FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 11, 2005

Backgrounder - Fun Pass to Ontario attractions

TORONTO, July 11 /CNW/ - The Ontario government, in cooperation with the attractions and agencies of the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture, has provided almost 200,000 Toronto-area elementary school students with a Fun Pass that gives them free admission to 15 participating provincial attractions this summer.

The Fun Pass was distributed with report cards to students from junior kindergarten to grade eight in the following school boards: York Region District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Conseil Scolaire de District du Centre-Sud Ouest, Conseil Scolaire de District Catholique Centre-Sud and literacy program participants in the Toronto District School Board.

Eligible students in these five participating school boards represent 15 per cent of all elementary school students in Ontario. The passes are valid
from July 1 to September 5, 2005, if students are accompanied by a paying adult.

Participating attractions and agencies include:

• Art Gallery of Ontario
• Discovery Harbour
• Fort Henry
• Fort William Historical Park
• McMichael Canadian Art Collection
• Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory
• Niagara Parks Historic Sites
• Ontario Place
• Ontario Science Centre
• Royal Botanical Gardens
• Royal Ontario Museum
• Sainte Marie among the Hurons
• Science North
• Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site
• Upper Canada Village

The Fun Pass will expose students to historical, natural, scientific, artistic and recreational experiences that will encourage them to keep
learning and stay active through the summer. It will also encourage family visits to local attractions and out-of-town venues, bringing tourism benefits
to those communities.

The Fun Pass is a pilot project. An increase in the number of students and their families attending the 15 attractions will be tracked to gauge the
initiative's success. The project may be expanded in 2006 to include more elementary school students from communities across the province.

Disponible en français

www.healthyontario.com

For further information: Rui Manuel Estevao, Minister's Office,
(416) 326-8497; Gary Wheeler, Communications Branch, (416) 325-8391

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