Canada's historic sites: Reflections on a quarter century, 1980-2005

The current heritage landscape in Canada was shaped between 1980 and 2008 by provincial legislation and grants, by federal government influence and funding, by private provincial and federal foundations, but most important of all by the realities of the property development and the opposition and foresight of local community action groups. The ability of government to make any real change was tempered by the belief that less government was better and that the forces of the marketplace were best placed to determine the shape of a society and its heritage.