Canada

Canada is the largest country in North America by land area, second in the world overall (behind only Russia). Renowned worldwide for its vast, untouched landscape, its blend of cultures and multifaceted history, Canada is one of the world’s wealthiest countries and a major tourist destination.

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Cities

Click on the city’s name for hotels and activity ideas

There are many cities in Canada, all of which are distinctive, welcoming to tourists, and well worth visiting. Just NINE of these are:

• Ottawa – Sitting in Eastern Ontario with a view of Quebec across the river, Ottawa is the national capital of Canada. It’s home to Parliament Hill, many national museums, the ByWard Market, and the best Canada Day celebrations.
• Calgary – Confident and modern, Calgary is booming like nowhere else in Canada currently. Every summer, it plays host to the Calgary Stampede, a near city-wide celebration of Calgary’s ranching heritage. The city is also home to the Calgary Tower, Calgary Zoo, and Canada Olympic Park (the city hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics). Calgary is a stepping off point for visitors to Banff and the Canadian Rockies, 1 hour away.
• Halifax – home to the second largest natural harbour in the world, Halifax is rich in history with architecture dating back to colonial times. The city is very compact and walkable, meaning most amenities are just a short walk away (if you’re downtown), such as the Citadel Hill, Canadian Museum of the Atlantic, the Public Gardens (oldest park in Canada), and Pier 21.
• Montreal – Once Canada’s largest metropolis, Montreal can still pack a serious punch as one of the most unique cities in North America. It is the cultural heart of Canada’s francophone culture, and the city’s multilingualism is one of its defining aspects. Have a Montreal-styled bagel in Mile End, stroll the streets of Old Montreal, take the metro to Olympic Park, visit one of the city’s innumerous festivals, and take in the views atop Mont-Royal.
• Quebec City – Quebec’s capital city, which is well known for its quaint Old City, its grand winter festival, and gorgeous architecture, such as the Chateau Frontenac. Visitors and locals alike boast about Quebec City’s charming European feel.
• Toronto – As the largest city in Canada, Toronto is economic and cultural capital of Canada (particularly Anglophone Canada). Toronto prides itself on its diversity and is famous for landmarks like the CN Tower. But Toronto is also a very eclectic city, home to endless neighbourhoods that offer quality shopping, cuisine, and cultural amenities. The city is also home to the third largest live theatre scene in the world (after New York and London).
• Vancouver – A city unto urbanism itself, Vancouver is clean, modern, and efficient. Owing in part to its mild climate (that never gets too cold or too hot), the city has a strong outdoorsy streak in it. Vancouver is a city where you can hit the beach and the ski slopes in the same day. The city was also host to the 2010 Winter Olympics.
• Whitehorse – Midpoint of the Alaska Highway, gateway to the outdoor activities of Canada’s far north.
• Winnipeg – Formerly known as the “Bulls Eye of the Dominion”, this city has a rich mixture of culture, including Metis and French-Canadian. Winnipeg also contains the Royal Canadian Mint, the old skyscrapers of the Exchange District, and the vibrant Forks.

Other destinations

• Algonquin Park
• Banff National Park
• Cape Breton Island
• The Interlake Area
• Jasper National Park
• Niagara Falls
• Saint John River Valley
• Terra Nova National Park
• Waterton Lakes National Park
• Brampton Jain Temple

Understand

“With or without the Royals, we are not Americans. Nor are we British. Or French. Or Void. We are something else And the sooner we define this, the better.” — Will Ferguson

Canada is a land of vast distances and rich natural beauty. Economically and technologically, and in many other ways she closely resembles her neighbour to the south, the United States, although there are significant differences between the two countries. While both countries have a long and continuing history of colonialism over the Indigenous people of their countries, Canada is perfectly happy with its British heritage and many Canadians are proud of this. Much of Canada’s current built environment and influence has come primarily from immigrants from two European nations, Britain and France. This dual nature is very different than in the United States, and in some parts of Canada, particularly Quebec and parts of New Brunswick, Canadians primarily speak French. Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 by an act of the British parliament, and is still a proud member of the Commonwealth of Nations. By 1931 it was more or less fully independent of the United Kingdom, although true independence did not occur until 1982. Canada’s past and ongoing colonialism is still of some contention between Indigenous people, Canadians, and the Canadian government. Though a medium-sized country by its population (35 million), Canada has earned respect on the international stage for its strong diplomatic skills, peacekeeping efforts, and respect for human rights. Canadians generally enjoy a very high quality of life – Canada consistently scores very well on indices of economic freedom, corruption, respect for civil rights, and more. Domestically, the country has displayed some success in negotiating compromises amongst its own culturally and linguistically varied populations, a difficult task considering that language, culture, and even history can vary significantly throughout the whole country. Similarly to the United States’ traditional image of itself as a melting pot, there are many different minorities from all over the world living in Canada, particularly in urban centres. Canadians are, for the most part, used to living and interacting with people of different ethnic backgrounds on a daily basis and will usually be quite friendly and understanding if approached in public. The country is largely urban-based, where peoples of all backgrounds may rub elbows with one another.

Time zones

The Canadian Sir Sandford Fleming first proposed time zones for the entire world in 1876, and Canada, being a continental country, is covered coast to coast with multiple zones. Canada uses the 12-hour clock system, however the 24-hour clock system is used in the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick where French is an official language and this clock system is used with that language; and where ambiguity must be avoided, such as train or airline schedules when given in both English and French, because they will be indicated in each clock system. Daylight Saving Time, when clocks are moved forward by one hour, is observed in most of the country from 02:00 on the second Sunday in March until 02:00 on the second Sunday in November; during this time, for example, British Columbia is observing GMT-7 while Alberta is observing GMT-6. Saskatchewan does not observe Daylight Savings Time, but the City of Lloydminster does.

• GMT-8 Pacific Time (Yukon, British Columbia)

• GMT-7 Mountain Time (Alberta, Northwest Territories, Nunavut)

• GMT-6 Central Time (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario)

• GMT-5 Eastern Time (Ontario, Quebec)

• GMT-4 Atlantic Time (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island)

• GMT-3.5 Newfoundland Time (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Climate

Trying to distil the climate of Canada into an easy-to-understand statement is impossible, given the vast area and diverse geography within the country. Overall, in most places, winters are harsh compared to much of the world, on par with northern Eurasia. The most populated region, southern Ontario, has a less severe climate, similar to the bordering regions of the midwestern and northeastern United States. Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, is just south of the Arctic Circle and remains very cold except for the months of July and August, when the July average maximum is only 12°C (54°F). On the other hand, the coastlines of British Columbia are very mild for their latitude, remaining above freezing for most of winter, yet they are not far away from some of the largest mountain glaciers found on the continent.

Most of the large Canadian urban areas are within 200 kilometres (124 mi) of Canada’s border with the United States (Edmonton and Calgary being the only exceptions). Visitors to most cities will most likely not have to endure the weather that accompanies a trip to more remote northern or mountainous areas often pictured on postcards of Canada. Summers in the most populated parts of Canada are generally short and hot. Summer temperatures over 35°C (95°F) are not unusual in Southern Ontario, the southern Prairies and the southern Interior of B.C., with Osoyoos being the hot spot of Canada for average daily maximums. Toronto’s climate is only slightly cooler than many of the larger cities in the northeastern United States, and summers in the southern parts of Ontario and Quebec (includes Montreal) are often hot and humid. In contrast, humidity is often low in the western interior during the summer, even during hot weather, and more cooling occurs at night. In the winter, eastern Canada, particularly the Atlantic Provinces, are sometimes subject to inclement weather systems entering from the U.S. bringing snow, high wind, rain, sleet, and temperatures in their wake of under -10°C (14°F).

Many inland cities, especially those in the Prairies, experience extreme temperature fluctuations, sometimes very rapidly. Owing to a dry climate (more arid west than east on the southern Prairies), bright sunshine hours are plentiful in the 2300-2600 annual hours range. Winnipeg (also colloquially known as ‘Winterpeg’) has hot summers with bouts of aggressive humidity, yet experiences very cold winters where temperatures around -40°C (-40°F) are not uncommon and can stay below -15°C (5°F) for long stretches. The official hottest temperature in Canada ever recorded was in southern Saskatchewan, at 45°C (113°F), while the coldest was in Snag, Yukon -63°C (-81°F). Summer storms in the Prairies and Ontario can be violent and sometimes unleash strong damaging winds, hail, and rarely, tornadoes. On the west coast of British Columbia, Vancouver and Victoria are far more temperate and get very little snow, average low wind speeds and seldom experience temperatures below 0°C or above 27°C (32-80°F) but receive high rainfall amounts in winter then in turn dry, sunny, pleasant summers.

The average temperature is typically colder in Canada than in the U.S. and Western Europe as a whole, so bring a warm jacket and other winter clothing if visiting between October and April. The rest of the year, over most of the country, daytime highs are generally well above 15°C (60°F) and usually into the 20s-30s°C(70s-90s°F) range during the day. Most weather forecasts outside border towns are in degrees Celsius (°C), however degrees Fahrenheit (°F) are occasionally used, especially by the older generation.

Holidays

Canada recognizes and celebrates the following national holidays (some provinces may have minor differences):

• New years day — 1 January
• Family Day — 3rd Monday in February (not observed in all provinces, known as Louis Riel Day in Manitoba, Islander Day in PEI)
• Good Friday — typically sometime in late March or early April
• Easter Sunday — the Sunday after Good Friday
• Victoria Day—Last Monday in May before 24 May (always one week before the U.S. holiday of Memorial Day)
• Canada Day—1 July
• Civic Day — first Monday in August (only applies in some provinces, under different names ie. in Ontario its referred to as Simcoe Day after an early Lieutenant Governor)
• Labour Day — first Monday in September
• Thanksgiving—Second Monday in October (the same day as the U.S. holiday of Columbus Day)
• Halloween —31 October
• Remembrance Day —11 November (this day is observed in the U.S. as Veterans Day)
• Christmas — 25 December
• Boxing day—26 December

Note also that Canada’s Labour Day is not celebrated on 1 May, as in much of the world, but on the first Monday in September (the same day as the U.S. celebrates its Labor Day).

Politics

Canada’s government is a parliamentary democracy based on the Westminster system inherited from the British and similar to that of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Canada is formally a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state. She is represented in Canada by the Governor-General, currently Julie Payette, who carries out her duties. The monarchy serves mostly as a figurehead, though, and in practice the Prime Minister, his or her cabinet, and the Parliament are the source of almost all real political power.

Canada is a federal state, and Canadian provinces have a great deal of autonomy. Each province has its own legislature and provincial government, and the Canadian constitution defines certain areas of exclusively provincial jurisdiction. For example, each province sets its own drinking age, minimum wage, sales tax, labour regulations, and administers their own road, healthcare and education systems. Two of the three territories’ legislative assemblies (Nunavut and the Northwest Territories) are peculiar, as they are non-partisan – no political parties are represented.

There are three main parliamentary parties at the federal level: the currently-governing Liberal Party (centre), the opposition Conservative Party (right of centre), and the New Democratic Party (left of centre).

Regions

Visiting Canada all in one trip is a massive undertaking. Over 5000 kilometres (3100 mi) separate St. John’s, Newfoundland from Victoria, British Columbia (about the same distance separates London and Riyadh, or Tokyo and Kolkata). To drive from one end of the country could take 7-10 days or more (and that assumes you’re not stopping to sight see on the way). A flight from Toronto to Vancouver takes over 4 hours. When speaking of specific destinations within Canada, it is better to consider its distinct regions

Canada regions

Atlantic Provinces (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island) This region is known for its history, particularly during the formation of Canada as a sovereign state. Atlantic Canada is well-known for unique accents, the origin of Acadian culture, natural beauty (particularly around coastal areas), the historic beauty of Halifax, and a huge fishing and shipping industry. It is also home to the distinctive culture of Newfoundland and Labrador, which was simultaneously the first part of what is now Canada to be explored by Europeans and the last part to join the confederation.

Quebec Quebec is one of the most unique regions in Canada, and for that matter, North America. Originally settled as part of New France, Quebec is culturally distinct from the rest of Canada. French is the dominant language, unlike the rest of the country, and the province is known for great cultural sites like Quebec City’s Winter Festival, Montreal’s classic architecture, and maple syrup and poutine (two staples of Canadian cuisine). Montreal is also the second largest French-speaking city in the world, though through centuries of influence from both the British and the French, its inhabitants have developed a distinct sense of identity.

Ontario Canada’s most populous province is also quite geographically vast, allowing for endless activities to partake in. Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is eclectic and vibrant, and prides itself on its multiculturalism. The province is also home to Ottawa, Canada’s charming, bilingual capital, as well as Niagara Falls, and the untapped natural beauty of the Muskoka and beyond. All these things and more make Ontario showcase a lot of what is considered quintessentially Canadian by outsiders.

Prairies (Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan) Known for their vast open spaces and plentiful resources, the Canadian Prairies are a dynamic set of provinces with some of the most stunning natural beauty in the world. On the western edge of the Prairies, in Alberta lie the mountainous national parks of Banff and Jasper, and on the eastern edge in Manitoba, lies the beginning of the Canadian Shield, which contains some of the oldest rock on the surface of the earth. The major cities of Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg are modern cities with everything from massive rodeos to high-class museums.

British Columbia Colloquially known as “B.C.”, this province prides itself on being beautiful. From cultured Vancouver, to charming Victoria, to the iconic ski slopes in Whistler, to the wineries of the Okanagan, B.C. is filled with wonder, both natural and man-made. The province also has the mildest winters in Canada on average (though often cloudy), especially in coastal regions, making it popular with Canadians who are less enthusiastic about winter.

The North (Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon) The Territories are some of the most remote regions on Earth and constitute most of Canada’s landmass. Though more known for their unique fauna and landscapes, the Territories also have some interesting human settlements, including Dawson City, a city that looks nearly untouched from the gold rush of 1898, and Iqaluit, Canada’s newest territorial capital, which is home to some interestingly adaptive architecture to the harsh climate of the North.

Get in

Do I Need a Visa?

Visa Not Required

• United States of America
• Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
• California

Visa Not Required, but eTA Required for Air Entry

• All EU & EEA member states (biometric passport necessary for Romanian citizens)
• All British nationals, including BN(O), BOT, BOC and British Subject passport holders
• Andorra
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Brunei
• Chile
• Hong Kong
• Israel
• Japan
• Monaco
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Samoa
• San Marino
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Solomon Islands
• Switzerland
• Taiwan (with National ID Number recorded in passport)
• Vatican City

Transit Visa Not Required (Only for transit to and from the United States under certain conditions)

• P.R. China
• Indonesia
• Philippines
• Thailand
• Taiwan

Visa Required

An advance visa is required of all other foreigners not listed.

