Museums and Culture

A free museum in the Northern Bank building, built in 1905 as Steveston's first bank, which also houses a working Canada Post office and museum displays. The connected Japanese Fishermen's Benevolent Society building has an exhibit on Steveston's Japanese Canadian community. Admission is free; call 604 271 6868 for hours.

The City of Burnaby's public art gallery near Deer Lake, where admission is always free (donations welcome). It is open Tuesday to Friday 10 am to 4:30 pm and weekends noon to 5 pm, and closed on November 11. A lift gives access to the main floor; the second level is not wheelchair accessible.

A public gallery for contemporary art in downtown Vancouver where admission is always free. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from noon to 6 pm and closed Mondays. Note: it is closed for installation until November 13, 2026.

Calgary's award winning Central Library in East Village is worth a visit for the building alone: a huge wooden oculus, curved timber walls, a train running underneath, Indigenous art and quiet reading spots with downtown views. Everyone can walk in and explore, and free public tours led by volunteer guides show the architecture and services (for adults, up to 10 drop in visitors per tour, registration recommended). Free, open daily; check the library site for hours.

A bright contemporary art gallery on the 4th floor of the Atlantic Avenue Art Block in Inglewood, with changing exhibitions by Canadian and international artists and comfy couches with a view of downtown. Admission and programs are free, and so is parking. Open Wednesday to Friday 11 AM to 6 PM and weekends noon to 5 PM, closed on statutory holidays. The gallery is barrier free.

Two free round tables at the Maison de la littérature mark the 100th anniversary of PEN Québec: Qui a peur des voix qui dérangent? and Pas de chicane dans ma cabane. Sunday Nov 15, 2026; check the times on the Maison's event pages. Free, with reservation by phone at 418 641-6797, extension 3, or at the front desk while online ticketing is down.

General admission to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau is free on Remembrance Day. Everyone needs a timed ticket, and special presentations such as Napoleon, The Immersive Saga are excluded. Wednesday Nov 11, 2026, 9 am to 5 pm.

On Remembrance Day the Canadian War Museum opens 9 am to 5 pm with free admission, but a ticket is required. The day includes a broadcast of the Remembrance Day ceremony in LeBreton Gallery from 10 am, a visit to Memorial Hall at 10:40 am, and serving Canadian Armed Forces members sharing their stories through the museum. Wednesday Nov 11, 2026.

A free guided tour of the MEM exhibition Active Grieving led by co-curators Mark Andrew Hamilton and René Leboeuf. They talk about the history of ACT UP Montréal, its role in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and how the exhibition was made, with time for questions. Sunday, November 29, 2026, 2 PM to 3:30 PM, mainly in French with some commentary in English. Free, registration required (spots limited).

An exhibition of works in steel by Alexey Lazarev, inspired by Canadian stamps showing wildflowers, objects found on Montreal streets and Soviet tapestry patterns, exploring memory, migration and the transformation of materials. Free admission, until December 12, 2026, at the Maison de la culture Marie-Uguay in Ville-Émard.

A photography exhibition of everyday scenes Masako Miyazaki collected while walking alone in unfamiliar places, including Montreal, exploring the relationship between perception and consciousness. Free admission, until January 10, 2027.

Jasmin Bilodeau photographs abandoned storefronts and faded signs, enlarges them and alters them digitally to look at the disappearance of local businesses and the changing city. Shown in the Foyer du théâtre des Muses at the Maison des arts de Laval from January 24 to April 11, 2027, with an opening on January 24 at 2 PM. Free admission.