Canadians under the age of 25 will be able to explore national museums in Ottawa and across Canada for free, as part of an expansion of the Canada Strong Pass.
The federal government introduced the Canada Strong Pass for the summer of 2025, offering free admission to Parks Canada sites, no charge admission for children and youth under 18 to national museums and galleries, as well as savings on VIA Rail. The Canada Strong Pass returned last summer, running from June 19 to Sept. 7.
Budget 2026 announced a renewal of the Canada Strong Pass for 2027, with free admission to Parks Canada sites and savings on VIA Rail trips. The Canada Strong Pass will be enhanced to expand access to Indigenous-led museums and cultural centres, according to the budget.
Starting next year, admission to Canada’s national museums will be made permanently free for Canadians under 25 all year.
The budget does not say exactly when free admission to museums will become permanent, with the final decision to be made by Canadian Heritage.
Children, youth and young adults under the age of 25 will be able to visit the following museums for free:
- Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
- Canada Aviation and Space Museum
- Canadian Museum of Nature
- Canada Science and Technology Museum
- Canadian War Museum
- National Gallery of Canada
- Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau
Free admission will also be available at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax, the Plains of Abraham Museum in Quebec City and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.
The government says attendance grew by an average of 15 per cent to national museums during the Canada Strong Pass.
The renewal of the Canada Strong Pass for another summer will cost $76 million for the 2027-28 budget year. Free admission to national museums year-round for children and youth under 25 will cost $46.3 million over five years.
Canada’s 160th birthday
The federal government is setting aside $300 million to celebrate Canada’s 160th birthday in 2027.
The budget says the funding will support “stories, spaces, and experiences that bring Canadians together.”
“Canada 160 is an invitation to every Canadian to read and tell our stories, gather in the places that bring us together, and celebrate what it means to be Canadian,” the budget said.
“The Canada 160 Fund will be a flagship initiative to mark Canada’s 160th anniversary.”
No other details about the funding were announced in the budget.
Funding for museums
National museums, the National Arts Centre, Library and Archives Canada and the National Battlefields Commission will split hundreds of millions of dollars in funding over the next five years.
Budget 2026 outlines $783.1 million over five years to help repair and renew aging facilities, protect national collections and “sustain the exhibitions, performances, and services that connect Canadians to our history and culture.”
The National Gallery of Canada will receive $60 million over four years to expand “opportunities for Canadians to access and engage with Canada’s arts, culture and heritage, both in person and online.”
“This funding will support travelling exhibitions and improve digital access to the Gallery’s collections, helping Canadians across the country, including those in rural, northern, and remote communities, engage with Canadian and Indigenous art.”
Ādisōke
The federal government is providing additional funding to support Ādisōke, the new central library project at LeBreton Flats.
The Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada have teamed up to build Ādisōke, the $352.4 million project just west of downtown Ottawa.
Budget 2026 includes $1 million a year over three years for the new facility, starting in 2028-29.
There is no word on when Ādisōke will open.
