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National Trust and Parks Canada team up for new event marking heritage sites across Canada

Red/sugar maple leaves wet from rain are arranged to make a Canadian flag. Lisa Stokes/Getty Images

Over 200 historic places across Canada are celebrating the first-ever Canada Historic Places Day.

“Historic Places Day is really about getting Canadians excited about heritage places close to home. We’re hot on the heels of Canada Day and the 150th anniversary of Confederation and we know that people have been thinking about our history,” said Natalie Bull, executive director of the National Trust for Canada.

The trust and Parks Canada are hosting this celebration together and according to Bull, their message is, “Why travel abroad? We have this great opportunity to visit places that are important to us right here close to home — places that are waiting to tell their stories.”

READ MORE: Visual record of Calgary historic buildings, homes could be lost

Historic sites abound across the country, from libraries to parks.

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One place in Alberta particularly stands out to Bull, however.

“The Bar U Ranch National Historic Site [is] certainly a favourite place of mine,” Bull said. “[It is] an 1881 ranch that was once one of the greatest ranches in Canada.”

Bull said she enjoys visiting sites such as the ranch because she appreciates how authentic they are.

“I think everyone comes to historic places with different interests and expectations, but for me they really tell our collective story better than any textbook,” she said. “They’re tangible touchstones with the past, with the people and the events that came before us and really shaped our communities and our country.”

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READ MORE: 10 quirky Canadian places to visit for Canada’s 150th birthday

Not all of the sites in Canada Historic Places Day are designated as historic, but Bull does believe the recognition is important.

Official designation brings with it certain opportunities for financing, for funding, for grants, but also [means] certain obligations on behalf of owners, so that official approach to heritage can be challenging,” she explained.
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LISTEN:  Natalie Bull, executive director for the National Trust for Canada, on the collaboration with Parks Canada:

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