Dólar canadiano O dólar canadiano é a moeda oficial do Canadá. E também circula ao lado do euro em São Pedro e Miquelon. Uma coletividade no exterior da França localizada ao sul da ilha de Terra Nova. Foi usado no Canadá desde 1858. O dólar é dividido em 100 centavos. Coloquialmente conhecido como sous em francês. Para distinguir o dólar canadense de outras moedas denominadas em dólares, muitas vezes é abreviado como C ou CAD. A partir de 2011. a moeda é a sétima moeda mais negociada do mundo, representando cerca de 5,3 da cota diária global. Notas e referências Editar interferência de bloqueador de anúncios detectada Wikia é um site gratuito que gera dinheiro com publicidade. Nós temos uma experiência modificada para os espectadores usando ad bloqueadores Wikia não está acessível se youve fez outras modificações. Remova a (s) regra (s) do bloqueador de anúncios personalizados e a página será carregada conforme o esperado. A cidade é por tamanho, o maior país da América do Norte. Segundo no mundo em geral (atrás apenas da Rússia). Reconhecido mundialmente por sua vasta e intocada paisagem, sua mistura única e tolerante de culturas e história multifacetada, o Canadá é um dos países mais ricos do mundo e um importante destino turístico. Entenda Editar Com ou sem os Reis, não somos americanos. Nem somos britânicos. Ou francês. Ou vazio. Nós somos outra coisa. E quanto mais cedo definirmos isso, melhor. 8212 Will Ferguson Canadá é uma terra de grandes distâncias e rica beleza natural. Economicamente e tecnologicamente, e de muitas outras maneiras, ela se assemelha muito ao seu vizinho do sul, os Estados Unidos. Embora existam diferenças significativas entre os dois países. O Canadá está perfeitamente feliz com a sua herança britânica e muitos canadenses estão orgulhosos disso. Historicamente, o Canadá tem sido construído e influenciado por imigrantes de duas nações europeias, Grã-Bretanha e França. Essa natureza dual é muito diferente da dos Estados Unidos e, em algumas partes do Canadá, particularmente o Quebec e partes de New Brunswick, os canadenses falam principalmente francês. Canadá tornou-se um domínio auto-governante em 1867 por um ato do parlamento britânico, e ainda é um membro orgulhoso da Commonwealth das Nações. Em 1931, era mais ou menos totalmente independente do Reino Unido. Embora a verdadeira independência não tenha ocorrido até 1982. Embora um país de tamanho médio por sua população (35 milhões), o Canadá ganhou o respeito no cenário internacional por suas fortes habilidades diplomáticas, esforços de manutenção da paz e respeito pelos direitos humanos. Os canadenses gozam de uma qualidade de vida muito alta - o Canadá, de forma consistente, cai muito bem nos índices de liberdade econômica, corrupção, respeito pelos direitos civis e muito mais. No plano interno, o país mostrou sucesso na negociação de compromissos entre suas próprias populações culturais e linguisticamente variadas, uma tarefa difícil, considerando que a linguagem, a cultura e mesmo a história podem variar significativamente em todo o país. Da mesma forma que a imagem tradicional dos Estados Unidos de si como um caldeirão. Há muitas minorias diferentes de todo o mundo que vivem no Canadá, particularmente em centros urbanos. Os canadenses são, em sua maior parte, habituados a viver e interagir com pessoas de diferentes origens étnicas diariamente e geralmente serão bastante amigáveis e entender se abordados em público. O país é em grande parte de base urbana, onde os povos de todos os fundos esfregar cotovelos uns com os outros. Zonas horárias Editar O canadense Sir Sandford Fleming propôs por primeira vez zonas horárias para todo o mundo em 1876, e o Canadá, sendo um país continental, é coberto costa a costa com múltiplas zonas. O Canadá usa o sistema de relógio de 12 horas, porém o sistema de relógio de 24 horas é usado nas províncias de Quebec e New Brunswick, onde o francês é uma língua oficial e esse sistema de relógio é usado com essa linguagem e onde a ambigüidade deve ser evitada, Trem ou horários das companhias aéreas quando dados em inglês e francês, porque serão indicados em cada sistema de relógio. O horário de verão, quando os relógios são movidos para a frente em uma hora, é observado na maior parte do país a partir das 02:00 no segundo domingo de março até às 02:00 no segundo domingo de novembro durante esse período, por exemplo, a Colúmbia Britânica é Observando GMT-7, enquanto Alberta está observando GMT-6. Saskatchewan não observa o horário de verão, mas a cidade de Lloydminster faz. Clima As medições oficiais de Canadas são métricas, no entanto algumas pessoas, especialmente aquelas com 40 anos ou mais, ainda usarão o sistema imperial para muitas coisas. Um dos casos mais comuns do sistema imperial é o uso de pés e polegadas para a medição de curtas distâncias e alturas, e especialmente o uso de libras para massas, mesmo entre os canadenses mais jovens. No entanto, na província de Quebec, o sistema métrico é usado mais amplamente pela população. Você ainda vai ouvir os canadenses mais velhos usar o termo milha quando se refere a distâncias informais, e também pode dar temperaturas em Fahrenheit quando se refere a piscinas e banheiras de hidromassagem. Todas as previsões meteorológicas serão em 176C, com exceção de cidades fronteiriças, como Windsor e Niagara Falls, onde a mídia geralmente dá previsões meteorológicas em 176F. Tentando destilar o clima do Canadá em uma declaração fácil de entender é impossível, dada a vasta área e diversificada geografia dentro do país. Em geral, na maioria dos lugares, os invernos são duros em comparação com grande parte do mundo, a par com o norte da Eurásia. A região mais populosa, o sul de Ontário, tem um clima menos severo, semelhante às regiões limítrofes do meio-oeste e do nordeste dos Estados Unidos. Iqaluit. A capital de Nunavut, é apenas ao sul do Círculo Ártico e permanece muito frio, exceto nos meses de julho e agosto, quando o máximo médio de julho é de apenas 12176C (54176F). Por outro lado, as costas da Colúmbia Britânica são muito suaves para a sua latitude, ficando acima do congelamento durante a maior parte do inverno, mas não estão longe de algumas das maiores geleiras da montanha encontradas no continente. A maioria das grandes áreas urbanas canadenses estão dentro de 200 quilômetros (124 mi) de Canadas fronteira com os Estados Unidos (Edmonton e Calgary, sendo as únicas exceções). Visitantes para a maioria das cidades provavelmente não terá de suportar o tempo que acompanha uma viagem para áreas mais remotas do norte ou montanhosa, muitas vezes retratado em postais do Canadá. Os verões nas partes mais povoadas do Canadá geralmente são curtos e quentes. As temperaturas de verão acima de 35176C (95176F) não são incomuns no sul do Ontário, nas Pradarias do sul e no interior do sul da região B. C. Com Osoyoos sendo o ponto quente do Canadá para o máximo diário médio. O clima de Torontos é apenas um pouco mais frio do que muitas das cidades maiores no nordeste dos Estados Unidos, e os verões no sul de Ontário e Quebec (incluindo Montreal) são muitas vezes quentes e úmidos. Em contraste, a umidade é muitas vezes baixa no interior ocidental durante o verão, mesmo durante o tempo quente, e mais