The pass to discovery

Canadians with a Parks Discovery Pass can now enter national parks free of charge.

As part of celebrating Canada’s 150^th birthday, the Liberal government has introduced the Parks Canada pass to all Canadians. The purpose of the pass is to keep the country’s ecological heritage open to those who could otherwise not afford it. Local parks such as Point Pelee National Park in Leamington and Fort Malden in Amherstburg are included in the parks which now have free admission. Although admission is free, park visitors must acquire a pass provided online by Parks Canada or at the entrance gate of any participating National Park.

The plan is part of an $83 million budget which will keep the parks maintained, and provide extra budget to be spent on the expected increase in visitors. Monique Oltrop is the visitor experience manager at Point Pelee National Park. She said the Canadian government supports ecological heritage.

“It’s going to be great to see people come and explore the park and connect with nature while they are here,” said Oltrop.

Point Pelee National Park’s revenue will continue through government funding rather than visitor patronage. With an expected visitation increase of 25 to 30 per cent, the park has also stepped up employment for the anticipated surge, expected to start in May. Most of these new employees will be working on maintaining the health of the parks ecosystem from the rise in human activity, such as garbage cleanup.

With 44 national parks in Canada and an average of 12 million visitors per year, the increase in human traffic is a concern of many conservationists and park regulars. Jonathon Marchand, 63, has been frequenting Point Pelee the majority of his life, including owning a family cottage inside the park since the 1970s. Marchand said he believes the expected rise in human traffic will bring the park ecosystem to irreversible conditions.

“It doesn’t matter how much you push it, some people just don’t care about nature and never will,” said Marchand. “If there is a garbage bin overflowing and the garbage blows into the ponds then we don’t see it but the fish do.”

With the original yearly pass at Point Pelee being close to $100, Oltrop said the free admission will open the parks to a new group of nature conservationists. “We’re thrilled that people are going to be able to come and enjoy the park where they may have thought the cost to enter was a barrier to them.”

Monique Oltrop, visitor experience manager at Point Peele National Park is happy with the free admission of National Parks in Canada. Photo by Aaron Lombardi