Five takeaways for Ottawa-Gatineau from Canada's 2026 federal budget

Free admission to national museums for anyone 25 and under is one of the budget's measures that reaches Ottawa families directly. The government says it will cost about $10 million a year, and the budget renews the Canada Strong Pass for a third summer with $78 million in new spending, adding discounted access to Indigenous-led museums and cultural centres for the first time. The stated reason is to make Canada easier for families to choose as a destination; the budget points to a 13 per cent rise in Parks Canada visits and a 15 per cent average rise in national museum attendance last summer.

The largest single item is $783 million over five years to repair and renew aging national museum and gallery facilities and protect national collections. The National Gallery of Canada gets a further $60 million over four years for travelling exhibitions and digital access to its collections, aimed at rural, northern and remote communities.

The budget also sets aside $393.2 million over three years for the 2028 Francophonie Summit, which Canada will host in the Ottawa area and which brings together representatives of the 90 member states and governments of La Francophonie. Canada was the only country to bid, and Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the hosting on Canada Day, July 1. Funding begins in 2027-28, and the money is spread across 10 federal departments and agencies.

Federal public service unions have questioned boosting visitation at parks and historic sites while Budget 2025 projects almost 30,000 federal public service job losses over three years, on top of about 10,000 the year before. They have warned that safety and ecological protections could be jeopardized if staffing does not keep pace with visitation at Parks Canada and the museums of war and history. Those warnings come as the government prepares the summit and the free-admission measures for next year.