Most travellers entering or transiting Canada by air will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or a visitor visa. (Exceptions include U.S. citizens/nationals and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon residents.) An eTA costs $7 and is valid for five years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. Entry requirements for other methods of travel (land, sea) have not changed.

Those who are not eligible for an eTA are required to obtain a Temporary Resident Visa prior to travelling to Canada. This can be done at the applicants’ nearest Canadian Visa Office. Applicants are required to submit, as part of their application:

• A valid travel document (such as a passport)
• Two properly-formatted, passport-sized photos for all applicants
• The application fee (The fee per person is $100 for a visa, single or multiple entry, or a maximum of $400 for a family (multiple or single entry); no charge for Transit Visas)
• Reservation confirmation (for tourists) or letter of invitation (for everybody else).
• Proof that you have enough money for your visit to Canada. The amount of money may vary, depending on the circumstances for your visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives. You can get more information from the visa office.
• Other documents as required. These documents could be identification cards, proof of employment, or a proposed itinerary. Check the website of the visa office responsible for the country or region where you live for more information.

If you plan to visit the United States and do not travel outside the borders of the US, you can use your single entry visa to re-enter as long as the visa has not passed its expiry date.

Working while in Canada is forbidden without a work permit, although Canada does have several temporary work permits for youth from specific countries. See “Work” below.

United States/American Samoan citizens to Canada need only proof of citizenship and identification for short-term visits. In addition to a driver’s license, a number of other documents may also be used to cross the border:

• United States Passport Card (issued by the Department of State)
• United States Passport Book (issued by the Department of State)
• Enhanced Drivers License or Non-Driver Photo ID card (currently issued by Michigan, New York, Vermont, and Washington State)
• Enhanced Tribal ID Card
• Trusted Traveler Cards issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the Canadian Border (NEXUS and FAST).

DHS issued cards for the Mexican Border (SETRI) and for international air travelers (Global Entry) cannot be used to enter Canada, but they are acceptable to re-enter the United States and may be used in the dedicated NEXUS lanes into the US, where available.

Prior to 2009, it was possible to travel across the US-Canada border with just a driver’s license. Birth certificates are technically still acceptable to enter Canada, but United States Customs and Border Protection stopped accepting birth certificates when the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) went into effect. This is due to the fact that many (especially older) certificates are little more than a typewritten piece of carbon paper with no security. If you try to re-enter the United States with a US birth certificate, you will eventually be let in, but only after significant delays while CBP verifies the information on it with the issuing department, you may also be fined or prosecuted for non-compliance, although anything more than a written warning is unlikely for a first time violator. Since after 2009 a normal driver’s license will still get you in Canada but will not be accepted coming back into the US.

Upon entry to Canada, the standard questions will include your intended itinerary, if you have visited Canada before, and if you are in possession of any firearms. Under no circumstance is it a good idea to try to carry weapons over the frontier. If you are driving you should have proof of insurance coverage ready to go and you should have some listed hotels or places to stay ready to present if asked.

Residents of Greenland, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and some Caribbean nations are not required to present a passport if they can prove nationality and identity via some other means.

Residents of Greenland, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, and the United States also benefit from arrangements where applications for work and study permits can be made upon arrival in Canada at the Immigration Office at the port of entry without the need for an advance Temporary Resident Visa or advance application at a consulate. However, all the paperwork normally needed for such a permit has to be submitted at the port of entry as it would at a consulate, including a letter of introduction/invitation, the appropriate paperwork issued by the institution/employer, and the appropriate fees.

Character concerns

All potential visitors, whether applying for a temporary resident visa or requesting landing permission at the border must be of good moral character, and under Canadian law this means having a completely clean criminal history. Immigration authorities take character concerns of visitors very seriously and any offence, misdemeanour or felony, regardless of how minor or how long ago it took place can exclude you from Canada for a period of time, indefinitely, or permanently. This also includes US citizens, some of whom had to be turned back while attempting to drive across the border. In fact, even former U.S. President George W. Bush needed to apply for a waiver to enter on an official state visit during his term in office because of a conviction for drunken driving. There are a few exceptions, and if you are inadmissible because of a criminal conviction, you do have some options.

As a general rule, a conviction for anything more serious than a speeding ticket will keep you out of Canada for at least five years from the date you finish your sentence. More serious offences (such as felonies) may require you to wait up to ten years, or in the most serious cases obtain a pardon or other civil relief locally before applying for entry. In addition to criminal convictions, certain “summary offences” (which include minor drug possession tickets that are not handled through the criminal system) are considered criminal convictions for the purpose of immigration law, even if you were never arrested, charged with a crime or sentenced. Additionally, you cannot enter Canada if there are current charges pending against you or a trial is underway.

Although unlikely as a visitor who meets all other entry requirements, you may also be refused if you have significant unpaid debt, have an active civil judgement against you, or have recently declared bankruptcy. In these cases, you can regain your ability to enter Canada by either paying the debt in full, showing evidence of a payment plan in good standing or after a bankruptcy showing a history of financial solvency over the period of a few years.

Offences committed before the age of 18, parking tickets, local ordinance violations and crimes of conscience (such as publishing statements critical of the government in China) generally do not result in inadmissibility. Similarly, non-criminal traffic tickets usually do not result in inadmissibility, although if you were ever required to appear in court over a traffic violation (not simply going to court to challenge a ticket) or you accumulated enough points that your license was summarily suspended or revoked, you may be inadmissible and should contact a Canadian embassy or high counsel for advice.

Rehabilitation

If you have a single misdemeanor or summary offence on your record and it’s been at least five years since you finished your sentence, and your offence would be punished with a prison term of 10 years or less in Canada, you can be deemed rehabilitated on the spot by an immigration officer without formally applying in advance. That being said, you have one chance in your entire lifetime at this type of rehabilitation and the border officer has the absolute final decision on your fate. The burden is on you, the visitor, to provide proof that you have indeed reformed and are unlikely to re-offend. Possible proof includes but is not limited to:

• Police “good conduct” reports
• Character references
• Letters from employers, pay stubs, tax returns or other documentation showing that you have steady employment
• Evidence of any educational, volunteer or treatment experience that you’ve completed since your conviction.

Bring everything and anything you have that suggests you’re living a stable and crime-free life. The more documentation you have and the less the officer has to rely on your word that you’ve turned your life around the stronger your case is for being admitted.

If you are turned away, or if your offence makes you ineligible to be deemed rehabilitated, you can apply for individual rehabilitation directly to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). Again, at least five years must have passed since you completed your sentence. An application for individual rehabilitation has onerous documentation requirements, costs between $200 and $3000 depending on the nature of the offence and whether the application requires approval from the Minister of Justice (most do) and can take up to a year to get an answer. While you can compile the documentation and submit the application yourself, both CIC and many who have gone through the process highly advise retaining an immigration attorney to complete and file the application on your behalf. If you are denied rehabilitation, there is no right of appeal, you will not be given specific reasons as to why your application was denied, and you must wait at least one year before applying again.

Temporary resident permits

If you aren’t qualified for either type of rehabilitation or are turned down, another option is a temporary resident permit, or TRP, is a one-time waiver for an inadmissible person to enter Canada. This is not the same as a temporary resident visa, but the two can be applied for together if you are from a country requiring such a visa. These used to be relatively easy to obtain with documented good behavior and a good enough reason for traveling besides going on vacation, but today they are only issued for “exceptionally compelling humanitarian grounds” or “reasons of significant national interest.” The website of the Canadian Counsel General Office in Buffalo states that temporary resident permits will not be issued for “sightseeing, visiting friends or relatives, attending cultural or sporting events, attending business meetings or conventions, hunting or fishing trips, or going to the family cottage” [1]. Terms of the permit are fairly specific as to duration and purpose. Visitors from the U.S. with a previous DUI often don’t realize it’s considered a serious offence in Canada and are often denied entry. Thousands are denied entry into Canada each year on the basis of criminality.

Pardons

Obtaining a pardon or unconditional discharge will generally restore your ability to travel to Canada, and depending on your circumstances you may have much more luck going this route. If the crime was committed in Canada, there’s a centralized process you can go through and odds of success are fairly high if you’ve shown commitment to turning your life around and kept your nose clean since then.

If your pardon or discharge was issued for a crime outside Canada, be sure to bring documentation to that effect with you to the border or when applying for a visa.

Credit History

Canada may consider your credit history as part of the character and risk assessment when applying for a visa or landing permission at the border. Whether a credit check will occur and what role (if any) it will play into your admissibility decision depends largely on what immigration status you’re applying for.

• As a temporary visitor (especially from a country that doesn’t require a temporary resident visa) merely having bad credit should not affect your entry to Canada as long as you can show means of supporting yourself. If the visa or border officer doubts your ability to maintain yourself whilst in Canada then a credit check can be used to support a decision to grant or refuse entry or a visa for financial reasons based on the totality of the circumstances.
• If you are applying for a work permit, a long term visa of any kind or are immigrating to Canada, expect your financial history to be heavily scrutinized and be prepared to explain any exceptionally bad marks (i.e. chargeoffs, repossessions, etc…) if asked. This does not apply to family stream immigrants (as long as the sponsor is financially solvent), nor does it apply to refugees or asylum seekers.
• Bankruptcy and debt related litigation are public records that will come up in background checks and are considered character concerns – refusal is very likely unless you can make and prove a highly compelling case for it to be set aside (such as if the judgement resulted from identity theft or a disability). If this describes you, and you can afford it – discuss your situation with an immigration attorney prior to making travel plans or applying for a visa. Keep in mind also that depending on the jurisdiction where the bankruptcy or litigation occurred (such as Australia and the United Kingdom) you may not be allowed to travel internationally at all, or may require a waiver or permission from the court.
• In mainland China, most Gulf Cooperative Council nations (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) as well as a handful of US States (such as Minnesota) certain types of unpaid debt may be treated as a criminal offense punishable with a jail term, and standard rehabilitation procedures would apply prior to entering Canada.

Other concerns

Besides a criminal record, CIC lists a host of other situations that may prevent admission into Canada. While most of these shouldn’t be an issue for the average traveller (e.g. previously overstayed or violated visa conditions, human rights violations, involvement with terrorism or organized crime, etc…), there are a few that do occasionally complicate or bar entry for visitors:

• Purpose of visit. The days when you could simply walk over the Rainbow Bridge with your driver’s license, telling customs that you wanted to see the other side of the city are long gone. If you’re visiting as a tourist (including day-trip pedestrians from Niagara Falls, NY or Detroit), border officers expect that you have a clear idea of what you plan to do and see while in the country. Vague answers and those such as “I’ll see when I get to this city” will only invite further scrutiny of your case. They are going to want a detailed itinerary of the places you’ll be visiting. It’s a good idea to research the places you intend to tour and have all the pertinent information written down ahead of time, and to include contact information if any of your destinations aren’t standard tourist attractions or more off the beaten path. Also be prepared with a physical street address at which you will be staying (a hotel name by itself is not acceptable) if you’ll be in the country for more than a single day.
• Letter of invitation. In absence of a visa authorizing employment, long-term residency or study, a letter of invitation (sometimes called a “letter of introduction”) is required for persons visiting for any reason other than tourism (including visiting relatives or friends). For business visitors, there is specific information this letter must contain (including a statement of financial support), but for everybody else something in writing (e-mail or hard copy) along with contact information from the person you’re visiting is sufficient. You must bring the letter with you to the port of entry, even if you used it to apply for a temporary resident visa. The letter of invitation requirement is strictly enforced. If you are a business visitor and show up without one you will be denied entry. Others may or may not be admitted after significant delays and additional rounds of unpleasant questioning while border officials attempt to verify your story.
• Health concerns. If you are very sick, to the point where the border officer has to consider whether you might burden the healthcare system during your visit, you will be denied entry.
• Support funds . You need to prove you have enough funds to support yourself and dependants while in Canada. For most Western tourists a major credit card (not a debit, ATM or bank card) is sufficient.
• Inadmissible family members. If you have an immediate family member who is deemed inadmissible, you may also be disqualified from entry based on that fact, although this is at the discretion of the border or visa officer. It seems to be a problem more for persons with known terrorists, members of the Mafia, or other high profile criminals in their family, not just a sibling with a misdemeanour conviction.

As a general rule, admissibility and rehabilitation decisions cannot be appealed beyond a supervisory review at the visa office or border. The only exception is if you can prove the decision was based on wrong information (for example you were acquitted of a crime, but that fact was never properly recorded in Canada’s database.) That being said, you are usually allowed to apply again once any specific issues relating to a refusal have been corrected, once the requisite time has passed for rehabilitation, or one year after being denied rehabilitation.

From the United States

If you are travelling to Canada from the United States and you are not a permanent resident of either country you need to be careful to satisfy the U.S. authorities on any subsequent trip that you have not exceeded their limits on stays in North America. Your time in Canada counts towards your maximum allowed United States stay if you are returning to the US prior to your departure from North America.

• If you are returning to the US in this trip, keep your visa documents. Do not hand over your US visa or visa waiver card (I-94 or I-94W) to border control. You can enter the US multiple times during the time allocated to your visa (for Western tourists, normally 90 days), but you need to have the immigration document as well to validate the visa. If you come back from the US without that document, you will not only have to apply again for a visa or visa waiver but also will also need to satisfy US immigration of the validity of your trip (meaning to show them that you will not intend on immigrating there).

• If your default US time is going to run out while you are in Canada, and you want to return to the US direct from Canada, you need to apply for a US visa with a longer time period (eg B-1/B-2, or a C-1 transit visa) before your first trip through the US. For example, if you are going to stay in Canada for six months, and you transit through the US on a visa waiver, then the US will regard your six months in Canada as not allowing you to return to the US without leaving North America first, as you have stayed more than 90 days in North America in total. Note that in this scenario, you have not done anything wrong by visiting the US and then staying in Canada for a long time, simply that the US will not allow you to return directly from Canada, you have to reset their clock by leaving North America. Visa waiver travellers may be able to avoid this by returning their I-94W (green) form to their airline upon departing the US, or to the Canadian immigration inspector if entering Canada by land; since the US has no outbound immigration check, it’s up to the traveller to remember this.

• If you are intending to leave North America entirely without returning to the US on this trip, return any visa documents at the time of leaving the US for Canada. This means handing over your I-94 or I-94W card to airline staff at the check-in counter if departing by air, or to the Canadian immigration inspector if departing by land. If you do not, you will need to prove to the US that you didn’t overstay to be admitted on future trips (the US CBP website has information on how to correct this mistake).

