Government of Canada recognizes five new designations of national historic significance

GATINEAU, QC, June 8, 2026 /CNW/ - Today the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, announced five designations of persons, places and events of national historic significance under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration. These designations honour the richness and diversity of history in Canada. They include:

Places: St. John's Anglican Church in Port Williams, Nova Scotia
Persons: A. G. L. McNaughton, Dr. Alfred Schmitz Shadd, and Honoré Beaugrand
Events: The 1931 Estevan Strike and Black Tuesday

Some highlights from today's announcement include:

St. John's Anglican Church: Built between 1804 and 1812, St. John's Anglican Church in Port Williams, Nova Scotia is associated with the arrival of settlers from New England, called the "Planters". This small vernacular wooden parish church, built in the British classical style according to the Wren-Gibbsian model, reflects the architectural tastes of Bishop Charles Inglis and his efforts to spread Anglicanism in his diocese by building churches. St. John's has remained active and is one of the oldest Anglican churches continually open for worship in Nova Scotia.

A. G. L. McNaughton: A. G. L. McNaughton was a noteworthy scientist, soldier, politician, and diplomat. He made important contributions to the Canadian war effort as an artillery officer in the First World War, co-invented the cathode ray direction finder, a direct forerunner of radar, and served as president of the National Research Council. During the Second World War, he was commander of Canada's overseas forces and then Minister of National Defence. After the war, he represented Canada in senior diplomatic roles.

Dr. Alfred Schmitz Shadd: Dr. Alfred Schmitz Shadd was a respected physician and community leader of African descent in what became Saskatchewan. Born to a prominent African Canadian family in Ontario, he worked as a principal in Chatham until he lost his position after supporting a successful campaign for his school's desegregation. He moved West in 1896 to work as a teacher and then as a doctor after completing medical studies in 1898. He eventually settled in Melfort, where he opened a medical practice and drugstore, published the Carrot River Journal, served as a town councillor, and helped found the Lady Minto Hospital. His unique story helps illustrate the diversity of early settler society in Saskatchewan.

Honoré Beaugrand: Honoré Beaugrand was a free thinker and Freemason who vigorously defended freedom of thought in the late 19th century. The head of various French-language newspapers in the United States and Canada, his blend of liberal, republican, and anticlerical ideas were considered radical in French-Canadian society at the time. Beaugrand also wrote La Chasse galerie: légendes canadiennes (1891–1892, 1900), a collection of folktales that he had reworked, which popularized the French-Canadian version of the chasse-galerie legend. This version, which features lumberjacks, became the most popular version of the story in French Canada, and is an integral part of Québec and French-Canadian culture and folklore.

The 1931 Estevan Strike and Black Tuesday: In September 1931, coal miners in Bienfait, Saskatchewan, initiated a strike when mine owners refused to recognize the union that represented them in their concerns over poor wages and harsh working conditions. A motor cavalcade organized by strikers and their supporters to draw attention to their struggle turned deadly in Estevan when police officers shot and killed three miners and injured 23 others. Known as Black Tuesday, this riot highlighted the hopelessness experienced by the workers and their families and the risk of physical confrontation and police violence in the polarized context of the Great Depression. The strike and its aftermath showcase the deep divide between Canada's struggling workers and company owners during the 1930s and the barriers to unionization.

The Government of Canada, through the recommendations from the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and Parks Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that have shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories with Canadians, we hope to foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada's past and present.

Quote

"Historic designations recognize defining moments in the history of Canada and ensure these places, people, and events are remembered. Parks Canada supports the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in the commemoration of these designations so that future generations know who we are and where we come from. I invite everyone to learn more about these designations and reflect on our collective history."

The Honourable Julie Dabrusin
Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature

Quick Facts

• The designation process under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration is driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,280 designations have been made nationwide. To nominate a person, place or historic event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information: https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/proposer-nominate.
• Established in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister responsible for Parks Canada regarding the national significance of persons, places, and events that have marked Canada's history. Together with Parks Canada, the Board ensures that subjects of national historic significance are recognized under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration and these important stories are shared with Canadians.
• Parks Canada is committed to working with Canadians in its efforts to tell broader, more inclusive stories in the places that it manages. In support of this goal, the Framework for History and Commemoration outlines a new, comprehensive, and engaging approach to sharing Canada's history through diverse perspectives.

Related documents

Backgrounder: St. John's Anglican Church
Backgrounder: A. G. L. McNaughton (1887–1966)
Backgrounder: Dr. Alfred Schmitz Shadd (1869–1915)
Backgrounder: Honoré Beaugrand (1848–1906)
Backgrounder: The 1931 Estevan Strike and Black Tuesday

Related links

Parks Canada
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
National historic designations

SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ)

Contacts: Keean Nembhard, Press Secretary, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, 343-292-6096, [email protected]; Media Relations, Parks Canada, 1-855-862-1812, [email protected]