Celebrate Canada Day at Parks Canada's Northern Ontario National Historic Sites
News Release
Parks Canada welcomes visitors with free admission on Canada Day
June 28, 2016 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Parks Canada Agency
Parks Canada places represent the very best that Canada has to offer. They tell stories of who we are, including the history, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples. Sault Ste. Marie Canal and Fort St. Joseph National Historic Sites are pleased to welcome visitors to celebrate Canada’s 149th birthday on Friday, July 1, with free admission and a variety of special activities.
Visitors to Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site can participate in free site tours and discover the many treasures this special place has to offer. A variety of children’s activities are being offered for young visitors, while people of all ages will want to line up for their free Parks Canada airbrush tattoo. Parks Canada is once again a community partner with the Sault Ste. Marie HUB Trail Festival. Walk, ride or roll your way along the HUB trail from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and get your passport stamped at the Parks Canada station.
Visitors can connect with Canada’s incredible nature and history at Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site. This iconic destination offers free admission on July 1, and welcomes everyone to tour the Visitor Centre and ruins, and hike the woodland trails that surround the fort. Free refreshments will also be available as visitors celebrate Canada’s birthday.
As announced in Budget 2016, admission will be free for all visitors to national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas in 2017 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Canada’s national parks and historic sites enable Canadians to experience our remarkable natural heritage and rich history in a special way and will play a big part in the celebration of Canada 150 – just one year away!
Quick Facts
- Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site symbolizes the commercial and military alliance that existed between the British and the First Nations peoples of the western Great Lakes region in the aftermath of the American Revolutionary War through the War of 1812.
- Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site contains a remarkable assemblage of archaeological features which in their undeveloped state reveal part of the complex pattern of military, domestic and commercial life – both Indigenous and European - in this frontier outpost.
- Parks Canada welcomes approximately 100,000 land-based and 55,000 water-based visitors to Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site each year.
- Completed in 1895, the Sault Ste. Marie Canal formed the last link in an all-Canadian navigation system stretching from the St. Lawrence River to Lake Superior.
Associated Links
Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site
Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site
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Contacts
Garth Hardy
Public Relations and Communications Officer
Northern Ontario Field Unit
Parks Canada
807-229-0801 ext. 245
Stéphane Comeault
Interpretation Officer, Coordinator
Sault Ste. Marie Canal / Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site
Parks Canada
705-941-6202
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