If you leave Canada to briefly visit the United States and wish to re-enter Canada in a short period of time, you generally may do so without getting a new Canadian visa as long as you return within the initial period authorised by the immigration officer or have a valid temporary residence permit authorising you to re-enter, and you do not leave US soil before returning to Canada (eg, not even during a cruise which begins and ends at a US point but crosses international waters in-between). If you leave US soil for a third country for any reason on a single-entry Canadian visa, you will have to apply for a new visa before re-entering Canada.

By plane

You are likely to arrive to Canada by air, most likely into Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver (the 5 largest cities, from East to West). Many other cities have international airports as well, with the following being of particular use to visitors: Halifax, St. John’s, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Kelowna, and Victoria.

Air Canada [2] and WestJet [3] are the country’s only national air carriers, covering the entire country and international destinations (Note that a number of regional domestic airlines also exist as well as charter airlines serving only international destinations).

As a rule of thumb, all Canadian three-letter IATA airport codes start with a “Y”.

Note that most of the major Canadian airports have U.S. Pre-Clearance facilities where travelers on United States-bound flights (even if they will be flying to a third country immediately afterward) complete U.S. immigration and customs processions prior to departing Canada. If flying back to the U.S. from such an airport, make sure you get to the airport extra early, so you have time to complete this process (Toronto’s and Vancouver’s pre-clearance facilities are particularly busy). The good news is that this service spares you the need to complete the formalities upon arrival in the U.S.

Luggage allowance for flights to or from Canada usually operates on a piece-wise in addition to the weight system even for foreign carriers. This means that you are allowed a limited number of bags to check-in where each bag should not exceed certain linear dimensions (computed by adding the length, width and height of the bags). The exact restrictions on weight, linear dimension and number of baggage allowed are determined by the carrier you are flying with and the class of service you are travelling in, usually individual bags may be up to 23 kilos (50 lb) if traveling in economy class.

Additionally, if you are coming from the United States, be advised that Air Canada (on transborder itineraries only – not Canadian domestic service) as well as all US based carriers that operate transborder service (Alaska, American, Delta, United and US Airways) charge checked bag fees. Typically $25 for a single bag of up to 23 kilos/ 50 pounds, and $35-50 for a second bag, unless you qualify for a fee waiver based on elite status or class of service.

By car

Canada has a land border with only one country – the United States. See the “from the United States” subsection for more information on what to do when leaving the US.

You might also enter the country by road from the United States through one of many border crossing points. Obviously, the same rules will apply here, but if your case is not straightforward, expect to be delayed, as the officials here (especially in more rural areas) see fewer non-U.S. travelers than at the airports. Also expect delays during holiday periods, as border crossings can become clogged with traffic.

Drivers of American cars will need to carry a Canadian Non-Resident Insurance Certificate in addition to their standard insurance card and must be prepared to present both documents for inspection. The Certificate comes in the form of a yellow paper card which can only be issued by foreign insurers who are authorized to do business in Canada.

Canada has some of the highest levels of minimum auto insurance coverage in the world: $200,000 in all provinces except Quebec and Nova Scotia (which are $50,000 and $500,000 respectively.)

Since most US states have insurance minimums under $50,000 and some states do not require insurance at all, the non-resident certificate signifies that your insurance company will cover you up to provincial mandatory limits while driving in Canada (which the company was required to agree to as a condition of doing business in Canada). Rules regarding the issuing of this certificate vary widely depending on which carrier you have. GEICO and AAA will issue a certificate valid for the entire term of your policy if you ask for it. Liberty Mutual and Progressive will only issue a certificate with advance approval for a specific date range, and some insurance companies (especially smaller local insurance companies in non-border states) will not cover you in Canada at all. If you are planning on driving into Canada, its very important to talk to your insurance company as soon as you know you’ll be going so they can print up the certificate (if they offer it) and mail it to you.

If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and travel to Canada frequently, you may consider applying for a NEXUS card. NEXUS allows pre-approved, low risk travelers to use expedited inspection lanes both into Canada and the United States at many land crossings with minimal questioning. You can also utilize kiosks to make your customs declaration and clear the border at major international airports if you opt for an iris scan. The application fee is $50 and requires being legally admissible to both nations, thorough background investigation, fingerprinting and an interview with both U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Canada Border Services Agency. See [4]

If you intend to enter Canada using a U.S. car, take note that after crossing the border going north, the road signs change into metric units (i.e. distances are in kilometres and speed limits posted are in kilometres per hour). The usual speed limit on U.S. freeways is between 65-75 miles/hour, but you will need to read your speedometer in kilometres for the speed limit (in km/hour) once past the border, ie. 100 km/h = 62.5 mp/h. One mile is equivalent to 1.6 km so divide what you see on the road signs by 1.6 to get its equivalent in miles ie. 40km = 25 miles. If you plan on renting a car from the U.S., be sure to rent one with a speedometer that has both metric and U.S. units (a standard feature on modern U.S. cars); in this case, U.S. units are on top or outward while metric units are below or inward.

When driving within Montreal, Vancouver or Toronto keep in mind that these cities are densely populated and parking can be difficult to find and/or expensive. All three cities provide extensive public transit, so it is easy to park in a central location, or at your hotel or lodging, and still travel in the metropolitan area. You can usually obtain maps of the public transit systems at airports, subway kiosks, and train stations.

By train

Via Rail [5] is Canada’s national passenger rail service. Amtrak [6] provides connecting rail service to Toronto from New York via Niagara Falls, Montreal from New York and Vancouver from Seattle via Bellingham. The train is an inexpensive way to get into Canada, with tickets starting from as low as US$43 return to Vancouver. There is also thruway service between Seattle and Vancouver.

Be wary though: Not many private citizens in Canada take the train as a regular means of transportation. Most citizens simply drive to where they want to go if the distance is short (which in Canada can still mean hundreds of kilometres!), or fly if the distance is long.

Important: If you’re traveling cross-border on Amtrak service, you must have your tickets validated prior to boarding. Pick up your tickets from the window (not the Quick-Trak kiosk) and show your passport or travel document to the agent (your travel document information is sent ahead of time on a manifest to border services to facilitate crossing procedures). Some stations, such as New York City have a dedicated window for international passengers.

See also: Rail travel in Canada

By bus

Greyhound Canada serves many destinations in Canada, with connecting service to regional lines and U.S. Greyhound coaches. Be sure to inquire about discounts and travel packages that allow for frequent stops as you travel across Canada. Many routes connect major Canadian and American cities including Montreal – New York City which is operated by New York Trailways [7], Vancouver – Seattle operated by Greyhound and Toronto – New York City via Buffalo, this route in particular is operated by a number of bus companies: Greyhound, Coach Canada [8], New York Trailways, Megabus [9], and Ne-On [10].

Note: in July 2018, Greyhound announced it was ending bus and freight service to the western provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia) as well as some routes in Northern Ontario, as of October 2018. Some regional carriers have been established or will be picking up some, but not all, of the routes, and mostly only within provinces.

By boat

In British Columbia, you can enter Canada by ferry from Alaska and Washington. Alaska Marine Highway serves Prince Rupert, whereas Washington State Ferries serves Sidney (near Victoria) through the San Juan islands. There is a car ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles run by Black Ball; there are also tourist-oriented passenger-only ferries running from Victoria to points in Washington.

There is a passenger ferry running from Fortune in Newfoundland to Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

A small car ferry operates between Wolfe Island, Ontario (near Kingston) and Cape Vincent, NY.

A small car ferry operates between Pelee Island Ontario, Kingsville Ontario and Sandusky Ohio when ice and weather allows.

The CAT car ferry between Rochester, NY and Toronto, Ontario was discontinued in January 2006 because of poor ridership. The Bay Ferries route from Bar Harbor in Maine to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, also called the CAT, was discontinued in 2010 due to a lack of funding. (Bay Ferries does still run a New Brunswick to Nova Scotia ferry.)

Several cruise lines run cruises between the eastern United States and Halifax. Most freight routes run to Montreal on the east coast and Vancouver on the west coast. International passengers will be required to pass through customs in their port of arrival.

Get around

Canada is large – the second largest country in the world after Russia. This means that you will need several days to appreciate even a part of the country. In fact, St. John’s, Newfoundland, is geographically closer to London, UK, than it is to Vancouver.

By plane

The best way to get around the country is by air. Air Canada [11] is the main national carrier, and has by far the largest network and most frequent schedules but WestJet [12] also offers a very similar service. For travel between major centres, no-frills carrier WestJet [13] offers competitive fares. Unfortunately, due to protectionist government policies favouring Air Canada, fares tend to be more expensive than flying similar distances in the United States, Australia or China, and sometimes, transiting in the US could be cheaper than a direct domestic flight.

Another reason for why air fares are so high in Canada is that the Canadian federal government is notorious for using airports as a cash cow and levying higher-than-average fees and taxes upon airports. They can do that because traditionally the federal government expropriates land for airports and then leases it back to local governments to operate them, which contrasts sharply against the US model where local governments own and operate airports, then contract with the federal government for particular services like security and immigration. While most industrialized governments hit airport travelers with a lot of fees and taxes, the ones imposed by Canada are unusually severe. To save money, many Canadians often drive to US airports just across the border to save hundreds of dollars per flight. Unless they are enrolled in the NEXUS trusted traveler program, they have to put up with long lines to enter the US.

Most major airports are served by public transit. This consists of feeder buses running at peak frequencies ranging from five to fifteen minutes or less (Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Ottawa). Service may be spotty or nonexistent late at night or on weekends if you are outside the major centres. To travel to the city centre/downtown, one or more connections are required in all cities except Vancouver, Montreal, Winnipeg and Ottawa, making a taxi or shuttle a better idea for large groups or those with a lot of luggage.

Air Hitchhiking

Float planes, lake to lake in northern Canada is another way to travel. It is possible to do this for free. One can Air Hitch above the Arctic Circle by flying out of any of the airports, but the trick is getting access to pilots. This can be easier at the Abbotsford Air Show, near Vancouver, Canada, in the summer.

When one gets further north, above Prince George say, one needs to hook up with pilots, often delivering mail lake to lake. Often there are general store and post office type places near the lakes. Many air hitchers catch up with the pilots when they stop for a meal or coffee as one does with truck drivers. In the major and regional airports, one can catch the pilots going in or out of the Environment Canada weather offices.

Air Couriers

Often professionals like lawyers need to transport documents urgently between cities and countries. Most use FedEx or UPS these days, but sometimes it is possible to wangle free air transportation, as an Air Courriers, a category of traveler recognized by IATA. Air Courriers negotiate either directly with a professionals or through a broker or courrier agent. In this way many Air Hitchers travel for free between Paris and Montreal, the main difficulty being that one may only travel with carry on luggage.

If one accepts work in Canada’s high north, many employers will pay one’s passage. Because it pays so well and there is little work in places like Newfoundland, many Canadians commute from the North Atlantic provinces to well-paid jobs in Northern Canada and Alberta.

By bus

Travel by intercity coach is available between most major cities in Canada. Service is best in the densely packed Windsor – Quebec City corridor which includes the major cities of Toronto and Montreal as well as the national capital, Ottawa. Service in this corridor is provided by a number of companies, chief among them being: Coach Canada [14] and Megabus [15] whose main route is the heavily used Toronto – Montreal route, Greyhound [16] who runs the Toronto – Ottawa route, the Montreal – Ottawa route and routes between Toronto and southwestern Ontario and Orleans Express [17] who runs the Montreal – Quebec City route using modern, leather-upholstered coaches with North American and European electrical sockets at every seat. To the west of this corridor most routes are operated by Greyhound and to the east routes are operated by Acadian [18] a subsidiary of Orleans Express. In Canada, only one company is given a license to run a particular route, as a result there is little to no competition among providers and fares can be unusually high and can be raised without notice. The only exception to this is the Toronto – Niagara Falls route, which is run by many American coach companies, who continue on to Buffalo and ultimately New York City. Prices on a U.S. bus company are usually slightly less than their Canadian counterparts.

Routes in the prairies can be extremely long, some of them taking several days; as a result, passengers should be sure they will be able to bear sitting in a seat for 48 or more hours with only rare stops for food and toilet breaks. Despite a recent violent murder on a bus in the prairies, intercity buses in Canada are generally very safe, however travelers should be aware of their belongings at all times and make sure that their valuables are on their person if they intend to sleep. In contrast to the United States, most Canadian bus stations are not owned or run by the coach companies serving them, they are generally run by the municipal government or, in the case of Montreal and Ottawa, a separate third-party corporation. Also unlike the United States, bus stations in Canada are not generally in the worst parts of the city, in fact, in Toronto, the bus station is located between a major theatre and shopping district and a neighbourhood full of large, wealthy, research-intensive hospitals.

By car

Canada is one of the only two countries (the other being the United States) to have the world’s lowest set driving age. But the legal driving age varies between 14 and 16 throughout the country. Alberta is among the places in the world with the lowest set driving age (14).

Of course, many people choose to rent a car. Although somewhat expensive if you are travelling alone, this can be an economically reasonable alternative if you are sharing the costs with others. However, there are many limitations and drawbacks on car rentals in Canada. To name a few of them:

• Surcharges associated with dropping off the car at a different location than where it was picked up are usually very high.
• “Unlimited” km may be limited for the province you rent it in only (check the conditions thoroughly). If they are and you enter another province, even for a few km, your entire trip gets limited (mostly to 200km or 124 mi a day).
• Driving is usually permitted on paved roads only (most rental companies won’t stop you or charge extras but CDW and roadside assistance is void outside paved roads).
• There are no manual transmission rental cars available in Canada. Don’t bother searching.

Basically, if you really want to get around in Canada, except in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, or places where there are few or no roads, it’s best to have a car.

In some cases, frugal travellers may be able to “earn” budget travel by delivering a car across Canada. The option is not common. Nor does it offer the opportunity to spent much time stopping along the way. However, it can be a cheap way to cross Canada while seeing the interior. CanadaDriveAway and HitTheRoad.ca are two options.

In Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, public transit is a strongly recommended alternative to driving.

Unlike the US, gas is sold by the litre and as of March 2014, it cost CAD1.30-1.40 per litre (CAD4.92-5.29 per US gallon) in most urbanized areas in Canada (closer to CAD1.20 per litre in Alberta), and the price typically escalates in March, just in time for summer driving season. Year round, prices tend to be about 50% higher than those in the US after converting litres into gallons and factoring in higher taxes and the currency exchange rate. American drivers will generally find that their credit and debit cards do not work in gas pumps in Canada (due to US cards generally not having “chip and PIN” functionality), although many of the larger chains (such as Petro-Canada and Esso) can run US cards via magnetic stripe if you bring the card inside to the cashier. (This is becoming a non-issue however, as of 2015 the US has made the switch to chip and PIN debit and credit cards.)

