British Columbia The BCAFN is providing information on logistics and ticketing to First Nations in BC regarding the Papal Visit to Canada. We will circulate a registration link shortly for First Nations to indicate their ticket and priority seating needs.
Please contact BCAFN with any questions: papalvisit2022@bcafn.ca
BCAFN held an information session on Friday July 22, 2022. You can view the powerpoint presentation, recording and information sheet on FAQ’s on the BCAFN Resources page from this session.
The Pope will be in attendance at four public events and one public viewing event.
Maskwacis, Alberta
Monday, July 25 | 10:00 am
- Total capacity = ~16,000
- Survivors Inner Circle, ticketed
- Open Public Seating, not ticketed
Commonwealth Stadium, Alberta
Tuesday, July 26 | 9:15 am
- Total capacity = 73,000
- Survivors Inner Circle, ticketed
- Public Seating, ticketed
Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta
Tuesday, July 26 | 5:00 pm
- Total capacity = 25,000
- Survivors Inner Circle, ticketed
- Open Public Seating, not ticketed
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, Quebec
Thursday, July 28 | 10:00 am
- Total capacity = 12,000
- Survivors Inner Circle, ticketed
- Public Seating, ticketed
La Citadelle, Plains of Abraham, Quebec
Wednesday, July 27 | 3:40 pm (public viewing event)
- Total capacity = 140,000
- Open Seating, First Nations given priority, screens set up for viewing
FUNDING AND TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) has secured funding to assist with travel costs. Contact your Nation’s administration office to enquire further about this funding.
Air Canada has provided a special fare for any member of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities interested in travelling to Edmonton and/or Québec City to meet the Pope. Air Canada provides a flight booking discount of up to 25% applicable on select fares on www.aircanada.com.
Air Canada will manage the inventory on their end. In the terms and condition of each code, it is mentioned that a maximum of 500 bookings (per code) will be allotted for this promotion, on a first-come-first-served basis.
Please see the below discounts codes. Discounts are up to 25% off.
Edmonton ZYFPDFD1
Quebec City 8MEPRD31
*This promotional code is valid for travel within Canada and can only be used on new bookings made between July 2022 and August 7th, 2022. Code applies exclusively to Air Canada fares published on www.aircanada.com, and cannot be combined with any other offer. When applicable, the discount is valid for base fares only, as displayed on the review page of the booking process, and varies based on the fare selected. Valid for up to four (4) passengers per booking (one booking per promotional code). A maximum of 500 bookings will be allotted for this promotion, on a first-come-first-served basis. All other air transportation charges (including sub-charges) and applicable taxes, fees and charges are not discounted. This offer is valid for travel between July 17, 2022 and August 7, 2022, with all travel completed by August 7th, 2022. There is no blackout period for this discount. This offer is valid only for Air Canada operated flights, including flights operated by Air Canada Rouge and flights operated under the Air Canada Express banner. This offer is valid only for published fares. Codeshare flights are excluded. Schedule subject to change without notice.
TICKETS – GENERAL INFORMATION AND TICKET TYPES
All tickets to all of the Papal Visit events are FREE. If you hear about anyone selling tickets, please report this to Shannon Monk immediately at smonk@afn.ca.
Ticketing to the events is determined by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). Seats are limited due to the sheer physical number of people the various sites can accommodate.
At the four public events with the Pope, there are two different types of tickets and seating options:
- The Survivors Inner Circle is for those who will have the closest access to the Pope
- This event space IS ticketed for all events
- These tickets are prioritized for former students/survivors
- Not every former student/survivor can sit in the inner circle. The sites don’t have the capacity to accommodate everyone
- Tickets will be allocated by region, based on the numbers of former students/survivors and available seats.
- Open Public Seating is available on the site grounds, farther away from the Pope
- In Maskwacis, Public Seating is NOT ticketed
- In Lac Ste. Anne Public Seating is NOT ticketed
- In Edmonton at Commonwealth Stadium, public seating IS ticketed
- In Quebec at Sainte Anne de Beaupres, public seating IS ticketed
AFN Regions will receive an allocation of tickets for each site to allocate within their regions where applicable.
*Note that regions have only been allocated tickets for visits to sites that fall within their broader region – eastern or western Canada. Therefore, BC First Nations have only been allocated tickets to attend site visits in Alberta. If you wish to attend a site visit in Quebec, please advise papalvisit2022@bcafn.ca.
