Government of Canada Recognizes Bragg Creek Youth Hostel
Media Release:
Government of Canada Recognizes Contributions of Historically Significant Communities
OTTAWA, ONTARIO–( Jan. 17, 2012) – The Honourable Peter Kent, Canada’s Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, today announced the designation of four communities as historically significant places in Canada.
“I am pleased that we are recognizing the special role these communities have played in Canada’s history,” said Minister Kent. “These designations remind us how the story of Canada has a wide variety of characters and places, each interesting and critical to our development as a nation. I encourage all Canadians to learn more about these places and our country’s history.”
The new designations are in recognition of the following:
- The role of architecture in the development of Westmount, Quebec, one of Canada’s iconic neighbourhoods;
- The founding of the first youth hostel in North America in Bragg Creek, Alberta;
- The Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston, Ontario, the final resting place of many prominent political, economic and social leaders, including Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. MacDonald;
- The consequences of the tragic deportations of Acadian inhabitants of Ile Saint-Jean (now Prince Edward Island) in 1758.
“Today’s designations serve to remind us that Canada’s communities all contribute to the many stories that made Canada,” said the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, “The great attention to detail in design and construction found in places such as Westmount or the Cataraqui Cemetery remains impressive today. Remembering a significant moment in the deportation of Acadians underlines the struggle of that community and how it has survived to this day, while the youth hostel at Bragg Creek shows how modern communities of interest are created and how they contribute to our national culture.”
Established in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada is supported by Parks Canada and advises the Minister of the Environment on which places, persons and events should be designated as having national historic significance. Parks Canada manages a nation-wide network of national historic sites that make up a rich tapestry of Canada’s cultural heritage and which offers visitors the opportunity for real and inspiring discoveries.