Of particular note is highway 407/ETR (Express Toll Route) in Ontario, which circles around the northern flank of Toronto. The 407 is an electronic toll road (the only privately owned road in Canada), in that tolls are billed to the vehicle’s owner based on license plate number, or transponder account. Be sure to check your rental agencies’ policy regarding use of this road as some firms have been known to add fees and surcharges that can easily double or triple the original toll.

Many jurisdictions also have red light and speed cameras that issue fines via mail to the car’s registered owner, again via license plate when the car is automatically photographed running (disobeying) a red traffic light or going above the speed limit. The above warning regarding rental agency policies applies to these as well. Your best bet to avoid this nasty surprise is to simply not run any red lights or speed.

By RV

If you are set on a road trip, an alternative to car rental is to hire an RV (motorhome or campervan). This gives you the flexibility to explore Canada at your own pace and is ideal if your trip is geared around an appreciation of Canada’s natural environment. Costs can also be lower than combining car rental with hotels, however RV rentals usually apply milage charges while car rentals usually don’t.

• Canadream [19]

• Cruisecanada [20]

• OnRoadCampervan [21]

Traffic rules to be aware of

• Canadians drive on the right of the road.
• In the province of Quebec, roadsigns are written solely in French but for the most part their meaning is obvious.
• Canadians use the metric system for traffic measurements. Speed measurements are measured in kilometers and speed are in km/h.

Metric Conversions 50 mph = 80 km/h

• In many areas of Canada (with the exception of the Island of Montreal) it is legal to turn right (after stopping) on a red light. Drivers may also turn left after stopping at a red if they are turning onto a one-way street from another one-way street.
• Pedestrians have the right of way at intersections and crosswalks, provided they are not crossing against a signal.
• In Canada, you must always yield to a police car, fire truck, or ambulance when their emergency lights are flashing. If they are approaching from behind, you must pull to the right and stop. And when passing any emergency vehicle (including tow trucks in many provinces) you must slow down to 60 km/h or below in any lane directly beside the responding vehicle.
• Private vehicles displaying flashing green lights in Ontario are volunteer fire fighters responding to an emergency, and should be yielded to as a matter of common sense.
• In many jurisdictions, including British Columbia, motorists are also required to slow down and move into a non-adjacent lane when passing a stopped emergency vehicle. Slowing to 60km/h (37mph) is the norm on a highway.
• The use of hand-held mobile devices while driving is banned in all provinces; the last holdout, New Brunswick, passed a ban that took effect in early 2011. Yukon is considering such a ban as well. Use of hands-free devices while driving is legal throughout Canada, although the Canadian Automobile Association is currently (January 2011) lobbying for such a ban. Some provinces such as Alberta expand upon this basic ban with Distracted Driving laws that also forbid other activities such as reading maps, doing makeup, and programming on-board GPS systems while driving.
• Some provinces have blood alcohol limits of 0.05%. The national Criminal Code limit is 0.08% – a foreign national exceeding this can expect to be fined heavily and deported – See respect below. Police in some provinces such as B.C. and Alberta may impound vehicles temporarily if the driver is between 0.05% and 0.08%, even though this doesn’t violate national laws. Most provinces have “Checkstop” programs in place — these are randomly placed police checkpoints, usually set up at night, during which an officer will ask motorists if they’ve been drinking and gauge based upon their response and other factors whether to initiate further roadside sobriety or breathalyzer tests. If you encounter one while driving — and assuming youhaven’t been drinking — in most cases you’ll be let through after only a few seconds, though you may be asked to show your driver’s license (have your car rental agreement handy too, if it’s requested).
• During winter, a flashing blue light usually identifies a snow removal vehicle. Snow removal vehicles in the four western provinces use amber lights.
• Beware: In British Columbia, a (slow) flashing green light means the traffic light is green (you can go) but it is controlled by the pedestrian. The light will remain flashing green until a pedestrian pushes the button to cross the street; when you see a flashing green light, traffic coming towards you will also see a flashing green light. In Ontario, Québec and Nova Scotia, a (fast) flashing green light indicates advanced turn, signaling the driver can make a left hand turn across oncoming traffic because oncoming traffic has a red light.
• In British Columbia there are many roads, mainly in mountain passes, which require vehicles to be equipped with winter tires or carry chains from October 1 – April 30.
• In Quebec, winter tire use is mandatory for all taxis and passenger vehicles from December 15 to March 15. (Note that this applies only to vehicles registered in the province; tourists driving into the province can use all season tires.)
• Speed limits vary per province from 100km/h (62mph) to 110km/h (68mph) and you may encounter roads and portions of highways enforced by radar. Best to go with the flow of traffic and cars that are around you.
• In Ontario, exceeding the speed limit by more than 50km/h (30mph) is considered “racing” or “stunt driving” and results in immediate roadside vehicle impoundment (usually for 7 days), regardless of who owns the vehicle — even if it is a rental. In addition to fines and possible license suspension, the driver is also responsible for the towing and storage/impound fees.

By train

Main article: Rail travel in Canada

Passenger rail service in Canada, although very safe and comfortable, is often an expensive and inconvenient alternative to other types of transport. The corridor between Windsor and Quebec City is a bit of an exception to this generalization. Also, if natural beauty is your thing, the approximately three-day train ride between Toronto and Vancouver passes through the splendour of the Canadian prairies and the Rocky Mountains, with domed observation cars to allow passengers to take in the magnificent views.

Make arrangements ahead of time to get lower fares. VIA Rail is the main Canadian passenger rail company.

By thumb

Hitch hiking is quite common among younger travellers strapped for cash or seeking adventure.

In the mountainous regions of Alberta and B.C. hitching is accepted and safe. Hitch hiking in the urban areas of Southern Ontario, and Montreal is not a sure thing as many drivers will not pick up hitch hikers in these regions. Further east, in the maritimes, it is easier and somewhat more common.

Paying for a hitch is not normal, and most trucking companies prohibit their drivers from taking passengers.

As anywhere in the world, use your common sense when taking or offering a ride.

By ride sharing

Ride sharing is increasing in Canada, as well as the United States, due in large part to the internet website Craigslist [22] and dedicated ridesharing sites such as LiftSurfer [23] and RideshareOnline [24]. This method of transport works best between major centres, for example Toronto-Montreal or Vancouver-Calgary. Generally anything along the Trans-Canada Highway corridor (Victoria, Vancouver, Banff, Canmore, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, St Johns, Halifax, PEI) should be no problem if your dates are flexible.

Some tourist destinations, especially those popular with young people, can be accessed via rideshare as well, for example: Vancouver-Whistler or Calgary-Banff. People sharing a ride will usually be expected to pay for their fair share of the fuel cost, and may also be asked to do some of the driving on long hauls.

For best results be sure to post a request listing, and start checking for offer listings at least one week prior to your anticipated ride date. Backpacker’s hostel notice boards are also a good resource for ride sharing.

Like hitchhiking, some common sense and discretion is advisable.

Talk

English and French are the two official languages in Canada. All communications and services provided from the federal government are available in both languages. Most Canadians are functionally monolingual, although some parts of the country have both English and French speakers. Over a quarter of Canadians are bilingual or multilingual. Many people in Montreal, Ottawa, and Quebec City are at least conversationally bilingual.

English is the dominant language in all provinces except Québec, where French is dominant and actively promoted as the main language. However, there are numerous francophone communities scattered around the country, such as:

• the national capital region around Ottawa,
• some parts of eastern and northern Ontario,
• the St. Boniface area of Winnipeg and towns in southeastern Manitoba,
• the Bonnie Doon neighbourhood in Edmonton, and several surrounding communities,
• many parts of the Acadian region of Atlantic Canada, scattered across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and the French Shores of Newfoundland).

Likewise, there are anglophone communities in Québec, such as some of the western suburbs of Montreal.

Canadian English uses a mixture of British and American spellings, and many British terms not usually understood and employed in the United States are more likely to be understood in Canada. Certain words also follow British instead of American pronunciations, but the accents of Anglo-Canadians and Midwestern/Northeastern Americans are nonetheless still quite similar.

Atlantic Canada is reported to have the greatest variety of regional accents in English-speaking North America, largely as a result of the isolated nature of the fishing communities along the Atlantic coastline prior to the advent of modern telecommunications and transportation. A visitor to the Atlantic provinces may have some difficulty understanding strong local accents rich in maritime slang and idiom, particularly in rural areas. From Ontario westward, the accent of English Canadians is more or less the same from one region to another and is akin to that spoken by those in northern US border states.

English-speaking Canadians are generally not required to take French after their first year of high school, and thus many citizens outside of Québec and Ottawa do not speak or use French unless they are closely related to someone who does, or have chosen to continue French studies out of personal or professional interest. Education in many other languages is available, such as Spanish, German, Japanese, etc. However, these are rarely taken. Most immigrants learn English or French in addition to speaking their native tongue with family and friends.

In Québec, one can get by with English in the major cities and tourist destinations, but some knowledge of French is useful for reading road signs as well as travels off the beaten path, and almost essential in many rural areas. It may also be useful to know at least a few basic French phrases in the larger cities, where some attempt by travellers to communicate in French is often appreciated. The French spoken in Québec and the Acadian regions (Southern Gaspe and Northern New Brunswick) differs in accent and vocabulary from European French, although if you speak European French you will get by with few problems.

Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are home to large Chinese migrant populations, and Cantonese is commonly spoken in the Chinatowns in these cities.

There are also dozens of aboriginal languages spoken by Canadians of aboriginal descent. Almost all first nations inhabitants that speak their native communities tongue are still bi-lingual in either English or French depending on what province you are in. In Nunavut more than half the population speaks Inuktitut, the traditional language of the Inuit.

Two sign languages are predominant in Canada. American Sign Language, or ASL, is used in Anglophone Canada; Québec Sign Language, or LSQ, is used in Francophone Canada. While the two are distinct languages, they share a degree of mutual intelligibility. Both are part of the French Sign Language family, and LSQ is believed to be a mix of French Sign Language and ASL.

See also: French phrasebook

See

Toronto

• CN Tower A Canadian landmark, a 553-meter tower with a revolving restaurant and a glass floor. It’s located besides the Roger Stadium a 1-minute walk from here.

• Roger Centre 1-minute walk from CN Tower and home of the Toronto Blue Jays. Famous for its retractable roof & hosts concerts

Ottawa

• Parliament Hill A parliament building on a top of a hill where the government resides

• Embassy District A famous district in the capital where many foreign dignitaries stay and live

Montreal

• Old port Montreal Popular complex with shops & activities along the St.Lawrence River

• Mount Royal Also known as Mont-Royal in French. A park on top of a hill

• Montreal Olympic Park Landmark site of 1976 Summer Olympics

Quebec City

• Quebec Citadel Complex featuring a long-standing active fort, plus a museum & changing of the guard ceremonies.

• Quartier Petit Champlain Cooperative-owned shopping quarter with independent boutiques, galleries, restaurants & a theatre.

• Old Port Quebec City The port of the old-quarter of the city where historic buildings with French Architecture still surrounds to this day.

• Art Gallery of the Château Frontenac (Galerie d’Art du Château Frontenac) An art gallery at the heart of Quebec old town

• Place d’armes A public squre similar to the one in Montreal with the statue of Paul de Chomedey

• Old-town Quebec An old quarter of the city famous for its french architecture and history of French Canada

Vancouver

• Stanley Park A vast green open space park located near the Pacific Ocean.

• Capilano suspension bridgeThe longest cable-suspended walkway in Canada

• Granville Market Located in Granville Island, where you can buy fresh produce

• Gastown quarter A famous district in Canada that is famous for its steam clock.

• Robson Street A shopping street lined with shops and restaurants and a shopping mall

Do

Bear Watching, Whale Watching and Wildlife Viewing

• In Manitoba, Churchill is known for its Polar Bears and Belugas and Riding Mountain National Park and adjacent Parkland area for its abundant population of Black Bears that vary in color from blond, cinnamon and chocolate to black. Riding Mountain National Park is known for its “watchable” wildlife. Canada is known for its wildlife. There are countless local tours across the country. [25]

Canada is a country with a rich cultural heritage. In Canada, festivals and events are held annually to celebrate the multicultural landscape of this great nation. Each festival represents a single cultural facet belonging to the diverse population of Canada. These festivals are easily identified by season.

Spring

In some parts of the country, April and May mark the beginning of Canadian music festival season. Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories celebrates spring with the Cariblues Festival, Halifax showcases chamber music with the Scotia Festival of Music and Ottawa highlights concerts, flowers and history at the Canadian Tulip Festival.

Canada is also renowned the world over for its theatre festivals such as Ontario’s Stratford Festival [26] in beautiful Stratford Ontario and the Shaw Festival [27] in scenic Niagara on the Lake, both of which begin at this time and continue through to the fall. There are also a number of children’s festivals including the Calgary International Children’s Festival and the annual Saskatchewan International Film Festival for Young People.

Summer

June 21 to July 1 marks 10 days of celebrations in Canada (though not all parts of Canada participate in each celebration). The festivities begin on 21 June with National Aboriginal Day and celebrations across the country continue on 24 June with Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, in honour of the patron saint of French Canadians, on 27 June with Canadian Multiculturalism Day, and culminate with Canada Day with parties everywhere on 1 July (Ottawa has the best Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill).

In addition to this, summer is peak season for festivals of any kind in Canada. Cities such as Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, and Winnipeg often pride themselves on their diverse summer festivals. Some festivals are music-orientated, such as Ottawa’s Bluesfest, Montreal’s Jazz Festival and Piknic Elektronic, Toronto’s NXNE, and both Calgary and Edmonton’s Folk Fests. Others are cultural (or multicultural) events, such as Caribana in Toronto, Folklorama in Winnipeg, and Caraquet’s (New Brunswick) Acadian Festival, along with the many well-attended gay pride festivals across the country. Others still are driven by the arts, such as the Toronto International Film Festival, Montreal’s Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, Edmonton’s Fringe Theatre Festival, and Vancouver’s Khatsalano Festival. Summer is also when the Calgary Stampede takes place, one of the most popular festivals in all of Canada, which showcases the Canadian ranching culture of Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Fall

Fall is traditionally a time for literary festivals and film festivals. Lovers of the written and spoken word may like the Trois-Rivières’ bilingual Festival International de la Poésie, Halifax’s Atlantic Canada Storytelling Festival, and Toronto’s International Festival of Authors. Film lovers can choose from the Toronto International Film Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Montreal World Film Festival, the Atlantic Film Festival, and St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival in Newfoundland, among many others.