arrefecimento ocorre à noite. No inverno, no leste do Canadá, particularmente nas províncias do Atlântico. Às vezes estão sujeitos a sistemas climáticos incômodos que entram nos EUA trazendo neve, vento alto, chuva, aguaceiro e temperaturas em sua sequência de menos de -10176C (14176F). Muitas cidades do interior, especialmente aquelas nas pradarias, experimentam flutuações extremas da temperatura, às vezes muito rapidamente. Devido a um clima seco (mais árido a oeste do leste nas Pradarias do sul), as horas brilhantes do sol são abundantes na faixa horária anual 2300-2600. Winnipeg (também coloquialmente conhecido como Winterpeg) tem verões quentes com ataques de umidade agressiva, ainda experiências invernos muito frios onde as temperaturas em torno de -40176C (-40176F) não são incomuns e podem ficar abaixo de -15176C (5176F) para longos trechos. A temperatura mais quente oficial no Canadá já registrada foi no sul da Saskatchewan, em 45176C (113176F), enquanto o mais frio foi em Snag, Yukon -63.176C (-81176F). As tempestades de verão nas Prairies e Ontário podem ser violentas e às vezes desencadear fortes ventos prejudiciais, granizo e, raramente, tornados. Na costa oeste da Colúmbia Britânica, Vancouver e Victoria são muito mais temperadas e recebem pouca neve, baixa velocidade média do vento e raramente experimentam temperaturas abaixo de 0176C ou acima de 27176C (32-80176F), mas recebem altos valores de chuvas no inverno, em seguida, por sua vez secos , Ensolarado, verões agradáveis. A temperatura média é tipicamente mais fria no Canadá do que nos EUA e na Europa ocidental como um todo, então traga uma jaqueta quente e outras roupas de inverno se estiver a visitar entre outubro e abril. O resto do ano, durante a maior parte do país, as elevações diurnas são geralmente bem acima de 15176C (60176F) e geralmente na faixa de 20s-30s176C (70s-90s176F) durante o dia. Férias Editar Canadá reconhece e celebra os seguintes feriados nacionais (algumas províncias podem ter pequenas diferenças): Dia dos novos anos 8212 1 de janeiro Dia da família 8212 3ª feira de fevereiro (não observado em todas as províncias, conhecido como Louis Riel Day em Manitoba, Islander Day in PEI) Sexta-feira Santa 8212 tipicamente durante a semana de abril, sempre em uma sexta-feira domingo de Páscoa 8212 tipicamente primeiro domingo de abril Dia de Victoria 8212 Segunda-feira de segunda-feira em maio antes de 24 de maio (sempre uma semana antes do feriado de Memorial Day) Dia de Canadá 82121 Julho Civic Dia 8212 primeira segunda-feira em agosto (aplica-se somente em algumas províncias, sob nomes diferentes isto é em Ontário seu referido como Dia de Simcoe após um tenente-governador adiantado) Dia do Trabalhador 8212 primeira segunda-feira em setembro 8212 Segunda segunda-feira em outubro (o mesmo dia que o Dia dos EUA do Dia dos Colombo) Dia da Reclamação 821211 Novembro (este dia é observado nos EUA como Dia dos Veteranos) Natal 8212 25 de dezembro Dia do boxe 821226 Dezembro Note também que O Dia do Trabalho de Canadas não é celebrado em 1 de maio, como em grande parte do mundo, mas na primeira segunda-feira de setembro (o mesmo dia em que os EUA celebram o Dia do Trabalho). Política O governo de Canadas é uma democracia parlamentar baseada no sistema de Westminster herdado dos britânicos e semelhante ao do Reino Unido, Austrália e Nova Zelândia. O Canadá é formalmente uma monarquia constitucional, com a rainha Elizabeth II como o chefe de estado. Ela é representada no Canadá pelo Governador-Geral, atualmente David Lloyd Johnston, que exerce suas funções. A monarquia serve principalmente como uma figura de proa e, na prática, o primeiro-ministro, seu gabinete e o Parlamento são a fonte de quase todo o poder político real. O Canadá é um estado federal, e as províncias canadenses têm uma grande autonomia. Cada província tem sua própria legislatura e governo provincial, ea constituição canadense define certas áreas de jurisdição exclusivamente provincial. Por exemplo, cada província define sua própria idade de beber, salário mínimo, imposto sobre vendas, regulamentos trabalhistas e administra seus próprios sistemas rodoviários, de saúde e educacionais. Dois dos três territórios assembléias legislativas (Nunavut e os Territórios do Noroeste) são peculiares, como eles são não-partidário - nenhum partido político está representado. Existem três principais partidos parlamentares a nível federal: o Partido Liberal (centro) atualmente, o Partido Conservador da oposição (direito do centro) e o Partido Democrata Novo (à esquerda do centro). Regiões Editar Visitando o Canadá em uma única viagem é uma empresa maciça. Mais de 5000 quilômetros (3100 mi) de St. Johns separados. Terra Nova da Victoria, Colúmbia Britânica (aproximadamente a mesma distância separa Londres e Riad ou Tóquio e Kolkata). Para dirigir de um lado para o outro do país, pode demorar 7 a 10 dias ou mais (e isso pressupõe que você não fique preso a ver no caminho). Um vôo de Toronto para Vancouver leva mais de 4 horas. Ao falar de destinos específicos no Canadá, é melhor considerar suas regiões distintas Províncias do Atlântico (Nova Brunswick, Terra Nova e Labrador. Nova Escócia. Ilha do Príncipe Eduardo) Esta região é conhecida por sua história, particularmente durante a formação do Canadá como soberano Estado. O Canadá Atlântico é bem conhecido por acentos únicos, a origem da cultura acadiana, beleza natural (particularmente em torno de áreas costeiras), a beleza histórica de Halifax. E uma grande indústria pesqueira e naval. É também o lar da cultura distinta de Terra Nova e Labrador, que foi simultaneamente a primeira parte do que agora o Canadá é explorado pelos europeus e a última parte para se juntar à confederação. Quebec Quebeque é uma das regiões mais originais do Canadá, e para essa matéria, a América do Norte. Originalmente estabelecido como parte da Nova França, Quebec é culturalmente distinto do resto do Canadá. O francês é a língua dominante, ao contrário do resto do país, e a província é conhecida por grandes sites culturais como o Festival de Inverno de Quebec City, a arquitetura clássica de Montreals e o xarope de bordo e a poutine (dois produtos básicos da cozinha canadense). Montreal é também a segunda maior cidade de língua francesa do mundo, embora através de séculos de influência de ambos os britânicos e os franceses, seus habitantes desenvolveram um senso de identidade distinta. A província mais populosa de Canada de Ontário também é bastante vasta em termos geográficos, permitindo atividades intermináveis para participar. Toronto. A maior cidade de Canadas, é eclética e vibrante, e orgulha-se de seu multiculturalismo. A província é também o lar de Ottawa. Canadas encantador, capital bilíngüe, bem como Niagara Falls. E a beleza natural inexplorada do Muskoka e além. Todas essas coisas e mais fazer Ontário mostrar muito do que é considerado quintessentially canadense por estranhos. Prairies (Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan) Conhecidos por seus vastos espaços abertos e recursos abundantes, as Pradarias canadenses são um conjunto dinâmico de províncias com algumas das mais deslumbrantes beleza natural do mundo. Na borda ocidental das pradarias, em Alberta encontram-se os