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Backgrounder
New Edifica – History in hand Mobile App
About this App
The Canadian Register of Historic Places’ (CRHP) Edifica – History in hand app is designed to help Canadians and tourists uncover the historic places of Canada’s beautiful port cities: Victoria, Québec and Halifax, as well as the major sites of the War of 1812. With Edifica, they can access stories, historical facts, descriptions, images and links to over 700 historic places officially recognized for their local, provincial and national importance. This is the CRHP’s first mobile app and is available for Apple and Android phones and tablets, as well as on the CRHP Web site at www.historicplaces.ca. Edifica will always be changing with new places featured and special profiles on Canada’s past.
Highlights include:
- Descriptions of over 700 historic places (of which 149 are National Historic Sites of Canada and 37 are managed by Parks Canada) complete with images and links to more information;
- GPS function that maps your current location and highlights place of interest around you;
- Thematic stories that reveal unique aspects of each of the three cities’ history;
- Ability to save your favourite places and share them via Facebook and Twitter.
Example of use:
Edifica is a great tourism-oriented product that can help both visitors and locals plan a historical city tour of Halifax, Québec and Victoria, with more cities to come. The map function makes it easy to locate points of interest and prepare itineraries in advance or while on site. Each historic place has its own description, complete with photos, historic images and links to more content on historicplaces.ca. It’s like having your personal interpreter in your pocket!
- The Around me section highlights places of interest around the user, based on the user’s current location.
- In the Explore section, the user will find all the historic places categorized by city and themes like Peopling the Land: From our First People to Pier 21 and Social and Community Life: Building on our Traditions.
- The Stories section links historic places to special events, aspects or people of the three cities, like the Halifax Explosion or the B.C. architect Samuel Maclure.
- Historimania is a section where the user will find special features about Canada’s past, like the War of 1812, and eventually other defining moments.
- The Search function allows the user to find places using keywords
- The user can use the Favourites section to save places of interest and share them via Facebook and Twitter.
Examples of content:
From Québec, QC
Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site of Canada
The principal military stronghold in Canada during the colonial period, Québec City was protected by an elaborate defence system developed between 1608 and 1871. In addition to the ramparts surrounding the old city, the fortifications included other structures and spaces such as guardhouses, gates, powder magazines, stores, soldiers' and officers' barracks, parade grounds, and esplanades. Today, the main surviving components of the system are the 4.6-km-long ramparts, the Citadel, three Martello towers, and Fort No. 1 at Lévis. Significant parts of the fortifications were saved from demolition as the result of several initiatives, in particular those of Governor General Lord Dufferin, a pioneering figure in Canada's heritage conservation movement in the late 19th century. Québec, the only fortified city in North America to have preserved its ramparts and numerous other defensive works, was recognized in 1985 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
From Stories:
Victoria: From Fur Trade Post to World-Class Destination
Despite humble beginnings as a fur trade post, Victoria thrived as the largest port in 19th-century British Columbia until Vancouver became the terminus of the transcontinental railway. Once relying on trade and commerce, this provincial capital developed as a government town and a popular tourist destination in the 20th century. Enjoying a mild climate and spectacular West Coast heritage, Victoria attracts international tourists to its great landmarks. Enjoy Victoria’s downtown harbour area, historically the city’s centre of commerce and government.
From Historimania:
The War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a pivotal episode which shaped the destiny of North America. Years of political conflict following the American War of Independence (1775-1783) came to a crisis in June 1812 when the recently-founded United States declared war on Great Britain, the most powerful Empire at that time. During the years of fighting, British soldiers and sailors, First Nations allies and Canadian militia clashed on the frontlines and on the water with their American opponents. Many fell victim to the violence: towns were burned, property looted and lives changed forever. A peace treaty was signed Christmas Eve, 1814, but the social, economic and political effects of warfare endured long after. Two hundred years later, the war’s legacy is commemorated by many of Canada’s historic places.
