New Canadians can get free admission to national parks across the country and here's how
You can visit parks, historic sites and more at no cost! 🇨🇦
A person paddles a boat at Banff National Park. Right: Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
Are you new to Canada? If you're a newcomer to the country, you'll be happy to know there are plenty of benefits and freebies available to you.
Among them is the ability to see all of Canada's national parks for absolutely free.
Whether you want to explore iconic national parks like Banff or parks at the very tip of Canada like Point Pelee, new Canadians can see them all at no cost.
If you're a newcomer to Canada or a new Canadian citizen, you can get free admission to all places administered by Parks Canada across the country for one full year, including national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas.
To be eligible, you must be over 18 and a newcomer to Canada within your first five years as a permanent resident, or have received your Canadian citizenship less than 12 months ago.
To get the benefit, newcomers must create an account on Canoo, a mobile app from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship.
Formerly known as the Cultural Access Pass program, Canoo is an app that helps new Canadians and permanent residents celebrate their new journey in Canada by providing free admission to attractions and sites across the country, including museums, science centres, art galleries, parks, historical sites, and more.
The app can be downloaded for free on the App Store and Google Play. Once you've downloaded the app, you'll have to register and scan certain documents, including your citizenship certificate or permanent resident card.
From there, you can activate your membership at any point during your eligibility window. Once activated, the membership is valid for 365 days.
Then, when you arrive at a national park, marine conservation area, or national historic site, you'll have to tell the attendant at the entry gate that you are a Canoo member and ask for the Canoo venue code.
You'll need to use your Canoo app to check in, scan a QR code from the park attendant, and select the number of children accompanying you.
You'll have to then show Parks Canada staff your Canoo card screen along with a piece of government-issued photo ID to get free admission for the day.
While the benefit includes free admission to all of Canada's national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas, keep in mind that it only applies to day use of the area, and that regular fees will apply for other services, like camping, visiting hot springs or guided tours and hikes.
A map of all the parks newcomers can get free admission to can be found on Parks Canada's website.
Happy exploring!
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.