Kitchener-Waterloo hosts the largest Oktoberfest celebration outside Bavaria. This nine-day festival features numerous cultural and entertainment activities. Many local venues are converted into biergartens (Beer Gardens) and take on Germanic names for the duration of the festival. Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest attracts over 700,000 visitors annually.

Fall is also a time for families to enjoy the autumn splendour of nature in fall festivals or in simple activities where one enjoys the beautiful countryside.

If you go bowling in Canada, you will find that small ball bowling games such as candlepin, five-pin and duckpin are more dominant in Canada. Tenpin bowling is available in larger metropolitan areas. Across western Canada, most of Ontario and Newfoundland, five pin bowling is the dominant type of bowling. Candlepin is the dominant type of bowling in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Duckpin bowling is common in Quebec. Tenpin bowling is dominant in Sault Ste. Marie, select areas of Southern Ontario and select areas in Quebec. Some bowling alleys offer tenpin on a convertible lane, which uses a specialized string-type pinsetter. Depending on the city, prime rates for tenpin bowling can be up to 40% higher than the small ball equivalent.

Winter

Winter is the time when Canadians and their families take to the slopes and hit the ice at ski resorts and community hockey rinks across the country. Canada’s world-famous winter festivals take place in late January and February including Carnaval de Québec in Quebec City and Winterlude/Bal de neige in Ottawa and Gatineau. There are also winter events that pay homage to Canada’s hardy pioneers such as the Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg and the Yukon Sourdough Rendez-vous Festival set in Whitehorse.

In Calgary, the month of January is devoted to showcasing challenging national and international theatre, dance, and music in The High Performance Rodeo, one of Canada’s leading festivals of new and experimental theatre.

Especially popular in British Columbia, winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding are practiced and enjoyed regularly during the winter. British Columbia is home to many of the world’s top ski resorts, including Whistler. The 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics took place in Whistler and Vancouver. Vancouverites can easily access smaller ski resorts, such as Cypress Mountain, Mount Seymour, and Grouse Mountain. This is typically a 15-30 minute drive from Downtown Vancouver.

Buy

Canada’s currency is the Canadian dollar (symbol: $ proper abbreviation is CAD), commonly referred to simply as a “dollar”, “loonie” or “buck” (slang). One dollar ($) consists of 100 cents (¢). In the 1970s, the Canadian dollar was worth more than the U.S. dollar, but it slipped to about 66 cents U.S. by the mid-1990s. Currency traders made jokes about the “Hudson’s Bay Peso”. As of August 2017, the Canadian dollar is roughly at $0.80 for every American Dollar.

Canadian coins are of 1¢ (penny; phased out, but still accepted as legal tender), 5¢ (nickel), 10¢ (dime), 25¢ (quarter), $1 (loonie) and $2 (toonie). The purchase total is rounded to the nearest nickel if you pay with cash. (Most coins roughly match their U.S. counterparts in size, shape, and colour, but not in metallic composition.) Canadian notes come in $5 (blue), $10 (purple), $20 (green), $50 (red) and $100 (brown) denominations. Although paper notes remain legal tender, banks have been taking them out of circulation in favour of plastic bills.

Note: Due to the physical similarity between Canadian and American 5, 10 and 25 cent coins, it is common to receive US coins in change in Canada, especially in major tourist destinations or communities close to the US border. Generally speaking, these US coins are accepted at face value and are treated like Canadian coinage because merchants and consumers rarely bother to look. This also applied to the 1-cent coin, however few merchants accept them anymore since the phasing out; although still legal tender, they are generally only accepted at banks. The American 50 cent and $1 coins are not similar to the Canadian equivalents and are not accepted in the same way. Note however that American coins, especially the quarter, may not always be accepted by Canadian vending machines, parking meters and video lottery terminals that have been calibrated for the lighter Canadian coins.

In comparison to the United States, Canada can be more expensive with some things (fast food, certain groceries, apparel, etc.) costing ~25-50% more than what they would in the United States, due to higher sales taxes (see below), higher tariffs on certain goods, and the cost of importing certain goods from the US, among other reasons.

In general, you should focus on buying brands or specific goods that are available only in Canada or are manufactured there (e.g., Canadian souvenirs). International tourists visiting the US and Canada on the same itinerary should plan to do most of their shopping in the US, where they can get much more for their money. For most international tourists, it makes sense to splurge in Canada only if they can’t or don’t want to enter the US.

Be aware that Canada sells fuel (gasoline, diesel, etc.) in liters, as opposed to gallons. Alcohol and cigarettes are much more expensive in Canada than in the US, due to higher taxes on these goods. There are now many microbreweries across the country, many with restaurants and pubs on premises; some of these are permitted to sell beer and cider on site.

Bargaining

Bargaining is extremely rare in ordinary retail shopping in Canada and attempts to talk a retail worker down in price will result in nothing (besides testing the employee’s patience). This is rarely a problem, as most retailers in Canada price their items fairly and do not look to extort their customers due to the highly competitive market and well-off economy. For larger-ticket items, especially high-end electronics and vehicles, many employees work on commission, so bargaining is sometimes possible for these items, and sales-people may offer you a lower price than what is ticketed right from the get-go. Some large retail stores will offer you a discount if you can prove to them that one of their competitors is selling the same product for a lower price. However, in certain establishments such as flea markets, antique stores, farmer’s markets, garage sales (see below) etc, you may be able to negotiate a lower price, although it is, again, often unnecessary to put forth the effort.

Garage sales

Like the US, many homes in Canada host garage sales (also known as yard and basement sales depending on the venue; block sales occur when entire groups of homes take part) where household goods, and other items are sold privately. Most often held on Saturdays and Sundays during the warmer months (spring to fall), these sales are not only a good way to find unique items, but offer a chance to explore the neighbourhoods of a community (useful for those considering relocation). Prices vary widely from extremely low to “antique store”, though bargaining (see above) is common. As private sellers, people hosting garage sales do not charge tax. There is a risk for those who expect to cross a border and go through customs returning home, however, as the providence of items found at a garage sale cannot be verified and garage sales generally do not give out receipts that can prove that an as-new item with a retail value of $50 was actually purchased at a garage sale for a mere $1.

Currency exchange

In all cities and towns, it is possible to convert between Canadian dollars and most major currencies at many banks. In addition, many retailers in Canada will accept US currency either at par or at slightly reduced value, and many Canadian bank branches allow users to withdraw USD cash instead of CAD. All Canadian banks provide currency exchange at the daily market value. In some areas, private exchange bureaus will give better exchange rates and lower fees than banks, so if you have time during your travels to look one up. It might save you some money on the exchange both when you arrive and before you leave, because Canadian dollars may not be worth as much in your home country, particularly the coin.

Private businesses are under no obligation to exchange currency at international rates. Even in the most rural areas, converting between Canadian and American dollars should not pose a problem, although travelers expecting to convert other currencies at a Canadian bank may need to be patient. In fact, most tourist destinations will accept American dollars as such, and are most likely to give a very good exchange rate. This is particularly true of regions that rely on tourism as a cornerstone of their local economy.

As Canadian Banks cash Canadian dollar travellers cheques free of charge, almost all businesses will do the same. This makes travellers cheques a safe and convenient way to carry money in Canada.

Many businesses across Canada accept U.S. Currency based on their own exchange rate for general purchases. Bills are taken with the current exchange rate. Most U.S. coins are similar in size to Canadian coins and are accepted at equal value; it is quite common for change to be given in a mix of Canadian and US coins, however most vending machines will reject U.S. coins.

Credit cards

Credit cards are widely accepted, with Visa and MasterCard being accepted in most places, and American Express somewhat less frequently and Diners Club only in the more upscale restaurants and hotels. Discover is usually accepted at places geared towards Americans such as hotels and car rental agencies. Generally, using a credit card also gets you a better exchange rate since your bank will convert the currency automatically at the prevailing daily rate.

Electronic banking/purchasing

The banking system is well developed, safe and technologically advanced. ATM usage in Canada is very high. There is a safe and widespread network of bank machines (ATMs) where you may be able to use your bank card to withdraw money directly from your account at home, but the fees involved can be more than for credit cards. If possible, try to use chartered bank ATM machines as the fees are often cheaper than the independent ATM machines. All Canadian banking institutions are members of the Interac international financial transaction network. Most retailers and restaurants/bars allow purchases by ATM card through Interac, even if they do not accept major credit cards, and many Canadians rarely use cash at all, prefering electronic forms of payment. Other ATM networks, including PLUS are widely supported and will be indicated on the ATM screen.

Taxes

No more GST rebates
Until 2007, travellers to Canada could claim back their GST on leaving the country, but this is no longer possible.

Taxes will be added on top of the displayed price at the cashier. Exceptions where the displayed price includes all applicable taxes are gasoline (the amount you pay is as it appears on the pump), parking fees, liquor bought from liquor stores, some groceries, and medical services such as eye exams or dentistry.Be aware that (in contrast to other countries where what you see is what you pay and so called “hidden costs” are forbidden by law) you will almost always pay more than the prices displayed, as listed prices usually exclude sales tax.

A Federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5% is applied to most items. In addition to the GST, all provinces except Alberta and Canada’s 3 territories charge an additional Provincial Sales Tax (PST) on purchases. Ontario and the Atlantic Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador have joined or “harmonized” the PST and GST. In these provinces, instead of being charged two separate taxes on a purchase, consumers will see one tax called the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).

While the GST and PST or HST are charged on most goods and services, some items are currently exempt from taxation. While this list can vary by province and tax, some common examples are: basic groceries (not prepared foods), prescription drugs, residential housing, medical and dental services, educational services and certain childcare services.

The sales tax rates (as of January 2014) are:

• Alberta – no PST, GST only (5% total)
• British Columbia – 7% PST and 5% GST (12% total)
• Manitoba – 8% PST and 5% GST (13% total)
• New Brunswick – 13% HST (13% total)
• Newfoundland and Labrador – 15% HST(15% total)
• Northwest Territories – no PST, GST only (5% total)
• Nova Scotia – 15% HST (15% total) — Previous provincial government promised to reduce the HST to 14%, but this is no longer planned.
• Nunavut – no PST, GST only (5% total)
• Ontario – 13% HST (13% total)
• Prince Edward Island – 14% HST(14% total)
• Quebec – 10% PST and 5% GST (15% total)
• Saskatchewan – 5% PST and 5% GST (10% total)
• Yukon – no PST, GST only (5% total)

Additional taxes have been placed on some goods (such as alcohol and gasoline) and vary by province; however, these taxes are often included in the displayed price of the good.

Major chains

Many large US retail chains such as Walmart, Costco, and Best Buy are also found throughout Canada, and the country’s shopping malls feature dozens of US and European boutique chains. However, for many decades, Sears was the only major US department store that had a major Canadian presence; after several years of planning, US luxury department store Nordstrom finally opened its first Canadian stores in 2015. The dominant Canadian department store companies are Hudson’s Bay, Holt Renfrew, and La Maison Simons.

The dominant Canadian pharmacy chain is Shoppers Drug Mart; the big three US pharmacies (Rite Aid, CVS, and Walgreens) do not operate in Canada.

Many US retail chains have attempted to enter the Canadian market, but ultimately exited after they were chewed up and spat out by ferocious local competitors. The latest examples of this are Target (closed all stores in 2015) and Safeway (sold all stores to Sobeys in 2013).

Like the US, Canada’s supermarket chains operate under multiple legacy brands specific to particular regions and market segments. The major supermarket operators are Sobeys, Loblaw, Metro, and Jim Pattison, but they operate under many different local brands.

Other retail chains that are unique to Canada and not found anywhere else include Canadian Tire (automotive/hardware), RONA (hardware), Winners (clothing), Mark’s Work Wearhouse (clothing), Urban Behavior (clothing), West 49 (clothing), Home Outfitters (Home Goods), The Brick (Furniture/Home Goods), Sport Chek (sporting goods), Chapters (bookstore), and Indigo Books and Music (bookstore), among others.

Eat

Beavertail with sugar and cinnamon, Ottawa

Poutine, Quebec

Buttertarts-flash-zoom

Nanaimo Bar

English Canadians may be mystified if you ask where you can get Canadian food. English Canadian cuisine varies from region to region. Some specialties include maple syrup, Nanaimo bars (chocolate-topped no-bake squares with custard or vanilla butter filling and crumb base), butter tarts (tarts made with butter, sugar, and eggs), beaver tails (fried dough topped with icing sugar), fiddleheads (curled heads of young ferns), peameal bacon (a type of back bacon made from lean boneless pork loin, trimmed fine, wet cured, and rolled in cornmeal; eaten at breakfast with eggs or for lunch as a sandwich), and Halifax donairs (sliced beef meatloaf wrapped in pitas and garnished with onions, tomatoes, and a sweet condensed milk sauce). They are an important, if somewhat humble, part of the Canadian culinary landscape. In other respects, English Canadian cuisine is similar to that of the northern United States. Canadians may be unaware that they even have national dishes, especially in the more urbanized areas; that said, there is a rising trend among Canadian chefs and restaurateurs to offer locally produced ingredients, and most major cities have bistros that specialize in local and national cuisine.

To many Canadians and non-Canadians, Maple syrup is the prominent element of Canadian cuisine. It is most often used on breakfasts (e.g. pancakes or crèpes), but can also be used as a sweetener for baked goods, warm milk for coffee, mixed with mustards or other sauces, etc. However, a lesser known tree syrup that is produced in the more northerly parts of Canada, closer to the boreal forests, is Birch syrup (which some from parts of Scandinavia may also recognize). It is usually not commercially produced to the same extent as maple syrup, but can be found in certain specialized stores in the southern cities, although typically at a higher price point than it’s maple counterpart. It is almost always darker and has a more intense, molasses-y flavour than maple syrup.

Tourtière

French Canadian cuisine is distinctive and includes such specialties as tourtière, a meat pie dish that dates back to the founding of Quebec in the 1600s, cipaille (vegetable pie), poutine, a dish consisting of French fries, cheese curds and gravy (its popularity has spread across the country and can be found from coast to coast), croquignoles (home-made doughnuts cooked in shortening), tarte à la farlouche (pie made of raisins, flour and molasses), tarte au sucre (sugar pie), and numerous cheeses and maple syrup products. Staples include baked beans, peas and ham. French-Canadian cuisine also incorporates elements of the cuisines of English-speaking North America, and, unsurprisingly, France.

