Through the Cultural Access Pass, new citizens have the opportunity to experience more than 1,300 of Canada’s premier cultural attractions – museums, galleries, science centres, parks and national historic sites, as well as exclusive travel discounts.

Between 40-50,000 new citizens will sign up for the CAP program every year. Here are some key demographics about our program participants coming to visit your attraction with their family and friends:

• Country of Origin — 30% of CAP members come from the Philippines with India following closely behind at 17%
• Urban vs. Rural – A vast majority live in urban areas – the top 5 cities with CAP members are  Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton, and Winnipeg.
• Age – Most CAP members fall between the ages of 24-44.
• Families – 56% of CAP members have one child or more. 
• Education – CAP members are often highly educated – 36% have a bachelor’s degree and 31% have a master’s or PhD.

What does this tell us? Our program participants are in the prime of their lives and are ready to be engaged. Many of our cultural attraction partners across the country have used front-desk tracking data and key demographic information about our membership to refine their visitor experience, and better retain this audience over time.

Would you like more information about CAP members in your city? Get in touch with us at cap@inclusion.ca.

Over the past five years, new Canadian citizens have been mesmerized by theatre and opera, live dance, and film, and have attended  some of the best local arts and culture events across the country as part of the ICC’s Cultural Access Pass (CAP) program. This year, in celebration of their 50^th season, Theatre Calgary has generously committed to offering CAP members a minimum of 1000 complimentary tickets to some of their premier performances. This represents a remarkable opportunity for new Canadians living in Calgary to be engaged in arts and culture through  performing arts.

“A gift of this size demonstrates Theatre Calgary’s commitment to inclusion,” said ICC CEO Charlie Foran. “We value the opportunity to add a performing arts dimension to CAP members’ cultural experiences during their first year of citizenship through partnerships like this one.”

We are pleased to have worked with over 25 performing arts institutions across Canada including Canadian Opera Company, Arts Commons, Tafelmusik, Hart House, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, REEL Canada, Pacific Opera, and more, to provide unique cultural experiences to CAP members. These partnerships not only offer CAP members complimentary tickets; they also give them a chance to connect with each other, meet new people, and often get a behind-the-scenes tour. We look forward to continuing to grow CAP and finding innovative ways to engage new Canadian citizens through the performing arts.

About the Cultural Access Pass (CAP)

CAP is the only program of its kind in the world. It offers new Canadian citizens a chance to explore, travel, and discover Canada during their first year of citizenship. CAP provides members with free admission to more than 1,300 of Canada’s premier cultural attractions and discounts on travel in addition to performing arts opportunities. To find out more about joining CAP, contact cap@inclusion.ca.

 

To find attractions in your area, head to Cultural Access Pass Directory and search your city!

Cultural Access Pass alumnus Carol King became a new Canadian citizen in 2015. Her journey to citizenship however, started many years ago when she came to Canada back in 1987 to pursue an education at King Square Collegiate in Toronto, Ontario. She says that she chose to make Canada her home because it is a multi-cultural, safe, friendly and vibrant country – and while her journey to citizenship was a long one, Carol is happy to finally call herself a Canadian citizen.

According to Carol, one of the most important responsibilities of being an active citizen is volunteering and voting. In March of this year, she volunteered at a film shoot about citizenship (which is still currently in production), and she also volunteered during the last  general election. Carol believes  that cultural spaces play an important part in welcoming new citizens, and in building inclusion and belonging, and experienced the value of culture as a new Canadian citizen with a Cultural Access Pass – Carol encourages every new Canadian citizen to get out and use their CAP. And her best advice for practicing active citizenship? Always be polite, and of course, say ‘sorry’ regularly.

As a Canadian citizen, Carol looks forward to exploring Canada and to finishing her education at Ryerson University. She also has plans to visit the Canadian Rockies in British Columbia.

About CAP: For nearly 10 years, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) has delivered the Cultural Access Pass (CAP), an innovative, best-in-class program that gives new citizens access to Canadian culture. It’s time to shift CAP to the digital age. Support the ICC.

Be featured in our newsletter: Tag CAP and use the hashtag #CAPCanada in your social media posts for your chance to be the next CAP member or alumni featured.

Canoo (formerly known as the Cultural Access Pass program) is a mobile app that helps new Canadian citizens celebrate their citizenship by providing free admission to over 1400 museums, science centres, art galleries, parks, and historic sites across Canada.

The app offers free admission for every new citizen and up to four children, every time they visit for the first year of citizenship. The Canoo app is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.