Federal Heritage Designations: Over 14,000 Records of Canadian Historical Significance

Over 14,000 records document more than 3,850 federal heritage designations recognized by the Government of Canada. The Directory of Federal Heritage Designations is maintained by Parks Canada as the authoritative source for places, persons, and events of national historical significance. These datasets are released annually and include designations such as National Historic Sites, Persons, Events, Federal Heritage Buildings, Heritage Railway Stations, and Heritage Lighthouses.

Use Cases

• Mapping and analyzing the geographic distribution of National Historic Sites based on location data.
• Studying trends in federal heritage recognition over time based on designation dates and categories.
• Profiling National Historic Persons and their contributions to Canadian history based on biographical information.
• Cataloging and inventorying heritage structures like Federal Heritage Buildings and Heritage Lighthouses based on architectural and historical attributes.

Strengths

• Contains over 14,000 records, providing a substantial base for analysis.
• Covers more than 3,850 distinct federal heritage designations across multiple categories.
• Serves as the authoritative source for this information, managed by Parks Canada.
• Data is updated and released on an annual basis, suggesting ongoing maintenance.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for specific analytical tasks.
• Data may reflect geographic or institutional bias inherent to the federal designation process.

Provenance

Source

Parks Canada, the Government of Canada agency responsible for national parks and historic sites.

Collection Method

Designations are made by the responsible Minister upon recommendation of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada or the Federal Heritage Review Office.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-17 16:32:09.426117; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Canada