Quick Travel Tips

Emergency 911

In emergency situations, you can contact the local police, ambulance service, fire department and other emergency services by calling 911, where available, or by dialing the numbers for local police and ambulance services listed in the front of all local telephone directories.

Tourist Alert

The news media and many tourist facilities co-operate with the RCMP in the Tourist Alert program to communicate urgent messages to visitors. If you see or hear your name, please phone the number given.

Hospital and Medical Services

Visitors from outside Canada should clarify coverage provided by their personal insurance carriers and may wish to obtain health insurance before coming to BC.

Hearing or Speech Impairment

Services are available at the Western Institute for Deaf and Hard of Hearing at (604) 736-7391 (voice) and (604) 736-2527 (TTY). Telus 24-Hour Message Relay Centre Voice: 1-800-855-0511; TTY: 711.

Wheelchair Accessibility

Information can be obtained from the Canadian Paraplegic Association 780 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC V6P 5Y7, Telephone: (604) 324-3611, Fax: (604) 323-3671.

Canadian Currency Exchange

The monetary system in Canada is based on dollars and cents. To avoid exchange problems, visitors are urged to exchange their funds to Canadian dollars at a bank or a foreign currency exchange outlet where they will receive the current rate of exchange.

Banks

Banking hours are generally 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday; some banks are open on Saturday. ATMs (automated teller machines) are found at banks and in retail areas.

Goods and Services Tax

The Federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 6% is applicable to most purchased goods and services, but rebates on accommodations and purchases taken out of the country can be claimed by non-residents of Canada. Some restrictions apply. For more information in Canada call 1-800-66-VISIT; outside Canada, call (902) 432-5608; or contact Canada Customs at (604) 666-0545.

Business Hours/Shopping Hours

Most business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Most shops are open 9:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Saturdays with many staying open until 9:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday evenings. Many shops are open on Sundays, generally 11:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Credit Cards

Generally Visa, MasterCard, American Express and travelers cheques are accepted at most places of business.

Telephones

Public telephones are located in all major centers. A local call costs 25¢. To place an international call, the operator will inform you of the cost and you will need to have the coins available. Some public telephones accept credit cards. Phone cards are available at most small grocery or newspaper stores, which allow you to purchase a certain amount of time in advance.

Electricity

The electrical current in Canada is 110 volts.

Time Zones/Daylight Savings Time: Pacific Standard Time (BC) is three hours behind Eastern Standard Time (Ontario). BC is one hour behind Alberta. Daylight Savings Time takes place generally at the beginning of April (the clocks move forward one hour) and the end of October (clocks move backward one hour). There are also two maverick areas in BC – the area from Creston to Yahk in southeastern BC, and the Peace River area in the northeast – do not change to daylight-saving time. They hold to Mountain Standard Time all the time.

Conversion Information

Canada uses the metric system. The following metric conversions may be useful:

1 Canadian gallon = 4.5 litres
1 American gallon = 3.8 litres

Miles x 1.6 = kilometres
Kilometers x 0.6 = miles

30°C = 86°F
20°C = 68°F
0°C = 32°F
-10°C = 14°F