One peculiar tradition that you may notice in nearly every small town is the Chinese-Canadian restaurant. A lot of the reason for this is the role Chinese immigration played historically in the early settlement of Canada, particularly in the building of the railroad. These establishments sell the usual fast food Chinese cuisine, adjusted for Western ingredients and tastes. Most American visitors will find this cuisine very familiar, since the Canadian cuisine developed in parallel with a virtually identical version in the States. In Toronto and Vancouver, two large centres of Chinese immigration, one can find authentic Chinese cuisine that rivals that of Hong Kong and Shanghai. In Toronto, visit the Chinatown area of Spadina-Dundas; if north of the city, consider a visit to the Markham area, which has recently seen an influx of newer Chinese immigrants.

Montreal is well known for its Central and Eastern European Jewish specialties, including local varieties of bagels and smoked meat. In the prairie provinces you can find great Ukrainian food, such as perogies, due to large amounts of Ukrainian immigrants.

If you are more adventurous, in the larger cities especially, you will find a great variety of ethnic tastes from all over Europe, Asia and elsewhere. You can find just about any taste and style of food in Canada, from a 20 oz T-Bone with all the trimmings to Japanese sushi (indeed, much of the salmon used in sushi in Japan comes from Canada). Consult local travel brochures upon arrival. They can be found at almost any hotel and are free at any provincial or municipal tourist information centre.

Americans will find many of their types of cuisine and brands with subtle differences, and many products unique to Canada, such as brands of chocolate bars and the availability of authentic maple syrup.

National franchises

You will find that many American chains have a well-established presence here.

Canadian chains include:

• A&W [28] Found all over Canada; although unrelated to the American A&W. The Canadian A&W uses a “family” model to identify their burger products. It’s targeted mostly to the boomer demographic, and as such has offerings of an arguably higher quality than most American chains, but prices can approach those of cheaper sit-down restaurants, with a combo meal (a “trio” in Québec) usually setting one back no less than $7.

• Boston Pizza [29] was founded in Edmonton and found throughout Canada (especially the Western provinces and Ontario). Boston Pizza is casual dining that specializes in pasta and pizza, but also offers a range of other meals, including sandwiches, steaks, and hamburgers. Most locations have a sports lounge separate from their main dining area.

• Booster Juice [30] is Canada’s largest chain of fresh juice and smoothie bars.

• Cactus Club Cafe [31] is based in Vancouver and is quickly expanding with locations in British Columbia, Alberta, and soon Ontario and Saskatchewan. Somewhat trendier and more upscale (though not very pricey) than more casual dining establishments and offers a more basic menu with extensive drinks.

• Cora’s [32] started in Quebec, and is rapidly expanding across the country. Cora’s serves only breakfast and lunch. If you want a hearty, North American style breakfast that makes you feel that you started your day right, Cora’s is the place to go.

• Earls [33] is found throughout Ontario and Western Canada (and is even in a couple cities in the US) and specializes in trendy, casual dining with a variety of dishes (though most are normal staples of North American cuisine).

• East Side Marios [34] is a chain restaurant specializing in Italian cuisine that is found throughout Canada.

• Freshii [35] a fast casual chain specializing in healthy food such as salads, wraps, burritos, juices, frozen yoghurt, and smoothies.

• Harvey’s [36] is a fast food chain, common in Ontario and found in almost every province, that features made-to-order hamburgers and other sandwiches.

• Jugo Juice [37] is a fast food chain, specializing in smoothies, sandwiches, and wraps.

• The Keg [38] steak houses, usually with tables and booths for 4-6 people. Apart from the steaks they also have good salads and starters. The Keg Mansion in Toronto is worth a visit.

• Kelsey’s [39] provides casual family dining, very similar to Applebees or T.G.I. Friday’s in the United States.

• Lick’s Homeburgers & Ice Cream [40] is a restaurant chain famous for its fresh, thick, juicy burgers, which are called “homeburgers”.

• mmmuffins [41] is a coffee, muffin and doughnut retailer. Currently owned and operated by Timothy’s World Coffee Inc. as an independent brand.

• Montana’s Cookhouse [42] is a family oriented, outdoor wilderness themed restaurant. Montana’s promises hearty portions of home-style cooking and friendly, efficient service in a lodge setting.

• Mr. Sub [43] is a submarine sandwich store chain.

• New York Fries [44] is a fast food restaurant that mainly serves french fries and hot dogs. There are locations in several provinces throughout Canada.

• Pizza Pizza [45] is a national chain (known as Pizza 73 in Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan and B.C.) of pizza delivery restaurants.

• Second Cup[46] serves coffee and cakes. This chain is very similar to Starbucks, in terms of atmosphere and product offerings.

• Smitty’s [47] is a pancake house/coffee shop chain similar to Denny’s in the US.

• Smoke’s Poutinerie [48] is a restaurant chain specializing in Poutine.

• Swiss Chalet [49] is a casual sit down restaurant are operated by Cara, the same company that runs Harvey’s, Kelsey’s, and Montana’s. They specialize in rotisserie chicken and ribs and are known for their special sauce.

Chocolate glazed timbits

• Tim Hortons [50] franchises are spread across the country. Started by a hockey player as a chain of doughnut shops, their coffee has become an obsession for many Canadians, and are actually starting to make inroads in the United States, particularly border states such as New York and Michigan. A common joke holds that if a Tim Hortons was placed on every corner of every street, there would still be a lineup out the door. Even though coffee is what they are famous for, their menu is worth considering, offering a variety of very inexpensive sandwiches, soups, bagels and baked goods. Their doughnuts are very popular, as are the ‘Timbits’, small balls of doughnut. Tim Hortons is so popular that visitors from other countries are often shocked and amused by the Tim Hortons franchises (and coffee cups) found nearly everywhere. You will probably find it very hard to avoid a Tim Hortons while in Canada. The ‘double double’ – two cream and two sugar – is a common coffee.

• Timothy’s World Coffee [51] (a.k.a. Timothy’s) is the third-largest Canadian-owned chain of cafés, behind Tim Hortons and Second Cup.

• Yogen Fruz [52] is a leading frozen yogurt chain featuring Probiotic frozen yogurt, which was founded in Canada in 1986. Yogen Fruz is a staple in malls all over Canada.

Drink

The drinking age in Canada varies from province to province. In Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec the age is 18, while in the rest of the provinces and territories it is 19. A peculiarity of many Canadian provinces is that liquor and beer can only be sold in licensed stores and this usually excludes supermarkets, corner stores, etc. In Ontario alcoholic beverages can only be sold in licensed restaurants and bars and “Liquor Control Board” (LCBO) stores that are run by the Province; although you can also buy wine in some supermarkets in a special area called the “Wine Rack”. Supermarkets in other provinces generally have their own liquor store nearby. Québec has the least restrictions on the sale of alcohol, and one can usually find alcohol at convenience stores (depanneur), in addition to the government-owned Société des Alcools du Québec (SAQ) stores. Alberta is the only province where alcohol sales are completely decentralized, so many supermarket chains will have separate liquor stores near the actual supermarket. Prices may seem high to Americans from certain states, bringing alcohol in to Canada (up to 1L of hard liquor, 1.5L of wine, or a 24 pack of beer), is advisable. American cigarettes are also quite popular to bring in as they are not sold in Canada.

Canadians are known for their love of beer, although wine and hard alcohol or spirits are also popular.

Like neighboring United States, some places in Canada are dry communities. Which, just like in the dry counties in the U.S., means that the sale of alcohol is either prohibited or restricted.

Beer

Canadian variant of Molson beer

Canadian mass-market beers (e.g., Molson’s, Labatt’s) are generally a pale gold lager, with an alcohol content of 4% to 5%. Like most mass-market beers, they are not very distinctive (although Americans will notice that there are beers made by these companies that are not sold in the States), however, Canadian beer drinkers have been known to support local brewers. In recent years, there’s been a major increase in the number and the quality of beers from micro-breweries. Although many of these beers are only available near where they are produced, it behooves you to ask at mid-scale to top-end bars for some of the local choices: they will be fresh, often non-pasteurized, and have a much wider range of styles and flavours than you would expect by looking at the mass-market product lines. Many major cities have one or more brew pubs, which brew and serve their own beers, often with a full kitchen backing the bar. These spots offer a great chance to sample different beers and to enjoy food selected to complement the beers.

Wine

Canadian Ice Wine

The two largest wine-producing regions in Canada are the Niagara Region in Ontario and the Okanagan in British Columbia. Other wine-producing areas include the shores of Lake Erie, Georgian Bay (Beaver River Valley) and Prince Edward County in Ontario, and the Similkameen valley, southern Fraser River valley, southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia. There are also small scale productions of wine in southern Quebec and Nova Scotia. Imported wines from France, Italy, the US, Australia, and others are also popular and available in large varieties

Ice wine, a (very) sweet dessert wine made from frozen grapes is a Canadian specialty, with products made by Inniskillin vinery [53] in particular found at airport duty-free stores around the world. In contrast to most other wine-producing regions in the world, Canada, particularly the Niagara Region, consistently undergoes freezing in winter and has become the world’s largest ice wine producer. However, due to the tiny yields (5-10% compared to normal wine) it’s relatively expensive, with half-bottles (375 ml / 13 fl oz) starting at $50. It is worth noting that Canadian ice wine is somewhat sweeter than German varieties.

Saké, or Japanese rice wine, is also growing in popularity. Most market share goes to imported brands, but Ontario Spring Water Sake Company in Toronto’s Distillery District and Artisan SakeMaker of Vancouver’s Granville Island are some of the most distinctive locally produced variants.

Cider

Cider, sometimes called “hard cider” in Canada to distinguish it from non-alcoholic apple cider, is growing in popularity in Canada. Many imported brands such as Somersby, Magners, and Strongbow can be found in many parts of the country. But “craft cider” is also growing to the same extent as “craft beer” during it’s earlier revival. Examples of these include Merridale, Dukes, Spirit Tree, Thornbury, and County Cider/Waupoos. Québec also has a distinctive and well established estate cidery industry, with many prominent smaller producers with lower production.

Distilled spirits

Canada is famous in other countries for its distinctive rye whiskey. Some famous editions include Canadian Club, Wisers, Crown Royal to name just a few. In addition to the plentiful selection of inexpensive blended ryes, you may find it worth exploring the premium blended and unblended ryes available at most liquor stores. One of the most-recognized unblended ryes is Alberta Premium, which has been recognized as the “Canadian Whiskey of the Year” by famed whiskey writer Jim Murray.

Canada also makes a small number of distinctive liqueurs. One of the most well-known, and a fine beverage for winter drinking, is Yukon Jack, a whiskey-based liqueur with citrus overtones. It’s the Canadian equivalent of the USA’s Southern Comfort, which has a similar flavour but is based on corn whiskey (bourbon) rather than rye.

Ungava Gin is also distinctive in that it uses botanicals found in Québec’s far north, including Labrador tea, crowberry, and cloudberry. There are many other local distilleries producing distinctive spirits, including (among others) Dillon’s in Ontario, Victoria Gin in British Columbia, Lucky Bastard in Saskatchewan, etc.

Other beverages

You can find most nonalcoholic beverages you would find in any other country. Carbonated beverages (referred to as “pop”, “soda” and “soft drinks” in different regions) are very popular. Clean, safe drinking water is available from the tap in all cities and towns across Canada. Bottled water is widely sold, but it is no better in quality than tap water, so you’ll save a lot of money by buying a reusable water bottle and filling it up from the tap.

A non-alcoholic drink one might drink in Canada is coffee. Tim Hortons is the most ubiquitous and popular coffee shop in the country. Starbucks is massively popular in Vancouver and becoming more so in other large centres such as Calgary (where it is larger than Tim Hortons), and Toronto. There is a Starbucks in most every city, along with local coffeeshops and national chains such as Second Cup, Timothy’s, mmmuffins (currently owned by Timothy’s Coffees of the World but operated under original trade name), Country Style, Coffee Time. Tea is available in most coffeeshops, with most shops carrying at least half dozen varieties (black, green, mint, etc.)

Sleep

Accommodations in Canada vary substantially in price depending on time and place. In most cities and many tourist areas, expect to pay upwards of $100 or more for a good hotel room. If inquiring always ask if taxes are included, because some offer it with taxes included, some not.

Hotels play an integral part of Canadian history, with some of the country’s most well known landmarks being hotels. The Canadian Railway Hotels are a series of grand hotels that were constructed in major cities (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, St. John’s and Halifax) in the early 1900s. Most of these are still standing and owned by corporations such as Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. The Grand Railway Hotels are all four star franchises, with prices ranging from $150-400 a night depending on the city and the size of the room. These hotels are architecturally stunning and sumptuously decorated, and in addition to being exceptional places to stay, are tourist attractions in their own right. Even if you are not staying in a Grand Railway hotel, it would be more than worth it to explore the main lobby or dine at the hotel restaurant.

In rural areas, motels (short for “motor hotel”) are small, simple hotels where you might pay as little as $40-60 for a night’s accommodation (especially in the off season.) In many areas, a B&B (bed and breakfast) is a nice option. These are normally people’s homes with suites for guests. The price – anywhere from $45 a night to $140 a night – usually includes a breakfast of some kind in the morning. Visit the official Bed and Breakfast Niagara website [54] for listings.

Other options include cottage rentals on the lakes and in the countryside and apartment rentals in the cities. Prices compare to hotels and motels and this type of lodging provides some comfort of home while you are traveling.

Youth hostels are a good choice, offering lodging in shared dorms ($20-40) or private rooms ($45-80). Some useful resources are Hostelling International Canada [55], Backpackers Hostels Canada [56], SameSun Backpacker Lodges [57] and Pacific Hostel Network [58] (which also covers Alaska and the Northwestern U.S.). Most hostels in Canada meet very high standards.

Some universities will rent their dormitory ( more commonly called “residence” or “rez”) rooms in the academic off season -May- August. Check university websites for more information.

Finally, there is a huge number of campgrounds in Canada. These range from privately owned R.V. parks to the publicly operated campgrounds in national and provincial parks, and are almost always well-kept and generally very beautiful.

Work

Canada is generally a good place to work. The minimum wage varies by province, from as low as $10.20/hour in Yukon Territory and $13.60 ( 2017 ) in Alberta to $11/hour in Nunavut and $14/hour in Ontario. As with most of the developed world, the economy is shifting from one dominated by manufacturing to one dominated by services. Thus, factory and manufacturing work is becoming scarcer every year and is highly sought, with most factories requiring a high school education or trade certificate. Minimum wage jobs are becoming more common every year, however with the housing market booming there is still a fair number of good construction jobs to be had.

