Parks Canada and its partners to provide opportunities for visitors to establish a personal sense of connection with this treasured historic place.
Grand Pré, Nova Scotia, April 27, 2012 -- The Honourable Peter Kent, Canada's Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, has tabled in Parliament the management plan for Grand-Pré National Historic Site of Canada, located in Grand Pré, Nova Scotia.
The purpose of the management plan is to provide clear direction for the management and operations of the national historic site for 10 to 15 years, with a review every five years. This plan is Parks Canada's main accountability document to Canadians regarding the Grand-Pré National Historic Site of Canada. It outlines key actions to ensure the integrated delivery of Parks Canada's mandate.
Priorities identified in the management plan include: Parks Canada will work with partners and stakeholders to provide opportunities for visitors to connect to the site in meaningful ways through direct contact with the remains of the past; strengthen the sense of stewardship on the part of local residents, stakeholders, partners and Nova Scotians; and reconnect the site to local communities with their everyday lives. Parks Canada will continue to work with the Société Promotion Grand-Pré, a non-profit organization which promotes Acadian culture and history related to Grand-Pré National Historic Site of Canada.
Parks Canada will work with the current Nomination Grand Pré Committee which will propose a new governance body for the World Heritage Site should the UNESCO submission be successful and the site designated. This governance body will support the interpretation of the Grand Pré World Heritage Site. Parks Canada will work with the governance body to develop partnering opportunities and a working relationship that contributes to the vision for the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The participation and contribution of the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia, Acadian community, local area stakeholders and partners have helped shape the management plan. Parks Canada will build on these relationships to provide opportunities for visitors to establish a personal sense of connection with this treasured historic place.
Grand-Pré National Historic Site of Canada has significant cultural value. The site commemorates the Deportation of the Acadians and recognizes the national importance of this area which was a centre of Acadian life from 1682 to 1755. Grand-Pré National Historic Site of Canada also celebrates the profound attachment that Acadians the world over still feel for this area, the heart of their ancestral homeland and the symbol of the ties that unite them.
Parks Canada works to ensure Canada's historic and natural heritage is presented and protected for the enjoyment, education and appreciation of all Canadians, today and in the future. Through a network of 42 national parks, 167 national historic sites, and four national marine conservation areas, Parks Canada sets the stage and invites Canadians and people around the world to engage in personal moments of inspiring discovery of our treasured natural and historic places.
