Plan contributes to preserving our nation’s heritage and connecting Canadians to history in North-Central BC

November 27, 2024                               Fort St, James, BC                 Parks Canada

National historic sites reflect the rich and varied heritage of Canada and provide an opportunity for Canadians to learn more about our diverse history. The network of national heritage places administered by Parks Canada represents the very best that Canada has to offer and tell stories of who we are, including the histories, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples.

The management plan for Fort St. James National Historic Site was approved by Parks Canada’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Ron Hallman. Reviewed every ten years, management plans are a requirement of the Parks Canada Agency Act and guide the management of national historic sites, national parks and national marine conservation areas.

The new plan for Fort St. James National Historic Site outlines the following key strategies:

·        Honouring Indigenous connections and culture

·        Protecting and presenting cultural heritage

·        Welcoming visitors

·        Site resilience

In particular, the new management plan includes a special focus on reviewing and renewing Indigenous community connections in the vicinity of Nak’al’bun (Stuart Lake) with the commemorative integrity and visitor experience opportunities at the site. Those communities include the Nak’azdli Whut’en, Tl’azt’en, Yekooche, and Binche Whut’en First Nations and the Métis Nation of BC.

The management plan for Fort St. James was based on input from Indigenous partners of the Fort St. James/Vanderhoof area, as well as other partners and public representing the community of Fort St. James, Northern BC Tourism, BC Parks and others, and visitors past and present. Through this management plan, Parks Canada will continue to protect an important example of cultural heritage in Canada, engage and collaborate with Indigenous peoples, and provide an opportunity for Canadians to experience and discover history in new and innovative ways.

The Fort St James National Historic Site Management Plan is available on the Parks Canada website at: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/bc/stjames/info/plan. To learn more about visiting this national historic site, please visit: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/bc/stjames

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