Review of existing designations

More than 2,200 designations of national historic significance have been recommended by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) since 1919. Perspectives and interpretations of Canada's history have changed a lot over the last century. Some designations and their commemorative plaques include dated or insensitive content that does not reflect what is known or important to say about the country's history today.

The Framework for History and Commemoration (2019) outlines the HSMBC and Parks Canada's approach for reviewing existing national historic designations. It provides a basis to address concerns about existing designations and plaque texts.

Main issues with some of the existing designations

Following an internal and external analysis undertaken in 2019 to 2020, four main types of concerns were identified with a number of existing designations and/or their plaque texts:

• Colonial assumptions: designations related to colonial and religious leaders and their actions, and to settlement and nation building from an overly European perspective.
• Terminology: designations or plaque texts with outdated or offensive terms or word choices.
• Absence: designations with an absence of a significant layer of history, most frequently associated with the exclusion of Indigenous peoples.
• Controversial beliefs and behaviours: designations, in particular persons, who are now associated with views, actions, and activities condemned by today's society.

Prioritizing subjects for review

The following designations are being reviewed on a priority basis. Subjects that:

• have received numerous public requests for review
• are identified as “under review” in the Directory of Federal Heritage Designations
• are identified as “high priority” or “urgent” in the 2019-2020 analysis
• are requested for review by Parks Canada Field Units
• are on the list of plaques to be replaced

The review process

Designations where the reasons for designation need to be revised will, in most cases, be reviewed at a meeting of the HSMBC. Where there are issues with the plaque text, the designation will be considered by the HSMBC's Inscriptions Committee. In addition, designations are being sorted thematically, so that designations which are linked historically by a common theme, can be considered at the same time.

Public involvement in the review

The process for reviewing existing designations involves an external review by people knowledgeable about the subject. This is similar to the external review process for evaluating new nominations. For example, the following individuals or groups may be consulted in the development of plaque texts and/or the review of designation reports:

• the requestor (where there has been a public request)
• any implicated community, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples
• Parks Canada's Indigenous Cultural Heritage Advisory Council (on subjects with multiple Indigenous stakeholders)
• subject-matter experts
• local stakeholders or community members
• the owner of a national historic site being reviewed

Final recommendation to the Minister

Under the Historic Sites and Monuments Act, the HSMBC's role is to make recommendations to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada regarding the designation of subjects of national historic significance. Designations that have been reviewed are discussed during HSMBC meetings, and resulting recommendations may propose:

• new or modified reasons for designation
• maintaining the existing reasons
• that there is insufficient historical knowledge or another issue that makes it impossible to provide a recommendation at this time

The HSMBC also provides a recommendation on the form of commemoration for a designation. This recommendation could include one of the following approaches. The subject should:

• not be commemorated by a plaque – for some designations, the HSMBC may conclude that a plaque is not an appropriate form of commemoration for the subject
• be commemorated with a plaque, along with directions for what should be included in the plaque text
• be commemorated through some other form of commemoration

List of national historic designations under review

Parks Canada maintains a list of designations that are prioritized for review. This list is updated twice annually. As new public requests come in, the list of designations identified for review is expected to grow. Reviewing older designations is an integral part of the work of the HSMBC.

Request a review

To request a review of a designation, members of the public can contact Parks Canada's Secretariat for the HSMBC at clmhc-hsmbc@pc.gc.ca. Please identify which HSMBC designation or plaque is of interest to you and provide a brief description of your concerns. While Parks Canada's goal is to complete this work as quickly as possible, these reviews are undertaken as time and resources permit.

Related links

• National historic designations
• Submit a nomination