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World Heritage in Alberta Parks
For over thirty years, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has worked with countries around the world to identify World Heritage Sites – places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa’s Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America.
More than 850 cultural, natural and mixed sites have been inscribed on the World Heritage List. These sites have outstanding international significance; they enrich our lives and illustrate the diversity of our planet and its inhabitants. They are ours to share, cherish and respect. Their disappearance would be an irreparable loss to humanity. Inscription on the World Heritage Site list helps to ensure safekeeping of these sites for future generations.
In 1976 Parks Canada was designated the lead agency for implementation of the World Heritage Convention in Canada.
Alberta Parks' World Heritage Site:
Other World Heritage Sites in Alberta:
Canada's Tentative List:
Canada’s Tentative List identifies sites that have the potential to meet the test of “outstanding universal value” and that conform to the priorities of the Global Strategy for World Heritage. There are eleven sites on Canada’s Tentative List. These sites have the greatest potential, over the next decade, to be nominated and inscribed on the World Heritage List. There is one Alberta site on the tentative list:
Expansion of Existing World Heritage Sites
Proposals for increasing the size of World Heritage Sites are not included on the Tentative List. Instead, they are dealt with at annual meetings of the World Heritage Committee. If a size increase of more than 10% is proposed, the revised Operational Guidelines that are currently being developed will require a re-nomination of the entire property. There are several cases where Canadian site expansion has been suggested.
Status of Current Projects:
Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site Expansion
Alberta Parks is in early discussions with Parks Canada and B.C. Parks on the possibility of expanding the current Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site. Should the expansion have clear benefits, the project committee will consult with the public, affected stakeholders, communities, First Nations and Métis, and government departments in both provinces before proceeding with submission of a re-nomination package to UNESCO.
If you have questions or information that you think should be considered by the project committee at this early stage, please contact Heather Lazaruk.
Facts & Figures
Benefits of World Heritage Site Inscription 
- Pride and status associated with having, recognizing and committing to protecting sites of global significance and outstanding universal value for current and future generations.
- Raises a site’s international profile.
- Can provide regional tourism and economic benefits.
- Provides opportunities for improved site management and protection.
- The World Heritage concept is by now so well understood that sites on the List are a magnet for international cooperation, which can result in financial assistance for heritage conservation projects from a variety of sources.
- Elaboration and implementation of comprehensive management plans that set out adequate preservation measures and monitoring mechanisms (in support of which, experts offer technical training to the local site management team).
How does an area’s designation as a World Heritage Site affect current activities and land use?
- World Heritage Site designation is commemorative. It does not change recreational activities permitted on the land, although the status of the outstanding universal values being recognized by the designation must be maintained.
- For example, if Willmore Wilderness Park were to receive World Heritage status, activities like hiking, horseback riding, backcountry camping, hunting and fishing would continue to be permitted, as would Willmore’s trapping and commercial guiding/outfitting operations, as long as they continue to be properly managed.
How is the legal status of lands or rights of leaseholders and landowners affected?
- Inscription as a World Heritage Site does not cause any change in legal status, ownership or management of the lands included in the designated area.
- UNESCO has no jurisdiction over the site, and neither provincial nor federal governments acquire any new level of jurisdiction.
What is the World Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage?
- The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, is an international agreement adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972. It was founded on the premise that certain places on Earth are of outstanding universal value and as such should form part of the common heritage of humankind. The concept of “heritage”, as defined by the convention, includes nature conservation and preservation of cultural sites.
- As of October 2006, 184 countries (known as “States Parties”) had ratified the Convention, including Canada in 1976.
- Cultural heritage refers to: monuments; groups of buildings; and sites with historical, aesthetic, archaeological, scientific, ethnological or anthropological value.
- Natural heritage refers to: outstanding physical, biological and geological formations; habitats of threatened species of animals and plants; and areas with scientific, conservation or aesthetic value.
World Heritage Committee
- The Convention is overseen by the World Heritage Committee, which is composed of 21 countries elected by the States Parties.
- The Committee is supported by UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre in Paris. The Centre advises States Parties on preparation of site nominations, organizes technical assistance on request, and coordinates reporting on the condition of sites.
- The committee also coordinates emergency action to protect threatened sites and administers the World Heritage Fund.
World Heritage List
- There is a well-developed nomination process leading to inscription of a property as a World Heritage Site.
- To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must have outstanding universal value and meet at least one of ten selection criteria.
How are World Heritage Sites safeguarded?
Inscription of a site on the World Heritage List is only a first step toward safeguarding it for future generations. Management and preservation efforts are ongoing and involve local communities, site managers and national authorities.
When the characteristics for which a site was originally inscribed on the World Heritage List are threatened by natural conditions or human activity (i.e. armed conflict and war; natural disasters; pollution; poaching; unplanned construction), inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger can be a powerful tool for conservation. The “in danger” list calls the world’s attention to endangered sites and mobilizes international resources for emergency preservation measures.
Does World Heritage Site inscription lead to increased visitation and greater impacts?
Inscription of a site on the World Heritage List may increase public awareness of the site and its outstanding values, which has the potential to increase tourist activities at the site. However, if these activities are well planned and organized, and as long as they respect sustainable tourism principles, increased tourism can bring important funds both to the site and to the local economy.
Increased tourism always carries the risk of harming the very attributes that led to a site’s inscription on the World Heritage List. Through sustainable tourism and a publicly developed plan to identify appropriate levels and types of use, visitors to World Heritage destinations can learn about natural, cultural and historical characteristics while still respecting the environment and local culture. In addition to building environmental awareness and conserving local ecosystems, sustainable tourism can also generate income and employment for local communities.
For more information:
If you have any questions about UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention as it relates to Alberta Parks, contact Heather Lazaruk.
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