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About Us
The National Trust for Canada acknowledges and respects the ancestral lands of Indigenous peoples, and the cultural and traditional relationships with the land, history and environment.
We acknowledge that the National Trust Conference 2023 will take place in Ottawa, on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe People. Today Ottawa is home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.
The National Trust for Canada acknowledges and respects the ancestral Lands of Indigenous Peoples, and their cultural and traditional relationships with the Land, the environment and with each other. We know that the history and heritage of this place we call Canada is complex and contentious, dominated by white settler perspectives, and that our work and the system we are a part of needs to change. We believe that diversity means inclusion and reflection of all Peoples including cultures, languages and perspectives. Join us on our journey to understand Indigenous ways of being, do our part to support reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, and find ways to include more historically marginalized communities in our work to protect and celebrate Canada’s diverse heritage places.
About the Conference
The annual National Trust Conference (with CAHP & IHC) is Canada’s largest heritage learning and networking event, with 500+ attendees expected for 2023. Held in person this year, the National Trust conference brings together a wide range of people keeping Canada’s heritage alive: from grassroots volunteers, professionals, and planners, to elected officials, policymakers, and students.
Typical attendee breakdown:
34% - Heritage Professionals
29% - Heritage Organizations
26% - Planners & Government Officials
11% - University Members
Conference Program Advisory Committee
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Maryssa Barras (Interim Executive Director, ICOMOS Canada)
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Paul Bennett (Board Member, Heritage Ottawa)
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Jean-Michel Carrière (President, Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals)
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Mariana Esponda (Associate Professor, Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism, Carleton University)
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Anne Fitzpatrick (Senior Heritage Planner, City of Ottawa)
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Emily Guy (Board of Directors, Heritage Ottawa)
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Christopher Hahn (Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence and Perth Campus/Heritage Institute at Algonquin College)
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Luis Juarez (Heritage Planner, City of Ottawa)
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James Neilson (Board of Directors, Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals)
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Katherine Spencer-Ross (President, Heritage Ottawa)
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Heather Thomson (Manager, Heritage Program, National Capital Commission)
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Chris Uchiyama (Past President, Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals)
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Andrew Waldron (Executive Director, Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals)
For more detail on conference themes and what to expect, please see the Call for Presentations.
About the National Trust for Canada
The National Trust is Canada’s national charitable not-for-profit organization that leads and inspires action for places that matter. We have a long track record and a team that’s passionate about the future.
Our work responds to a suite of concerns, including global climate change, limited resources, and growing social and economic inequities. We are passionate about the role of historic places in addressing pressing issues like waste and social isolation, and we know that renewing and investing in historic places can help communities meet today’s needs, create new green jobs and improve local quality of life.
As the world searches for ways to achieve a sustainable footing, the National Trust strives to safeguard and revitalize places that offer people understanding, social cohesion, identity, and spiritual connection.
We are guided by the Principles of Reconciliation, by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and by international charters for the conservation of culture and heritage.
We love landmarks that tell our collective story, and our work is equally essential for struggling downtowns, remote regions, and diverse communities. We know historic places are the cornerstone of a vibrant and sustainable future.
We offer proven tools to save and renew historic places, and a treasure trove of destinations to visit and discover.
About the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP)
CAHP is a professional organization that serves qualified heritage professionals in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. CAHP establishes standards of practice, shares knowledge about heritage conservation, and supports the involvement of heritage professionals whenever places of heritage value are being identified, preserved, restored and rehabilitated. As part of its mandate, the organization also fosters and promotes public and legislative support for heritage conservation.
About the Indigenous Heritage Circle (IHC)
The IHC is an Indigenous-designed and Indigenous-led organization founded in 2016. We are dedicated to the advancement of cultural heritage priorities that are of importance to Métis, Inuit, and First Nations Peoples in Canada. Working with partners from across the country, we have developed the following definition of Indigenous heritage:
Indigenous Heritage is complex and dynamic. Indigenous Heritage encompasses ideas, experiences, belongings, artistic expressions, practices, knowledge, and places that are valued because they are culturally meaningful and connected to shared memory. Indigenous Heritage cannot be separated from either Indigenous identity or Indigenous life. It can be inherited from ancestors or created by people today as a legacy for future generations.
