Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Pelican Island

Discover Pelican Island in Ma-Me-O Beach, Alberta: Hundreds of pelicans call this island no larger than a car their home during the summer months.

Miss Piggy Plane Wreck

Discover Miss Piggy Plane Wreck in Churchill, Manitoba: A crash site in the heart of polar bear territory has become a beloved local landmark.

Banff Park Museum

Discover Banff Park Museum in Banff, Alberta: The oldest natural history museum in western Canada houses more than 5,000 vintage botanical and zoological specimens.

The Ghost Town of Phoenix

Discover The Ghost Town of Phoenix in Greenwood, British Columbia: Only a few remaining items alert intrepid explorers that a town once stood in this region.

Pink Lake

Discover Pink Lake in Gatineau, Québec: Despite the name, the waters of this Canadian lake are actually blue-green in color.

Remember Flanders

Discover Remember Flanders in Ottawa, Ontario: Dedicated to the writer who immortalized the use of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance of those who died in wars.

Centre of the Universe

Discover Centre of the Universe in Victoria, British Columbia: A cheeky name for an observatory visitor's center.

‘Ghost Train’

Discover 'Ghost Train' in Brampton, Ontario: This metal sculpture is a tribute to the Canadian Pacific Railway, which had a station in the village that has now been converted into a library.

Camera Obscura

Discover Camera Obscura in Cheverie, Nova Scotia: Experience the magic (and science) of a camera with this giant structure that allows you to enter inside the camera.

Macaulay Point Ruins

Discover Macaulay Point Ruins in Victoria, British Columbia: Hidden within the waterfront hills resides this dilapidated military stronghold.

Le Roy Jucep

Discover Le Roy Jucep in Drummondville, Quebec: This retro diner claims to be the birthplace of poutine.

‘The Drop’

Discover 'The Drop' in Vancouver, British Columbia: This exaggerated sculpture resembles a well known feature of Vancouver:.

Long John Jamboree

Discover Long John Jamboree in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories: After a long, dark winter in the upper latitudes, Yellowknife knows how to let it all out in unparalleled style.

Grimsby Beach Cottages

Discover Grimsby Beach Cottages in Grimsby, Ontario: The Painted Ladies of Ontario aren’t your average beach homes.

International Yarn Bombing Day

Discover International Yarn Bombing Day in Lethbridge, Alberta: Knitting isn't just for grandmothers and counterculture isn't just for punks.

Lillian H. Smith Toronto Public Library

Discover Lillian H. Smith Toronto Public Library in Toronto, Ontario: This historic library honors the legacy of the British Empire's first children's librarian.

Chemical Valley

Discover Chemical Valley in Sarnia, Ontario: Over 60 chemical plants and oil refineries sit in a 15-mile-wide section outside town.

World of Maps

Discover World of Maps in Ottawa, Ontario: A rare venue to buy specialty maps.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 261 ii
To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design. 480 iii
To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared. 514 iv
To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history. 642 ix
To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals. 137 v
To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change. 172 vi
To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria). 256 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 151 viii
To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features. 98 x
To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. 168

PP ToS