National Historic Sites of Canada facts for kids

In Canada, National Historic Sites (French: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are special places that the Canadian government has decided are very important to Canada's history. These sites help us remember and learn about the past. Many of them are looked after by Parks Canada, which also manages Canada's amazing national parks. Some of these historic places have been carefully fixed up to look like they did a long time ago, even if they were falling apart before.

First Sites and Discoveries

One of the very first places to be named a National Historic Site in Canada was Fort Anne in Nova Scotia. This happened in 1920. It's a place with a long history, and it was here that some important discoveries were made about the past of the Acadian people.

Historic Sites Across Canada

Canada has many National Historic Sites spread out across the country, in every province and territory. These sites tell stories about different parts of Canada's history, from ancient Indigenous cultures to important events in building the nation.

For example:

• In Ontario, there are the most sites, with 270. One of the first sites designated there was McCrae House.
• Quebec has 197 sites, including the historic Île d'Orléans Seigneury.
• British Columbia has 94 sites, like the famous Rogers Pass.
• Nova Scotia has 90 sites, such as Pier 21, which was an important entry point for immigrants.
• Even outside Canada, there are two sites in France, including the Vimy Ridge battlefield, which is very important to Canadian history.

These sites include everything from old forts and buildings to natural landscapes and archaeological areas. They help Canadians, especially young people, connect with the stories and people who shaped the country.

Images for kids

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  The celebrations of Quebec City's tricentennial in 1908 helped the government decide to protect historic sites.

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  Prince of Wales Fort in Churchill, Manitoba was one of the first two sites named in Western Canada.

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  At first, the program was just about remembering history, not fixing old places. The ruins of the Fortress of Louisbourg were named a site in 1920, but work to rebuild the fortress didn't start until 1961.

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  Áísínai’pi is a very important cultural and religious place for the Blackfoot people. It became a site in 2006.

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  Signs on stone piles were first used to mark National Historic Sites, like this one at Glengarry Landing in Ontario.

See also

In Spanish: Sitios históricos nacionales de Canadá para niños