Canada’s Endangered Places List for 2026

The National Trust for Canada names heritage places at risk in 2026

OTTAWA, Ontario, Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When historic places disappear, Canada loses its visible anchors of Canadian identity. Today, the National Trust for Canada released its 2026 Endangered Places List, spotlighting places at risk and the systemic pressures behind them.

This year's list reveals a heritage sector under mounting financial pressure. Funding cuts and divestments are leaving historic places without resources, architecturally significant landmarks are emptied with no clear plan for their future, and gaps in legal protection enable demolition by neglect.

"This year's Endangered Places List shows just how many pressures our historic places are under," said Patricia Kell, the National Trust for Canada's Chief Executive Officer. "By naming these ten, we hope to build the momentum needed to save them. The List exists to focus public attention, spur action, and give local community groups the support they need to steward our shared heritage."

Since 2005, the Endangered Places List has been a vital tool for raising awareness and mobilizing action to save heritage sites. The List is developed from nominations, media coverage, and community reports.

New Listings for 2026:

• 13,500 Historic Places on the Canadian Register (National) –faces permanent shutdown, with no plan for its future.
• Heather Pavilion (Vancouver, BC) –faces demolition as owner seeks release from heritage agreement.
• Maple Ridge Buddhist Temple (Maple Ridge, BC) –vacant and legally unprotected.
• High Level Bridge (Edmonton, AB) – Edmonton’s most famous heritage structure faces demolition
• University of Saskatchewan Stone Barn (Saskatoon, SK) –unoccupied, awaiting a long-term restoration plan
• Port Burwell Lighthouse (Port Burwell, ON) –transferred from municipal to community ownership, with extensive conservation needed
• Hudson’s Bay Building (Montreal, QC) –empty after HBC bankruptcy, future uncertain.
• Collège des Ursulines (Stanstead, QC) –exposed to the elements for over a year
• MacDonald Farm (Miramichi, NB) –closed indefinitely after the province moved to divest
• Halifax Memorial Library (Halifax, NS) –Vacant, long-term future precarious.
  
  

Quotes

"Canadians understand the value of protecting and sharing our heritage. Each site on this year's list has its own story to tell, and each one adds to collective understandings of our shared past. Preserving our heritage isn't about looking backward but about giving future generations a foundation to build on."

Dr. Shabnam Inanloo Dailoo,
Chair, Board of Governors,
National Trust for Canada

Click here for more about these endangered places.

Media Contact 
Allison Kerns, Manager of Communications 
National Trust for Canada 
akerns@nationaltrustcanada.ca
613-237-1066

About the National Trust for Canada 
Created in 1973, the National Trust for Canada is the leading national charity dedicated to the conservation and promotion of Canada's historic places. The Trust believes that heritage places address the needs of communities today by fostering identity, driving economic activity, enhancing belonging, advancing Reconciliation, supporting climate resilience, and promoting well-being.