YORK FACTORY NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE OF CANADA ...

4.3.1 On-Site Heritage Presentation
Objective
• Visitors to York Factory NHSC encounter heritage presentation
programming that is founded on the main storylines of York Factory, based
on research and knowledge, meets their expectations, and creates lasting
impressions of the spirit of place.
Direction
The main storylines for York Factory NHSC, which incorporate the site’s principal
messages (see 2.2, Heritage Presentation), will include:
• York Factory in the 18 th century French-English global struggle and the
control for much of North America;
• the importance of York Factory in the fur trade, as gateway to the western
Canadian interior, and as its political, economic and social hub for much of
the 19 th century;
• the importance of York Factory to First Nations people, then and now; and
• the environmental threats and conservation efforts to save this significant
heritage.
A considerable amount of historical and other research has been done on York
Factory in the past thirty years by Parks Canada and others including, for example,
oral history research that led to Voices from Hudson Bay: Cree Stories from York
Factory. These works will be used to develop these storylines. Gaps in messaging
identified in a 2002 Commemorative Integrity evaluation will be addressed. While
Parks Canada staff will continue to offer guided tours and personal services in
support of heritage presentation, there will be improvements to other media that
enable visitors to learn about York Factory on their own (as discussed in Section 4.2,
Meaningful Visitor Experiences). The history and demise of York Factory as a First
Nations community is part of the story of York Factory fur trade post and will be
part of the story told at York Factory, with support from the First Nations
communities.
Key Actions
• A heritage presentation program, based on the above storylines, will be
developed and delivered on-site, using media and approaches discussed in
Meaningful Visitor Experiences (Section 4.2).
• First Nations communities will be invited to participate in the development
of heritage presentation.
• Communications with the public will be made a vital component of research
and conservation programs.
York Factory NHSC Management Plan Page 39