Did you ever eat a nun’s fart? Walk on a glacier? एक अन्वेषण शहरी राष्ट्रीय उपवन?

Have you sampled shmoo torte? Taste-tested bagels or perogies? कॉइन-अमन पर नाश्ता किया?

Have you gone about your daily business — as if you were an Acadian in the 1700s?

आप लुई Riel की कब्र को देखा है? Dipped your toes in the surf of the world’s highest tide?

Have you considered how aboriginal artists perceived the explorers who arrived on their land?

…explored a neighborhood museum — in a former public bathhouse?

…listened to stories of immigrants as they came to start life in a new country?

I’ve recently had the chance to do all these things, और अधिक.

यहाँ कनाडा में सभी.

माई क्रॉस-कनाडा रेल एडवेंचर

I’m just back from a great adventure — an epic cross-Canada train trip.

I spent a month traveling across Canada on रेल के माध्यम से वैंकूवर से हैलिफ़ैक्स को with numerous stops along the way.

As a new Canadian myself — my family and I became Canadian citizens last year — I wanted to explore some of Canada’s iconic, don’t-miss places, रॉकी पर्वत से अटलांटिक तट के लिए.

But I also want to follow, और शेयर, Canada’s multicultural story, learning more about other newcomers, अतीत और वर्तमान.

सांस्कृतिक पहुँच दर्रा

मैं इस यात्रा लेने में सक्षम था, भाग में, धन्यवाद करने के लिए an excellent program that’s available मुक्त to new Canadian citizens: the सांस्कृतिक पहुँच दर्रा. Sponsored by the non-profit कनाडा के नागरिकता के लिए संस्थान, the Cultural Access Pass is good for free admission to more than 1,000 museums and cultural attractions across the country और to all of Canada’s national parks and historic sites.

The pass also gives new citizens a 50 percent discount off a Via Rail trip, and I was excited to learn that you can apply the pass to an already discounted fare. That’s right — when Via Rail announced a 50-percent-off sale, I was able to use my Cultural Access Pass for an extra discount.

If you’re a new citizen, it’s the cheapest way you’ll ever find to take the train across Canada! पास करने के लिए धन्यवाद, भी, my admission to the national parks, historic sites, and most of the museums I visited — from Jasper to Winnipeg, मॉन्ट्रियल के लिए टोरंटो, Moncton to Halifax — didn’t cost me anything.

सभी समीप!

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be posting stories about my new Canadian’s cross-country rail adventure. I hope you’ll join me on my travels.

And I’ll be sure to tell you all about those nun’s farts.

Photo credits:
वैंकूवर से जैस्पर © कैरोलिन बी को वाया रेल ट्रेन पर सवार. हेल्लर
Embarking on the train journey © Alan Albert
Trains departing from Toronto’s Union Station © Carolyn B. हेल्लर