Heritage Day 2012

Heritage Day is an opportunity to celebrate the architectural heritage and historic places of Canada.

The Heritage Canada Foundation promotes the third Monday in February each year as Heritage Day and has long advocated adopting this date as a national holiday.

For February 20, 2012, HCF encourages Canadians to celebrate the Heritage of Power Generation.

Power generation has played a significant role in the economic and political life of Canada since the late 19th century, which is reflected in an impressive legacy of unique and purpose-built historic structures across the country. From early coal-fired electric generators that illuminated city streets and wind mills that powered Prairie farms, to later hydro-electric generating plants, dams and substations that transformed industry, power-related structures are an important part of the Canadian landscape.

Canada is the world's second-largest producer of hydroelectricity, and our per-capita power consumption is among the highest in the world. The 2012 Heritage Day theme celebrates the past, but also looks forward as the world's attention turns to energy-use reduction and new sources of green energy. Heritage conservation supports these new priorities, with its emphasis on using and retrofitting historic buildings, and respecting the inherent energy-saving design features present in many older buildings.

Heritage Day offers community groups and municipalities the chance to focus on their own historic power generating structures, as well as other places of heritage significance. Here are some suggestions for ways that you can participate on Heritage Day.