I’m not sure if it’s really worth considering an article from the Toronto Sun, citing “people on social media”. Especially when it quotes stuff like:
“Welcome to Canada, home to everyone but Canadians.”
A large portion of people receiving those benefits are literally new citizens, and while “newcomers” might not be “Canadians” by everyone’s definition, they are at very least “prospective Canadians”. Also, as the article points out at the end, Parks Canada has been providing free access to more and more Canadians including Veterans, youth, and those with disabilities.
If you go on social media and ask why Canada cares about disabled and veterans, it’s not gonna go well. But the “darn immigrants” is a popular trope and people will get behind you
Absolutely, a welcome package for a new Canadian is not something we as Canadians should be angered about.
You don’t freak out when the new person that just joined your office you been working at got a new pen, and maybe a shinny new stapler?
What we really should be angered aboot, and ashamed of as Canadians, is that its actually cheeper for us to go on vacation to Europe for 2-3weeks instead of being able to visit parts of Canada. A train ride to Vancouver is just as expensive as a plane flight if not more, and if you want to go to any of the northern parts you will need a car. Not to mention the price of accommodations such as a hotel or airbnd.
There should be more trains that take you to national and maybe even provincial parks and surrounding towns.
I’ve got this, it’s in the canoo app. It’s for one year and not forever. Permanent residents and new citizens get access to this. I haven’t been able to use this particular benefit.
Toronto Sun conservative rag with a BlogTO style of article citing random online commentors! You’ve got a masterpiece on outrage journalism, right there!
Park admission is ridiculously cheap compared to any activity. You’re going to be spending much more in the gas getting there and the food you eat. What are these online commentors on about?
I get that conservatives don’t like sharing anything but hate, but we have such a vast bounty of nature with plenty to go around. Let new Canadians enjoy it and be proud for all of us.
I know Citadel Hill in Halifax and the Fortress of Louisbourg have entrance fees but they also have reenactment there. Citadel Hill only charges during tourist season. Not sure if Louisbourg charges year round or not. I suspect that the fees are tied to how many staff and how much maintenance or other extras are present.
Fyi, my fiancée became a Canadian resident a few years back. When you become a new resident Canada gives you a welcome package, in this package you get a one year voucher for free visits to any national park (ie, not provincial parks).
So the closest national park to us is like 6-7 hours away. We do the drive and have no way to use this voucher, even in the one year window. To add (if I remember correctly) it was also only a voucher for a day visit, so parking…
I have a feeling like 90% of these voucher do not get used.
It reminded me of the time a handful of years ago VIA Rail did a promotion for anyone under 18-19. You would received a voucher to travel VIA rail from one side of Canada to the other. I don’t remember the specifics but it was only for the train ride with unlimited stops 2-ways.
Though they would also need to be financially sound at the time they became a full on citizen, own a car (to make us of the day pass free parking), and be able to take the time off, to actually go see these parks.
Remembering the voucher kicks in on the day of becoming a citizen and then expires exactly in exactly 1 year.
I guarantee you if someone becomes a citizen in their teens and originally immigrated on their own with no family (which happens), they would more then likely not benefit from this, and probably not even have the means to see these parks in that one year window, and make use of the free day pass voucher for free parking…
That’s the funny part … of all the born and bred Canadians within Canada … how many have actually gone out to visit a National Park (either paid for or for free).
I was born and raised in northern Ontario, I’m Indigenous and I’ve been to lots of wilderness sites in the north on James Bay and Hudson Bay … but I’ve never been to a National Park that I know of.
It reminded me of the time a handful of years ago VIA Rail did a promotion for anyone under 18-19. You would received a voucher to travel VIA rail from one side of Canada to the other. I don’t remember the specifics but it was only for the train ride with unlimited stops 2-ways.
Seems like it was 12-25 years of age and 150$ for a month of unlimited travel. It was a good deal but only available for 1 month, and i was already to old :'(
Would of been nice to use the pass and only sleep on the train as opposed to finding hotels.
Man I can’t believe we’re giving newcomers easier access to the truly wonderful and remarkable parts of our nation, thus giving them something to actually love about Canada. How horrible.
It’s just a free trial for new people . Like getting the first month free on a streaming service except it’s for a year . If they like it they will have to start paying eventually. Also if it’s like the ones near where I live anyone can go without paying you will just get a little notice on your car saying you should be to keep the parks funded
They’ve been living here for years, contributing to our communities and paying taxes while not receiving the benefits of citizenship. Then they’ve had to study for and take a test, and swear and oath to a foreign monarch that natural born citizens have never been subjected to.
Giving them a park pass they’re probably not going to use isn’t hurting you any.
While it’s true that everyone should have access to the national parks, you have to understand that raising that issue in the current context works to amplify the “fuck immigrants” messaging of the Sun. So, yeah, you should go take a hike in the woods.
If there is one part of Canadian culture that can be said to be consistent across geographic and ideological lines, it’s a connection to the land and the natural world. Our country is practically built on trekking through forests and canoeing down rivers. A national park pass is one of the simplest ways to encourage people to engage with that, and if there’s one thing I’d like newcomers to do here it’s to engage with our culture.
If you only ever pay for things that benefit you, the social contract starts to erode. Not helping those in need tends to reat it’s ugly head one way or another. That’s literally how taxes are supposed to work.
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