OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canada Strong Pass, which debuted this summer and includes free or discounted travel on VIA Rail Canada, will return for about a month around the Holiday season, the Canadian government has announced.
The pass debuted this summer after being proposed by the Liberal Party as part of its platform for the April elections [see “As Canadian election nears …,” Trains.com, April 21, 2025]. Its initial run ended Sept. 2, but the government website says it will return Dec. 12, 2025, to Jan. 15, 2026, and again in summer 2026.
The pass includes free travel on VIA for children when accompanied by an adult, as well as discounted travel for those 18 to 24. It also provides for free admission to Canada’s national parks, discounts on overnight stays at those parks, and free or reduced admission at museums and galleries. It is available to all visitors, not just Canadian citizens; it is intended as “an invitation to experience Canada’s cultural and natural richness,” according to the government. More information is available here; more on the rail aspect is available at the VIA Rail Canada website.
