Canada

Canada provides good hope to the professionals. That's why we, me & family, landed on May 18th, 2010 at 4.30 PM in Pearson International Airport, Toronto. We found good people, who help us to reach our rented apartment and provided dinner.

Summer season is very attractive here. An amazing fact is that Sun will not set until 9 PM. When we reached our home, Sun still in horizon and the time was almost 8 PM. We shared our two bedroom apartment with a family. Morning also bring new lesson to us, as the Sun was rising at 5.30 AM. Day went on as we are struggling with Jet lag.

The first few things we have to do is to collect our Landing paper. Then to register for SIN (Social Insurance Number). You have to wait till you get your PIN number (that will take around 7 weeks) to register for Health Card. You also need a bank account and a Driver's license.

One have to do classes conducted by the Government of Canada to know about the present situations in the job market and to apply for that. They have provided free internet access, printouts, photocopies and so on for the new comers.

Bus service, an adaptable example here. Buses will lean to get passengers with disabilities or old aged. Toronto Transit Committee (TTC) is one of the fine examples of 'how to operate bus and subway trains in profit'. With an initial ticket or CAD $3 one can travel as long as he wants within the TTC area. But it had its own disadvantages too; you will not get change of your currency from the bus. If you put CAD $5, 10 or 100, you will not get back the remaining money. So keep the change to travel.

One more thing you have to be in mind is to understand the coin & currency system here. You will have to learn the exact coins. You cannot access its value by its size. Color difference will be with one cent, in copper color.

Never Forgive... Never Forget.

When to go to Canada

Weather and geography dominate any visit to Canada. The vastness of the country means that most trips will be centered on one or the other of tha major cities, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, although it is possible to stay in remote areas such as the isolated Inuit settlements dotted west and north of Hudson Bay. Depending on each visitor’s individual interests, the best time to go will be dictated by local climate and the time of year.

In general, the climates on both the west and east coasts are temperate, while harsher weather occurs in the center of the country, in Saskatch-ewan, Manitoba, and Alberta, where the summers are fine but winters long and hard. Northern Canada is at its most welcoming during July and August when the land thaws, and the temperature is more likely to climb above zero.

In eastern Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, there are four distinct seasons, with snowy winters, mild springs, and long, crisp falls; summer is still the best time to visit the provinces’ resorts. Quebec and Ontario have hot, humid summers and cold winters, with snow lingering until late March. Spring and fall are brief but can be the most rewarding times to make a visit.

The northeastern province of Newfoundland and coastal Labrador have the most extreme temperatures, ranging on a winter’s day from 0ºC (32ºF) to -50ºC (-41ºF) in St. John’s on Newfoundland’s east coast. Winter visitors to British Columbia and the Rockies can enjoy some of the best skiing in the world. This region is also noted for its temperate weather but can be very wet in spring and fall as Pacific depressions roll in over the mountains.

Canadian Entry Requirements

All visitors to Canada should have a passport valid for longer than the intended period of stay. Travelers from the UK, US, EU, and all British Commonwealth countries do not require a special visa to visit Canada. Tourists are issued with a visitor’s visa on arrival if they satisfy immigration officials that they have a valid return ticket, and that they have sufficient funds for the duration of their stay.

Visitors can stay up to six months, but to extend their stay they must apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada in Ottawa before expiration of their authorized visit. As visa regulations are subject to change, it is wise to check with the nearest Canadian Consulate, Embassy, or High Commission before leaving home or buying tickets.

Anyone under the age of 18 who is traveling unaccompanied by an adult needs a letter of consent from a parent or guardian giving them permission to travel alone.

Time Zones in Canada

Canada has six time zones spanning a four-and-a-half hour time difference from coast. Between Vancouver and Halifax there are five zones; Pacific, Mountain, Central, Eastern, and Atlantic Standard Time, with an unusual half-hour difference between Newfoundland and Atlantic time. Every province except Saskatchewan uses Daylight Saving Time to give longer summer days, from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. Clocks go back an hour in October, forward an hour in April.

Canadian Electrical Appliances

Canadian electrical appliances come with either a two-prong or three-prong plug, and most sockets will accept either. The system is a 110-volt, 60-cycle system. You need a plug adaptor if you are visiting from outside North America. Batteries are universal and are readily available for all appliances. Bear in mind that bargain electrical goods purchased here will probably need modification for use in Europe.

Travel Insurance in Canada

Travel Insurance is essential in Canada and should be arranged to cover health, trip-cancellation, and interruption, as well as theft and loss of valuable possessions.

Canadian health services are excellent, but if you do not wish to pay you will need insurance. If you already have private health insurance you should check to see if the coverage includes all emergency hospital and medical expenses such as physician's care, prescription drugs, and private duty-nursing. In case of a serious illness, separate coverage is also required to send a relative to your bed-side or return a rented vehicle.

