Pokemon Go sheds light on local heritage landmarks
Posted August 9, 2016 8:28 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – You may think some people are obsessed with Pokemon Go but the digital critters are actually helping locals learn more about their city by putting heritage sites in the spotlight.
Whether you’re new to the city or born and raised here, chances are there are a couple places you’ve never seen or maybe you don’t know the history. If you had Pokemon Go, the answer would just be a Pokestop away.
Using the open source program Ingress, Pokemon Go has thousands of stops at landmarks across Metro Vancouver, each with their own label, helping users know exactly what’s in front of them.
Kathryn Morrow with the Vancouver Heritage Foundation says while they don’t know for sure if the app has increased awareness, they’re happy when anything draws attention to historical sites. “I know a lot of people are focused on catching critters, but it would be great if it does inspire people to actually learn more about their neighbourhood and about their community.”
She’s also excited to reach a new demographic through the game. “There is our app and there are other heritage-related apps but that goes to a heritage enthusiast crowd, whereas Pokemon reaches people who may not have had an interest but might gain one.”
Morrow adds there are more than 2,300 heritage stops in Metro Vancouver alone.
