The Loss of a Canadian Register of Historic Places:
Joint Statement by Heritage BC and BCMA
Heritage BC and the BC Museums Association (BCMA) have written a joint letter to Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, which has oversight for Parks Canada. We are responding to the planned removal of the online Canadian Register of Historic Places (Register) in early spring 2026 and Parks Canada’s announcement that its replacement will include only sites with federal heritage designations. Data from the Register is being ‘returned’ to originating jurisdictions.
We are seeking leadership from the Minister to find a modern solution that ensures Canada’s heritage sector continues to have a comprehensive and trusted site with quality and comprehensive information for the over 13,500 heritage sites currently included in the Registry. We expect him to work collaboratively with heritage organizations, the provinces and territories to find the solutions. Read our joint letter here.
The National Trust for Canada has taken a leadership role by compiling status briefs and supporting provincial heritage partners, including HBC and BCMA, in this advocacy effort. They have written directly to the Honourable Julie Dabrusin and Honourable Wade Grant and are in ongoing discussions with Parks Canada to explore what a long-term solution could look like. They have also issued a RFP to investigate redevelopment options for the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
“The CRHP has been an indispensable tool for communities across Canada. Losing it leaves a significant gap in our ability to do comparative research about heritage across the country and to understand and care for our historic places across the country.”
— Kirstin Clausen, Executive Director, Heritage BC
What you need to know about the Registry and why its loss is so concerning
Since its launch in 2004, the CRHP has provided accessible, detailed records of historic places recognized at local, provincial, territorial, and national levels. These records include construction dates, locations, images, Statements of Significance, and, in some cases, architectural and construction drawings.
The Registry is representative of over two decades of collaboration between provinces and territories and Parks Canada. At the time it was a hard-won achievement and it demonstrated that Canada needed a system to improve protection of the country’s historic sites and encourage standards of heritage conservation. That need has not gone away.
The CRHP has not only supported informed decision-making and heritage conservation, but has also enabled comparative analysis across regions, helping communities understand how historic places fit within broader provincial and national contexts.
The removal of this resource due to technological obsolescence represents a significant loss for Canada’s heritage sector. It is deeply concerning that, since 2010, only minimal investment has been made in the Register, resulting in an online platform that has become technologically unstable and, seemingly, left with no option but to be taken down. The lack of consistent and sustained investment in Canada’s only national heritage registry demonstrates short-sightedness and a disregard for heritage conservation efforts across the country.
While some provinces and territories, like British Columbia, maintain their own heritage registers, others rely heavily on the CRHP as their primary or sole public-facing inventory. Its disappearance creates information gaps that weaken a shared national framework for understanding and stewarding historic places.
The Province of BC, through the Heritage Branch, maintains a stable and up-to-date registry of provincially designated heritage properties. However, it does not include BC’s nationally designated sites. As a result, data drawn from the BC Registry is incomplete, underscoring the importance of a single, comprehensive registry to support comparative heritage research.
We are hearing of some clever and timely solutions within the private sector to replicate the National Register. Some of these efforts are impressive and are certainly welcomed as a stop-gap solution. These solutions, however, do not address the serious considerations of accountability over data, a process that handles site de-registrations and loss of structures that do happen from time to time, and potential privacy and copyright implications.
Working Together to Move Forward
Heritage BC and BCMA are actively collaborating to understand the implications of the CRHP’s removal and to explore ways to prevent harm while enriching heritage resources for the future. We have met with representatives from the Province of BC’s Heritage Branch, the National Trust for Canada, and other stakeholders to discuss next steps and potential solutions.
The Provincial Heritage Branch has confirmed to us that the loss of the National Registry has been on the agenda of the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Heritage Group that meets regularly to discuss heritage concerns across Canada. There are plans to continue this discussion.
“We see this as an opportunity to strengthen how heritage information is shared nationally. By working together, we can ensure that people can continue to have access to the knowledge they need to protect their historic places.”
— Jules André-Brown, Executive Director, BCMA
Your Voice Matters. Let’s Take Action
We encourage our members, the heritage community, local governments, practitioners, and citizens to take an active role in shaping the future of Canada’s shared heritage resources. Here are a few ways to take action:
1. We want to hear from you
What does the loss of the Canadian Register of Historic Places mean to you? Email info@heritagebc.ca and share your thoughts, experiences, and stories with us to help inform next steps.
2. Write to the Federal Minister
If this indispensable pan-Canadian tool matters to you, now is the time to speak up. Email the federal Minister of the Environment, Climate Change, and Nature at ministre-minister@ec.gc.ca, and write to your provincial or territorial heritage minister to share your concerns.
This advocacy issue underscores the importance of organizations like Heritage BC and the BC Museums Association. Membership strengthens our collective voice. If you’re not currently a member but value this work, please consider joining one or both organizations.
Through all advocacy efforts, Heritage BC and the BC Museums Association remain committed to working with partners and communities to ensure that Canada’s historic places continue to be understood, appreciated, and preserved for generations to come. Your input, advocacy, and engagement are essential to this work.
3. Future Opportunities
Advocacy can open the door to opportunity. Through collaboration with Parks Canada and the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Nature, we can help define the modern needs of a pan-Canadian registry, including GIS-enabled data, improved visuals, tourism linkages, and non-government participation. While the federal government speaks to collaborative federalism, a key tool is being dismantled. Heritage BC and the BC Museums Association believe collaboration will resolve this challenge.
