Directory of Federal Heritage Designations

The Directory of Federal Heritage Designations (DFHD) is a source of information about places, persons, and events that have been recognized by the Government of Canada for their significance in Canadian history.

What’s in the DFHD

The DFHD includes over 14,000 records for over 3,850 federal heritage designations made by the Minister responsible for Parks Canada upon recommendation from the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada or the Federal Heritage Review Office. The DFHD offers a variety of resources, including maps, plaque texts, photos, graphs, and references.

Find a designation

Search all designations or use the popular search filters. Return to this page to start a new search.

Official source of information

As the authoritative source of information for federal heritage designations, the DFHD plays a key role in preserving and sharing knowledge. In line with the Government of Canada's Open Government initiative, Parks Canada is committed to making this data available to researchers, students, and the public to support learning and knowledge sharing.

Open-source platform for cultural heritage information

The DFHD uses Arches, an open-source platform with interactive tools specifically intended for cultural heritage information, and designed for data management, discovery and visualization. Arches has an established international community of specialists from multiple domains that collaborates, shares ideas and resources, and provides guidance and support.

Learn more about Arches

Notice and disclaimers

By using the DFHD, you agree to the following:

• some content is protected by copyright
• there are limitations on the use of geospatial data

Copyright

Most records are accompanied by images. Image copyright is most often owned by Parks Canada, unless otherwise noted. For images owned by Parks Canada or other federal government organizations, users are required to:

• exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced
• indicate both the complete title of the materials reproduced and the author organization
• indicate that the reproduction is a copy of an official work published by the Government of Canada and that the reproduction has not been produced in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of, the Government of Canada

For images not belonging to Parks Canada or other federal government organizations, use without permission is not allowed. Parks Canada has been granted permission to use these images subject to agreement that the rights remain with the author. To use these images, please contact the author directly.

Geospatial data

Geospatial data is not collected using ground-based GPS devices. It is derived from satellite imagery. Drawings of boundaries are verified against primary sources, regional geospatial data, and the Directory of Federal Real Property (DFRP). Boundaries represented are those of the designated place.

Contact us

For DFHD technical or geodata related matters, contact Repertoiresdupatrimoine-HeritageRegistries@pc.gc.ca.

For other enquiries, contact the relevant program based on the designation in question:

• Contact the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
• Contact the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office