Emergency dental treatment, and out-of-pocket expenses or loss of vacation costs also need their own policies. Your insurance company or travel agent should recommend the right policy, but beware of exclusions for pre-existing medical conditions.

Tips & Payments

It is possible to eat well in Canada for a bargain price. A snack in a café seldom costs more than Can$5. In a good restaurant, a three-course meal and a shared bottle of wine often costs between Can$30-$60. Even gourmet dinners can start at Can$50. Fixed-priced menus are common. Luncheon items are generally less expensive, and are often similar to the evening menu without the linen and candles.

Restaurant tax is the 7 percent GST (Goods and Services Tax), plus a varying provincial sales tax, applicable everywhere except Alberta. Taxes are included on the final check as percentages of the total. Tipping in most restaurants and cafés is expected, and should be about 10-15 percent of the check. Service charges are not usually included.

Europeans should note that tipping is expected in bars and nightclubs. In common with most countries, a tip should increase if you are bringing a larger party to a restaurant and for any exceptional service. Penalizing staff for bad service is not common.

Toranto, Canada

Toronto is an enterprising city. Located on the banks of Lake Ontario, it was originally a native Indian settlement dating from the 17th century, and, after 1720, a French fur-trading post.

Fought over by the US and Britain in the War of 1812, Toronto has since been a peaceful city, growing dramatically after World War II with the arrival of over 500,000 immigrants, especially Italians, and, most recently, Chinese.

The first place to start a visit must be the CN Tower, the world's tallest free-standing structure and the city's most famous tourist attraction. From the top it is easy to pick out the sights of the city, and from the bottom a short stroll leads to the Skydome stadium or the banking district. To the north of downtown is the boisterous street-life of Chinatown and the superb paintings of the world-renowed Art Gallery of Ontario. Beyond sits the University of Toronto on whose perimeters lies the fine Royal Ontario Museum and also two delightful specialty collections, the historic Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art and the comtemporary Bata Shoe Museum.

A quick subway ride takes the visitor north to both Casa Loma, an accentric Edwardian mansion that richly merits a visit, and Spandina House, the elegant Victorian villa next door. Many more attractions are scattered around the peripheries of Toronto, including Toronto Zoo and the Ontario Science Centre. The McMichael Art Collection, in nearby Kleinburg, contains an outstanding collection of paintings by the Group of Seven in a modernist setting.

Student Traveller

With an International Student Identity Card (ISIC), full-time students are entitled to substantial discounts on travel as well as galleries, museums, and many other tourist attractions. The ISIC card should be purchased in the student's home country at a Student Travel Association (STA) office in the nearest city.

There are also a wide range of bus and rail discounts available to students, such as the "Go Canada" Accommodation and Coach Pass, which offers both reduced-cost travel and stays in youth hostels across the country. The pass can be booked through local agents specializing in student travel.

VIA Rail also offers students the "Canrail Pass", which allows a period of unlimited travel on all routes. Reasonably priced accommodations are available on university campuses in the larger cities during local student vacations.

There are also comfortable hostels throughout the country, most of which are affiliated to the International Youth Hostelling Federation (IYHF). Eating out is inexpensive, so students can easily find great food on a budget.

Getting around Toranto, Canada

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operates a huge system of connecting subway, bus, and streetcar lines that serves the entire city. It is one of the safest and cleanest systems of its kind anywhere in the world.

There are two major subways lines, with 60 stations along the way. Be sure to get a free transfer pass if you intend to continue your trip by bus or streetcar after you leave the subway.

To ride buses and streecars, you must have exact change, a ticket, or a token. Tickets and tokens are on sale at subway entrances and stores. The "Pick up a Ride Guide" shows every major place of interest and how to reach it by public transit, and is available at most subway ticket offices. A Light Rapid Transit line connects downtown to the lakefront (called Harbourfront). The line starts at Union Station and terminates at Spadina/Bloor subway station.

It is easy to catch a cab in Toronto; they can be hailed in the street, called in advance, or found outside hotels. There are several outlets that rent bicycles, but as downtown Toronto is busy with traffic, it is best to confine your cycling to the parks. The Martin Goodman Trail is a well-marked scenic bicycle route along the long, scenic waterfont.

As in Vancouver, you will need the right coins for the bus. The regular adult fare is Can$2 across the whole system, and transfers are free for up to an hour. If you are going to be in Toronto for an extended period, it is worth considering a MetroPass for one month, or you can buy 10 tickets or tokens for Can$17. There are day passes for use during off-peak hours.

Ferries to the Toronto Islands run several times an hour at peak times in summer and continue well into the evening. There is also a road bridge.