parques nacionais montanhosos de Banff e Jasper. E na borda leste em Manitoba, o início do escudo canadense, que contém algumas das rochas mais antigas na superfície da Terra. As cidades principais de Calgary, Edmonton. E Winnipeg são cidades modernas com tudo, desde grandes rodeios até museus de alta classe. Colúmbia Britânica Coloquialmente conhecida como BC, esta província se orgulha de ser bonita. De Vancouver culta, para Victoria encantador, para as encostas de esqui icônico em Whistler. Para as vinícolas do Okanagan, B. C. Está cheio de maravilhas, tanto naturais quanto feitas pelo homem. A província também tem os invernos mais suaves do Canadá em média (embora geralmente nublado), especialmente nas regiões costeiras, tornando-o popular entre os canadenses que estão menos entusiasmados com o inverno. O Norte (Territórios do Noroeste, Nunavut, Yukon) Os Territórios são algumas das regiões mais remotas da Terra e constituem a maior parte da massa terrestre de Canadas. Embora mais conhecidos por sua fauna e paisagens únicas, os Territórios também têm alguns assentamentos humanos interessantes, incluindo Dawson City, uma cidade que parece quase intocada da corrida do ouro de 1898, e Iqaluit, capital territorial mais recente de Canadas, que é o lar de alguns interessantes Arquitetura adaptativa ao clima áspero do Norte. Cidades Editar Há muitas cidades no Canadá, todos os quais são distintivos, acolhedor para os turistas, e vale a pena visitar. Apenas NOVE deles são: Ottawa - Sentado no leste do estado de Ontário com vista para Quebec do outro lado do rio, Ottawa é a capital nacional do Canadá. Sua casa para o Parlamento Hill, muitos museus nacionais, o ByWard Market, e as melhores celebrações do Dia do Canadá. Calgary - Confiável e moderno, Calgary está crescendo como em nenhum outro lugar no Canadá atualmente. Todo verão, ele é o anfitrião da Stampede de Calgary, uma celebração próxima a toda a cidade do patrimônio da fazenda de Calgary. A cidade também abriga a Calgary Tower, Calgary Zoo e o Canadá Olympic Park (a cidade recebeu as Olimpíadas de Inverno de 1988). Calgary é um ponto de partida para os visitantes de Banff e as Montanhas Rochosas canadenses, 1 hora de distância. Halifax - lar do segundo maior porto natural do mundo, Halifax é rico em história com arquitetura que remonta à época colonial. A cidade é muito compacta e acessível, o que significa que a maioria das amenidades estão a poucos passos de distância (se você estiver no centro), como Citadel Hill, Canadian Museum of the Atlantic, Public Gardens (parque mais antigo do Canadá) e Pier 21. Montreal - Uma vez que a maior metrópole de Canadas, Montreal ainda pode embalar um golpe sério como uma das cidades mais exclusivas da América do Norte. É o coração cultural da cultura francófona das Canadas, e o multilinguismo da cidade é um dos seus aspectos determinantes. Tenha um bagel de Montreal em Mile End, passeie pelas ruas do Velho Montreal, pegue o metro para o Parque Olímpico, visite um dos inúmeros festivais da cidade e aproveite as vistas no topo de Mont-Royal. Cidade de Quebec - cidade de Quebecs, que é conhecida por sua cidade velha catita, seu festival grande do inverno, e arquitetura gorgeous, tal como o Frontenac do castelo. Visitantes e moradores locais se orgulham de Quebec Citys charme Europeu sentir. Toronto - Como a cidade a maior em Canadá, Toronto é capital econômico e cultural de Canadá (Canadá anglophone particularmente). Toronto orgulha-se de sua diversidade e é famosa por marcos como a Torre CN. Mas Toronto também é uma cidade muito eclética, que abriga inúmeros bairros que oferecem lojas, culinária e amenidades culturais de qualidade. A cidade também abriga a terceira maior cena de teatro ao vivo do mundo (depois de Nova York e Londres). Vancouver - Uma cidade até urbanismo em si, Vancouver é limpo, moderno e eficiente. Devido em parte ao seu clima ameno (que nunca fica frio demais ou muito quente), a cidade tem uma forte tendência ao ar livre. Vancouver é uma cidade onde você pode bater a praia e as pistas de esqui no mesmo dia. A cidade também foi anfitriã dos Jogos Olímpicos de Inverno de 2010. Whitehorse - ponto médio da estrada de Alaska. Gateway para as atividades ao ar livre de Canadas norte distante. Winnipeg - anteriormente conhecida como Olho de Touros do Domínio, esta cidade tem uma rica mistura de cultura, incluindo Metis e francês-canadense. Winnipeg também contém a Menta Real Canadense, os antigos arranha-céus do Distrito de Intercâmbio e os vibrantes Forks. Outros destinos Editar Obter em Editar Preciso de uma Visa Visa Não requerida Estados Unidos da América Saint-Pierre e Miquelon Visa não exigido, mas eTA exigido para a entrada de ar Todos os Estados-Membros da UE EEE, exceto Bulgária e Romênia Todos os cidadãos britânicos, incluindo BN ( O), BOT, BOC e britânico Suporte de passaporte Assunto Andorra Antígua e Barbuda Austrália Bahamas Barbados Brunei Chile Hong Kong Israel Japão Mônaco Nova Zelândia Papua Nova Guiné Samoa San Marino Cingapura Coréia do Sul Ilhas Salomão Suíça Taiwan (com número de identificação nacional registrado no passaporte) Vaticano City Transit Visa Não Requerido (Somente para trânsito para e de Estados Unidos sob certas condições) Um visto antecipado é exigido de todos os outros estrangeiros não listados. A maioria dos passageiros que entram ou transitam pelo Canadá por via aérea precisará de uma Autorização de Viagem Eletrônica (eTA) ou de um visto de visitante. (Exceções incluem cidadãos americanos e residentes de Saint-Pierre e Miquelon). Uma eTA custa 7 e é válida por cinco anos ou até seu passaporte expirar, o que ocorrer primeiro. Os requisitos de entrada para outros métodos de viagem (terra, mar) não mudaram. Aqueles que não são elegíveis para um eTA são obrigados a obter um visto de residência temporária antes de viajar para o Canadá. Isso pode ser feito no escritório canadense de vistos mais próximo dos candidatos. Os candidatos são obrigados a apresentar. Como parte de sua aplicação: Um documento de viagem válido (como um passaporte) Duas fotos adequadamente formatadas para tamanho de passaporte para todos os candidatos A taxa de inscrição (A taxa por pessoa é de 100 para um visto, entrada única ou múltipla ou um máximo De 400 para uma família (múltipla ou única entrada) sem taxa para vistos de trânsito) Reserva confirmação (para turistas) ou carta de convite (para todos os outros). Prova de que você tem dinheiro suficiente para sua visita ao Canadá. A quantidade de dinheiro pode variar, dependendo das circunstâncias para a sua visita, quanto tempo você vai ficar e se você vai ficar em um hotel, ou com amigos ou parentes. Você pode obter mais informações do escritório de vistos. Outros documentos conforme necessário. Estes documentos podem ser cartões de identificação, prova de emprego, ou um itinerário proposto. Verifique o site do escritório de vistos responsável pelo país ou região onde você mora para obter mais informações. Se você planeja visitar os Estados Unidos e não viajar fora das fronteiras dos EUA, você pode usar o seu visto de entrada única para voltar a entrar, desde que o visto não tenha passado seu prazo de validade. Trabalhar enquanto estiver no Canadá é proibido sem uma autorização de