TICKETS – HOW FIRST NATIONS IN BC GET TICKETS
NOTIFYING THE BCAFN OF YOUR TICKET NEEDS
Each AFN Region is responsible for determining a process to allocate the tickets that are designated for their region. The process for First Nations in BC is to pre-register to receive a link for tickets for the various site visits as outlined below:
Through the pre-registration link BCAFN will be requesting the following information:
- How many of each type of ticket for each event (where events are ticketed) – Survivors Inner Circle or Public Seating
- Name of each ticket holder (if possible)
- Accessibility needs
- Whether the ticket holder is a former student/survivor and which institution(s) they attended
- If you would like to access Public Seating for events where these tickets are not required (Maskwacis and Lac Ste. Anne) but would like to receive priority seating/bussing, please advise BCAFN of your numbers and names.
Please help us ensure everyone gets a ticket by avoiding duplication of tickets. Identify your attendance for one event only. If we follow our sacred teachings and share, there will be room for everyone who wishes to go.
Once you inform BCAFN of your desired tickets via the pre-registration link, we will work with the AFN to issue Pass Codes for individuals or groups to register for their tickets.
SURVIVORS’ INNER CIRCLE TICKETS
- The process for Survivor Inner Circle Tickets is the same for all four sites and can be requested via the pre-registration link as per the instructions above.
PUBLIC SEATING TICKETS
ALBERTA SITES – Maskwacis and Lac Ste. Anne – Public Seating Area on the Grounds NO TICKETS REQUIRED
- This is organized as a first come, first served event for public participation on the grounds, which will be set up with screens for viewing. No tickets are required.
- AFN has requested that First Nations have a priority bussing and seating plan implemented so that we can get there early and have good access to the screen areas.
- AFN has requested chairs to be provided for Elders, but we don’t yet know what the status is.
- The current CCCB plan is that people are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets
- Although there is no ticketing per se, if you plan to attend, please let us know your numbers so we can advise the site team to prepare accordingly.
ALBERTA SITE – Commonwealth Stadium – Public Seating throughout Stadium TICKETS REQUIRED
- Provide your information via the pre-registration link as per the instructions above to request tickets.
- The CCCB is ALSO releasing general public tickets through Ticket Master on Monday, July 11, and again on Monday, July 18. First Nations individuals and communities are MORE than welcome to act independently of the BCAFN ticketing process and register for this event themselves. If you register via this channel, please inform BCAFN at papalvisit2022@bcafn.ca that you have these tickets so we can ensure others have access to the tickets that are set aside for First Nations specifically.
- As this is a larger event, First Nations who are not former students/survivors are encouraged to get tickets for this event, to create space for our former students/survivors at the smaller events.
QUEBEC SITE – Sainte Anne de Beaupre – Public Seating Area on the Grounds TICKETS REQUIRED (none provided to the BC Region unless specifically requested)
QUEBEC SITE – La Citadelle – Public Seating Area on the Grounds REGISTRATION REQUESTED
- There is space for 140,000 members of the public to participate at the Plains of Abraham, where there will be opportunities to view papal events on large screens.
- Those planning to attend this event are invited to let organizers know by registering at: www.papalvisit.ca or www.visitepapale.ca. Registration will allow attendees to receive updated program information via email. Registration will open as of Monday, July 11, 2022, at 12:30 p.m. EST.
- If this is of interest to communities, the AFN can investigate the possibility of a dedicated space for First Nation attendees, so please advise papalvisit2022@bcafn.ca if this is of interest.
- As this is a larger event, First Nations who are not former students/survivors are encouraged to get tickets for this event, to create space for our former students/survivors at the Sainte Anne de Beaupre event.
If you are not associated with the AFN or a First Nation, contact the event sites through the Office of the Papal Visit:
TICKETS FOR THOSE WHO MAKE ANNUAL PILGRIMAGES
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has set aside tickets for those individuals and communities who undertake regular annual pilgrimages to Lac Ste. Anne or Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre.
If you are part of an annual pilgrimage, please request Survivors Inner Circle Tickets from your local site contacts. They already have special tickets allocated for you.
Papal Visit itinerary as of July 15, 2022, which provides some detail about each event. You may also visit the website for more information: https://www.papalvisit.ca/schedule/