Archives: Atlas Obscuras

‘Inukshuk’

Discover 'Inukshuk' in Vancouver, British Columbia: Made of granite, this is a symbol of the Inuit peoples near water that expresses abundance.

Louis Riel’s Gravestone

Discover Louis Riel's Gravestone in Winnipeg, Manitoba: Canada's accused-traitor-turned-folk-hero is buried under a red stone in a ring of his own.

Churchill Falls Generating Station

Discover Churchill Falls Generating Station in Division No. 10, Subd. D, Newfoundland and Labrador: This underground power plant looks more like a super-villian's lair than a public work.

Kiidk’yaas, the Golden Spruce

Discover Kiidk'yaas, the Golden Spruce in British Columbia, Canada: This revered mutant tree was felled in an act of ecoterrorism leaving a legacy of myth and possibly murder.

Grave of the Mad Trapper of Rat River

Discover Grave of the Mad Trapper of Rat River in Northwest Territories: A mad mystery man who led Canadian mounties on a 150-mile wilderness chase is still buried with his secrets intact.

Hornby Island Bald Eagle Nest Camera

Discover Hornby Island Bald Eagle Nest Camera in Comox-Strathcona K, British Columbia: Webcam that broadcast the hatching of Bald Eagles to millions of viewers.

‘Hornby Uintotherium’

Discover 'Hornby Uintotherium' in Comox-Strathcona K, British Columbia: A plaque on Canada's Hornby Island commemorates a fantastical creature from a fictional universe.

Thinker’s Lodge in Pugwash, Nova Scotia

Discover Thinker's Lodge in Pugwash, Nova Scotia in Pugwash, Nova Scotia: A rustic house where intellectuals and investors tried to put an end to Cold War nuclear armament.

Hogs Back Lockstation

Discover Hogs Back Lockstation in Ottawa, Ontario: These locks on North America’s oldest canal are named after a porcine rock formation.

Al Rashid Mosque

Discover Al Rashid Mosque in Edmonton, Alberta: First mosque in Canada, second in North America.

Ellesmere Island Mummified Forest

Discover Ellesmere Island Mummified Forest in Nunavut: Rare mummified forest could offers a glimpse into how our environment has been changed by humans.

Walt Whitman Monument

Discover Walt Whitman Monument in Cloyne, Ontario: A massive, fading granite poem is all that remains of one Whitman superfan's tribute to the famous writer.

Reynolds-Alberta Museum

Discover Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta: An automotive, farming machinery, and aviation museum located in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada.

La Colle Falls Dam

Discover La Colle Falls Dam in Prince Albert No. 461, Saskatchewan: This partially completed dam was simply abandoned after nearly destroying the city it was built to service.

Rankin Inlet Inunnguaq

Discover Rankin Inlet Inunnguaq in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut: A modern version of the stone cairns built by the Inuit.

Brock’s Monument

Discover Brock's Monument in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario: This seemingly cursed monument is dedicated to one of Canada's great war heroes.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 260 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. 474 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. 499 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. 633 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. 135 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. 167 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). 252 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 148 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. 96 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. 166

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