Province of Alberta wants provincial park to be UNESCO Heritage Site

Alberta Environment and Parks is preparing a nomination for a provincial park to be named a UNESCO Heritage Site.

The province recently released a request for proposals (RFP) for the design and production of the final nomination package for Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park.

View image in full screen

The park, which is approximately 85 kilometres southeast of Lethbridge near the U.S. border, is already a National Historic Site of Canada.

It is described by Alberta Parks as “a sacred landscape.”

“The spectacular Milk River valley contains the largest concentration of First Nation petroglyphs (rock carvings) and pictographs (rock paintings) on the great plains of North America,” reads a description on the Alberta Parks website.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The spectacular Milk River valley contains the largest concentration of First Nation petroglyphs (rock carvings) and pictographs (rock paintings) on the great plains of North America," reads a description on <a href="http://www.albertaparks.ca/writing-on-stone.aspx">the Alberta Parks website</a>.

“It encompasses a diverse and distinct range of natural and cultural values that warrant special attention and an increased level of planning, management and promotion,” reads the RFP.

In 2004, the park was added to Canada’s tentative list for World Heritage Sites. That nomination was postponed in 2011 because revisions and further work was required.

The province is seeking a consultant to format a publication design then produce and package the nomination to be delivered to the World Heritage Centre in Paris before Feb. 1, 2017.

“Blackfoot Elders from the Mookaakin Cultural and Heritage Society have also contributed in a significant way to this project since its inception more than 10 years ago. The minister of Environment and Parks is actively supportive of this project, as are staff and leadership with Parks Canada,” reads the RFP.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Blackfoot Elders from the Mookaakin Cultural and Heritage Society have also contributed in a significant way to this project since its inception more than 10 years ago. The minister of Environment and Parks is actively supportive of this project, as are staff and leadership with Parks Canada," reads the RFP.

On Monday, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna announced that Ottawa wants Canadians to nominate national gems as candidates for UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

McKenna invited Canadians to suggest places of cultural, historic and natural significance for Canada’s list of nominees to be considered for world heritage status by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture.

The minister is putting together a committee of heritage experts, including indigenous representatives, to review submissions for Canada’s next world heritage bid.

Canada currently has 18 UNESCO sites. There are more than 1,000 sites worldwide.