Canada For Non-Canadians - Put Your Tips Here!

[orchid72]

In British Columbia, smoking is not permitted:

• In any fully or substantially enclosed public place or a workplace.
  
• Within 3 metres of public or workplace doorways, opening windows, or air intakes (i.e. a “buffer zone”).
  
• In transit shelters

More info available at: http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/tobacco/communities.html#q3

 

In addition to the above, the City of Vancouver prohibits smoking:

• In bar and restaurant patios
  
• Within 6 metres of an entryway, openable window or air intake of a building and the perimeter of a customer service area

More info available at: http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/newsreleases2008/NRsmokingregs.htm

[scottbee]

Taxi Cabs;

 

While most residents of the United States will expect a taxicab to be a full size domestic car (Ford Crown Victoria, Big Old Buick etc etc) or even an SUV, in Vancouver you'll find the bulk of the taxi fleet to be smaller cars such as Toyota Corollas and Toyota Prius. Be warned, you're not going to get 4 people and luggage in one.

 

However, most cab companies also operate a small number of minivans, although you may pay extra to get one to show up instead of a Prius or Corolla.

[mommyof2]

Someone posted about smarties...that they are like the US M&Ms or Reese's pieces...but they DO NOT taste the same!! I'm not sure what the difference is...but I don't like them:-) One of my college friends brought some back after vacation....

 

The other thing I remember is the yucky vinegar potato chips.

 

Love Canada other than those things:D

[Ephraim]

Someone posted about smarties...that they are like the US M&Ms or Reese's pieces...but they DO NOT taste the same!! I'm not sure what the difference is...but I don't like them:-) One of my college friends brought some back after vacation....

 

The other thing I remember is the yucky vinegar potato chips.

 

Love Canada other than those things:D

 

Sorry, but Canadians LOVE Smarties. You can hardly find Reese's pieces in Canada (I haven't seen a small packet in years). We all grew up with Smarties and frankly almost everyone in the country knows the song... "When you eat your smarties do you eat the red ones last, do you crunch them very slowly or munch them very fast. It's that candy coated chocolate, so tell me when I ask... When you eat your smarties do you eat the red ones last?" They are chocolate candy coated, not hard candy coated.

 

As for salt and vinegar chips, well, that's a personal taste sort of thing. Canadians find it frustrating that we can't get vinegar for our fries in the US. So we are even!

[sapper1]

Sorry, but Canadians LOVE Smarties. You can hardly find Reese's pieces in Canada (I haven't seen a small packet in years). We all grew up with Smarties and frankly almost everyone in the country knows the song... "When you eat your smarties do you eat the red ones last, do you crunch them very slowly or munch them very fast. It's that candy coated chocolate, so tell me when I ask... When you eat your smarties do you eat the red ones last?" They are chocolate candy coated, not hard candy coated.

 

As for salt and vinegar chips, well, that's a personal taste sort of thing. Canadians find it frustrating that we can't get vinegar for our fries in the US. So we are even!

 

When I go south in the winter, I always take my supply of Smarties. -----M & Ms just don't cut it. Whenever I can get my hands on British Smarties, that is even better----European chocolate makes the difference.

[scottbee]

Sorry, but Canadians LOVE Smarties. You can hardly find Reese's pieces in Canada (I haven't seen a small packet in years). We all grew up with Smarties and frankly almost everyone in the country knows the song... "When you eat your smarties do you eat the red ones last, do you crunch them very slowly or munch them very fast. It's that candy coated chocolate, so tell me when I ask... When you eat your smarties do you eat the red ones last?" They are chocolate candy coated, not hard candy coated.

 

As for salt and vinegar chips, well, that's a personal taste sort of thing. Canadians find it frustrating that we can't get vinegar for our fries in the US. So we are even!

 

Smarties are actually a UK thing that we inherited, along with the desire for Vinegar on chips and fries.

[jerin]

When I go south in the winter, I always take my supply of Smarties. -----M & Ms just don't cut it. Whenever I can get my hands on British Smarties, that is even better----European chocolate makes the difference.