trabalho, embora o Canadá tenha várias permissões de trabalho temporário para jovens de países específicos. Veja Trabalhos abaixo. Estados UnidosCantos de Samoa Americanos para o Canadá precisam apenas de comprovante de cidadania e identificação para visitas de curta duração. Além de uma carteira de motorista, vários outros documentos também podem ser usados para atravessar a fronteira: Cartão de Passaporte dos Estados Unidos (emitido pelo Departamento de Estado) Livro de Passaporte dos Estados Unidos (emitido pelo Departamento de Estado) Licença de motorista melhorada ou não - Driver Photo ID Card (atualmente emitido pelo Michigan, Nova York, Vermont e Washington State) Cartões de cartão de identidade tribal aprimorados emitidos pelo Departamento de Segurança Interna dos EUA para a fronteira canadense (NEXUS e FAST). Os cartões emitidos pela DHS para a fronteira mexicana (SETRI) e para os passageiros aéreos internacionais (Global Entry) não podem ser usados para entrar no Canadá, mas são aceitáveis para voltar a entrar nos Estados Unidos e podem ser usados nas pistas NEXUS dedicadas para os EUA, Quando disponíveis. Antes de 2009, era possível viajar através da fronteira EUA-Canadá com apenas uma carteira de motorista. Os certificados de nascimento são tecnicamente ainda aceitáveis para entrar no Canadá, mas a Alfândega e a Proteção das Fronteiras dos Estados Unidos deixaram de aceitar os certificados de nascimento quando a Iniciativa de Viagem do Hemisfério Ocidental (WHTI) entrou em vigor. Isso se deve ao fato de que muitos certificados (especialmente mais antigos) são pouco mais do que um pedaço de papel carbono mecanografado sem segurança. Se você tentar voltar a entrar nos Estados Unidos com um certificado de nascimento dos EUA, eventualmente será deixado entrar, mas somente depois de atrasos significativos, enquanto o CBP verifica a informação nele com o departamento emissor, você também pode ser multado ou processado por não - Conformidade, embora nada mais do que um aviso escrito é improvável para um violador pela primeira vez. Desde que após 2009 uma licença de excitadores normal começá-lo-á ainda em Canadá mas não será aceitado que vem para trás nos EU. Ao entrar no Canadá, as perguntas padrão incluirão o itinerário pretendido, se você já visitou o Canadá antes e se você está na posse de armas de fogo. Sob nenhuma circunstância é uma boa idéia para tentar transportar armas sobre a fronteira. Se você estiver dirigindo, você deve ter uma prova de cobertura de seguro pronto para ir e você deve ter alguns hotéis ou lugares listados para ficar pronto para apresentar se solicitado. Residentes da Gronelândia. Saint-Pierre e Miquelon e algumas nações do Caribe não são obrigados a apresentar um passaporte se eles podem provar a nacionalidade e identidade por outros meios. Os residentes da Gronelândia, Saint-Pierre e Miquelon e os Estados Unidos também se beneficiam de acordos onde os pedidos de trabalho e as licenças de estudo podem ser feitos à chegada ao Canadá no Escritório de Imigração no porto de entrada sem a necessidade de um visto de residência temporário antecipado Ou inscrição antecipada em um consulado. No entanto, toda a documentação normalmente necessária para tal licença deve ser enviada no porto de entrada, como seria em um consulado, incluindo uma carta de introdução, a documentação adequada emitida pelo institucionário e as taxas apropriadas. Problemas de caráter Editar Todos os potenciais visitantes, quer se candidatarem a um visto de residência temporário ou solicitar permissão de pouso na fronteira, devem ser de bom caráter moral e, de acordo com a lei canadense, isso significa ter um histórico criminal completamente limpo. As autoridades de imigração tomam muito a sério as preocupações dos visitantes e as ofensas, delitos menores ou delitos graves, independentemente de quão menores ou há muito tempo ocorreram podem excluí-lo do Canadá por um período de tempo indefinido ou permanentemente. Isso também inclui cidadãos americanos, alguns dos quais tiveram de ser recuados ao tentar atravessar a fronteira. Na verdade, mesmo o ex presidente dos Estados Unidos, George W. Bush, precisava solicitar uma renúncia para entrar em uma visita oficial do estado durante o mandato em causa devido a uma condenação por condução embriagada. Existem algumas exceções, e se você é inadmissível por causa de uma condenação criminal, você tem algumas opções. Como regra geral, uma condenação por qualquer coisa mais séria do que um bilhete acelerado irá mantê-lo fora do Canadá por pelo menos cinco anos a partir da data em que você terminar a sua sentença. As ofensas mais graves (como os delitos graves) podem exigir que você aguarde até dez anos, ou nos casos mais graves, obtenha um perdão ou outro alívio civil localmente antes de solicitar a entrada. Além das condenações criminais, certas infracções sumárias (que incluem bilhetes menores de posse de drogas que não são tratados através do sistema criminal) são consideradas condenações criminais para fins de lei de imigração, mesmo que você nunca tenha sido preso, acusado de crime ou condenado. Além disso, você não pode entrar no Canadá se houver encargos atuais pendentes contra você ou um julgamento está em andamento. Embora improvável como um visitante que atenda a todos os outros requisitos de entrada, você também pode ser recusado se você tiver uma dívida significativa não paga, tenha um julgamento civil ativo contra você ou tenha declarado falência recentemente. Nestes casos, você pode recuperar sua capacidade de entrar no Canadá pagando a dívida na íntegra, mostrando evidências de um plano de pagamento em boa reputação ou após uma falência mostrando um histórico de solvência financeira ao longo de alguns anos. As infrações cometidas antes dos 18 anos de idade, os bilhetes de estacionamento, as violações das leis locais e os crimes de consciência (como as declarações de publicação críticas do governo na China) geralmente não resultam em inadmissibilidade. Da mesma forma, os ingressos não criminais geralmente não resultam em inadmissibilidade, embora, se você fosse obrigado a comparecer no tribunal por uma infração de trânsito (não simplesmente ao tribunal para contestar um ingresso) ou acumulou pontos suficientes para que sua licença tenha sido suspensa sumariamente Ou revogada, você pode ser inadmissível e deve entrar em contato com uma embaixada canadense ou alto conselho para aconselhamento. Editar de Reabilitação Se você tiver um único delito ou infração sumária em seu registro e foi pelo menos cinco anos desde que você terminou sua sentença, e sua ofensa seria punida com uma pena de prisão de 10 anos ou menos no Canadá, você pode ser considerado reabilitado No local por um oficial de imigração sem solicitar formalmente antecipadamente. Dito isto, você tem uma chance em toda a vida neste tipo de reabilitação e o oficial de fronteira tem a decisão final absoluta sobre seu destino. O fardo é sobre você, o visitante, para provar que você realmente reformou e é improvável que re-offend. A possível prova inclui, mas não está limitada a: Relatórios de boa conduta da polícia Referências de caracteres Cartas dos empregadores, talões de pagamento, declarações fiscais ou outra documentação que mostre