Events/Other
5. Specific Guidelines: Events/Other
5.1 Origins
of Settlements
5.2 Pre-Confederation
Events
5.3 Assessing
the Role of Organized Religion in the Social Development of
Canada
5.4 Ethnic
or Religious Groups
5.5 Disasters
and Disaster Areas
5.6 Commemoration
of Post-Secondary Educational Institutions
5.1 Origins of
Settlements
In 1923, the subject of settlements throughout Canada was
thoroughly gone into in all its phases, and the following resolution
was passed:
That the Board has considered with care the communication of Mr.
W.H. Breithaupt, President of the Waterloo Historical Society, with
reference to the proposed monuments to commemorate the pioneers
of the County of Waterloo, as well as representations from other
districts as to similar proposals therein, and desires to express
its hearty approval of every effort to perpetuate and honour the
memory of the founders of settlements, throughout the Dominion,
and its high appreciation of Mr. Breithaupt's patriotic objects
and efforts.
The Board, however, has to deal with so many sites of outstanding
national importance which require priority of action that it feels
it would not be advisable for it to undertake at present action
in the matter of the placing of memorials in connection with early
settlements in Canada.
This policy has been reaffirmed numerous times. For example,
in October 1967:
In connection with the proposal to commemorate the Founding of Pictou,
the Board reaffirmed its policy of not recommending the commemoration
of settlement origins; but recommended that the Department suggest
to the Government of Nova Scotia the appropriateness of a provincially
sponsored commemoration.
In October 1969:
The Board reaffirmed its policy of not recommending the origins
of existing communities for commemoration, but considered that the
significance of former settlements and colonizing ventures should
be considered each on its own merits.
5.2 Pre-Confederation
Events
In November 1973, the Board recommended that:
pre?Confederation events should be regarded on their individual
merits on a line basis, i.e., as significant events in the development
of a region which later became a province of Canada.
5.3 Assessing
the Role of Organized Religion in the Social Development of Canada
In November 1973, the Board enunciated that:
while recognizing the overwhelming impact of organized religion
on the development of Canada, prefers for the present that the Board
should deal with items in this category on an individual basis as
they arise and that they be reviewed in the light of the Policy
Statement's first stated [guidelines], i.e., a site, structure or
object shall be closely associated or identified with events that
have shaped Canadian history in a prominent way, or illustrate effectively
the broad cultural, social, political, economic or military patterns
of Canadian history.
5.4 Ethnic
or Religious Groups
In November 1977, the Board recommended that:
religious and ethnic groups, per se should not be specifically commemorated
but that we should pay particular attention to the contributions
of such ethnic and religious groups as represented in buildings
of national architectural or historical significance, individual
leaders of national importance, or events of national historic significance.
In June 2002, the joint Cultural Community and Criteria Committees
recommended, and the Board accepted, that this guideline be amended
as follows:
The Board will assess the national historic significance of places,
persons and events associated with the experience of ethnic or religious
groups in Canada, rather than advocating an approach that would
consider the commemoration of ethnic or religious groups themselves.
5.5 Disasters
and Disaster Areas
In November 1982:
Following considerable discussion, the Board was unanimous in its
recommendation that:
it continue to be guided in its deliberations by the 1967 "National
Historic Sites Policy"
Amended as follows:
normally disasters will be excluded from consideration by the Board
unless there is evidence that their long?term impact has been such
that they would merit consideration under Criterion 1.6.ii of the
general Board criteria [in the "Parks Canada Policy" (1979)],
that is to say-as events which shaped Canadian history.
In November 1997, the Board reviewed its existing guideline
and:
agreed that it would consider only the most exceptional disasters
if they were seen to have caused changes to some facet of Canadian
society, for example, changes to social programs, public policy,
or causing long?standing economic impacts.
5.6 Commemoration
of Post-Secondary Educational Institutions
In February 1992, following three requests in one year asking
that it consider the possible national significance of institutions
of higher learning, the Board asked the Criteria Committee to reflect
on the matter. In November 1992, the Committee and, in turn, the
Board recommended:
that due to the increasing number and complexity of post?secondary
institutions which have been established in recent decades, and
the consequent difficulty of assessing their significance to Canada
in a rigorous and equitable manner, the Board should no longer recommend
the commemoration of such institutions, per se. The Board, however,
should continue to consider nationally significant aspects of universities,
colleges and training schools, such as founders, administrators,
faculty members, benefactors, and individual faculties or departments,
as well as school and university architecture and research contributions.