• Policy Brief

    Expanding the Canada Strong Pass to Include Social Prescriptions

  • The Canada Strong Pass, currently offering discounts on parks, museums, and rail travel, presents a unique opportunity to evolve into a national well-being initiative by integrating social prescriptions.

    This expansion would:

  • Improve public health by connecting Canadians to community-based activities that combat loneliness, promote physical activity, and enhance mental well-being.

    Strengthen domestic tourism and local economies by increasing participation in cultural, recreational, and social events.

    Reduce long-term healthcare costs by addressing non-medical determinants of health through preventative, community-driven solutions.

  • The Need for Social Prescribing in Canada

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    Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention:

    Investing more in public health now — such as preventive and social care programs — can reduce future spending on curative care (hospitals, doctors, and drugs) while improving population health. These initiatives are cost-effective long-term investments because they tackle the root causes of health disparities

    (Increasing Canada’s health budget for preventive and social care makes sense fiscally and

    medically | Queen's Gazette).

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    Non-Medical Health Drivers:

    Up to 80% of health outcomes are influenced by social, economic,

    and environmental factors (WHO).

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    Social ROI:

    For every £1 invested in social prescribing, there is a social and economic return

    ranging from £2.14 to £8.56

    (New report shows impact of social prescribing on health service use

    and costs - latest news from NASP).

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    Success Abroad:

    The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has saved £6 for every £1 invested in social prescribing by reducing hospital visits (NHS England, 2022).

  • Why the Canada Strong Pass?

    The pass already provides:

    1

    Free/discounted access to national parks, museums, and rail travel.

    These are key assets for social prescribing.

    2

    Ready-made digital/physical infastructure.

    For an expediated nationwide rollout.

    3

    Cross-sector appeal.

    Aligns with tourism, health, and economic development goals.

  • Proposed Expansion: Key Features

  • A. Integrate Social Prescriptions into the Pass

    Allow healthcare providers to "prescribe" free/discounted access to:

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    Cultural events and programs

    (guided tours of museums and galleries, therapeutic arts programs, cultural forging and nutrition classes)

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    Nature-based programs

    (guided hikes, camping, conservation volunteering)

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    Community events

    (skill-sharing and training workshops, social clubs, language exchange)

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    Partner with Gigpass

    (subscription-based event access) to test scalable models.

  • B. Targeted Benefits for Vulnerable Groups

    Youth (17 & under)

    Free museum entry, rail travel with adults

    Early Career (18-30)

    25% off cultural events, 15% off rail passes.

    Mid Career (30-65)

    Access to digital nomad and settlement programs.

    Seniors & Isolated Individuals

    Priority access to social assistance and personalized wellbeing programs.

    Low-Income Families

    Subsidized memberships for local activities

  • C. Measure Impact Across 7 Health Dimensions

    1

    Social

    (reduced isolation)

    2

    Physical

    (increased activity)

    3

    Emotional

    (improved mood)

    4

    Career/Occupational

    (skill-building)

    5

    Intellectual

    (cognitive engagement)

    6

    Environmental

    (nature exposure)

    7

    Spiritual

    (sense of purpose)

  • Expected Benefits

    1

    Public Health:

    ● Reduced reliance on medical interventions for preventable conditions.

    ● Lower rates of depression and anxiety through structured social engagement.

    2

    The Economy:

    ● Increased domestic tourism and local business revenue.

    ● Job creation in community health and recreation sectors.

    3

    Government:

    ● A low-cost, high-impact preventative health strategy.

    ● Alignment with Canada’s Healthy Communities Initiative and Mental Health Strategy.

  • Implementation Plan

    Phase 1: Pilot (2025-2026)

    Partner with 5-10 communities to test social prescription integration.

    Use Gigpass’s digital platform for tracking participation.

    Collect data via CISP and UHN to refine the model.

    Phase 2: National Expansion (2026+)

    Expand to all provinces, integrating with healthcare referral systems.

    Secure long-term funding through public-private partnerships.

  • Call to Action

    We urge the Canadian government to:

    1

    Form an interdepartmental task force

    (Health, Heritage, Tourism, ESDC) to oversee expansion.

    2

    Allocate $5M in pilot funding

    funding to test social prescribing via the Canada Strong Pass.

    3

    Establishpartnerships with insurers

    (e.g., Desjardins, The Co-operators) to co-fund wellness incentives.

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