Discovering heritage sites with Parks Canada’s help

Ottawa, Ontario, February 27, 2013 -- Parks Canada is helping Canadians to discover heritage sites of our country by launching a new mobile application, Edifica: history in hand. This new interactive app was developed by the Canadian Register of Historic Places and allows smartphone and tablet users unprecedented access to fascinating and fun content on hundreds of Canada’s historic places.

“Parks Canada continues to offer Canadians unique opportunities to discover historic sites that shaped our country,” said Larry Ostola, Vice-President of Parks Canada’s Heritage Conservation and Commemoration Directorate. “Through this application, history buffs can access stories, historical facts as well as descriptions and images of landmarks. Among its many interesting features there is a GPS function that can find specific places near the user’s location and it is possible to save sites as favourites to share them later on Facebook and Twitter.”

Edifica is the first mobile app developed by the Canadian Register of Historic Places and presents magnificent Canadian port cities: Victoria, Québec and Halifax, as well as significant places linked to the War of 1812. The app was developed through a successful federal-provincial-territorial partnership dedicated to creating the definitive register of all historic places in Canada officially recognized for their heritage value.

The app is available to download free of charge from www.historicplaces.ca and from app stores for Apple and Android users. Edifica will keep being updated with new places and special profiles on Canada’s past. The entire Canadian Register has over 12,500 historic places.

“With this new app, we hope Canadians will connect with their collective past, learn more about Canadian historic sites and come to visit them to better understand their significance and contribute to the growing culture of conservation in Canada,” added Mr. Ostola.

Parks Canada works to ensure Canada’s historic and natural heritage is protected and, through a network of 44 national parks, 167 national historic sites, and four national marine conservation areas, invites Canadians and people around the world to engage in personal moments of inspiring discovery at our treasured natural and historic places.

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Information:
Media Relations
Parks Canada
819-953-8371
www.twitter.com/parkscanada

Backgrounder associated with this News Release.

New Edifica – History in hand Mobile App