Improvement Association in Canada, Expo 67, The Spanish Flu in Canada (1918-1920), Early Science in Canada and the Hudson’s Bay Company (1768-ca. 1810), Stratford Festival.

Some highlights from today’s announcement include:

• The Dionne Quintuplets: Born on 28 May 1934, the birth and survival of five identical, premature and undersized infants – Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Émilie, and Marie – was an unprecedented event that attracted international attention. The quintuplets’ delivery and after-care, which took place under difficult circumstances and without access to any medical equipment or facilities astounded the medical world.

• Stratford Festival: Founded in 1953, the Stratford Festival built its initial success on the annual production of the plays of William Shakespeare, but quickly grew into a major theatre with an international reputation for excellence in the classics. Attracting outstanding talent from across the country, it contributed to the development of Canadian professional theatre by creating and maintaining a resident company. It provided training and experience to actors, directors, and others, helping launch the careers of many notable Canadian actors. The Festival remains a tremendous artistic and economic success, now running from May through to October with more than 700 performances each season.

Each of these designations contributes its own unique story to the greater story of Canada, and helps us better understand our country and our identity.

Today, there are more than 970 national historic sites; of these, 171 are administered by Parks Canada. Budget 2018 reiterated that admission to all Parks Canada’s places will be permanently free for youth 17 and under. By encouraging young Canadians to visit these national treasures, we will help inspire the next generation of stewards for Canada’s protected places. From lighthouses to battlefields, historic neighbourhoods to contributions and traditions of Indigenous Peoples, there is an amazing array of places and stories to discover.

Quote

“I am very proud to recognize some of the persons, places and events that have shaped our country. Designations can recall moments of greatness and triumph or cause us to contemplate the complex and challenging moments that helped define Canada today. By sharing these stories with Canadians, we hope to foster better understanding and open discussions on Canada’s history.”

The Honorable Catherine McKenna
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

Quick facts:

• The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, designates persons, places, and events that shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past.

• Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change regarding the national historic significance of places, people and events that have marked Canada’s history.