Identifying Our Heritage

Knowing your local cultural heritage resources is the first step toward conserving and protecting them. Each community decides what resources are most important to them. Markham uses a variety of tools to identify and understand its heritage resources.

Markham’s Inventory of Built Heritage
Markham Council has adopted the Markham Register of Property of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest. The Register includes both designated and listed properties. The Register’s database is fully searchable – give it a try.

Historic Cemeteries
Markham has over 40 historic cemeteries (21k/2p). These are not only sacred places, but important for the useful information they provide about early settlement and pioneer families.

Archaeological Resources
Our community possesses a rich archaeological heritage that ranges from aboriginal camps and villages to early pioneer settlements.  An archeological site is any site that contains an artifact or other physical evidence of past human use or activity that is of cultural heritage value or interest. The Ministry of Culture  offers further information on archaeological resources as well as maintains a database of registered archaeological sites in Markham that is kept confidential in order to protect these areas.
    
Markham’s History
To better appreciate our individual cultural heritage resources, it is important to understand Markham’s history. An overview of the history of the Town of Markham provides a brief summary of the major events in the development of our community from 1794. Specific village histories are also available for Thornhill, Markham Village and Unionville.

Markham’s motto of “Leading while Remembering” on the municipality’s coat of arms truly reflects the commitment of our community to heritage conservation.