Canada Strong Pass returns. What do Revelstokians gain?
Published 5:30 pm Friday, December 19, 2025
With the winter holidays well underway, Parks Canada has rolled out the Canada Strong Pass for the second time this year, promising anyone in Revelstoke and beyond a month of free park access and discounted lodging.
From Dec. 12 to Jan. 15, the federal government will continue providing everyone in Canada — whether citizens or tourists — with free admission to the country’s national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas.
It’s again also discounting 25 per cent off overnight stays in these Parks Canada-operated destinations, though regular rates remain in place for firewoord, permits and parking.
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For Revelstokians, this means heading into nearby Mount Revelstoke National Park for cross-country skiing, backcountry skiing or snowshoeing is free for the holidays if you don’t already hold an annual or seasonal pass. Anyone considering trekking up to the Caribou Cabin may also be rewarded with discounted bookings that would save about $40 per night, as the lodging is run by Parks Canada.
To reap the benefits of the Canada Strong Pass, no entry pass or ticket is required and parks staff will simply welcome visitors through at any gates or visitor centres, such as Summit Station at Rogers Pass. This means any current holders of a annual or seasonal national parks pass don’t need to provide them for admission.
In Glacier National Park, for example, backcountry users will continue having to possess a winter permit and accompanying parking pass, both of which are free and can be obtained through a 30-minute quiz available at parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/glacier/visit/hiver-winter/ski. However, alpine skiers and other recreationists won’t need to fret about also displaying their national parks pass in their vehicle, making their access to the powder in Rogers Pass free save for transportation costs.
(Note that in Glacier, the backcountry cabins and huts are operated by the Alpine Club of Canada, rather than by Parks Canada, meaning bookings for these lodgings will be unaffected by the Canada Strong Pass).
Additionally, any Revelstokians planning to travel across Canada and interested in taking the train can drive to Kamloops and enjoy 25 per cent off Via Rail economy-class fares for ages 18 to 24, using the discount code CANADA1824. Children 17 and younger can also ride free in economy with an adult accompanying them, using the code CANADAFAM.
Via Rail transports passengers between destinations across B.C. and Alberta including Vancouver, Kamloops, Prince George, Jasper and Edmonton, all the way through the Prairies and into Eastern and Atlantic Canada.
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Parks Canada has communicated that 2025 annual pass holders will receive a four-month add-on to their national parks access at no cost, to compensate for when admission became free for all visitors last summer. That said, as the federal government has communicated the pass’s 2026 dates further in advance this time, no exception is expected for pass holders later in 2026 and 2027.
After ending Jan. 15, the Canada Strong Pass will return for summer 2026, from June 19 to Sept. 7, when Revelstokians can once again take advantage of free national park access, and also 25 per cent discounts on camping in Mount Revelstoke and Glacier once the snow melts.
Learn more about the program at canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/canada-pass.html.