Liberals promise to make national parks free as Canadian travel to the U.S. dries up

The Tablelands of Gros Morne National Park are pictured over Bonne Bay, Nfld., on September 4, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA — Liberal Leader Mark Carney said Monday he wants to make national parks and historic sites available for free this summer -- a move that comes as many Canadians scrub their plans to travel to the U.S.

Carney made the promise -- part of a suite of nature-related pledges that included a promise to create more national parks -- while campaigning in B.C. and shopping for progressive votes.

His trip included stops in Saanich-Gulf Islands, held by Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May, and in Victoria, held by the NDP’s Laurel Collins.

The Liberal party has not said how long the government would offer free park admission or what it would cost taxpayers.

During a stop in Saanichton, B.C., Carney said that when he was growing up in Edmonton, he made lasting memories in Jasper National Park.

“Canada’s crown jewel, Jasper National Park, was almost like a second home,” he said. “It’s certainly where I made lasting memories. But creating new parks and making all our parks more accessible will help ensure that every Canadian will be able to experience the beauty of our great nation, just as I did.”

The move to drop the national park fees comes as many Canadians -- infuriated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and threats against Canada’s sovereignty -- abandon plans to holiday in the U.S. this year.

The global advisory firm Tourism Economics predicted last week that this year could see a 20.2 per cent drop in visits to the U.S. by Canadians.

The U.S. Travel Association warned in February that tariffs could result in a swift decline in travel from Canada, and that a 10 per cent drop in travel in could result in 2 million fewer visits and the loss of $2.1 billion spent by Canadians in the U.S.

The federal government has made national parks free before. In 2017, it did so for Canada’s 150th anniversary -- a move that proved popular and boosted admissions. The government continues to offer free park admission to kids aged 17 and under.

Such a move costs taxpayers, since the government collects revenues from admission and still has to administer and maintain these sites.

Parks Canada oversees 171 historic sites, 37 national parks and 11 national park reserves that are managed like parks but are subject to Indigenous land claims.

Carney said a federal government led by him would establish at least 10 new national parks and marine conservation areas, along with 15 more urban parks.

He also said he would create a $100 million “strategic water security technology fund” and introduce legislation that would protect First Nations communities’ right to clean water.

“No country can endlessly draw down on nature to enrich itself,” Carney said. “We must earn our right to take from the environment, while always respecting and nourishing it.”

The Canadian Press