Community Rallies for the Canadian Register of Historic Places!
In late February, the National Trust for Canada launched a project to help secure the future of the Canadian Register of Historic Places, a national online directory that documents historic sites across the country. The goal of the study is to analyze technical, functional and governance options for a renewed Register and make recommendations. We want to find a path forward for this indispensable tool.
The Canadian Register of Historic Places was originally created through a federal-provincial-territorial partnership and serves as a public resource listing thousands of recognized heritage places. The current Register is to be decommissioned this spring, due to technical and security issues. Many of you spoke up about what the loss would mean. Your voices have turned to action. We are grateful to Parks Canada, which has managed the Register since its inception, for their collaboration and support as we work on renewal.
The National Trust is fighting for a future for the Register. This is collaborative work. In early March, we launched a public survey to hear what people value about the current Register and what features should be in a future tool. Approximately 700 people have responded (and the survey had not closed when this was written). Many included extensive comments. Thank you to all who have taken the time to help shape the Register’s future.
The study is also engaging directly with the provincial, territorial, and federal data holders. Their interest and willingness to continue to share information with a renewed Register is critical. We are grateful to these jurisdictions for taking part in the discussion. These interviews continue.
The third component of the study is about technology. The Trust is pleased to be working on the study with Claro Solutions, an IT consulting company based in Victoria, BC. Looking at national and international comparisons, this component of the study asks how technology, including AI, can make the Register easier to manage and more useful to users.
By working with governments, heritage organizations and workers, and IT innovators, the Trust hopes to bring together those who will be instrumental in giving it a future. Our goal is to complete the study by early April and we look forward to sharing the results.
Saving the Canadian Register of Historic Places is significant because the database plays a key role in protecting and promoting heritage sites across the country. Researchers, planners, teachers, and community groups rely on it to identify and understand historic places, while the public uses it to learn about the history of everyday landmarks. Through this project, the National Trust for Canada aims not only to safeguard the register itself but also to strengthen awareness of Canada’s heritage sites for future generations.
Photo: Screen shot from the Canadian Register of Historic Places
