Seamus O'Regan has made it his mission to get Signal Hill designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Speaking to a crowd at Memorial University during a funding announcement on Friday, the MP for St. John's South-Mount Pearl gave an impassioned speech on what Signal Hill means to him.

"I never take [it] for granted," he said. "One of the most beautiful walks around the ocean anywhere in the world, I'd venture."

Most people don't realize the historic site has not been designated by UNESCO, O'Regan said. It was something he pointed out to Justin Trudeau, while walking the hill in August. He's also taken it to the environment, heritage and innovation ministers.

"They all love the idea."

St. John's South-Mount Pearl MP Seamus O'Regan is making it his mission to get Signal Hill designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (CBC)

First, Signal Hill will need to land on the national tentative nominee list, submitted by each country annually to UNESCO. O'Regan said he is in the process of getting Signal Hill "at the top of that list."

Public nominations open for first time in decade

In August, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna announced the nominations were open to public input for the first time since 2004. The new nominations will be announced ahead of the 150th anniversary of Confederation.

The significance of Signal Hill — the location where the first transatlantic wireless signal was received — bodes well with UNESCO's priorities.

"One of the criteria for UNESCO is technological advance," O'Regan said. "What's advancing the global community right now is mobile communications and mobile economics. And it started here."

Newfoundland and Labrador currently has four UNESCO World Heritage Sites — L'Anse aux Meadows, Gros Morne National Park, Red Bay Basque Whaling Station and, most recently, Mistaken Point.

Mistaken Point is Canada's most recently appointed UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of 18 in the country and four in N.L. (UNESCO)

O'Regan is confident there will soon be a fifth.

"We will make Signal Hill a UNESCO World Heritage Site," he told the audience. "We're going to need all you guys, by the way, to do that. This will be a community endeavour."

Submissions for Canada's tentative list can be made on the Parks Canada website.