Let’s face it, we all love free things, don’t we?
There’s no denying this fact after witnessing the recent Parks Canada giveaway. It was so popular with Canadians, the Parks Canada website crashed due to the influx of visitors scrambling to scoop up one of their free 2017 Parks Canada Discovery Pass.
I’ll never forget the first time I found out that one could actually obtain free things on the internet – or information about how to get free things when you shop at a retail store, or visit attractions.
I had a subscription to Homemaker’s Magazine (remember that magazine, my fellow Canadians?), and one issue featured an article about online forums where you could find free things. I decided to join one of those forums, became addicted to ordering freebies, and went on to become involved in the online contesting world, entering (and winning) many online contests. This path eventually lead to the creation of Canadian Blog House.
Freebies have come and gone over the years, and many free things are time-limited offers, however, there are some freebies that always seem to be available.
Because we all love to get something for free, I decided to compile a list of these free things for Canadians from Vancouver to Prince Edward Island, and all points in between! You will note that I have highlighted some specific attractions such as museums in Ottawa. Please use this list as a guide to help you think of businesses or attractions near you, that may offer similar freebies.
Please be sure to check back from time-to-time. I will be updating this list on a regular basis.
WHERE TO FIND FREE THINGS FOR CANADIANS
Anniversary or Birthday Greetings – Celebrate that special occasion by receiving a greeting from the Prime Minister, the Queen, or the Governor General. Certain provincial politicians may also provide greetings. Check websites in your local area.
Bank of Canada Museum – Free admission to a Canadian museum that showcases a fascinating look at our money.
Best Buy Baby Samplers Club – If selected, you will get products to test in exchange for a review. Must be parents-to-be or parents of a baby under the age of 2.
Bring Back The Bees (Cheerios) – Free Sunflower seeds.
Brewery Tours – Did you know that many breweries offer free brewery tours? For example, Beau’s Brewery offers a free 20 minute tour, in English or French, and the best part…free samples! Check online to see if you can find a free brewery tour near you.
BzzAgent – Join BzzAgent to get share-worthy products and create like-worthy social media posts about your experiences.
Canada Post – Every Christmas, Canada Post delivers letters from Canadian kids to Santa at the North Pole. Then they make sure your child gets a free letter back from Santa.
Canadian Aviation and Space Museum – Free admission daily between 4-5PM, Veterans (plus complimentary parking for Veterans).
Canadian Agriculture and Food Museum – Free admission daily between 4-5PM.
Canadian Educational & Promotional Items – Posters/pins/temporary tattoos
Canadian Flag – Complimentary promotional material (flags/pins/posters) for Flag Day.
Canadian Flag & Canadian Pins – Your MP may provide you with a free Canadian flag and/or pin upon request. This link is an example of what is provided to Burlington, Ontario residents from their MP.
Canadian Flag – Waiting list for free flag that has been flown on Parliament Hill (don’t hold your breath for this one!).
Canadian Museum of History – Free admission Thursday evenings, holidays, attendants with disabled persons, Aboriginal persons.
Canadian Museum of Nature – Free admission Thursday evenings, Canada Day, attendants with disabled persons.
Canadian War Museum – Free admission Thursday evenings, Canada Day,. Remembrance Day, attendants with disabled persons. Also free to past and present Canadian military personnel, and to selected Commonwealth military personnel (including up to 2 accompanying family members).
Chapman’s Ice Cream – The great folks at Chapman’s offer Canadians a $4.00 off coupon good for any of their products, once per year. If you watch for a sale on Chapman’s ice cream at your local grocery store, combine the sale with this coupon, you could end up with a free carton of your favourite flavour. Plus, every year Chapman’s issues a free calendar for Canadians. You can order it from their website. To get the coupon, simply fill out their contact form and request one. Don’t forget to tell them how much you love their ice cream because…who doesn’t love a compliment?!
Chevrolet Power of Play Coach’s Kit – Available at the start of hockey season, Peewee coaches can sign up their team and receive this amazing free kit that includes a premium coaches hockey bag and more.
Cineplex Access 2 Program – This program “allows persons with a disability to receive either free admission or a significant discount for their support person at member movie theatres and attractions across Canada.”
City Of Toronto Lapel Pins – The City provides up to 100 pins per year to Toronto organizations that are participating in exchanges, national or international events or tournaments representing the City of Toronto.
Cultural Access Pass – For new Canadians, this pass allows free admission to more than 1,200 Canadian cultural attractions and discounts on travel.
