Canada Strong All Summer Long

Free passage through historic canals unlocks summer boating potential

Story by Parks Canada

There’s never been a better time to cast off the lines and explore Canada’s treasured boating destinations. The Canada Strong Pass is back with free lockage along the Trent-Severn Waterway, Rideau Canal and the historic canals in Quebec (June 19 to September 7 inclusive).

Historic canals, special memories.

Cruising Canada’s centuries-old lockage system is a unique experience that combines fascinating history, local tourism, and outdoor beauty. What began as early transportation, trade and military routes, has evolved entirely into an efficient travel corridor for recreational boaters. Parks Canada has been the steward of these special places since 1972 and each year welcomes scores of boaters through the gates during navigation season. Generations of boaters have passed through these locks; for nearly two centuries on the Rideau Canal and more than 100 years on the Trent–Severn Waterway.

Canada Strong means all of us coming together, enjoying the amazing destinations in our own backyard, and welcoming international visitors to share in the culture we know and love.

Whether you’re returning to familiar waters or locking through for the first time, here’s how you can make the most of free lockage this special season.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this article FREE in the digital version of Canadian Boating Summer 2026


Related Articles


Bennington 22 MSB

By Andy Adams

If you’ve already had firsthand experience with a pontoon, you will easily understand the appeal of the Bennington 22 MSB. But if you haven’t, let’s start by reviewing a few of the reasons why pontoon boats have become top sellers in markets across North America.

Pontoon boats began in the early 1950s as basically four steel drums lashed to a frame. They were not unlike the log rafts of ancient cultures and not much more sophisticated at first.

Read More


Destinations

The Best of Two Worlds

By Mathew Channer

Interior British Columbia might not be as famous for recreational boating as Canada’s Great Lakes, yet it is no less a world-class boat­ing destination. The mountains offer their own flavour of marine adventure with their series of long, deep ribbon lakes, and there is perhaps no area that embodies this more uniquely than the iconic Okanagan basin in southern B.C. One could be forgiven for assuming this valley was purpose-built for nautical fun, with a few delightful perks thrown in to make the area entirely irresistible (wine-tasting, anyone?).

Read More