Where will your membership take you?
Canada Coast to Coast to Coast
From the east coast to the west and the north, Canada boasts unique natural landscapes, magnificent wildlife and storied historic sites. Explore a taste of what’s on offer for National Trust members travelling overseas, through reciprocal arrangements with other heritage organisations.
Formed by the Canadian government in 1973, the National Trust for Canada is an independent national charity dedicated to empowering communities to save and renew heritage places. While it owns only a small number of properties compared with the National Trust of South Australia, a membership card provides free access to more than 100 historic sites across Canada through the Passport Places network. Lighthouses with puffin colonies, early English settlements and archaeology in action, immersive Indigenous experiences, and grand estates that have graced the big screen – there’s something to tempt every visitor.
Cape Bonavista Lighthouse
Across Canada, lighthouses symbolize safety, strength and safe harbour. More than 750 lighthouses and 100 heritage lighthouses across the country continue to be an important part of Canada’s cultural identity. One of the most visited and photographed sites in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador is the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse. Built in 1843, it safely guided mariners to seal hunts and fisheries. Today, it is one of the few lighthouses in the world where visitors can climb the stone towers and view a seal oil-fuelled catoptric light apparatus used in the 1800s.
The coastline and steep cliffs that surround the site provide amazing examples of North Atlantic Ocean waves and their erosive power. Take in the history of the lighthouse on a guided tour and enjoy spectacular views of the rugged coastline. Cape Bonavista Lighthouse is also a prime location for viewing whales, icebergs and a nearby puffin colony.
Cupids Cove Plantation
Established by John Guy in August 1610, Cupids Cove Plantation was the first English settlement in what would later become Canada. Settlers cleared the land, fished, farmed, explored and attempted to establish a fur trade with the Beothuk, a group of Indigenous people who lived in Newfoundland. Since the discovery of the colony in 1995, excavations have uncovered four 17th-century buildings and more than 170,000 artifacts. Today, visitors can explore this active archaeological site as efforts continue to reconstruct the lives of the first 38 settlers. Join an interpreter for a guided tour and see archaeologists hard at work. Afterward, visit the Cupids Legacy Centre just a short 5-minute walk away to learn more about John Guy and his colony.
Parkwood National Historic Site
Located at Oshawa, just outside Toronto, Parkwood is a sprawling mansion built between 1915 and 1917 for Samuel McLaughlin, founder of General Motors of Canada. The estate was designed by Darling and Pearson, a Toronto-based architectural firm also responsible for the original building (now the eastern wing) of the Royal Ontario Museum, the largest museum in Canada, several buildings at the University of Toronto, and many other iconic Toronto landmarks. Parkwood Estate boasts 55 rooms, a Beaux-Arts design and beautiful gardens that are popular for weddings. Visitors may even recognize locations from film and television shows such as The Handmaid’s Tale, X-Men, Amelia, Murdoch Mysteries and Chicago. Join a tour to learn more about the servants, Samuel McLaughlin himself, the gardens and more.
Métis Crossing
Experience Métis culture and traditions at Métis Crossing near Smoky Lake in central Alberta. A unique post-contact Indigenous people formed from the union of European fur traders and First Nations women, the Métis have developed their own distinct culture and traditions. At Métis Crossing, visitors can explore independently Métis knowledge, storytelling, history, traditions and culture. Alternatively, join unique guided adventures that take guests through Métis traditional winter activities and skills such as snowshoeing; wildlife tours and stargazing; and traditional art, dance and storytelling. For a truly unique experience, stay on site in a sky-watching dome.
Visit nationaltrustcanada.ca/where-to-visit/passport-places-canada to find out more and plan your trip.
