Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | HFNL |
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| Established | 1984 |
| Type | Crown corporation |
| Legal status | active |
| Purpose | architectural and intangible cultural heritage conservation |
| Headquarters | St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada |
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Region
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Newfoundland and Labrador |
The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (HFNL), also known as Heritage NL, is a special group that helps protect important old buildings and traditions in Newfoundland and Labrador. It's a non-profit organization that works with the government.
Heritage NL was started in 1984. Its main goal is to help people understand and appreciate the old buildings and "living heritage" of the province. In 2018, the group started using the shorter name "Heritage NL" for its public work.
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What Heritage NL Does
Work to create Heritage NL began around 1982. The government wanted to set up a group to help save and protect old buildings. These buildings were important for their history or their special design.
Heritage NL also teaches people about history. It holds events, publishes books, and supports projects. All these activities help show how valuable old buildings and traditions are.
Protecting Old Buildings
Heritage NL helps save and fix buildings that are important because of their history or design. They can officially name buildings as "Registered Heritage Structures." Once a building has this name, its owners might get money to help fix it up.
The group also runs a program called the Fisheries Heritage Preservation Program. This program gives small grants to help save traditional buildings. It also helps protect fishing stages, which are special buildings used in the historic cod and other fisheries. Heritage NL also helps add important sites in the province to the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
Heritage NL has different programs and grants to help protect the architectural history of Newfoundland and Labrador. These include grants for designating, restoring, and maintaining Registered Heritage Structures. People who want to protect a historic site can apply for these grants.
Special Heritage Areas
Registered Heritage Districts are special areas. They are unique because of their buildings, how they are laid out, their natural beauty, or their living traditions. These districts show important styles, types of buildings, or periods of history. They might also be linked to important people, events, or themes.
There are currently six Registered Heritage Districts in Newfoundland and Labrador:
- Harbour Grace Registered Heritage District, Harbour Grace (1992)
- Tilting Registered Heritage District, Tilting (2003)
- Port Union Registered Heritage District, Port Union (2007)
- Downtown Woody Point Registered Heritage District, Woody Point (2008)
- Cable Avenue Registered Heritage District, Bay Roberts (2013)
- Heart's Content Registered Heritage District, Heart's Content (2013)
Saving Living Heritage
In 2008, Heritage NL was chosen to lead the province's plan for "Intangible Cultural Heritage" (ICH). ICH is also called "Living Heritage." It includes many traditions, practices, and customs.
This "living heritage" can be:
- Stories and family events
- Community gatherings
- Languages and songs
- Knowledge about nature
- Healing traditions
- Special foods and holidays
- Beliefs and cultural practices
Some examples of living traditions that Heritage NL helps protect are Christmas mummering, boat building skills, and Aboriginal languages. They also work to save regional dialects and the unique culture of different groups in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The goal of this work is to protect the living heritage of the province for everyone. This heritage is a key part of who Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are. It's also a valuable collection of unique knowledge and customs. Heritage NL works to celebrate, record, share, and promote this living heritage. They also help connect different cultural groups within and outside the province.
Saving living heritage is very important for a community's creativity and identity. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has made protecting ICH a key part of its culture plan. This plan helps guide how Heritage NL works with different groups and people across the province.
See also
- Canadian Register of Historic Places
- History of Newfoundland and Labrador
- List of historic places in Newfoundland and Labrador
- Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage at Memorial University of Newfoundland
