Parks Canada has unveiled plans to include new Acadian, indigenous, black, and other cultural interpretations at the Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. The recently revealed Management Plan for the Parks Canada heritage site emphasizes the introduction of new visitor experiences that share more inclusive histories and seek to advance reconciliation through partnerships that establish linkages between the site and new communities.
The federal agency lists as one of its objectives for the site to have collaborations “with organizations that represent cultures not currently presented at the site.” The move appears to be part of the broader government-wide initiative to emphasize diversity. On its website, Parks Canada expresses its commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation, focusing on creating inclusive spaces by providing fair and equitable access to opportunities for under-represented people.
Lucy Maud Montgomery’s “Anne of Green Gables,” a classic coming-of-age story, is one of Canada’s most famous books. The 1908 novel, telling the story of the red-haired orphan Anne, has achieved global success, with more than 50 million copies sold and translations into at least 36 languages. Green Gables Heritage Place, settled by author Montgomery’s family in 1831, has been managed by Parks Canada since 1936.
This movement to emphasize diversity extends beyond just the Green Gables Heritage Place, as federal departments are revisiting icons of Canadian history in line with inclusion priorities. In 2022, Archives Canada ordered the removal of what it deemed “offensive” content on thousands of national archives webpages, including essays celebrating Sir John A. Macdonald and articles on French explorers in which the Indigenous perspective is missing.