Dinner on your Birthday – Here’s a great list from the FoodNetwork detailing how to get a free dinner or dessert on your birthday. Be sure to also check with your favourite local restaurants. There are many others across Canada that offer a free birthday meal.
Energy Saving Kit – Check with your local energy provider to see if they offer a free energy-saving kit like this one offered from BC Hydro.
Enfamil Family Beginnings – New moms or dads can get up to $160 in coupons and free samples from Enfamil. You can also get a free sample of Enfagrow A+ here.
EpiPen Waistpack – Free Epipen waistpack (need EpiPen lot number) – 2 per household.
Fire Station Tours – Did you know you can take the kids and tour your local fire station? Many fire stations, like the fire stations in Toronto, offer free tours. Of course, there are rules you must follow, and you must be prepared to leave, even if in mid-tour an emergency call comes in.
Free Money – Unclaimed Balances – I caught your attention with this one, didn’t I? Have you ever forgotten about a balance you had in an old bank account? Ha! I know I’ve never done that. However, many people have. I once found money for a neighbour of mine that he didn’t know he had.
Gofobo – Free advance screenings of movies and events.
Government Mail Free Of Postage – Government Mail Free of Postage allows for mail to be sent to and from certain individuals free of postage provided that both the sender and receiver are in Canada.
Look Good Feel Better – Free workshops for women with cancer.
Love Canadian Milk – Free Love Canadian Milk sticker.
Magazines – Free Trial Issues – Wanting to try a magazine but unsure if you actually want to subscribe to it? You can often order a free trial issue of a magazine without providing any credit card info, like this one for HGTV Magazine. Just be sure to write “Please Cancel” on your first bill once you have received your free trial issue, and mail it back to them, if you don’t wish to subscribe. Sometimes you can find a better trial offer, like this one from People Magazine – 4 Free Issues!
Merrit Group Travel – Free travel for group leaders who put together a group trip of 10 people or more.
MomResource.ca – Free product samples for Canadian moms (and maybe dads?!).
MOO Business Cards – Free large sample pack
Moose Tracks Nation Sticker Or Magnet – Receive a members-only official MTX Nation sticker or magnet by mail.
National Gallery of Canada – Free admission Thursdays 5-8PM, holidays.
Nestle Baby – New moms and dads can join this club and receive up to $130 in free gifts – which may even include a nice Nestle diaper bag.
News Media Canada – Free “proud advertiser” stickers for Canadian newspapers.
Ontario Family Fishing Events – A province-wide opportunity for Canadian residents to fish Ontario waters without the otherwise mandatory fishing version outdoors card. The Ontario Government designates two periods throughout the year as license-free.
Operation Red Nose – Free rides home during the holiday season and on New Years’ Eve in select areas across Canada. Don’t drink and drive – call Operation Red Nose.
Parliament Hill – Free tour of Centre Block at Parliament Hill.
P&G Brand Sampler – This site offers coupons for P&G products and will often feature free samples of their products.
Queen Elizabeth & Duke of Edinburgh – Order a free image of these members of the Royal Family. Scroll to the bottom for email address.
SampleSource – Free product samples.
Sanitary Products – You can order free samples of Poise, Tena, and Depend Underwear.
Save.ca – This site frequently posts free product coupons for some of your favourite grocery items.
Scholarships Canada – A website that lists all relevant scholarships and bursaries available for students in Canada.
Starbucks Canada – Join Starbucks Rewards to earn free drinks and food, get free refills, pay and order with your phone, and more.
Supreme Court of Canada – Free guided tours.
Tim Hortons Free Skate – Check their website to find a free skate event near you.
Tims Rewards – Free coffee, tea, or baked good for every 7 purchases at Tim Hortons. Free reward just for signing up for the Tims Rewards App.
Topsy Farm – Bring the family to watch sheep shearing in action (only cost is $9 ferry ride over to Amherst Island).
Websaver – This is another coupon site that often offers coupons for free products.
WelcomePack Canada – Free Welcome Pack gift box for newcomers to Canada (ONT & MB)
Wi-Fi – Wondering where to find free Wi-Fi in Canada (or around the world for that matter)? Check out Wi-Fi Space.
YMCA/YWCA – Toronto’s YMCA offers a free 2 week trial of their facilities. Some other YMCA/YWCA’s offer the same. In fact, many gyms and athletic facilities offer free trials, such as GoodLife Fitness.
Yoga – Participate in one of the largest free outdoor yoga classes every Wednesday at noon on Parliament Hill in Ottawa during the summer. Lululemon also offers free yoga at locations across Canada.
