Parks Canada Day on the Hill: A celebration of World Environment Day

Minister McKenna highlights free admission to Parks Canada places for youth and new Canadian citizens

OTTAWA, June 5, 2018 /CNW/ - Today, in celebration of World Environment Day, Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, joined youth and new Canadian citizens for Parks Canada Day on the Hill. Minister McKenna was accompanied by Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue.

In honour of this year's World Environment Day theme ? 'beat plastic pollution' ? a brand new outreach activity was also held to educate participants about the impacts of plastic pollution on our ocean and its marine life, and how Canadians can make small changes to help keep our oceans clean and healthy. Other activities included Learn-to camp and Bioblitz exercises for Canadians of all ages.

To foster the next generations of environmental stewards the Government of Canada is taking steps to make national parks, historic sites, and marine conservation areas more accessible for all Canadians, especially youth and newcomers.

In celebration of families and the importance of our protected places, Parks Canada is proud to offer free admission to youth, starting in 2018 and beyond, and free admission for one year for new Canadian citizens through the Institute for Canadian Citizenship's Cultural Access Pass Program.

The government is also investing in new and innovative initiatives that will make it easier for Canadians to discover and connect with nature, such as expanding the Learn-to camp program with over 100,000 participants to date and further developing the Parks Canada mobile app with over 180,000 downloads to date.

Canadians are encouraged to celebrate the environment all year long by discovering Parks Canada places. To make the most of their Parks Canada experience, visitors are encouraged to plan their trip. They may do so by visiting the Parks Canada's website, downloading the free Parks Canada's mobile application, and following us on social media for information about Parks Canada's destinations.

Parks Canada manages one of the finest and most extensive systems of protected areas in the world. To preserve these national treasures, Parks Canada works with partners, including Indigenous peoples, to monitor and restore ecosystems, protect species-at-risk, and expand our knowledge of biodiversity and climate change.

Parks Canada is committed to engaging Canadians in this important work. And Canadians are encouraged to get involved by participating in citizen-science activities and supporting local conservation efforts as well as learning more about what we are doing to protect our natural spaces.

Quotes

"Following the largest ever consultation on Parks Canada, one of my goals is to encourage more Canadians ? particularly youth and new Canadians ? to experience the outdoors and learn about the environment. That's why I am so proud that we are offering free admission for youth and new Canadians to Parks Canada places as a way to celebrate and discover Canada's history and natural wonder." 

The Honourable Catherine McKenna,
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

"On World Environment Day, I invite families to participate in one of Parks Canada's new and innovative initiatives, such as Learn-to camp or BioBlitz events. These are great ways to experience the outdoors, learn about the environment and create lasting memories along the way."

The Hounourable Diane Lebouthillier,
Minister of National Revenue

Quick Facts

• Parks Canada manages 46 national parks, 171 national historic sites, four marine conservation areas, and one national urban park.
• More than 13,000 Canadians provided feedback through the Minister's Round Table, Let's Talk Parks, Canada!. Minister McKenna has identified three priories for Parks Canada: to Protect and Restore our national parks and historic sites; to enable people to further Discover and Connect with our national parks and heritage; and to Sustain for generations to come the incredible value ? both ecological and economic ? that our national parks and historic sites provide for communities. 
• A gift to each Canadian citizen during their first year of citizenship, the Cultural Access Pass provides complimentary admission to more than 1400 of Canada's treasures from coast-to-coast, including Parks Canada's places.
• Parks Canada's Learn-to camp program creates a connection between first-time campers and the camping experience, helping Canadian families, including many newcomers, overcome barriers to planning and enjoying safe camping trips. In 2017, Parks Canada hosted 32 overnight events as well as almost 500 Learn-to Camp outreach events. In the last year, the Learn-to camp program has grown from 10,000 participants to over 100,000 participants across the country.
• BioBlitz events are fun and educational activities that offer participants the opportunity to team up with scientists to experience the outdoors, discover plant and animal species and contribute to their protection.
• For the 2018 visitor season, Parks Canada has launched version 2.0 of the Parks Canada Mobile App. The App helps visitors plan their trip and offers fun and interactive content. New features will help visitors make the most of their Parks Canada experiences, including downloadable trail maps and a new feature that allows visitors to create their own itineraries based on travel dates and events happening at Parks Canada places.

Related Links

• Parks Canada Website
• Cultural Access Pass
• Parks Canada Learn-to camp
• Parks Canada App
• Let's Talk Parks, Canada!

SOURCE Parks Canada