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VISITING CANADA
Alcohol
Border Crossings
Electricity
Holidays
Language
Measures
Money
Post Office
Smoking
Tax
Telephone
Tipping
Travel Planning
Border Crossings
Currency
Driving Tours
Free Brochures
Time & Time Zones
Transportation
--Airlines
--Automobile
--Bus/Coach
--Ferries
--Train
Travel In Canada
Travel In USA
Weather
About the Northwest
Top Attractions
Cities & Towns
Culture
Economy
Maps
National Parks - Canada
National Parks - USA
Trails
Volcanoes
What is the Northwest?
Northwest Links
Accommodations
Activities
Attractions
Food & Beverage
History
National Forests
Travel Guides
Wilderness
Wildlife
A Provocative Description of the Pacific Northwest
More Visitor Information
British Columbia
Idaho
Montana
Oregon
Washington
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The Go
Northwest! definition of the Pacific Northwest includes the Canadian province of
British Columbia.
Alcohol
You must be 19 years of age
to consume or purchase alcohol in the province of British Columbia. The minimum age varies
from province to province. Drinking alcohol in public is prohibited by law in all of
Canada.
Crossing
the border
Click here.
Electricity
Like the USA, residential Canada uses 110 volt electrical systems at 60 hertz. You will need a
voltage transformer/ converter for your electrical appliances if they operate on a
different voltage. There are different types of converters for different types of
appliances. Small electronics, razors and non-heating appliances can operate with a
50-watt converter. Heating appliances such as hair dryers, irons, coffee makers and
other high-power electrical appliances need a 1600-watt converter. You can also purchase
combination converters for both types. Mains wall sockets and plugs for 110 volts
are two parallel flat blades. If those sockets are different from the ones used in your
country then you will need a socket converter. You can buy a kit online at the Go Northwest! Travel Store.
BUSINESS HOURS and
HOLIDAYS
National
Holidays
January 1 - New Year's Day
(January 2 - Day after New Year's)
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Monday on or before 24 May - Victoria Day
July 1 - Canada Day (formerly Dominion Day)
First Monday in September - Labor Day
Second Monday in October - Thanksgiving
November 11 - Remembrance Day
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 26 - Boxing Day
Businesses, including banks, that would normally
be closed on a Sunday will be closed on these generally observed holidays. The main
exception is Boxing Day which is a big day for the retail sector. Businesses might
also be open on Remembrance Day. Banks are open on Good Friday but closed Easter
Monday.
When a fixed-date holiday falls on a day that a
business would normally close (e.g. Christmas on a Sunday), then the Friday or Monday of
that weekend is taken as a holiday.
Office hours are usually from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m., Monday to Friday.
Banking hours are usually:
10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Thursday
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 or 6:00 p.m., Friday.
Many banks are also open 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Saturday
Post offices are usually open from 8:30
a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Core opening hours for shops are 9:30 a.m. to
6:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. Extended hours vary and can include late nights and
weekend hours.
Language
Canada is officially bilingual (English and French), however the working language in
British Columbia is English.
Money
1 Canadian Dollar (Can$) = 100 cents.
Note denominations:
Can$1000 (uncommon)
Can$100
Can$50
Can$20
Can$10
Can$5
Coin denominations:
Can$2 (twoonie)
Can$1 (loonie)
50 cents (uncommon)
25 cents (quarter)
10 cents (dime)
5 cents (nickel)
1 cents (penny)
Measures
Canada uses the metric system. Distance is
measured in kilometers, speed signs are in kilometers per hour. Petrol/gas is sold by the
litter and temperature is measured on the Celsius scale. Most weight measurements are in
kilograms or grams.
Post
Offices
If you wish to receive post while in Canada, have it
sent to a city's main post office marked with your name, c/o General Delivery. The
post office will hold it for two weeks, before returning to sender, and you will need ID
to collect.
Basic postal services are available at retail
outlets. Look for them at the back of drug (chemists) and convenience stores.
The fewer full service postal offices are in main urban centers.
Canada Post
Find the current rate for sending a postcard within
Canada. As of January 1, 2001, the rates were 47c within Canada; 60c
to the USA; or CDN$1.05 international.
Smoking
In British Columbia, smoking
is banned on all public transport, in public buildings, including restaurants and bars,
and workplaces.
Tax
In Canada the Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 7%
applies throughout the nation. It is added to most purchases and services
(including postage stamps) with the exception of basic groceries. In addition to
the GST, there is also a tax that varies from province to province. In British Columbia, a
Provincial Sales Tax (PST) of about 7% applies to retail merchandise and services with
certain exceptions - such as food, books, children's clothing, restaurant foods and
personal services such as hairdressing and laundry. The PST and GST are calculated
separately on the base price of the item. There is also a hotel room tax (8-10% in
most places).
So remember, what you see on the price tag is not
necessarily what you will pay. In some stores, the GST is already included in the
price tag, but most often it is added at the point of sale. The PST is almost always added
at the cash register. This also applies to accommodation. Check whether the
quoted price includes all tax requirements. Check whether an establishment is exempt
from any of these taxes - sometimes this can mean you will get a better deal.
Here's the good news. Keep your receipts
because non-residents can obtain a GST refund on many purchases taken out of the country
and on certain short term accommodations. Purchases need to total more than
CAN$100.00. Meals are not included. There is no rebate on
PST. You may be able to get your GST back in cash at a duty-free store as you leave
the country (but not if you leave at an airport). Otherwise forms can be posted from
home upon your return. If you come across an offer to do the paperwork on your
behalf, check what percent of the refund they will deduct, and whether they will do all
eligible expenditures. For more information and application forms phone 1-800-668
4748 (toll free from within Canada), read the Tax Refund for Visitors to
Canada pamphlet at Canada Revenue's web site, or ask at at border-crossing points,
duty-free stores, and tourist information centers.
Telephone
Dialing into Canada:
1 + area code + local number
Area code for B.C. (except Vancouver): 250
Area code for Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast: 604
Dialing out of Canada:
011 + country code + area code + local number
Emergencies: dial 911 (police, ambulance, fire),
free call
Information: dial 411 (for telephone numbers), free call
Toll free: numbers begin with 1-800, or 1-888
Pre-paid plastic calling cards are available from
convenience stores.
Tipping
Like the USA, in Canada it is customary to tip for
services such as restaurants, bars and pubs, taxis and hairdressers. Usually 15%, although
the amount can range from 10% to 20% at the discretion of the person paying the bill.
Always check whether a service charge was included in a restaurant bill, especially
if paying by credit card, as this is the tip.
Welcome to
Canada
This detailed FAQ on the "Great White North" at the Rec.Travel Library web site
will answer more questions you might have about Canada. |
Go Northwest! Bookstore
Best selection of books on the Northwest.
Click here!
Fodor's
Exploring Canada (2nd Edition)
by Tim Jepson (editor)
January 1999, 2nd edition, Paperback, (guidebook)
Colorful images, trivia, descriptions of sights and landmarks,
dining and lodging recommendations, full-color maps, and a host of tips on things to see
and do.
Order now...
Guide
to Western Canada
by Frederick John Pratson, Raymond Chatelin
May 1998, 5th edition, Paperback, 352
pages, (guidebook)
Features major cities and the Canadian
Rockies.
Order now...
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Northwest! online.
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