What if everyone got to play? (Introducing the Canada Culture Pass)
Why do we need this?
Mark Carney launched a Canada Strong Pass that offers a great first step to our plan. At Create Canada we contend that in general and broad terms we need to feel a lot more connected. Rising polarization, social isolation, and declining civic engagement threaten the vitality of our communities. To bridge this gap we dig deeper and go further, we propose the Canada Culture Pass: a universal invitation to belong, to participate, and to rediscover collective meaning through culture.
What is the Canada Culture Pass?
The Canada Culture Pass is a universal annual benefit, providing direct access to diverse cultural experiences—live theatre, music, museums, festivals, workshops, and more.
Each Canadian receives a credit for in-person cultural activities, unless there are circumstances that make digital a more connected option, (this is not for your Netflix subscription) redeemable through a user-friendly platform connected to local and national cultural partners. The cultural activities can be professional, amateur, community, large or small, so long as they have joined the program.
Examples of access include but are not limited to:
Attending a local theatre, music, dance, circus, hybrid performance.
Visiting museums, art galleries, science centres, nightclubs* or other cultural centers.
Participating in community workshops or cultural festivals.
How do we do it?
Allocate $300 annually to every Canadian citizen and permanent resident.
Up to $150 of this allocation is for transportation and childcare
Up to $50 is for reach recipient to donate to the cultural institution of their choosing
Any participating partner organizations’ tickets/fees are discounted 90% when using the cultural pass.
Deploy using the Canoo platform run by the institute for Canadian Citizenship (which currently provides access to new Canadians for select cultural programs)
Involve cultural providers across all provinces, territories, and communities.
Implement special outreach programs to ensure equitable access, particularly for rural, remote, and underserved communities.
Who pays for it?
Sustained public investment through Canadian Heritage, positioned as an investment in Canada’s social cohesion, cultural vibrancy, and mental wellbeing. A 10-year launch horizon with annual evaluations tied to participation rates and community impact.
Why it matters:
Shared cultural participation fosters belonging, hope, and national unity. It supports mental health, economic recovery, and civic pride. It brings the stories of Canada into collective focus, not just through numbers, but through lived experience.
It’s about the vibes. It’s about the gap between data and what we know to be true: that culture holds us together. The Canada Culture Pass will help.
David, Owais, and SGS
* only the good ones 😁