I think we've decided to bring back Smarties and Aero for our children as souvenirs. Maybe some maple syrup, too.

When they were babies (6 mo, 2 yrs, 3 yrs), we lived in Seattle and took a day trip to Vancouver, just because we hadn't been there, and neither had a friend. So we went up, went to the beach, got supper, then stopped for Smarties, Aero, Ketchup chips and diapers on the way back to the border crossing. The agent questioned us on where we'd been, what we'd done, did we have anything to declare. He was a bit incredulous that we didn't buy anything of value, and we really got interrogated (this would have been a few weeks pre-9/11, too). We showed him our packages ... a bag of candy, a couple of bags of chips, and some Huggies. Oh, and the waitress at Swiss Chalet's phone number, though the whole Denver-Vancouver long distance thing didn't work.

[Ephraim]

Swiss Chalet is a St. Hubert wanna be anyway :)

 

Canadian chocolate has it's origins in British chocolate. There are a lot of bars that Americans haven't seen in Canada including Coffee Crisp, Aero, Glosettes and even Cherry Blossoms. Hershey's isn't a very popular brand in Canada, mostly because the chocolate doesn't taste as rich. Hershey's has essentially stopped making anything that doesn't have a filling in Canada. They did purchase Lowney's, but so far haven't strayed from the original recipes.

 

I did notice that on my last visit to the US that Miss Vickie's were available in some restaurants in the US.

 

I've never been one for Ketchup chips, personally. I'm a plain or even better unsalted fan. Though I do like Jalapeño chips, but they sometimes make me sneeze. And then there was the Jalapeño popcorn as well, but that's disappearing as well.

 

Something else that is different in Canada is milk. Not only is Canadian milk VERY expensive compared to US milk and of course sold in litres, not gallons and quarts. But Canadian companies offer a "ultra filtered" milk in Canada that is good for up to a month without going bad. And no, it's not UHT milk, it's regular milk. But at $3.50 for two litres, I don't want my milk going bad.

[Luckysll]

National Holidays -

 

New Year's Day (January 1)

 

Good Friday

 

Easter Sunday

 

Victoria Day (May)

The Sovereign's birthday has been celebrated in Canada since the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). May 24, Queen Victoria's birthday, was declared a holiday by the Legislature of the Province of Canada in 1845.

 

After the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, an Act was passed by the Parliament of Canada establishing a legal holiday on May 24 in each year (or May 25 if May 24 fell on a Sunday) under the name Victoria Day. An amendment to the Statutes of Canada in 1952 established the celebration of Victoria Day on the Monday preceding May 25.

 

Canada Day (July 1)

Canada Day (French: Fete du Canada), formerly Dominion Day, is Canada's national holiday, marking the establishment of Canada as new federation with its own constitution on July 1, 1867. It is a federal holiday generally celebrated on July 1 annually by all provincial governments and most businesses across the country.

 

A day off from work for most citizens and residents, Canada Day is Canada's main patriotic holiday, often a time for outdoor activities in the early Canadian summer. Frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday," particularly in the popular press, the holiday celebrates the anniversary of Canada's creation as the first Dominion, through the 1867 British North America Act, which joined several British colonies into one self-governing federal polity. However, the British Parliament at first kept limited rights of political control over the new country, which were shed by stages over the years until the last vestiges were ended in 1982, when the Constitution Act patriated the Canadian constitution.

 

Canada Day thus differs from Independence Day celebrations in other countries, in that it does not commemorate a clear-cut date of complete independence.

 

Labour Day (first Monday in September)

 

Thanksgiving Day (second Monday in October)

The first Thanksgiving Day in Canada after Confederation was observed on April 15, 1872, to celebrate the recovery of The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) from a serious illness. No record is found of a Thanksgiving Day between 1872 and 1879.

