Canada can be referred to as a “middle-aged” country compared to some of its global counterparts. Founded in 1867, the nation is 158 years old at present and yet, there is no shortage of interesting landmarks and designated sites for history enthusiasts to visit. There are 1004 national historic sites in Canada and they can be found in every province and territory. National historic sites are designated as a place with direct association to a nationally significant part of Canada’s history, ranging from archaeological sites to heritage homes. Travelers who want to understand the storied history of Canada can add these five incredible historic sites in Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, to their bucket lists.
1. The Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal National Historic site is located in Eastern Ontario where the 202-kilometre-long canal runs from Ottawa to Kingston. Preserved from the 19th century canal-building era of North America, it operates along its original route with most original structures intact today. Built between 1826 and 1832, the Rideau Canal was designed by Lieutenant-Colonel John By, who based his design on a “slackwater” system. This famous Canadian waterway was meant to be a military supply route between Montreal and Lake Ontario, offering an alternative to the St. Lawrence River.
Currently operated by Parks Canada and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007, the Rideau Canal attracts tourists year-round. In the summer visitors can go paddling and boating or watch the historic locks operate from land. In the winter months, the Rideau Canal transforms into the world’s largest natural skating rink and it is free to access 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
When it takes on the role of a skating rink, visitors can travel 7.8 kilometers along the ice through Ottawa, Canada’s capital city. The opportunity to experience the winter wonderland on the Rideau Canal is limited to the months of January through March each year, but this can vary depending on the weather.
2. Fort Beauséjour – Fort Cumberland National Historic Site
Fort Cumberland National Historic Site (formerly Fort Beauséjour) is located on the Isthmus of Chignecto, the land bridge between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, two of Canada’s Eastern provinces. This spot has historically played a critical role in overland travel for Indigenous people and, later, European settlers. The star-shaped fort was a focal point for acts of war between France and Great Britain throughout history.
Fort Beauséjour was built by the French in 1751 to oppose the British but the fort fell to British and colonial forces after a two-week siege in June 1755, after which time it was renamed as Fort Cumberland. The fort and its fall played a role in the Deportation of the Acadians in the 1750s and 1760s.
Decades later in 1776, many English-speaking inhabitants of the Chignecto region along with Acadians, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy and Mi’gmaq, joined a group of American patriots to attack Fort Cumberland. In the midst of the American Revolution, British soldiers held the fort, which was reinforced for the War of 1812. Fort Cumberland was abandoned in 1835 and officially became a Canadian National Historic site in 1920.
Today, visitors to Fort Cumberland National Historic site can explore exhibits and artifacts, examine spectral remains and take a step back in time to a key moment in time of Canada’s past.
3. Fort George National Historic Site
In Southern Ontario, a piece of rich Canadian history sits just minutes from the infamous Niagara Falls and charming Victorian town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Fort George National Historic is worth a visit; this scenic destination will transport travelers back in time to when soldiers in redcoats walked the grounds, muskets in hand with cannons at the ready.
A snapshot of the War of 1812, Fort George is a former military post that was pivotol in defending Upper Canada against American advances during this historic conflict. Fort George was built between 1796 and 1802 and overlooks the Niagara River.
Key battles that took place at this location include the Battle of Queenston Heights and the Battle of Fort George, during which the fort was captured by Americans before being reclaimed by the British several months later.
Visitors to Fort George National Historic site in Niagara will feel like they are traveling back in time when walking past the military architecture of the 19th century Blockhouses, Artificers Shop, Guard House, and Officers’ Quarters. Notably, the powder magazine is the only building on site that survived the Battle of Fort George. It is also the oldest military building left standing in Ontario.
4. Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site
Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site is located in the middle of the St. Lawrence River and was once Canada’s prime entry point for immigration. Between 1832 and 1937, it was also used as a quarantine station for the Port of Quebec. As such, this important piece of Canadian history is a place to look back on the tens of thousands of immigrants who arrived here. Of interest to Canadian travelers exploring their heritage may be the memorial, erected by Parks Canada in 1998, that displays the names of individuals who passed away at the quarantine station.
The quarantine station was first created in 1832 because of the cholera epidemic in Europe. The uninhabited Gross Île became a place for migrant ships to isolate passengers en route to Quebec City. Today, visitors can see the original white hospital buildings and a quaint church still standing at what is now the Irish Memorial National Historic Site.
As well, Grosse Île serves to remember the tragedy of lives lost by the Irish immigrants, many of which were quarantined and later passed here during the typhoid epidemic of 1847. While it may seem like a somber destination for travel, Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site is an important reminder of Canada’s historic connections across the Atlantic.
5. Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site
Cape Breton Island in beautiful Nova Scotia serves as a bucket-list destination for outdoor enthusiasts, but it is also home to a national historic site that history lovers will not want to overlook. The Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site was once a bustling community living in a French colonial town. Today, visitors can get a taste of what life might have been like by touring the reconstructed section of the town where costumed guides aim to support the visualization of a time long past.
The Government of Canada launched the $25 million project to reconstruct one-quarter of the original town back in 1961. The buildings, gardens, and streets have been recreated to resemble the 1740s, before Louisbourg’s first siege. Many of the reconstructions incorporate the original foundations and is one of the only major colonial towns without a city built on top of it.
While visiting, be sure to check out the Mi’kmaw Interpretive Centre to learn about the Mi’kmaw heritage of Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island), Indigenous language, and more. Mi’kmaq played a vital role during the French occupation of Louisbourg, both through knowledge sharing and providing support to the French military during the two sieges. The Mi’kmaw and French forged an alliance that was renewed annually in a formal ceremony with an exchange of gifts and affirmations of loyalty to one another. It is critical to spend time here learning about the Mi’kmaq because they were here long before the French and British arrived on Canada’s shores.
