New Report Charts Path for Canadian Register of Historic Places
The report, A Path Forward for the Canadian Register of Historic Places, finds that the Canadian Register of Historic Places (CRHP) remains a highly valued national public resource, relied on by a wide range of users for research, planning, education, tourism, and development decisions.
Photo credit: Screen shot from the Canadian Register of Historic Places (historicplaces.ca)
Extensive engagement—including more than 900 survey responses and consultations with governments, professionals, and communities—confirms that the Register’s greatest strengths are its national scope, authoritative status, and location-based searchability. At the same time, the study identifies critical and immediate risks: the underlying platform is obsolete and unsupported, public access is at risk, and the absence of an authoritative register is already leading to unofficial and inaccurate replications of the data.
The current CRHP no longer meets user expectations or contemporary standards. Users overwhelmingly want up-to-date and authoritative information, open public access, map-based navigation, bilingual and accessible design, and a modern user interface. The research also highlights serious gaps in representation: Indigenous heritage, Black and Asian Canadian histories, women’s histories, rural and everyday places, and other underrepresented communities are insufficiently reflected in the Register. Indigenous engagement emphasized that renewal must respect Indigenous data sovereignty, including community control over what information is shared and how.
The report concludes that the Register’s long-term viability depends as much on governance and funding as on technology. The announced end of the current CRHP has created a governance vacuum. There is broad consensus that the Register should operate at arm’s length from government with clear multi-jurisdictional and community representation, strong accountability, and explicit data sovereignty protections.
The study finds that the original CRHP failed largely because its funding sunsetted. Any future model must be financially sustainable over decades. The study looks at diversified options including public funding, philanthropic support, and limited cost-recovery mechanisms.
Can the Register be saved? The answer is a resounding ‘yes!’. The study demonstrates that there are viable technical and governance options for the continuation of this critical tool.
Will the Register be saved? Saving the Register will require a collaborative effort from governments, interested organizations, and individuals. The National Trust is working to establish the coalition needed to move forward. We will need your help to convince government to invest in this new model!
Canada has a narrow window to stabilize and renew the Register. With coordinated leadership, modern technology, inclusive governance, and sustainable funding, the Register can be transformed into resilient national heritage infrastructure.