Alberta maintains a series of records called the Heritage Survey, containing information primarily about historic places such as:

• houses
• churches
• grain elevators
• train stations
• barns
• mines
• cemeteries
• geological and natural features

While the Heritage Survey staff consider these to be “non-archaeological historic sites,” the fact of the matter is that there is substantial overlap between historic sites and historic period archaeological sites. Historic Period sites are those sites that post-date the exploration and settlement of an area by peoples primarily of Euro-Canadian descent and “Western European Culture”, but also including newcomers from many places in the world. They may include sites with standing structures/structural remains such as cabins, trading posts, towns, mining camps, mines, prospects, graves, trails, roads, and railroads. In addition, Historic Period sites can include locales where significant historic events occurred, but for which there is no physical evidence. Historic artifacts are those artifacts associated with such sites and are generally of industrial rather than of folk manufacture. Sites of potential significance typically predate the Second World War, unless a site is of exceptional architectural or historic value.