Hiring practices are similar to those in the US.

Working Holiday Visas

A Working Holiday Visa (also referred to as an “International Experience Canada / Working Holiday Visa”) enables young citizens from certain countries to spend 1 or 2 years in Canada and to legally gain employment while in the country. The eligibility and length of stay rules vary by nationality. The standard rule used to be that a 1-year stay would be issued to nationals of participating countries who were between 18-30 years of age, however, some countries (Australia) now get a two-year visa, and applicants from some other countries can now apply up to age 35. Some countries’ nationals (eg citizens of Mexico) need to be post-secondary students at the time the application is made.

The full official list of participating countries and their associated eligibility requirements is available on the Government of Canada’s website for this program. As of May 2011, Canada had working holiday agreements with the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

United States citizens can also participate in a Working Holiday program through SWAP without requiring a Temporary Resident Visa prior to entry, but the work permit is limited to six months and the program is limited to post-secondary students at the time of the application.

Stay safe

Safety in Canada is not usually a problem, and some basic common sense will go a long way. Even in the largest cities, violent crime is not a serious problem, and very few people are ever armed, especially when compared to the United States. Violent crime need not to worry the average traveler, as it is generally confined to particular neighbourhoods and is rarely a random crime. Drug-related crimes also happen. Street battles between gangs happen rarely but have made national headlines, these outbreaks of violence usually happen in bunches over a given area because of a turf war or drug supply shortage. Overall crime rates in Canadian cities remain low compared to most similar sized urban areas in the United States and much of the rest of the world (though violent crime rates are slightly higher than most western European cities). Crime is higher in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Recently there have been several high-profile shootings in public/tourist areas – i.e. the June 2012 shootings at Toronto’s Eaton’s Centre and HUB Mall in Edmonton; the fact these incidents are so heavily covered by the media is related to the fact that they are considered very rare events.

Law enforcement in Canada

Police in Canada are almost always hardworking, honest, and trustworthy individuals. If you ever encounter any problems during your stay, even if it’s as simple as being lost, officers will be able to help you.

There are several different types of law enforcement. The federal police force for Canada is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Gendarmerie Royale du Canada) (RCMP/GRC), or mounties. Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland have their own provincial police force and are not patrolled by RCMP/GRC.

In their capacity as a federal police force, RCMP officers typically wear regular police uniforms and drive police cruisers while performing their duties. However, a minority of RCMP officers may appear in their iconic red dress uniform (Known as the Red Serge) in tourist areas, and for official functions such as parades. Some RCMP officers participate in elaborate ceremonies such as the Musical Ride horse show. While wearing their full dress uniform, their main function is to promote the image of Canada and Canadian Mounties. RCMP officers in full dress are generally not tasked with investigating crime or enforcing law, although they are still police officers and can perform arrests. In some tourist regions, such as Ottawa, both types of RCMP officers are commonly encountered. This dual-role and dual-appearance of the RCMP, both as federal police, and as a tourist attraction, may create confusion among tourists as to the function of the RCMP. Keep in mind that all RCMP officers are police officers, and have a duty to enforce the law.

Cities, towns and regions often have their own police forces, with the Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal forces being three of the largest. Some cities also have special transit police who have full police powers. Some quasi-government agencies, such as universities and power utilities also employ private special police. The Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway each have their own police force.

Canadian Forces Military Police can be found at military bases and other defence-related government facilities.

All three types of police forces can enforce any type of law; federal, provincial or municipal. Their jurisdiction overlaps, with the RCMP being able to arrest anywhere in Canada, the OPP and municipal police officers being able to arrest anywhere within their own province. Powers of arrest for Federal, Provincial and municipal police agencies in Canada exist for officers on or off duty.

In the national capital region of Ottawa-Gatineau, one can encounter more police jurisdictions than in any other part of Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (both regular uniformed and full dress), the Ontario Provincial Police, the Ottawa police, the Sûreté du Québec, the Gatineau Police, Military Police, and OC Transpo Special Constables, all operate in the region, each with a different style of uniform and police cruiser.

Snatching of Luggage

If you are unfortunate enough to get your purse or wallet snatched, the local police will do whatever they can to help. Often, important identification is retrieved after thefts of this sort. Visitors to large cities should be aware that parked cars are sometimes targeted for opportunistic smash-and-grab thefts, so try to avoid leaving any possessions in open view. Due to the high incidence of such crimes, motorists in Montreal and some other jurisdictions can be fined for leaving their car doors unlocked or for leaving valuables in view. Try to remember your license plate number and check that your plates are still in place before you go somewhere as some thieves will steal plates to avoid getting pulled over. Auto theft in Montreal, including theft of motor homes and recreational vehicles, may occur in patrolled and overtly secure parking lots and decks. Bike theft can be a common nuisance in metropolitan areas.

Winter storms

Canada is very prone to winter storms (including ice storms and blizzards). Reduce speed, be conscious of other drivers, and pay attention. It’s probably a good idea to carry an emergency kit in your car, in case you have no choice but to spend the night stuck in snow on the highway (yes, this does happen occasionally, especially in more isolated areas). If you are unfamiliar with winter driving and choose to visit Canada during the winter months, consider using another mode of transportation to travel within the country. Make note that while the vast majority of winter weather occurs, naturally, during the winter months, some parts of Canada such as the prairie provinces and north and mountain regions may experience severe, if brief, winter-like conditions at any time during the year.

If you are touring on foot, it is best to bundle up as much as possible in layers with heavy socks, thermal underwear and gloves; winter storms can bring with them extreme winds alongside frigid temperatures and frostbite can occur in a matter of minutes.

Firearms and Weapons

Unlike the U.S., Canada has no constitutional rights relating to gun ownership. Firearm regulation in Canada is significantly more restrictive than its Southern neighbor. Possession, purchase, and use of any firearms requires proper licenses for the weapons and the user, and is subject to federal laws. Firearms are classed (mainly based on barrel length) as non-restricted (subject to the least amount of training and licensing), restricted (more licensing and training required) and prohibited (not legally available).

Prohibited Firearms

• Handguns with a barrel length inferior to 105 millimetres (4.1 in), or;

• Handguns that are designed to discharge .25 or .32 calibre ammunition;

• Rifles and shotguns that have been altered by sawing, cutting or any other means, so that either, the barrel length is inferior to 457 millimetres (18.0 in) (regardless of overall length), or; the overall length is inferior to 660 millimetres (26 in)

• Firearms which have fully automatic fire capability, or “converted automatics” (i.e.: firearms which were originally fully automatic, but have been modified to discharge ammunition in a semi-automatic fashion)

• Hundreds of other firearms listed by name, including any variants or modified versions. The list includes shotguns, carbines, rifles, pistols, and submachine guns, as well as tasers. Examples are the AK-47, FN-FAL, HK G3, Thompson SMG, MP5 SMG, Uzi, and many others. [59]

• Magazines designed for semiautomatic centerfire rifles that exceed 5 rounds, and pistol magazines that exceed 10 rounds (Magazines designed for manually operated firearms and all rimfire weapons have no limits)

Restricted Firearms

• Any handgun that is not prohibited (Handguns cannot be non-restricted)

• Any non-prohibited semiautomatic firearm with a barrel length inferior to 470 millimetres (18.5 in)

• Any firearm that can be fired when the overall length has been reduced by folding, telescoping, or other means to less than 660 millimetres (26 in)

• The AR-15 by name and any variant of it, centrefire and rimfire

Non-Restricted Firearms

• any other rifle or shotgun, other than those referred to above. Includes long guns of all types of function except for fully automatic.

Generally the only people who legally permitted to carry handguns in public are Federal, Provincial, and Municipal Police, Border Services Officers, Wildlife Officers in most provinces, Sheriff’s Officers in some provinces, private security guards who transport money and people who work in remote “wilderness” areas who are properly licensed. It is possible to import non-prohibited firearms such as most types of rifle and shotgun for sporting purposes like target shooting and hunting, and non-prohibited handguns for target shooting may also be imported with the correct paperwork. Prohibited firearms will be seized at customs and destroyed. Travellers should check with the Canada Firearms Centre [60] and the Canada Border Services Agency [61] before importing firearms of any type before arrival.

Be aware that it is unusual for civilians to be seen openly carrying weapons in urban areas. While generally not illegal, openly carrying a weapon will likely be treated with suspicion by the police and civilians, as opposed to some areas of the US where it is more commonplace.

Switch blades, butterfly knives, spring loaded blades and any other knife that opens automatically are classified as Prohibited and are illegal in Canada. As are Nunchucks, Tasers and other electric stun guns, most devices concealing knives, such as belt buckle knives and knife combs, and articles of clothing or jewelry designed to be used as weapons. Mace and pepper spray is also illegal unless sold specifically for use against animals.

Fires

Forest fires usually occur in summer and are possible across a wide swath of the country, most frequently in the western Provinces. Always check the news for info on forest fires and if you must go through them, be very cautious. Often the roads are impassable; alter travel plans accordingly and be prepared for evacuation if forest fires are on your doorstep.

Fires in British Columbia are particularly vicious because of steep mountainous terrain. The combination of dry summers, dry lightning strikes and large forested sections are all factors. The province had serious issues with forest fires in the summers of 2003 and 2009, with many thousands having to be evacuated.

Drug Use

Because of its popularity, easy availability and allowances for “medical purposes”, many visitors believe that the use of marijuana is legal. Indeed, on October 17 2018, the possession, consumption and sale of recreational marijuana was legalized. Those over the age of 19 (18 in Alberta and Quebec, but the latter may change to 21 in 2019) may now possess up to 30 grams of cannabis in public, share up to 30 grams with other adults, purchase cannabis products from a licenced provincial or territorial retailer, and grow up to 4 plants per residence (not per person) for personal use from licensed seeds or seedlings.

The laws relating to the usage of cannabis vary at the provincial and territorial levels. For example, Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Ontario and Quebec generally allow cannabis to be smoked in public in areas where tobacco may be smoked, whereas all other provinces and territories do not allow the public consumption of cannabis. Be sure to check the local laws before consumption.

When entering or exiting Canada, make sure you do not possess any marijuana or marijuana related products as it still remains illegal to import and export [62]. This is especially important if you plan to visit the United States as you risk a lifetime US travel ban that may complicate your future travels to any country.

Driving while impaired by drugs (including marijuana and even legal “drowsy” drugs) is a criminal offence and is treated similarly to driving under the influence of alcohol, with severe penalties. Do not attempt to drive while under the influence of drugs; visitors can expect to be deported after serving jail time or paying very large fines.

Be advised that unlike many other countries, Khat is illegal in Canada, and will get you arrested and deported if you try to pack it in your luggage and get caught by customs.

Needless to say, under no circumstances should you attempt to bring any amount of anything that even resembles a controlled substance into the United States from Canada, or vice versa. This definitely includes cannabis; despite legalisation, it remains highly illegal to take cannabis out of Canada, even if it is to a region where it is legal. Penalties in the U.S. for smuggling even small amounts of drugs are more severe than in Canada, with prison sentences being 20 years to life for trafficking.

Drunk Driving

Canadians take drunk driving very seriously, and it is a social taboo to drink and drive. Driving while under the influence of alcohol is also punishable under the Criminal Code of Canada and can involve lengthy jail time, particularly for repeat offenders. If you “blow over” the legal limit of blood alcohol content (BAC) on a roadside Breathalyser machine test, you will be arrested and spend at least a few hours in jail. Being convicted for driving under the influence (DUI) will almost certainly mean the end of your trip to Canada, a criminal record, and you being barred from re-entering Canada for at least 5 years. 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood (0.08%) is the legal limit for a criminal conviction. Many jurisdictions call for fines, license suspension and vehicle impoundment at 40mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood (0.04%), or if the officer reasonably believes you are too intoxicated to drive. Note this difference; while having a BAC of 0.03% when tested at a police checkpoint (‘Checkstop’ or ‘ride-stop’, which is designed to catch drunk drivers) will not result in arrest, having the same BAC after being pulled over for driving erratically, or after getting involved in an accident may result in being charged with DUI.

Those crossing the land border into Canada from the USA or visa versa while driving under the influence could get arrested by the Border Services Officers and be subject to lengthy interrogation in addition to the above punishments

Refusing a Breathalyzer test is also a Criminal Code offense, and will result in the same penalties as had you blown over. If a police officer demands that you supply a breath sample, your best option is to take your chances with the machine.

Hate Speech & Discrimination

Canada is a very multicultural society, and the majority of Canadians are open minded and accepting. Thus, it is unlikely to meet ridicule in major urban centres on the basis of race, gender, religion,as a large amount of Canadians (from major urban centres) have encountered every type of person imaginable. Certainly, if racial minorities do encounter discrimination, it almost never results in violence, and when it does the police are generally very tough on assaults against racial & sexual minorities. Canada was one of the first countries in the world, and consequently many Canadians are tolerant and good people. In big cities, especially Toronto and Montreal, and a majority Canadians will not be bothered by, or even interested in, this. Canada is known around the world, and many Canadians are mostly proud of this. Hate speech that incites violence is illegal in Canada and can lead to prosecution, jail time and deportation.

Prostitution

Buying sex services is illegal everywhere in Canada. Expect to be fined at least 300C$. Sometimes, the police may raid brothels and arrest you.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Canada can vary wildly (ha get it). Many animals are harmless and will either allow you to walk up to them or simply run away. Safe animals (for the most part) include squirrels, groundhogs, pronghorns, and deer. Though one should know that some animals are different and during the breeding season they may become more aggressive. When visiting an area with wildlife, always observe the rules.

There are a few dangerous and potentially dangerous wildlife species in Canada though. The forests and plains have a wide variety, black and brown bears, wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, bison, moose, etc. The freshwater areas of Canada should be relatively safe, though one should watch out for pike and muskellunge. Venomous snakes should also be stayed away from. Diseases may be transmitted as well, frogs, turtles, newts, salamanders, etc. (in general reptiles and amphibians) should not be handled unless living in a captive environment and you are allowed to do so. Nesting birds are to be avoided, not only can they abandon their babies if frightened, but many will attack, even the smallest passerines.

