Grand Pre memorial church and Evangeline statue. (Wikimedia Commons/Dr. Wilson/HO)

Canada was given another reason to celebrate its heritage a day before the country marked its 145th birthday.

On Saturday, the Landscape of Grand Pre in Nova Scotia was named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), making it the 16th of its kind in Canada.

UNESCO said "the Landscape of Grand Pre encompasses cultural characteristics that are so exceptional they are of importance to present and future generations of all humanity."

“The recognition of the Landscape of Grand Pre as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a significant community achievement and follows many years of hard work by area residents, the farming community, the Acadian community, municipal and provincial partners, the Mi’kmaq and the Government of Canada,” Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, said in a statement.

Considered the emotional and spiritual centre for the Acadian people, the area comprises archaeological sites from the 17th to the 20th centuries and commemorative sites associated with the homeland of the Acadians.