Canada's new budget proposes $5B for culture. Here's where it would go

The Carney government's new budget proposes roughly $5 billion over the next five years toward several initiatives to promote Canadian culture, including building new recreational facilities and ice rinks, supporting national museums and permanently making their admissions free for people 25 and younger.

New money to support national museums, building recreation facilities, ice rinks

Listen to this article

Estimated 5 minutes

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.

The Carney government's new budget proposes roughly $5 billion over the next five years toward several initiatives to promote Canadian culture, including building new recreational facilities and ice rinks, supporting national museums and permanently making their admissions free for people 25 and younger.

That figure includes more funding for CBC/Radio-Canada and the Local Journalism Initiative.

"Being sovereign means building a country where Canadian culture in all its diversity and creativity thrives," the 2026 budget reads, adding Ottawa is "investing in the stores, places and experiences that connect Canadians to their country and to one another."

The budget proposes providing $1.5 billion over nine years through the Build Communities Strong Fund to support the construction, expansion, retrofit and rehabilitation of community recreational facilities and ice rinks across the country.

WATCH | Carney says budget focused on affordability, opportunity and sovereignty:

Budget focused on affordability, opportunity and sovereignty, Carney says

7 hours ago|

Duration

0:44

It also intends to provide $783.1 million over five years, starting this year, to support Canada's national museums, the National Battlefields Commission, the National Arts Centre and Library and Archives Canada.

"This investment will help repair and renew aging facilities, protect national collections and sustain the exhibitions, performances and services that connect Canadians to our history and culture," the budget says.

The national museum funding includes $46.3 million over five years for permanent, year-round free admission for children and youth under 25, plus $11.5 million ongoing.

Other notable items include $76 million in 2027-28 to renew the Canada Strong Pass for another summer. 

WATCH | Ottawa launches 'Canada Strong Pass' in June 2025:

Ottawa launches 'Canada Strong Pass' to promote domestic tourism | Hanomansing Tonight

June 16, 2025|

Duration

2:45

The pass gives people free entry to all sites operated by Parks Canada, and free or discounted Via Rail trips depending on age.

Ottawa is proposing a $300-million Canada 160 Fund, an initiative to mark the country's 160th anniversary. The fund will support Canada's Heritage Minutes, the Trans Canada Trail and other community spaces.

• History, war museums to slash dozens of positions

• New Canada Strong Pass offers discounts on parks, museums, camping and train travel

It also intends to provide $15.9 million over four years, starting next year, and $2.1 million ongoing to Veterans Affairs Canada to "acquire, remediate and operate" the National Field of Honour military cemetery.

There is a proposal to provide $11.4 million over three years, starting this year, to Veterans Affairs Canada to support the commemoration of defining moments in Canada's military history.

Funding for journalism, media, artists

The budget pitches an additional $300 million over two years, starting this year, to CBC/Radio-Canada to "strengthen its capacity to meet the evolving needs of Canadians across the country."

It proposes $134 million over four years, starting next year, and $41 million ongoing to Canadian Heritage for the Local Journalism Initiative, which is meant to help organizations hire or pay journalists in underserved communities.

The federal government also wants to extend the enhanced 35 per cent Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit — set to expire next month — to 2028. 

TV crew pass a CBC logo at their headquarters in Toronto, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. (Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press)

Print journalism currently has access to the credit, and Ottawa wants to expand the credit to "qualifying private audio and audiovisual news organizations, in line with support provided to news organizations that produce written news."

The budget says the extended and expanded credit would cost an estimated $501 million over five years, starting this year, and $85 million ongoing.

The budget also proposes to establish a free national digital book collection. The federal government aims to provide $32.2 million over four years, starting next year, to get the collection started.

According to the budget, the digital collection would launch with at least 200 titles in 2027, then grow to more than 2,000 titles with capacity for up to two million loans annually by 2031.

A man walks past a part of the Emily Carr collection titled, "Fresh Seeing a French Modernism and West Coast," on exhibit at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, B.C., on Oct. 28, 2020. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press)

The federal government says it will consult with Canadians and the cultural sector on a new Canada Creative Credit — which is expected to take the form of a non-refundable personal income tax credit.

The budget says when combined with the basic personal amount every filer has exempted from income tax, artists could have up to $45,000 of annual net business income derived from original and creative works exempted.

Details on the Canada Creative Credit will be announced in the 2027 spring economic update, the budget said.

Money for ocean preservation

The federal government classifies its proposed investments in Canada's oceans under its cultural plan.

To that end, the 2026 budget pitches establishing and operating two additional National Marine Conservation Areas. Ottawa is proposing $282.7 million over 11 years, starting next year, and $18 million ongoing to Parks Canada toward the initiative.

• Carney announces $1.2B in funding to protect oceans as major projects loom

Plus, the budget proposes $9.2 million to Parks Canada and $10.5 million to Fisheries and Oceans Canada to support feasibility assessments for up to three additional National Marine Conservation Areas in the North. 

Both those sums would come over four years, starting next year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Benjamin Lopez Steven is an associate producer for CBC's The House and a digital writer with CBC Politics. He was also a 2024 Joan Donaldson Scholar and a graduate of Carleton University. You can reach him at benjamin.steven@cbc.ca or find him on X at @bensteven_s.