The Canadian Register of Historic Places: An invaluable resource

Front elevation of Government House.
Government House National Historic Site, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Learn more
© Province of PEI
  • There has been a dramatic deterioration of Canada’s built heritage over the past several decades. Consequently, heritage conservation in Canada has fallen short compared to similar efforts in other G8 countries. Creating a comprehensive register of current cultural resources is a proactive way of maintaining what exists and tracking changes to historic places.
  • The CRHP developed from and remains a collaboration of local, provincial, territorial and federal governments within Canada.
  • Until the development of the CRHP and the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places, Canada lacked an integrated pan-Canadian approach to heritage conservation.
  • The CRHP has benefited from the knowledge of heritage experts and various stakeholders across Canada who have provided valuable, forward-looking advice in the field of heritage conservation.
  • Parks Canada, provincial and territorial governments, in addition to heritage-minded individuals have also collaborated to create the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada which provides a common benchmark to guide restoration and rehabilitation of historic places, ensuring that heritage values are preserved and that these historic places continue to be useful resources in the life of a community.
  • In addition to these pan-Canadian programs, individual jurisdictions across the country have developed different grants, contribution or other programs to support heritage within their jurisdiction. For example, the Federal government has introduced a financial contribution program, Parks Canada’s National Historic Sites Cost-Sharing Program, which supports the repair, maintenance and presentation of national historic sites in Canada. To learn more about specific conservation programs in your province or territory, consult the CRHP’s list of Partners.
  • The conservation of features associated with our heritage complements other current social issues, such as sustainable urban and economic development, which affect policy and planning directives at all levels of government.

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