In 1999, Nova Scotia joined with the other provinces and territories and the Government of Canada to develop the Historic Places Initiative. The Heritage Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage is responsible for the administration of this program in the province. The main goal of the Initiative is to develop a culture of conservation across Canada. Two main program areas guide this endeavor: the Canadian Register of Historic Places; Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.

The Canadian Register of Historic Places is an online list of historic places in Canada that have been recognized to have heritage value at the local, provincial, territorial, or federal level.  Properties are nominated to this national register by the Province of Nova Scotia via the Nova Scotia Register of Historic Places. Both municipally registered and provincially registered heritage properties are eligible for inclusion, as are archeological sites, cultural landscape and engineering works.

The Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada provides a set of principles that give direction for appropriate conservation work. This document recognizes that conservation treatments may range from preservation to rehabilitation or restoration and provides practical advice for anyone wanting to undertake conservation work, whether the historic place is designated or not.