que você tem emprego estável Evidência de qualquer experiência educacional, voluntária ou de tratamento que você concluiu desde a sua condenação. Traga tudo e qualquer coisa que você tem que sugere que você está vivendo uma vida estável e livre de crime. Quanto mais documentação você tiver e menos, o oficial tem que confiar na sua palavra de que você transformou a sua vida em seu caso mais forte para ser admitido. Se você for afastado, ou se sua ofensa o torna inelegível para ser reabilitado, você pode solicitar reabilitação individual diretamente para Cidadania e Imigração do Canadá (CIC). Novamente, pelo menos cinco anos devem ter passado desde que você completou sua sentença. Um pedido de reabilitação individual exige requisitos onerosos de documentação, custa entre 200 e 3000 dependendo da natureza da infração e se o pedido requer aprovação do Ministro da Justiça (a maioria) e pode levar até um ano para obter uma resposta. Enquanto você pode compilar a documentação e enviar a candidatura, tanto a CIC quanto muitos que passaram pelo processo, aconselham-se a manter um advogado de imigração para preencher e arquivar o pedido em seu nome. Se você não tem reabilitação, não há direito de recurso, você não receberá motivos específicos para o motivo da negação do seu pedido, e você deve aguardar pelo menos um ano antes de se inscrever novamente. Licenças de residência temporária Editar Se você arent qualificado para qualquer tipo de reabilitação ou são recusados, outra opção é uma autorização de residência temporária. Ou TRP, é uma renúncia única para uma pessoa inadmissível para entrar no Canadá. Isto não é o mesmo que um visto de residente temporário. Mas os dois podem ser aplicados juntos se você é de um país que exige tal visto. Estes costumavam ser relativamente fáceis de obter com bom comportamento documentado e um motivo suficientemente bom para viajar além de sair de férias, mas hoje eles são emitidos apenas por motivos humanitários excepcionalmente convincentes ou motivos de interesse nacional significativo. O site do Escritório Geral de Advogados do Canadá em Buffalo afirma que as licenças de residência temporária não serão emitidas para passear, visitar amigos ou parentes, participar de eventos culturais ou esportivos, participar de reuniões de negócios ou convenções, viagens de caça ou de pesca ou ir à casa de família 1. Os termos da licença são bastante específicos quanto à duração e finalidade. Visitantes dos EUA com um DUI anterior muitas vezes não percebem sua considerado uma ofensa grave no Canadá e muitas vezes são negados a entrada. Milhares são negados a entrada no Canadá a cada ano com base na criminalidade. Pardons Edit Obter um perdão ou uma descarga incondicional geralmente irá restaurar a sua capacidade de viajar para o Canadá e, dependendo das suas circunstâncias, você pode ter muito mais sorte indo nesta rota. Se o crime foi cometido no Canadá, há um processo centralizado que você pode percorrer e as chances de sucesso são bastante elevadas se você demonstrou o compromisso de transformar sua vida e manter seu nariz limpo desde então. Se o seu perdão ou quitação foi emitida para um crime fora do Canadá, não se esqueça de trazer documentação para o efeito com você para a fronteira ou ao solicitar um visto. Histórico de Crédito O Canadá pode considerar seu histórico de crédito como parte da avaliação de caráter e risco ao solicitar um visto ou permissão de desembarque na fronteira. Se uma verificação do crédito ocorrerá e que papel (se houver) jogará em sua decisão da admissibilidade depende pela maior parte em que status do immigration você está aplicando para. Como um visitante temporário (especialmente de um país que não exige um visto de residente temporário) meramente ter mau crédito não deve afetar sua entrada para o Canadá, desde que você pode mostrar meios de apoiar a si mesmo. 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 Edit Besides a criminal record, CIC lists a host of other situations that may prevent admission into Canada. While most of these shouldnt 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 drivers license, telling customs that you wanted to see the other side of the city are long gone. If youre 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 Ill 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 youll be visiting. Its 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 arent 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 youll 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 youre 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 Canadas 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 Edit 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-1B-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, its 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 didnt 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 Edit 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. Johns. Winnipeg, Edmonton, Regina. Saskatoon. Kelowna. and Victoria. Air Canada 2 and WestJet 3 are the countrys 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. 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 Edit 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 youll 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 mileshour, but you will need to read your speedometer in kilometres for the speed limit (in kmhour) once past the border, ie. 100 kmh 62.5 mph. 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 andor 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 Edit Via Rail 5 is Canadas 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 US43 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 youre 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. By bus Edit 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. By boat Edit 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 Edit 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. Johns, Newfoundland, is geographically closer to London, UK, than it is to Vancouver. By plane Edit 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 operate airports and contract with the federal government for particular services. 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 centredowntown, 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 Edit 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 Edit 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 Canadas high north, many employers will pay ones 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 Edit 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 Edit Canada is one of the only two countries(the other is The United States ) to have the worlds 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 124160mi a day). Driving is usually permitted on paved roads only (most rental companies wont 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. Dont 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, its 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. Of particular note is highway 407ETR (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 vehicles 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 cars 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 Edit 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 Canadas natural environment. Costs can also be lower than combining car rental with hotels, however RV rentals usually apply milage charges while car rentals usually dont. Traffic rules to be aware of Edit 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 (hence speed is quoted in kilometres per hour, and distances in kilometres). 