New Canadians get free access to cultural institutions

Thanks to a unique Canadian program, new Canadian citizens are offered a free 12-month entrance pass to attractions across the country. The program is called the Cultural Access Pass, CAP, and is managed by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship. The program is quickly gaining popularity. Three years ago, only six facilities participated. Now, the program enrols 80 citizens a day with over 1,000 attractions across the country.

The CAP gives new citizens free admission to 1,000 of Canada's cultural treasures around the country. The CAP allows citizens to discover Canada’s rich cultural history, world-renowned artworks, historical figures and parks.

More than 600 discovery centres, galleries, and parks in Alberta, B.C., Nova Scotia, Quebec, and the Northwest Territories participate in this program. Information about the program is handed out during every Canadian citizenship ceremony.

“We hear from new citizens they may be Canadians on paper, but they don’t necessarily feel like they belong,” stated Gillian Hewitt Smith, the institute’s executive director, to the Globe and Mail. “The more new citizens sign up,” she added, “the more new citizens feel these institutions belong to them and there’s more of an audience that we’re bringing to Canada’s cultural institutions.”

To learn more about the program, please visit the Institute for Canadian Citizenship website.