December 18, 2017 Thunder Bay, Ontario Parks Canada Agency

Parks Canada’s places represent the very best that Canada has to offer, and tell the stories of who we are, including the history, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous Peoples.

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna, along with Parks Canada’s Honourary Guide for Families, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, announced that admission for youth 17 and under is free for all national parks, historic sites, and marine conservation areas.

By making admission free for youth under 17, Canada is celebrating families and the importance of our protected areas. We understand that by connecting with nature, youth will gain a better understanding of our urgent need to not only protect it, but maintain it for future generations.

In 2017, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the Government’s gift to Canadians was free admission to Parks Canada’s places. Starting in 2018, the Government is inviting Canadian families and their children, youth and school groups, to experience the outdoors and learn more about our environment and history. Parks Canada will continue to offer high-quality and meaningful experiences to visitors from Canada and around the world and is looking forward to welcoming more youth to Canada’s national treasures.

While youth will enjoy free admission beginning in 2018, Parks Canada’s places, including Pukaskwa National Park and Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site, will be returning to fee-based admission for adults and seniors.

Northern Ontario Parks Canada’s sites will be hosting a number of new and memorable events for the 2018 season. Pukaskwa National Park will offer five brand-new oTENTiks which will be fully pet-friendly and feature a wood stove for a more complete camping experience. The Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site will be offering paddlers with the unique opportunity to experience paddling through the lock in 2018 with the return of the Parade of Paddles event. The Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area will be hosting another year of the Shoreline Cleanup, which saw a collaboration of organizations take a conservational role in helping to examine, account for, and clean the shoreline of Lake Superior. Lastly, for geocache enthusiasts, Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site has recently added additional geocaches that will still be accessible for 2018, see if you can find them all.

The 2018 Parks Canada Discovery Pass is now on sale and is a great value, providing access to these national treasures all year long. The Parks Canada Discovery Pass is the ideal way to discover nature and connect with Canada’s history. For information on purchasing the 2018 Parks Canada Discovery Pass, please visit the Parks Canada website.

To make the most of your visit, we invite Canadians to plan their trip ahead of time. Please visit the Parks Canada website, download the Parks Canada mobile app, and follow us on social media.