Discover Canada’s Great Outdoor Spaces with these Passport Places

Get outside this summer with some help from these 8 Passport Places. From sites situated in beautiful urban parks, to ocean views, to beautiful grounds to explore, there’s something for everyone!

Historic Stewart Farm, Surrey, BC

This 1900s farm is a beautiful location for picnics, riverside walks, and family fun, you can explore at your own pace or visit during a Heritage Weekend Drop-in for heritage demonstrations, hands-on activities, and house tours. Plus, Totest Aleng: Indigenous Learning House invites visitors to check out Dioramas by Semiahmoo historian Don Walsh, learn about local plants, and participate in kid-friendly crafts.

Learn more about the Historic Stewart Farm

Cupids Cove Plantation, Cupids, NL

First founded in August 1610 by Bristol merchant John Guy, Cupids Cove is the first English settlement in what became Canada. Although the existence of the colony was well known, its precise location was lost to time until archaeologists re-discovered it in 1995. Since then, the remains of four early 17th-century buildings and more than 135, 000 artifacts have been uncovered. Today, visitors to Cupids Cove can explore the site and see archeologists at work as they discover more about the site and the people who lived there.

Learn more about Cupids Cove

Beaubears Island, Nelson-Miramichi, NB

Quoomeneegook, or “Island of the Pines”, is a fitting name for this tree-covered island in New Brunswick. For thousands of years the island supported many people including Indigenous people, Acadian deportation refugees, and shipbuilders from all over the world. Learn from historical characters or self-guided panels on the island, explore the trails, have a picnic, or relax on the beach, there’s plenty to discover here!

Learn more about Beaubears Island

Scarborough Museum, Scarborough, ON

Set along the beautiful walking trails of Thomson Memorial Park, the museum exhibits history and development of Scarborough from its founding and early settlement to its emergence as a major suburb in the 20th century. Explore this museum’s four heritage buildings and its gardens, and then take a walk through Thomson Park for the perfect balance of history and nature.

Learn more about Scarborough Museum

Todmorden Mills Heritage Site, Toronto, ON

Tucked away and hidden between the highways, substacks, and bridges of the Don River Valley is Todmorden Mills, a group of historic buildings that once made up the small industrial community of Todmorden. Today, the site celebrates the 12,000 year history of the Lower Don Valley, and adjoins to an impressive 9.2 hectare wildflower preserve where natural habitats like upland and bottomland forests, meadows, and swamp lands can be explored.

Learn more about Todmorden Mills

Ruthven Park, Cayuga, ON

With 1,500 acres to explore, this country estate and former home of the Thompson family is full of things to discover. Overlooking the Canadian Heritage Grand River, Ruthven Park’s natural and cultural landscapes are conserved for the enjoyment of visitors, with a significant portion being part of the North Cayuga Slough Forest, a provincially significant Area of Natural and Scientific Interest as well as an Environmentally Sensitive Area.

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Point Amour Lighthouse, L’anse-au-Loup, NL

Perched atop limestone cliffs on the coast of Labrador, since 1858 this lighthouse was tasked with guiding transatlantic ship traffic down the Strait of Belle Isle. Visitors are welcome to climb the 132 steps to the top of the lighthouse (making it the tallest in Atlantic Canada!) to take in the panoramic views. After your climb to the top of the lighthouse, hike along the coast to the shipwreck of the HMS Raleigh and enjoy views of whales, icebergs, and fossils along the way.

Learn more about Point Armour Lighthouse

Colborne Lodge, Toronto, ON

Step back in time and explore 19th-century innovation, creativity, city building, science, technology, and design at Colborne Lodge. Located at the south end of High Park’s 399 acres, the museum boasts an original Regency Picturesque stucco cottage and John Howard’s original Picture Gallery. Visitors can explore kids programs, original furnishings and artifacts, as well as John Howard’s watercolours depicting early Toronto. Afterward, why not take a stroll through High Park and take in the views?

Learn more about Colborne Lodge

 

All the above historic places are part of the Trust’s Passport Places program, a National Trust membership benefit that provides free access to 100 historic places in Canada, as well as 1000+ National Trust places abroad. Become a member today!