Parks Canada is dedicated to preserving Canada’s natural and cultural treasures, proudly contributing to the country’s renowned tourism destinations. As key elements of Canada’s tourism industry, Parks Canada-administered sites are committed to providing visitors with high-quality, meaningful experiences while supporting local tourism communities.

Photo Caption: Yvonne Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern Affairs and to the Minister of National Defence (Northern Defence) and Member of Parliament for Labrador, meets with Parks Canada staff (Rodney Nadeau, Brandon Stone, Billy Nadeau, Philip Bridle, Michael Yetman, and Kirby Ryan) at the new Interpretive Boardwalk Circuit on Saddle Island, Red Bay National Historic Site.
Photo Credit: Parks Canada (CNW Group/Parks Canada (HQ))

On behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Yvonne Jones announced a $3.6 million investment for new interpretive offerings and interactive exhibits at Red Bay National Historic Site in Labrador. This funding, part of the $557 million announced by the Government of Canada in late 2022, will enhance visitor experiences at this UNESCO World Heritage Site starting in June 2025.

In the mid-16th century, the abundance of right and bowhead whales attracted Basque whalers from Spain and France to the Strait of Belle Isle, establishing a major whaling port at Red Bay. For 70 years, Basque whalers undertook the perilous journey across the Atlantic to hunt whales and produce oil for European lamps. With this new funding, Parks Canada, in collaboration with Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and community members, will create new exhibits and interpretive installations to transform the visitor experience. These will include interactive exhibits in the renovated Visitor Centre, outdoor interpretive elements, an interpretive circuit on Saddle Island with four interpretive nodes, and a Whaler’s Memorial on Saddle Island. The exhibits will also acknowledge the long history of human occupation, including Indigenous groups who came before and after the Basques.

Parks Canada recognizes that Red Bay National Historic Site has been traversed and occupied by many peoples over centuries. The arrival of the Basques highlighted Red Bay’s historical significance, but the land holds importance for many communities whose histories are intertwined with this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Parks Canada values the rich exchanges and collaborations with these communities, allowing many voices to share their stories and celebrate Red Bay’s global significance. Across Canada, Parks Canada works with Indigenous peoples to develop interpretive materials and activities that foster a better understanding of Indigenous perspectives, cultures, and traditions.

As part of the renewal of Red Bay National Historic Site, a project completed in 2019 amalgamated the site’s interpretive facilities, previously housed in two separate locations. Funded through federal infrastructure investments, this project combined the visitor orientation centre with the visitor interpretation centre, presenting Red Bay’s UNESCO World Heritage story cohesively while reducing the site’s environmental footprint in support of the Government of Canada’s greening efforts. Together with the new funding, a total of $6.2 million has been invested in Red Bay National Historic Site.

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“The Government is committed to investing in local economies and supporting growth in the tourism sector. Through this federal infrastructure investment, Parks Canada is proudly contributing to the country’s world-class tourism offer at Red Bay National Historic Site. These new, interactive signature exhibits will welcome Canadians and visitors from around the world for years to come, providing them with opportunities to learn about the rich natural and cultural heritage of the area, of the Basque whalers who made their livings here, of the Indigenous peoples that lived here for millennia and the community members who have made this UNESCO World Heritage Site their home.”

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