Canadian Heritage Week is celebrated from February 19 to 25 this year. The aim of the week is to showcase Canada’s diverse heritage, highlight our shared legacy and create a sense of belonging.
Heritage Day, the third Monday in February, was established in 1979 at the initiative of the National Trust, a charitable organization. Over the years, this day has served as a catalyst for grouping activities over the course of a week, with the collaboration of provincial and non-profit organizations. Everyone can choose a theme to highlight local particularities.
This week is therefore an opportunity to highlight physical assets such as historic lighthouses, schools, places of worship, industrial complexes, cultural landscapes, public squares and pow-wow sites. It also incorporates the intangible heritage of languages, traditional rituals, music, dance, stories and more.
The aim is to foster links between the past and the future, to encourage visits to museums, historic sites and cultural centers, and to encourage people to engage in dialogue with “knowledge keepers” to discover the various facets of our history that make up our rich heritage. The Trust’s website suggests a list of interesting historic sites.