Saskatchewan boosting Wanuskewin UNESCO heritage bid

The Government of Saskatchewan is giving one-time funding of $60,000 to Wanuskewin Heritage Park to hire a project co-ordinator to help the site through its United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site application process.

A UNESCO World Heritage designation is the highest recognition a protected area can have. Wanuskewin would be Saskatchewan’s first UNESCO World Heritage site.

“Wanuskewin is a significant part of our province,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Laura Ross said in a provincial news release.

“Our government highlighted our commitment to support Wanuskewin’s UNESCO application in Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan, and we believe this grant will provide a solid foundation to move the process forward.”

The release continued to state the designation is the gold standard for cultural and scientific sites internationally and the process of obtaining such a designation is complex and takes many years to achieve.

The Great Barrier Reef, the Great Wall of China, and the Taj Mahal are examples of other UNESCO World Heritage sites across the globe.

“The province’s investment into preserving the past, is a strong investment in our shared future to ensure that we have the resources to put toward Wanuskewin’s UNESCO nomination work,” Wanuskewin CEO Darlene Brander said.

“We know that we cannot do this alone. This kind of provincial support signals strong stakeholder engagement to help us tell our story. One that showcases the richness, cultural diversity and archaeological attributes that will make Wanuskewin a very strong contender to become Saskatchewan’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.”

The site launched a $40-million capital campaign to apply for the designation in 2017.

The park furthered its push to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site when it reopened after extensive renovations in September 2020.

Canada currently has 20 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list. All provinces and territories have a least one designated site, except for Saskatchewan and Nunavut.