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 60160kmh 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 60kmh (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 doesnt 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 of theyve 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 you havent been drinking -- in most cases youll be let through after only a few seconds, though you may be asked to show your drivers license (have your car rental agreement handy too, if its 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, Qubec 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 anywhere from the relatively low 100kmh (62mph) to 110kmh (68mph) and are enforced by radar. Dont be fooled to think you can speed as many native drivers across eastern Canada will speed. In Ontario, exceeding the speed limit by more than 50kmh (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 storageimpound fees. By train Edit 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 Edit While never advisable, hitch hiking is still quite common among younger travellers strapped for cash or seeking adventure. Its most common in the far western provinces, where there are generally more travellers. 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. As anywhere in the world, use your common sense when taking or offering a ride. By ride sharing Edit 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. Backpackers hostel notice boards are also a good resource for ride sharing. Like hitchhiking, some common sense and discretion is advisable. English and French are the only 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 Qubec, 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 Qubec, 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 MidwesternNortheastern 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 Qubec 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 Qubec, 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 Qubec 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 Qubec 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. 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. marc chestervillanuevaaraza ( 321998443may8 ), canad. 160edit Spring Edit 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 childrens festivals including the Calgary International Childrens Festival and the annual Saskatchewan International Film Festival for Young People. Summer Edit 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 Ottawas Bluesfest, Montreals Jazz Festival and Piknic Elektronic, Torontos NXNE, and both Calgary and Edmontons Folk Fests. Others are cultural (or multicultural) events, such as Caribana in Toronto, Folklorama in Winnipeg, and Caraquets (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, Montreals Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, Edmontons Fringe Theatre Festival, and Vancouvers 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 is traditionally a time for literary festivals and film festivals. Lovers of the written and spoken word may like the Trois-Rivires bilingual Festival International de la Posie, Halifaxs Atlantic Canada Storytelling Festival, and Torontos 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. Johns International Womens 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 Edit 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. Canadas world-famous winter festivals take place in late January and February including Carnaval de Qubec in Quebec City and WinterludeBal de neige in Ottawa and Gatineau. There are also winter events that pay homage to Canadas 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 Canadas 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 worlds 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. Canadas 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 Hudsons Bay Peso. As of July 2015, the Canadian dollar is roughly at 1.30 per one U. S. 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. (The penny, nickel, dime, and quarter 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 it remains legal tender, banks have been taking them out of circulation in favour of plastic bills. 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 cant or dont 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 Edit 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 employees 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, farmers markets, etc, you may be able to negotiate a lower price, although it is, again, often unnecessary to put forth the effort. Currency exchange Edit 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. U. S. and Canadian coins in denominations of 25, 10, 5, and 1 cents, however, are similar in size, so they are often mistakenly used interchangeably it is quite common for change to be given in a mix of Canadian and US coins, and it is rare for a retail worker to reject U. S. coins in the above denominations. Almost all automatic vending machines will reject U. S. coins. Credit cards Edit 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 bankingpurchasing Edit 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 restaurantsbars 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 Edit No more GST rebates Until 2007, travellers to Canada could claim back their GST on leaving the country, but this is no longer possible. 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. 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. A Federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5 is applied to most items. In addition to the GST, all provinces except Alberta and Canadas 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 Edit Many large US retail chains such as Walmart, Costco, and Best Buy are also found throughout Canada, and the countrys 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 Hudsons 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, Canadas 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 (automotivehardware), RONA (hardware), Winners (clothing), Marks Work Wearhouse (clothing), Urban Behavior (clothing), West 49 (clothing), Home Outfitters (Home Goods), The Brick (FurnitureHome Goods), Sport Chek (sporting goods), Chapters (bookstore), and Indigo Books and Music (bookstore), among others. Beavertail with sugar and cinnamon, Ottawa 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. These specialties may even include game meat dishes, such as caribou, grouse, moose, venison, or wild turkey prepared in a variety of European styles. 