Montreal's BANQ Will Now Let You Rent Quebec National Park Passes For Free

With the advent of spring, a novel initiative is budding in Quebec, combining the charm of a library with the allure of nature.

The Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec (BAnQ) and the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq) are giving you the chance to "borrow" a national park.

The initiative offers 50 daily access passes to 11 Sépaq national parks for BAnQ members. Thirty-five passes are available for checkout at the Grande Bibliothèque, covering seven parks around Montreal, while the National Archives in Quebec keeps 15 passes for the four provincial parks.

To claim a pass, you have to search "Borrow a national park" on the BAnQ catalog and reserve one online. When it becomes available, the BAnQ will let you know. Each pass is lent for three weeks, giving you ample time to hop around as many parks as your pass covers.

Each pass grants two adults daily access. Children under 17 enter for free when accompanied by an adult.

"The Borrow a National Park pilot project provides additional accessibility to our natural gems and adds to the efforts related to the promotion of the outdoors and physical activity," said Jacques Caron, President and CEO of Sépaq.

Spring into action and immerse yourself in Quebec's verdant wonderlands, courtesy of BAnQ and Sépaq. For more details, visit the BANQ reservation site.