Historic Places in the Digital Age
Twenty years ago, only 3 million users were on the
internet...
In 2010, almost 2 billion people in the world used the
internet...
In Canada, an estimated 26 to 28 million citizens use the
internet daily...
With the rapid rise of the Internet in Canada, the Canadian
Register of Historic Places (CRHP) must reach Canadians effectively
using the latest tools of communication. As the digital
revolution moves towards a world of high-bandwidth use and
integrated networks, which work across platforms, the field of
heritage conservation must embrace this revolution if it is to
remain relevant to Canadians.
The goals of the CRHP are to foster appreciation of our historic
places, celebrate the importance of these places, encourage
Canadians to become involved in conservation and promote best
practices in conservation. How can we do this effectively in the
digital age?
At the core of the CRHP is its searchable list of historic
places on its public Web
site. The information contained in each Statement of Significance
(SoS) encapsulates why a place is of heritage value. This
information is necessary in understanding and appreciating historic
places, yet it may be used to develop new ways of fostering
appreciation of our historic places.
The CRHP has embraced social networking and media - not as a
marketing tool, but as a means to engage more citizens in
identifying with their local, provincial, territorial and national
identities.
What steps have already been taken?
• The CRHP is increasingly more transparent as more public
documents are uploaded to the historicplaces.ca Web site;
• The CRHP created a Twitter account in early 2010 to tap
into like-minded organizations and individuals who are interested
in knowing about their historic places;
• The CRHP has created a Facebook fan page to increase
awareness of the CRHP on the world's largest social networking
site;
• The CRHP has created a Flickr photo-sharing group in hopes
of individuals assisting the CRHP in improving its online images of
historic places;
• The CRHP has become involved in waymarking as a means to
capture more information on historic places.
Can you be involved in protecting, celebrating and appreciating
historic places?
YES
These tools are there for you to help improve the CRHP. With
over 12,300 listings of historic places in the country, the CRHP
encourages knowledge of historic places to be shared with others.
Sharing knowledge aids in developing a greater awareness of
historic places while creating a better appreciation of our stories
and experiences as Canadians. Join the Facebook fan page; or,
upload your favourite image to the Flickr Web site. These small
acts can make a difference in saving and protecting our
heritage.
Recently, the CRHP has developed pages capable of being
displayed on mobile devices, including the iPhone, Blackberry and
Android phones. This was the first step in moving the CRHP to more
mobile devices and tablets. It is hoped in the near future that the
CRHP will be more accessible as resources permit. This might mean
that one can take advantage of GPS information, perhaps linking
historic photos, plans drawings or artworks relating to the
historic place.
The CRHP strives to be the definitive list of all designated
historic places in Canada. To be accurate, the CRHP continues to
improve its listings, but it has also begun to reach out through
social networks to improve the CRHP's content and remain relevant
to Canadians.
Do you have suggestions on how to improve the CRHP? Are there
better methods that could assist the CRHP in striving for
excellence in heritage conservation? Reach
us by email