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 crpes), 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 its maple counterpart. It is almost always darker and has a more intense, molasses-y flavour than maple syrup. French Canadian cuisine is distinctive and includes such specialties as tourtire . a meat pie dish that dates back to the founding of Quebec in the 1600s, cipaille (meat and vegetable pie), cretons (mince of pork drippings), ragot de pattes (pigs feet stew), plorine (pork pie), oreilles de Christ (fried larding bacon), 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 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 Edit You will find that many American chains have a well-established presence here. Canadian chains include: AampW 28 Found all over Canada although unrelated to the American AampW. The Canadian AampW uses a family model to identify their burger products. Its 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 Qubec) 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 Canadas 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. Coras 32 started in Quebec, and is rapidly expanding across the country. Coras serves only breakfast and lunch. If you want a hearty, North American style breakfast that makes you feel that you started your day right, Coras 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. Harveys 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. Kelseys 39 provides casual family dining, very similar to Applebees or T. G.I. Fridays in the United States. Licks Homeburgers amp 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 Timothys World Coffee Inc. as an independent brand. Montanas Cookhouse 42 is a family oriented, outdoor wilderness themed restaurant. Montanas 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. Smittys 47 is a pancake housecoffee shop chain similar to Dennys in the US. Smokes 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 Harveys, Kelseys, and Montanas. 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. Timothys World Coffee 51 (a. k.a. Timothys ) is the third-largest Canadian-owned chain of cafs, 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 Edit 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. Qubec 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 Socit des Alcools du Qubec (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. Canadian variant of Molson beer Canadian mass-market beers (e. g. Molsons, Labatts) 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, theres 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. 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 worlds largest ice wine producer. However, due to the tiny yields (5-10 compared to normal wine) its 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. Sak, or Japanese rice wine, is also growing in popularity. Most market share goes to imported brands, but Ontario Spring Water Sake Company in Torontos Distillery District and Artisan SakeMaker of Vancouvers Granville Island are some of the most distinctive locally produced variants. Cider Edit 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 its earlier revival. Examples of these include Merridale, Dukes, Spirit Tree, Thornbury, and County CiderWaupoos. Qubec also has a distinctive and well established estate cidery industry, with many prominent smaller producers with lower production. Distilled spirits Edit 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. Its the Canadian equivalent of the USAs 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 Qubecs far north, including Labrador tea, crowberry, and cloudberry. There are many other local distilleries producing distinctive spirits, including (among others) Dillons in Ontario, Victoria Gin in British Columbia, Lucky Bastard in Saskatchewan, etc. Other beverages Edit 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 youll 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, Timothys, mmmuffins (currently owned by Timothys 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 Edit 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 countrys 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. Johns and Halifax) in the early 1900s. Most of these are still standing and owned by corporations such as Fairmont Hotels amp 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 nights accommodation (especially in the off season.) In many areas, a BampB (bed and breakfast) is a nice option. These are normally peoples 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. Try 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. Canada is generally a good place to work. The minimum wage varies by province, from as low as 10.20hour in Yukon Territory and 10.50 in Alberta to 11hour in Nunavut. 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 Edit 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 Canadas 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 Edit 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 neednt 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 publictourist areas - i. e. the June 2012 shootings at Torontos Eatons 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. Policing Edit Police in Canada are almost always hardworking, honest, and trustworthy individuals. If you ever encounter any problems during your stay, even if its as simple as being lost, approaching a police officer is a good idea. There are three main types of police forces in Canada: federal, provincial and municipal. The federal police force is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP or Mounties), with a widespread presence in all parts of the country other than Quebec, Ontario, and Newfoundland amp Labrador, which maintain their own provincial police forces. These are the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Sret du Qubec and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. All the other provinces and territories contract their provincial duties to the RCMP. 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 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, be it 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 both on, and 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 Sret du Qubec, 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 Edit 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 Edit Canada is very prone to winter storms (including ice storms and blizzards). Reduce speed, be conscious of other drivers, and pay attention. Its 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 Edit Unlike the U. S. Canada has no constitutional rights relating to gun ownership. 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). Most rifles and shotguns are non-restricted, as they are used extensively for hunting, on farms, or for protection in remote areas. Handguns or pistols are restricted weapons, but may be obtained and used legally with the proper licenses. Generally the only people who carry handguns in public are Federal, Provincial, and Municipal Police, Border Services Officers, Wildlife Officers in most provinces, Sheriffs 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 include fully automatic firearms, pistols with barrel length below 105 mm, and a long list of specific variants of firearms (AK-47s, FN-FALs). Prohibited firearms will be seized at customs and destroyed. Travellers should check with the Canada Firearms Centre 59 and the Canada Border Services Agency 60 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 Edit 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. Illicit Drug Use Edit Because of its popularity, easy availability and allowances for medical purposes, many visitors believe that its use is legal, and indeed punishment for the possession of small amounts of marijuana is less heavy for Canadian citizens than in the US. In addition, the present Liberal government is set to legalise and regulate the possession, consumption and sale of marijuana by mid-2017. Contudo . being found in possession of marijuana or other controlled substances remains illegal at the present time, and can result in deportation for people visiting Canada from other countries. 