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The Canadian Register of Historic Places’ (CRHP) Edifica – History in hand app is designed to help Canadians and tourists uncover the historic places of Canada’s beautiful port cities: Victoria, Québec and Halifax, as well as the major sites of the War of 1812. With Edifica, they can access stories, historical facts, descriptions, images and links to over 700 historic places officially recognized for their local, provincial and national importance. This is the CRHP’s first mobile app and is available for Apple and Android phones and tablets, as well as on the CRHP Web site at www.historicplaces.ca. Edifica will always be changing with new places featured and special profiles on Canada’s past.
Highlights include:
- Descriptions of over 700 historic places (of which 149 are National Historic Sites of Canada and 37 are managed by Parks Canada) complete with images and links to more information;
- GPS function that maps your current location and highlights place of interest around you;
- Thematic stories that reveal unique aspects of each of the three cities’ history;
- Ability to save your favourite places and share them via Facebook and Twitter.
Example of use:
Edifica is a great tourism-oriented product that can help both visitors and locals plan a historical city tour of Halifax, Québec and Victoria, with more cities to come. The map function makes it easy to locate points of interest and prepare itineraries in advance or while on site. Each historic place has its own description, complete with photos, historic images and links to more content on historicplaces.ca. It’s like having your personal interpreter in your pocket!
- The Around me section highlights places of interest around the user, based on the user’s current location.
- In the Explore section, the user will find all the historic places categorized by city and themes like Peopling the Land: From our First People to Pier 21 and Social and Community Life: Building on our Traditions.
- The Stories section links historic places to special events, aspects or people of the three cities, like the Halifax Explosion or the B.C. architect Samuel Maclure.
- Historimania is a section where the user will find special features about Canada’s past, like the War of 1812, and eventually other defining moments.
- The Search function allows the user to find places using keywords
- The user can use the Favourites section to save places of interest and share them via Facebook and Twitter.
Examples of content:
From Québec, QC
Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site of Canada
The principal military stronghold in Canada during the colonial period, Québec City was protected by an elaborate defence system developed between 1608 and 1871. In addition to the ramparts surrounding the old city, the fortifications included other structures and spaces such as guardhouses, gates, powder magazines, stores, soldiers' and officers' barracks, parade grounds, and esplanades. Today, the main surviving components of the system are the 4.6-km-long ramparts, the Citadel, three Martello towers, and Fort No. 1 at Lévis. Significant parts of the fortifications were saved from demolition as the result of several initiatives, in particular those of Governor General Lord Dufferin, a pioneering figure in Canada's heritage conservation movement in the late 19th century. Québec, the only fortified city in North America to have preserved its ramparts and numerous other defensive works, was recognized in 1985 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
From Stories:
Victoria: From Fur Trade Post to World-Class Destination
Despite humble beginnings as a fur trade post, Victoria thrived as the largest port in 19th-century British Columbia until Vancouver became the terminus of the transcontinental railway. Once relying on trade and commerce, this provincial capital developed as a government town and a popular tourist destination in the 20th century. Enjoying a mild climate and spectacular West Coast heritage, Victoria attracts international tourists to its great landmarks. Enjoy Victoria’s downtown harbour area, historically the city’s centre of commerce and government.
From Historimania:
The War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a pivotal episode which shaped the destiny of North America. Years of political conflict following the American War of Independence (1775-1783) came to a crisis in June 1812 when the recently-founded United States declared war on Great Britain, the most powerful Empire at that time. During the years of fighting, British soldiers and sailors, First Nations allies and Canadian militia clashed on the frontlines and on the water with their American opponents. Many fell victim to the violence: towns were burned, property looted and lives changed forever. A peace treaty was signed Christmas Eve, 1814, but the social, economic and political effects of warfare endured long after. Two hundred years later, the war’s legacy is commemorated by many of Canada’s historic places.
News Release associated with this Backgrounder.
