Breathtaking World Heritage Sites in Canada

Kluane-Wrangell-St. Elias-Glacier Bay-Tatshenshini-Alsek park system - The name just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Located across the Yukon territory, British Columbia, and Alaska, this bi-national park system was declared a World Heritage Site for its magnificent icefield landscapes, as well as its significance as a home for grizzly bears, caribou, and Dall sheep.

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Miguasha National Park - Situated on the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec, this World Heritage Site contains fossils that tell the story of a critical point in the evolution of life on Earth.

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Mistaken Point - Only added to the list in 2016, this site on the south-eastern tip of Newfoundland has a 17 km stretch of cliff that dates back to approximately 570 million years ago.

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Nahanni National Park - This diverse park in the Northwest Territories boasts the South Nahanni River, which runs through the park's various land forms made of sediment, ancient molten lava, and remnants of sea beds.

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Waterton Glacier International Peace Park - The Peace Park combines the United States’ Glacier Park and Alberta’s Waterton Lakes Park in an outstanding union that is both symbolically and physically beautiful.

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Wood Buffalo National Park - This World Heritage Site in both Alberta and the Northwest Territories is larger than the country of Switzerland and was chosen by UNESCO for its biological diversity of the Peace-Athabasca Delta, as well as its remarkable population of bison (also known as buffalo, hence the name).

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Cultural sites - The second category of World Heritage Sites are those that represent a masterpiece of human creativeness, a significant stage in human history, and/or are associated with significant ideas, traditions, beliefs, or artistic works of universal value.

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Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump - Perhaps not the first on many people’s list of places to visit, buffalo jumps are cliff formations where Indigenous people would historically hunt and kill bison in large quantities. This particular buffalo jump dates back to 5,500 years ago and is protected for its testimony of prehistoric life.

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Historic District of Old Québec - Quebec City is the only North American city to have preserved its 17th century founding history so well. It's also just too charming to not want to protect its narrow streets and vibrant old buildings.

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Landscape of Grand Pré - This marshland and archeological site, located in the Minas Basin of Nova Scotia, provides a visual example of how the first European settlers adapted to the conditions of the North American Atlantic coast.

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L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site - You can find remnants of an 11th-century Viking settlement at the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland. It is the earliest evidence of Europeans in North America!

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Old Town Lunenburg - The port town in Nova Scotia, established in 1753, is the best surviving example of a premeditated colonial settlement in North America.

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Old Town Lunenburg - It is protected for its unique architecture and civic design, some of which dates back to the 18th century. Old Lunenburg is precious to this country, and consequently the historic core of the town is also a designated National Historic Site of Canada.

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Red Bay Basque Whaling Station - This whaling station was established in the 16th century and stands as evidence of early whale hunting traditions. Remnants of ovens used to render the whale fat, wharves, temporary living quarters, and underwater remains of ships and whales are all here.

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Rideau Canal - Ontario's only UNESCO World Heritage Site is designated as the largest naturally frozen skating rink in the world by Guinness World Records. Every winter thousands of people flock to the city to glide along its 7.8 km surface.

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Rideau Canal - The Rideau is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America, connecting Ottawa to Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River at Kingston, Ontario.

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SGang Gwaay - Commonly known by its English name, Ninstints, this old village site of the Haida people is located on a tiny island off the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands and exhibits the Haida's unique connection to the land and the sea.

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SGang Gwaay -

Protecting the site also means protecting the culture of the Haida people, including remains of houses, carved mortuary and memorial poles, and other representations of art and ways of life.

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Natural sites -

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Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks - Banff is Canada's oldest park and the last national park included in this World Heritage Site.

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Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks -

Banff is in Alberta and combines dense forests, beautiful lakes and alpine landscapes that are popular for skiing. It connects to Jasper through the Columbia Icefields.

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Dinosaur Provincial Park -

Located east of Calgary, this park is unsurprisingly famous for being one of the richest dinosaur fossil reserves in the world.

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Gros Morne National Park - This Newfoundland national park is known for its incredibly unusual rock formations.

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Gros Morne National Park - The park is a strong and rare example of continental drift, where the deep ocean crust and pieces of the Earth's mantle are visible from land.

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