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 visa versa . This definitely includes marijuana. 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 Edit 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 amp Discrimination Edit 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 or sexual orientation, 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 amp sexual minorities. Canada was one of the first countries in the world to legalize gay marriage on a country-wide basis, and consequently many Canadians are tolerant or accepting of the LGBT community. In big cities, especially Toronto and Montreal, it is not uncommon to see two men or women kissing or holding hands in public, and a majority Canadians will not be bothered by, or even interested in, this. Canada is known around the world as being one the most gay-friendly countries, 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 Edit Prostitution is legal everywhere in Canada, but many of the activities surrounding it are not. It is illegal to sell sex near anywhere a person under 18 could reasonably be expected to be, to buy sexual services (or communicate for the purpose of buying sexual services), to advertise someone elses sexual services and to operate a brothel. Prostitution is not considered to be a legitimate activity by many Canadians, who may believe it to be wholly illegal. Most will be taken aback if you ask where you can procure a prostitute. Stay healthy Edit You are unlikely to face health problems here that you wouldnt 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 Edit 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 arent rude). Getting sick from contaminated food is unlikely. Medical Tourism Edit 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 Edit 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 Edit Most Canadians take pride in their nations reputation for being progressive and culturally diverse. Actions that are openly racist, sexist, or anti-gay are mostly not socially or legally tolerated. Comments or assumptions about someones cultural background (eg based on looks, dress, behaviour, accent, etc) are mostly unwelcome or offensive. Despite many cultural similarities to the United States, 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 (Im not American, Im Canadian.) and irritating. When necessary, the term North American would be more commonly used. Americans may be surprised by opinions held toward their countrys policies, though most Canadians tend to distinguish between the American government and its citizens. While not likely to cause real offence, the learning curve for Canadas political culture can be very steep, and discussions about regional or linguistic politics should also be approached with caution. When travelling in Quebec, note that some (typically French-speaking) residents would consider being a Qubecer or Quebecker (or, in French, Qubecois(e)) their national identity. These individuals may not consider themselves Canadian at all, or they may consider this a secondary affiliation. Note also that French speakers outside of Quebec do not tend to identify with the province at all. When entering a private home in Canada it is usually expected that you take off your shoes, or at least attempt to do so. Gay and lesbian travellers Edit As mentioned above, Canada is mostly open to LGBT travelers, indeed Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are all famed for their LGBT communities. Some smaller communities also tend to be open and liberal, although sometimes not to the same extent. Outside these Metropolitan areas, open displays of affection mostly shouldnt present a problem, as always, use your discretion and common sense. Human Rights Codes protect against discrimination in all areas including accommodation, access to health care and employment - should you encounter violent or threatening episodes immediately phone the police and they will be tend to help you. As mentioned before, Same-sex marriage is legal throughout Canada, which was one of the first countries in the world to do this. Indigenous people Edit The terms aboriginal (autochtones 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, a 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. Terms like Indian and native are controversial and it is safer to avoid their use as they may be considered racial slurs. However, they are still used in some government titles and people of these groups may also use these terms to refer to themselves or each other. 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. Environmentalism and animal protection Edit 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. Dont litter, cut down trees, hunt animals offseason, shoot endangered species, or trespass on lands that are reserved for plant and animal life. Contact Edit 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 Edit 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). Mobiles Edit Cell phones are widely used, but due to Canadas 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 (WDCMAHSPDA) network. Rogers Wireless operates a GSM network. All of these networks operate on the 850MHz1900MHz 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-bandworld phones may still not be compatible with Bell and TELUSs 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 arent 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 17002100MHz 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 30month. Visitors from outside North America will be surprised to learn that Canadian carriers charge for incoming calls, either by using a plans included minutes, or at a rate of 0.25 to 0.35minute. In addition, if you are outside of your phone numbers 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 phones local calling area can cost you up to 0.70minute. 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. By net Edit 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 Hortons . and Starbucks . Note that purchasing the establishments 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 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, Canadas 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 48month plan will get 40GB of internet. By mail Edit 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 Posts domestic rates and service are more expensive (85 Canadian cents for domestic letter) than its American counterparts. 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 Shoppers 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 Edit Canadas 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 . Canadas 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment