Latest news with #CanadaStrongPass
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
The Canada Strong Pass is now available. Here's what it can get you
Canadians across the country are now able to take advantage of free or discounted admissions and services to national parks, galleries, museums, train tickets and more as part of the Canada Strong Pass. Introduced earlier this year by the Government of Canada, the pass is intended to promote travel and tourism within Canada's borders by making more options financially accessible to citizens — with a focus mainly on families and young adults. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the pass in April and said in a statement that with U.S. President Donald Trump 'threatening our economy and sovereignty, Canadians are uniting to find new ways to discover and celebrate our beautiful country.' 'Whether it's trips to national parks and historic sites, spending the day at a national art gallery or museum, or hiking Canadian trails, my new government will help the next generation discover all Canada has to offer this summer,' the release said. Story continues below advertisement Earlier this month, Statistics Canada reported that the month of May saw travel decline between Canada and the United States for the fifth straight month compared to a year prior. This trend came as Trump's trade and tariff policies sent shockwaves through economies worldwide, including in Canada. Where does the pass work? The Canada Strong Pass runs until Sept. 2, 2025, and includes free admission to all destinations operated by Parks Canada. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Some popular examples may include Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta, Pacific Rim and Yoho National Parks in British Columbia, Bruce Peninsula and Thousand Islands National Parks in Ontario and Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia. 1:12 Canada Strong Pass offers discounts on many parks, camping, museums and historical sites Although access to Parks Canada destinations is now free, most camping and other overnight accommodations in these places still require paying fees, but with a discount of 25 per cent for all visitors. Story continues below advertisement All other regular fees still apply within areas operated by Parks Canada, including for various reservations and permits, access to some hot springs, guided tours and programs, fishing licences, parking, as well as retail sales, including firewood and other goods. Provincial or territorial parks and other areas that are not operated by Parks Canada, for example, may still require regular fees, so travellers should check itineraries ahead of time to confirm what qualifies under the Canada Strong Pass. The pass doesn't just apply to national parks either — some Canadians can benefit from free and reduced admission to national museums and galleries. This means children aged 17 and under get free admission, while youth aged 18 to 24 can get their admission fees discounted by 50 per cent. These discounts can be applied at any of the 10 locations listed across Canada, including the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, among others. From national parks and galleries to museums, Canadians have many options spanning a large geographic area, so the government has also made it easier to get around by offering free or reduced fares on Via Rail Canada. Children under the age of 17 are able to ride for free when accompanied by an adult, while young adults aged 18 to 24 will be able to receive a 25 per cent discount for applicable fares across Canada. Story continues below advertisement The pass does not come in a physical form for collection, and no purchase or registration is required to qualify. In some cases, qualifying discount codes may need to be applied, including for Via Rail discounts.
Ottawa Citizen
4 hours ago
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
Canada Day tourism season looks strong as bookings climb in Ottawa
Article content 'There's so much to do for everyone's tastes in Ottawa,' he said. Article content Article content As the director of public affairs for Ottawa Tourism, Miousse knows that Canada Day typically brings in an influx of tourists from across the country. Leading up to this year's festivities, he says he's expecting 'a lot of traction.' Article content Article content 'It should be a very good one,' he said. 'We're looking forward to it. Especially with the current context, there's a lot of Canadian pride.' Article content Article content Canadian residents returned from 2.7 million trips to the United States in March — a 24 per cent decrease from the previous year, according to Statistics Canada. Flights to the U.S. were also down by 5.5 per cent. This decrease in travel comes amidst an ongoing U.S. tariff war. Article content It's unclear whether tourism numbers will exceed record years in 2019 and Canada's 150th birthday in 2017, Miousse says, but he's optimistic so far. Article content 'We're already seeing more hotel bookings than last year,' he said, adding that Ottawa has seen 10 million tourists in the last year alone, who have generated an estimated $2.6 billion for the local economy. Article content 'It's igniting a sense of your civic pride, right, to want to visit your capital city to celebrate the national day of your country.' Article content Article content Article content Miousse says 90 per cent of Ottawa's tourists are Canadian, accounting for a 'niche market' that Ottawa tends to attract. Along with a heightened sense of Canadian pride, he cited initiatives like the Canada Strong Pass as incentives that make this year's Canada Day special. Article content Article content 'We've all seen what's happened in the world and in Canada these past few months,' he said. 'It's all about making the most of these trends, and that's our advantage here in Ottawa.' Article content 'Obviously, Canada Day is an uptick to that.'
CTV News
7 hours ago
- CTV News
New Canada Strong Pass, offering discounts at national parks, museums, now in effect
The new Canada Strong Pass, which offers perks including free entry and discounts at the country's participating museums and national parks, is in effect as of Friday. Prime Minister Carney announced the initiative earlier this month, saying it's meant to not only help Canadians save money, but also aims to boost domestic travel in the wake of tensions with the United States. Registration is not necessary. The discount is automatically applied by showing up at the tourism site or going online, such as for campground reservations. It's in effect until Sept. 2. With files from Journalist Daniel Otis
National Post
10 hours ago
- National Post
'Canada Strong Pass' to offer free admission to national parks, historic sites this summer
Culture Minister Steven Guilbeault says the Canada Strong Pass will be in effect from June 20 to Sept. 2. It provides free summer admission to national parks and historic sites, discounted camping through Parks Canada, and discounts for young people at national museums and on Via Rail. (June 16, 2025)
National Post
11 hours ago
- Politics
- National Post
Chris Selley: Is the Liberals' 'Canada Strong Pass' a one-off gimmick, or something more substantial?
I have had some fun in the past at the expense of the Liberal Party of Canada's distinctly upper-class obsession with the Great Outdoors — this notion that every Canadian has soloed a canoe through morning mist amidst the haunting call of loons, or if they haven't, then something has gone awry. Article content I'll have a bit more fun with it here now that details of the 'Canada Strong Pass' have been released … but that's not to say there's nothing salvageable from this endeavour. Article content Article content Article content Two of the main items offered free or at a discount this summer are travel on Via Rail (free for kids travelling with an adult; 25 per cent off for 18-to-24-year-olds), and campsites at national parks, which will be free to visit during the day this summer. Article content Article content But it's the third week of June. Most people — people who aren't politicians, for example — will already have booked their vacations by now. And if they haven't, good luck finding a nice campsite before Labour Day (when the discounts terminate). Those reservations became available in January and February, depending on the park, and they go very quickly. (Perhaps ironically, those who booked before the Canada Strong Pass became official will be eligible for partial refunds.) Article content Via, for the record, directly services a single national park: Jasper. I found a 'discounted' youth fare from Toronto to Jasper on July 2 … for $503. That gets you a plain old seat, for 70 hours and 35 minutes. Airlines will get you as far as Edmonton in 4 hours for less than that. Article content Article content I found a rare available berth on Via — a seat that converts into a semi-private bunk — for the Aug. 31 departure, but the youth discount doesn't apply to those. And if it did, it would still be 25 per cent off $1,612. Article content Article content Of course Via is more useful between cities in Eastern Canada; trains don't sell out months in advance the way the long-distance routes do. But the Canada Strong Pass is framed as a national unity exercise, and at this point in our history, transporting Ontarians and Quebecers back and forth on summer holidays probably isn't going to offer much of a nationalist boost. Two Solitudes is an 80-year-old book; Canada contains more solitudes now. Article content Having vented my spleen, let me also say the notion of building national unity by encouraging domestic travel isn't at all daft, and nor is offering free or discounted entry to national museums and historic sites. Many Canadians are appallingly ignorant of the things they might learn there.
