Lunenburg celebrates 30th year as UNESCO world heritage site

Mayor Jamie Myra says it’s been an honour for Old Town Lunenburg to carry its UNESCO world heritage designation for 30 years. 

Lunenburg stands out as one of 1,248 sites globally with this designation, including famous landmarks such as the Taj Mahal in India, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in France, the Great Wall of China, and the Machu Picchu ruins in Peru. 

“I’m amazed when I go to conferences around the country,” Myra said Saturday during anniversary celebrations. “Most people have heard of Lunenburg because of the UNESCO designation.”

The occasion coincided with the 50th anniversary of Canada signing the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. 

The National Trust for Canada, a charity focusing on historic sites, marked both anniversaries in a free event on Saturday, inviting both residents and visitors in the town to enjoy walking tours, music, and information booths. 

“This anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate, to invite Canadians of all generations to experience these places, interact with their stories and see themselves as part of their future,” said Patricia Kell, CEO of the National Trust for Canada. 

Old Town Lunenburg already brings in tourists from all over the world, in part because of the designation, but Myra believes more could be done to promote it. 

“We haven’t really marketed the designation as much as we should,” he said. 

The town, established in 1753, is recognizable today for its working waterfront and picturesque downtown. 

Over the years, Lunenburg has kept its original appearance and layout, a prime example, according to UNESCO, of a “planned British colonial settlement in North America.”

“The inhabitants have managed to safeguard the city’s identity throughout the centuries by preserving the wooden architecture of the houses, some of which date from the 18th century,” the agency says.

Laura LeGresley, heritage officer for the Town of Lunenburg, said the charm of the town relies on more than its postcard landscapes. It’s all about the tight-knit community at the centre of it. 

“It’s such a small town and people care so much, they care about their houses so much, that they take care of them and really the community is the living site,” she said. “Those are the people that animate the site.”

• Don’t leave Lunenburg in the lurch, mayor urges feds eyeing new heritage sites

In the past, the town has asked the federal government for financial help to better handle the influx of visitors and provide them with the best experience.

“Our infrastructure really, really takes a beating in the summer and the taxpayers of our community are who upgrades infrastructure.”

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