Global Alliance for Heritage Interpretation is inviting all interpreters around the world to a series of webinars.

Tuesday 5 May 21:00 CEST
Bellevue House National Historic Site, Parks Canada: A Place for Conversation

In this presentation, Bellevue House Team member with host Tamara van Dyk, will share experiences interpreting Sir John A. Macdonald through collaboration and dialogue at Bellevue House National Historic Site.

Bellevue House is located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada in Cataracoui/Ka’tarohkwi, on the land of the Wendat, the Anishinaabe, and the Haudenosaunee. This Parks Canada site is an Italianate villa built around 1841 for a merchant of settler origin. Macdonald rented Bellevue House for thirteen months between 1848 and 1849, nearly two decades before becoming prime minister of the new Dominion of Canada in 1867. Since 1967 the site had shared Macdonald’s vision for Canada as a British society.

In 2024, the site reopened, offering a renewed visitor experience focused on sharing Canadian history. Today, at Bellevue House, alongside the life history of Macdonald, we share the impact of his governments’ policies through the many voices of confederation, where Indigenous Peoples communicate their experiences of actions taken to serve this vision. Macdonald’s life and complex legacy are interpreted through conversation and from multiple perspectives.

Tamara van Dyk is the Site & Visitor Experience Manager at Bellevue House where she builds teams, fosters engagement, and provides experiences that incorporate an inclusive approach to interpretation of this historic site, located on Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe traditional lands, in Kingston Ontario. With over 35 years, she has worked across Canada in interpretation, outdoor education, and product development to inspire protection of Canadas diverse natural and cultural heritage. Living the dream and looking forward to this next adventure.

Participation is free of charge. You can register here.