7-Eleven – Free drink or snack when you register for their 7Rewards program.
Know of any great ideas of where to find freebies (that don’t expire)? Let us know! Comment below and we’ll add them to our list!
Lian says
I love that there are so many things Canadians have free access to! My favourite is the free admission to so many museums. They are a great place to go for a family outing.
Sandy says
I agree, Lian! I love the museums we have here in Ottawa and they are such a great place to take the family – especially during the free admission times. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Sally Bowen says
Topsy Farms invites the public to visit our shearing activities in the barn for no charge. (However the public ferry costs $9/vehicle round trip.) Our shearing dates aren’t yet finalized – they’ll be 2 days in mid-April – but check https://topsyfarms.com we’ll update this information when we know. Anyone can subscribe free to our Family Events newsletter found on any page of our website. We’ll let you know what’s coming. https://topsyfarms.com/events/shearing
Debbie says
I’ve been a quadriplegic for 28 years and I had no idea about the Cineplex discount, so thank you.
Sandy says
Oh Debbie! I’m so sorry to hear you had never heard of this all those years. Glad you read this post! Here’s hoping you can take advantage of this program from now on. Thanks for stopping by!
Tammy says
what a great list, I knew about some but not them all. We always get our Chapmans Ice Cream. I will have to look for more free tours in Toronto. Great days out with family!
Sandy says
Thanks Tammy! So glad you like the list! Hope you can find some great free things to do in Toronto. Yes, you’ve got to love that yearly coupon from Chapman’s, eh? Thanks for stopping by!
Doreen Pendgracs says
Great list, Sandy. We all love to save money, and if we can celebrate Canada 150 at the same time, it’s all good! 🙂
Sandy says
Exactly, Doreen! I’ve already taken advantage of a few things on this list myself 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!!
Alison says
What a great resource. I particularly love how so many museums and galleries offer free admission here on certain days. I know the New Brunswick Museum has free entry twice a week during the slower winter months.
Sandy says
Thanks Alison! Glad you like it! I also love all the free entry times for the museums. Thanks for the tip! Where is the museum located in NB? Appreciate you stopping by!
The Curious Creature says
The yoga classes would be EPIC. I just got back from an amazing trip in Ottawa and checked out any of the fab museums you listed. Love that they also offer free admission.
Sandy says
So happy to hear you had such a good time in Ottawa! I <3 my city. You MUST try the yoga on the Hill one day! It's an amazing thing to be a part of and something neat to see! Thanks for stopping by!
Arienne says
‘Free’ is probably my favourite word 😀 Thanks for putting together such a great list Sandy! A resource I’ll be referencing over and over again!
Sandy says
Thanks Arienne! So glad you find it useful!! Hahaha! I’d have to agree with you on the word “free” 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Jennifer Neilans says
Where can I order free Canada 150 material like lapel pins? Looking for them for Guides and Scout camps to share and trade.
Sandy says
Great question, Jennifer, one which I knew the answer to! You can purchase all kinds of Canada 150 items online, however, finding free Canada 150 things is difficult. I have yet to find any myself. I actually ordered a few items…but paid for them. If I come across any, you can be sure I will post the link here 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Gisèle Préfontaine says
I am hosting a family reunion this summer. Our theme will be Canada 150. Is there anywhere I can get some free Canadian flags? Small ones and maybe one larger one.
Sandy says
Terrific question, Gisele! I did some searching and have found 3 ways to obtain free Canadian flags. It appears that only one way may work for you at this time. Your best bet is to contact your local MP’s office to see if they can provide you with some. I have updated my list to include the options I found. Thanks so much for asking…and wishing you a fun and successful family reunion this summer!!
Bonnie says
https://www.ontarioparks.com/hphp/freedayuse
Sandy says
Thanks so much for sharing this link, Bonnie! I had not heard about this day! I’ll have to keep this in mind 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Alex says
I’m assuming all the “Free for new moms” items on this list are free for new dads as well… I’m not a father yet, but being in a same-sex relationship and planning on having kids at some point, it would be nice to know when offers for new parents aren’t just for moms. Also would potentially apply to a single father with a newborn (though admittedly this is rare). Thanks for the great list though.
Sandy says
Hi Alex! You make a very good point! I like this! I am going to edit as I’m sure the “new mom” offers should be good for new dads as well! Thanks for stopping by to share your opinion, I appreciate it! Glad you like the list 🙂