UNESCO's list of Canada's praiseworthy places

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Alta.

(Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Natives used this Buffalo hunting ground, located 18 kilometres northwest of Fort Macleod, Alta, for nearly 6,000 years. Exploiting the topography and knowledge of Buffalo behaviour, hunters killed the animals by chasing them over a precipice, then carving up the carcasses in a camp below. Great numbers of Buffalo skeletons remain here, as well as marked trails and remains of an aboriginal camp. UNESCO designated this a World Heritage Site in 1981.

Historic District of Old Quebec

(Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press)

In 1985, UNESCO recognized Old Quebec as one of the world's finest examples of a fortified colonial city. It is the only North American city to have preserved its ramparts and other defensive works that protect numerous churches, monuments and other notable sites, including the Dauphine Redoubt, the Citadel and Château Frontenac. This cultural and historic centre will celebrate the 400th anniversary of its founding in 2008.

L'Anse aux Meadows, N.L.

(UNESCO)

Lying at the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, this 11th-century Viking settlement offers evidence of the first European presence in North America.

Discovered in 1960 by Norwegian explorer Helge Ingstad and his archeologist wife, Anne Stine Ingstad, it is the only authenticated Viking settlement in North America outside of Greenland. The excavated remains of wood-framed peat-turf buildings are similar to those found in Norse Greenland and Iceland. UNESCO recognized the site in 1978, making it Canada's first cultural entry on the list (The Northwest Territories' Nahanni National Park was added in 1978, but as a natural phenomenon).

Old Town Lunenburg, N.S.

(Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press

Named a World Heritage site in 1995, UNESCO cited Lunenburg as the best surviving example of a planned British colonial settlement in North America. The town's rectangular grid design, originally drawn up in England, has been largely preserved over time, as has much of the town's historic architecture, some of which dates from the 18th century.

SGang Gwaay, B.C.

(Chuck Stoody/Canadian Press)

This site is part of the larger Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site found in the Queen Charlotte Islands off the coast of British Columbia. SGang Gwaay was named a World Heritage Site in 1981 in recognition of the art and culture of the Haida people. The site contains remains of houses and totem poles and reflects the Haida's way of life and relationship with nature.

The Rocky Mountains

(Via Rail/Canadian Press)

The caves, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls and rocky peaks of areas such as Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho, as well as the Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and Hamber provincial parks, lie within the range, which were recognized by UNESCO in 1984.

Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alta.

(Cleveland Museum of Natural History/Associated Press)

A World Heritage Site 75 million years in the making, this spot in the heart of Alberta's Badlands has been a destination for archeologists and dinosaur fanatics alike since dinosaur fossils were first discovered here in 1884. Thirty-four species of dinosaur were discovered here, along with hundreds of fossil specimens now on display in museums around the world. The park's archeological value led UNESCO to officially list it in 1979.

Gros Morne National Park, N.L.

(UNESCO)

Glaciers carved a dazzling range of valleys, cliffs and fjords in this area on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland. The Long Range Mountains of this region are estimated to be 20 times older than the Rockies, having been formed by continental collision approximately 1.2 billion years ago. On recognizing the site in 1987, UNESCO specifically cited the park as "a rare example of the process of continental drift, where deep ocean crust and the rocks of the earth's mantle lie exposed."

Kluane/Wrangell-St.Elias/Glacier Bay/Tatshenshini-Alsek, Yukon and B.C.

(Chuck Stoody/Canadian Press)

The first binational entry on UNESCO's list, this 97,000-square-kilometre site includes the 5,959-metre Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak. This massive reserve is home to some of the world's fastest-moving glaciers and the largest non-polar ice field on the planet. The animal population includes grizzly bears, caribou and Dall's sheep. UNESCO named this a World Heritage Site in 1979.

Nahanni National Park, N.W.T.

(HO/CP Picture Archive)

Canada's first entry on the UNESCO list, this preserve protects a portion of the Mackenzie Mountains Natural Region, including massive canyons, sulphur hot springs, alpine tundra and the spectacular rapids of the South Nahanni River. The park's boreal forest is home to wolves, grizzly bears and caribou, and mountain goats and Dall's sheep inhabit the alpine climes. UNESCO designated this a World Heritage Site in 1978.

Miguasha National Park, Que.

(UNESCO)

When designating this site in 1999, UNESCO named it the world's most outstanding site of fossils from the Devonian "Age of the Fishes," which lasted from 417 million to 354 million years ago. UNESCO considers the park a vital source of the most abundant and best-preserved fossil specimens of lobe-finned fishes that are considered the precursors to the tetrapodes — the first four-legged, air-breathing terrestrial vertebrates.

Rideau Canal, Ont.

(Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

In 2007, UNESCO bestowed the title of World Heritage Site on the canal in time for its 175th birthday. This engineering marvel is North America's oldest continually operating canal and among the first designed for steam-powered vessels. A series of dams and 47 huge locks were constructed to allow safer passage for British shipping during the days of British-American competition for the region. Extensive defensive works, including blockhouses, Martello towers and Kingston's imposing Fort Henry were built to prevent American attacks. UNESCO said the canal is of historical importance "as it bears witness to the fight for control of the north of the American continent."

Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, Alta.

(Kilmorey Lodge/Associated Press)

This is the second Canada-U.S. entry on the UNESCO list and the world's first International Peace Park, formed in 1932 by combining Alberta's Waterton Lakes National Park with Glacier National Park in Montana. The park is home to an exceptional range of plant and animal life, with prairie, forest, alpine and glacial land inhabited by grizzly bears, mountain lions, wolves and mountain goats. Of some historical significance to the area, explorers Lewis and Clark passed through the Montana side in 1805 during their journey to the Pacific coast. UNESCO recognized the site in 1995.

Wood Buffalo National Park, N.W.T. and Alta.

(UNESCO)

Canada's largest national park, covering 44,807 square kilometres, this massive park is home to North America's largest population of wild bison and the world's largest inland delta, lying at the mouth of the Peace and Athabasca rivers. Originally founded in 1922 to protect the last remaining bison herds in North America, the park became a World Heritage Site in 1983.

Joggins fossil cliffs, N.S.

(Joggins Fossil Institute)

For nearly 200 years, scientists have been fascinated with this 10-kilometre stretch of cliffs at the Bay of Fundy, where tides continually erode stone to expose fossils dating back hundreds of millions of years. In 2008, it was added to the UNESCO world heritage list. The cliffs, which even garnered a mention in Charles Darwin's landmark work, On the Origin of Species, are home to enormous fossilized trees and what's believed to be the remains of the world's oldest reptile.