The Canadian Register of Historic Places is an online, searchable database that includes listings of historic places important to communities, cities, provinces, territories, and the nation. It is part of a national program through which local, provincial, territorial and federal governments enable people to learn about, value, safeguard and enjoy the country's historic places.
The Canadian Register does not connote national historic significance, though many National Historic Sites of Canada are listed. Rather, it is a nationwide register of properties, many of which are of local significance.
Administered by Parks Canada, provincial, territorial and civic governments contribute listings to the Canadian Register through a nomination process. As such, it is a flexible compendium of sites and structures which have been recognized as historic through any one of several programs. Evaluation of a site is left to the these authorities, but the Register includes background information prepared by them, including references to the legal authority used for historic designation. Administrators say the Register is flexible enough to work with the range of heritage programs across the country, while being uniform enough to make searching for recognized historic places possible.[1] Currently, the Register holds over 12,500 listings, with a goal of including the roughly 17,000 historic sites across the country.
A Canadian Register listing does not put any additional legal constraints on property owners. Listing recognizes and celebrates the importance of a historic place to its community, province or territory, or to the nation. The register does not impose its own criteria but bases listing on federal, provincial, territorial or local designations of historic places, "a reflection of the community-based approach to heritage conservation in Canada."[2]