The north of Canada is home to polar bears, one of the more aggressive bear species. There is no good reason to approach a polar bear. Seals, sea lions, and walruses should be avoided, especially during the breeding season where males may be in heavy competition. 28 different species of sharks live in Canadian waters, with most being harmless, though a few, such as the spiny dogfish should be avoided. Greenland sharks are powerful enough to possibly kill a moose or bear and should never be approached. Sixgill and sleeper sharks should be avoided, as well as pelagic sharks such as the thresher shark. Orcas, though never killing anyone in the wild should never be approached at a short distance, as well as dolphins and whales. Whales can destroy boats simply by smacking their fluke on them, and dolphins may be malicious towards humans. When in the southwestern coast, watch out for Garibaldi fish and wolf eels, both can be potentially dangerous.

Stay healthy

You are unlikely to face health problems here that you wouldn’t face in any other western industrialized country (despite claims of long waiting lists and inferior care, which often varies by hospital and is usually exaggerated). Furthermore, the health care system is one of the best on the planet, and is very effective and widely accessible. In the past two summers, Canadians in some provinces (Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta) have faced a few cases of West Nile virus, an occasionally fatal infection transmitted by mosquitoes. Also several diseases like whooping cough, diphtheria, and measles are common throughout Canada. Visitors should note that, while Canada has universal health care for residents, health care is not free for visitors, therefore it is important to make sure you are covered by your insurance while traveling in Canada. It should also be noted that, while large hospitals in major cities can be very good, hospitals in mid-sized cities without a large medical school tend to be chronically underfunded and understaffed; hospitals in working class neighbourhoods of large cities tend to suffer from the same problems.

Be aware that most Canadian provinces have banned all indoor smoking in public places and near entrances. Some bans include areas such as bus shelters and outdoor patios. See Smoking.

Food preparation

Canada has quite high standards for restaurant and grocer cleanliness and such if there is a problem with the food you have bought then talk with the manager to report it. You will usually be compensated for the meal, and many managers appreciate patrons who are willing to come forth as opposed to staying silent about it (as long as you aren’t rude). Getting sick from contaminated food is unlikely.

Medical Tourism

Compared to the United States, some medical care in Canada is available about 30 to 60 percent cheaper. Medical tourism firms help visitors to obtain medical care such as cosmetic surgery and joint replacement in major cities including Vancouver and Montreal. After their treatments, patients can enjoy a vacation and relax in a cabin in the Canadian Rockies, explore colourful Montreal, or other activities.

Sexual Health

Condoms and other barrier forms of birth control are widely available in drug stores, grocery stores, and corner stores. Hormone-based forms such as oral contraceptives (“the birth control pill”), “the patch”, and “the ring” are available from pharmacies only with a prescription.

Respect

Canadians in general are welcoming and friendly folk. Most of them take pride in their nation’s reputation for being progressive and culturally diverse.

Social Etiquette and Gestures

• Canadians, in general, tend to be indirect, neutral communicators; They try to avoid conflict and confrontation wherever necessary, but that being said, Canadians tend to express their thoughts clearly and openly, but in a respectful and tactful manner, even if they disagree with you. This said, they tend to avoid the company of argumentative, confrontational or opinionated people.

• Canadians are more reserved and polite than Americans and take matters of etiquette a little more seriously. It is prudent to shake hands and introduce yourself when meeting Canadians for the first time. Eye contact is very important.

• Do not hug or back slap someone unless you’re well acquainted with them. It’s considered rude manners.

• Do not interrupt or butt into a conversation. It’s considered rude manners.

• Do not raise your voice or lose your temper in a conversation. Canadians tend to avoid losing their temper in public, and it is widely viewed as a sign of impatience and arrogance.

• Canada is a largely egalitarian society. Bragging about your material possessions, or coming off as morally superior to others is seen as contrived and arrogant.

• Canadians are proud of their distinct national, historic, and cultural identity. Conversations about the similarities or distinctions between Canadians and people south of the border should be approached with caution, and using the term “American” to refer to or include Canadians would be considered factually inaccurate (“I’m not American, I’m Canadian.”) and irritating. When necessary, the term “North American” would be more commonly used. Americans may be surprised by opinions held toward their country’s policies, though most Canadians tend to distinguish between the American government and its citizens.

• Punctuality is highly valued. Arriving late to an appointment can be seen as rude manners unless you can provide a good reason for your defence.

• When entering a private home in Canada it is usually expected that you take off your shoes, or at least attempt to do so.

Quebecian Etiquette and Gestures

Although Quebec is a part of Canada, it has a distinctive language and culture that sets it apart from the rest of the country, and thus some important cultural considerations are worth bearing in mind.

• Kissing on the cheeks is quite common. When close friends and family meet in Quebec, they use each other’s first names and kiss both cheeks.

• It’s common for a man to kiss the hand of a woman. Female travellers should not be surprised about this and should accept it. A male traveller kissing the hand of a woman in Quebec, however, would result in some puzzled, confused looks.

• Although Quebecians are proficient in English, make an attempt to speak in French to them. In most cases, you’ll find them becoming noticeably more aloof if you approach them speaking English than in French.

• Do not use a thumbs down gesture. It is considered offensive.

• Do not slap an open palm over a closed fist. It is considered offensive.

• A thumbs up gesture means “OK”. It isn’t considered offensive.

• Do not talk with your hands in your pockets. It is considered rude manners.

• Do not summon a waiter or waitress by snapping your fingers or shouting. Instead, say Monsieur (male waiter) or Mademoiselle (female waiter) quietly.

• Do not eat while standing or walking. It’s considered rude manners.

• Quebecians have a relaxed view of time. Showing up early to an occasion or a social appointment can be seen as impolite.

• Do not confuse Quebecians as French. It can result in some puzzled, confused stares.

Indigenous people

• The terms “aboriginal” (“autochthones” in French) or “indigenous” are commonly used to refer to the cultural groups that existed in present-day Canada before the arrival of Europeans. These umbrella terms are used to refer to other sets of cultural groups. Although terminology and distinctions among groups are not well understood even by many Canadians, basic familiarity is essential for accurate and respectful understanding.

• The term Inuit refers to the indigenous people of the northern regions of Canada, the United States, and Greenland. The once-common term “Eskimo” is at best outdated and at worse, a racial slur. The term Metis (pronounced MAY-tee) is usually used by people who consider themselves to be both indigenous Canadians and descendants of mixed aboriginal and European heritage.

• The term First Nations refers to indigenous Canadians who do not identify themselves as either Inuit or Metis.

• Tourism related to aboriginal culture is a complex issue. Tourists may be welcomed in some communities as visitors or guests and as a possible source of revenue. Other communities may not wish to have their heritage or identities be considered a tourist attraction. Issues around the sale of aboriginal-made products or those inspired by aboriginal cultures (particularly by or for the benefit of non-aboriginal people) is equally complex. As always, respect for local people and their wishes should always take precedence over tourists’ interests in experiences or souvenirs.

Things to avoid

Politics:

• Discussions about regional or linguistic politics should also be approached with caution. While not likely to cause real offence, the learning curve for Canada’s political culture can be very steep and it can usually result in some fierce, aggressive debates depending on how you approach it. Publicly spouting strong political opinions won’t be welcomed by many Canadians. Don’t be afraid of asking any questions that you may have, but know that being a foreigner puts you in a delicate, fragile position.

Religion:

• Avoid discussing or questioning someone’s religious beliefs. Religion is a strictly private matter, and investigation into other people’s faith won’t be tolerated or welcomed.

Sensitive Issues:

• Steer clear of discussing Quebecian independence. This is one of the most contentious issues in Canadian society, and it’s wise to refrain from bringing up or commenting on the subject as it can very quickly result in a heated argument, especially if there are French-speaking Canadians around.

• Steer clear of discussing the status of Aboriginal, Indigenous Canadians. Aboriginal Canadians have endured a great degree of social problems, and their plight is widely considered by many to be embarrassing to Canadian society. It’s wise to refrain from bringing up or commenting on this subject altogether as it could result in a heated argument, especially if there are Indigenous Canadians around.

• Avoid using terms like “Indian” and “Native”. They are regarded as controversial and it is safer to avoid their use as they may be considered racial slurs.

Environmentalism and animal protection

Canada is very much into animal and nature protection and has many protected areas used solely for nature and animals. You should be considerate of this. Don’t litter, cut down trees, hunt animals offseason, shoot endangered species, or trespass on lands that are reserved for plant and animal life.

Contact

The communication infrastructure of Canada is what you would expect for an industrialized country. However, the cost of voice and data communication tends to generally be more expensive compared to most European countries.

By phone

The international country code for Canada is 1. Area codes and local phone numbers are basically the same as used in the United States. (Three-digit area code, seven-digit local phone number). Some cities only require a seven-digit local phone number to place a call, but in most major cities you must use ten digit dialing even for local calls. For example, in Vancouver, if you look up the phone number for a business or friend across the street or across town as 987-6543, then you must dial 6049876543 to call it. This is a local call. Add the “1” if you are dialing a long distance call, or 16049876543. Knowing what constitutes a long distance call is part art, but if your number is for a place more than 50km away from your position, it most likely would be a long distance call. Always check area codes, some cities have more than one, such as Vancouver which could be (604) or (778).

Due to the extremely high cost of cell phones, Canada has one of the lowest cell phone ownership rates in the developed world and highest landline retention rate. This is especially the case in Atlantic Canada and Quebec. Pay phones are much more widely available than in the United States, and provide a considerably cheaper way of making lengthy phone calls than cell phones. Local calls cost $0.50; for long distance calls, a prepaid long distance card is recommended and will provide calling to Canadian numbers for around $0.05-0.07 per minute.

Mobiles

Cell phones are widely used, but due to Canada’s large size and relatively sparse population, many rural areas that are not adjacent to major travel corridors have no service.

Of the major national carriers, Bell Mobility and TELUS operate national CDMA networks and a more modern UMTS (WDCMA/HSPDA) network. Rogers Wireless operates a GSM network. All of these networks operate on the 850MHz/1900MHz bands and phones from outside North America are unlikely to work unless they are specifically marketed as World Phones, or Quad-Band. Note that quad-band/world phones may still not be compatible with Bell and TELUS’s HSDPA network, but they should work on Rogers.

Both Rogers and TELUS operate separate discount brands using the same infrastructure as their main networks. For Rogers this is the Fido and Chatr services, and for TELUS it is Koodo Mobile. These brands typically aren’t really much cheaper (the parent company is obviously not going to undercut itself), but the plan options may be better suited for some people.

In addition to the major incumbent networks noted above there are several regional carriers and some new start-up carriers servicing limited geographical areas. One of these new carriers is Wind mobile, operating a 1700/2100MHz GSM network in a half dozen or so metropolitan areas.

All of the major national carriers offer pre-paid SIM cards with start-up packages in the range of $75 with a specified amount of airtime included. Prepaid plans usually have a per minute rate of $0.25, but many have “evenings and weekends” add-ons for around $30/month.

Visitors from outside North America will be surprised to learn that Canadian carriers charge for incoming calls, either by using a plan’s included minutes, or at a rate of $0.25 to $0.35/minute. In addition, if you are outside of your phone number’s local calling area when answering a call, you will be charged long distance on top of the air time charge. This means that answering an incoming call outside of the phone’s local calling area can cost you up to $0.70/minute.

Internet via GSM is prohibitively expensive. Due to the nearly complete dominance of three companies, mobile rates in Canada are among the highest in the world. The Canadian government continually promises to open up the market and help smaller companies compete and continually fails to do so. However, the recent entry of WIND Mobile, a smaller player with substantial overseas ownership was recently approved and may signal a change in the official government stance.

If entering with an iPad, be aware that Bell and Telus will NOT offer local iPad plans without some form of Canadian ID.

Online

There are many ways to access the Internet, including a number of terminals at most public libraries.

Most large and medium-sized towns will have Internet and gaming cafes.

Wi-Fi access is common in cities and can be found at most coffee shops, public libraries, and some restaurants. Although some locations charge an excessive fee for its use, others provide free WiFI, including Blenz coffee houses, McDonalds, Second Cup, Tim Horton’s, and Starbucks. Note that purchasing the establishment’s product is expected, even if they are charging for internet access. Buying a small coffee or tea typically meets this requirement. Most airports and certain VIA Rail stations also offer free Wi-Fi in passenger areas. See wififreespot.com for a partial listing of establishments offering free WiFi.

It is worth noting that if you are staying at a private residence, please be considerate and go easy on your usage. Unlike most other countries, Canada’s fixed-line internet plans prescribe a data allowance (e.g. 40GB, 80GB, 100GB). The amount your hosts pay a month will depend on the amount of data they wish to subscribe to and they will pay additional charges if they exceed their allowance or wish to do so. A $48/month plan will get 40GB of internet.

By mail

Of course, there is always the postal system. While its delivery times can be hit or miss (as quick as the next day in the same city to two weeks across country), Canada Post’s domestic rates and service are more expensive (85 Canadian cents for domestic letter) than its American counterpart’s. International parcel postal services can be costly. Sending a parcel from Canada to the United States is generally more expensive than sending the same parcel to Canada from the United States, although, strangely enough, sending a parcel within Canada will often be more expensive than sending the same one to the United States. Ordering items online is generally prohibitively expensive for this very reason; a handful of hardcover books, for instance, may cost hundreds of dollars to ship. Postal offices are usually marked by the red and white Canada Post markings. Some drug stores, such as the Shopper’s Drug Mart chain, Jean Coutu, Uniprix, etc., feature smaller outlets with full service. Such outlets are often open later and on weekends, as opposed to the the standard M-F 9AM-5PM hours of the post offices.

Get out

• Canada’s southern neighbour, the United States, can become a side trip from Canada or even a major part of your vacation. Places like Niagara Falls, New York State, New York City, Detroit, and Seattle are easily reached on public transportation or on foot in some cases. See the main article on the U.S. for entry requirements – if you need a visa be sure to apply well in advance.
• Saint-Pierre and Miquelon are two relatively small islands off the coast of Newfoundland. Despite their small size and relative proximity to the Canadian coast line, they are overseas Departments of France and the only vestige of French colonialism in North America. To step into this charming French seaside community, take the car ferry from Fortune, Newfoundland during the summer, or scheduled flights from Montreal, Halifax, and St. Johns year round.

Greenland, Canada’s major eastern island neighbour, despite being separated by less than 50km of water in some locations is not easily accessible from North America. The flag carrier Air Greenland flies from Iqaluit in Nunavut (YFB) to the capital Nuuk (GOH) twice a week from June through September. Seasonal flights are also available from Reykjavik, Iceland (KEF) and year round via Copenhagen (CPH). Another, albeit more expensive option are the summer cruise ships originating in both the U.S. and Canada. Despite the relative difficulty of reaching the island, the untouched natural Arctic beauty of one of the most remote places on earth makes it well worth the effort.

Content copyleft courtesy of the wonderful wikitravel.org.

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