 

From 1879 to 1898, both inclusive, it was observed on a Thursday in November. In 1899, it was fixed on a Thursday in October, where it stayed until 1907. From 1908 to 1921, it was observed on a Monday in October, the exact date being appointed by proclamation.

 

From 1921 to 1930, the Armistice Day Act provided that Thanksgiving would be observed on Armistice Day, which was fixed by statute on the Monday of the week in which November 11 fell. In 1931, Parliament adopted an Act to amend the Armistice Day Act, providing that the day should be observed on November 11 and that the day should be known as "Remembrance Day".

 

Accordingly, the old practice was resumed of fixing Thanksgiving Day by proclamation, and it has been since 1931 on the second Monday of October,

 

Rememberance Day (November 11)

See the note, above, under Thanksgiving.

 

Christmas Day (December 25)

 

Boxing Day (December 26)

The day after Christmas, the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is better known as Boxing Day. The term may come from the opening of church poor boxes that day; maybe from the earthenware boxes with which boy apprentices collected money at the doors of their masters' clients. "Boxing Day" is listed in the Canada Labour Code as a holiday.

 

Holidays in the Provinces and Territories

 

Ontario

Family Day (third Monday of February)

Civic Holiday (first Monday of August)

 

Quebec

National Day (June 24)

 

Nova Scotia

Natal Day (first Monday of August, except in Halifax where it varies from year to year, usually August or July)

 

New Brunswick

New Brunswick Day (first Monday of August)

 

Manitoba

Civic Holiday (first Monday of August)

Louis Riel Day (third Monday of February)

 

British Columbia

British Columbia Day (first Monday of August)

 

Prince Edward Island

Natal Day (by proclamation, usually on first Monday of August)

 

Saskatchewan

Family Day (third Monday of February)

Civic Holiday (first Monday of August)

 

Alberta

Alberta Family Day (third Monday of February)

Heritage Day (first Monday of August)

 

Newfoundland and Labrador

Celebrated on nearest Monday:

St. Patrick's Day (March 17)

St. George's Day (April 23)

Discovery Day (June 24)

Memorial Day (July 1)

Orangemen's Day (July 12)

Regatta Day / Civic Holiday (fixed by municipal council orders)

 

Northwest Territories

National Aboriginal Day (June 21)

Civic Holiday (first Monday of August)

 

Yukon

Discovery Day (third Monday of August)

 

Nunavut

Nunavut Day (July )

[MonaCD]

 

Prince Edward Island

Natal Day (by proclamation, usually on first Monday of August)

 

Sandy, I know the federal gov’t website says we have Natal Day in August, but in fact, we do not have a provincial holiday in August at all. Provincial Gov’t offices, in the capital city of Charlottetown only, do close on "Parade Day" in August. This is the Friday the Gold Cup & Saucer parade is held to celebrate the end of the city’s "Old Home Week" carnival and running of the Gold Cup & Saucer horse & sulky race. Everywhere else on the Island is business as usual. Provincial government workers in other parts of the Island are given a "floater" holiday to take at the individual’s discretion in lieu of getting Parade Day.

 

I’m not positive but Federal Government offices on PEI may in fact close on the first Monday of August as part of their negotiated mandatory holidays but that would be it.

 

On PEI there are only six statutory holidays New Year's Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day, Remembrance Day and Christmas Day. Provincial gov’t offices and most other business close on Victoria Day and Thanksgiving Day. Only gov’t offices and schools close on Easter Monday.

 

Until recent years there was no Sunday shopping on PEI, only certain convenience type stores were allowed to be open on Sunday. A few years ago they allowed Sunday shopping on the four Sundays before Christmas and last year for the first time all stores were allowed to open on Sundays between the Victoria Day weekend and Christmas Day. In another 10 years just maybe we’ll have Sunday Shopping all year round!

[Luckysll]

Colleen - thanks for the clarification. But don't you just love all the holidays in Nfld! :D

[scopewest]

Great info, thanks. My late mother was born in Three Rivers outside of Montreal, so we had yellow pea soup sent to us from family members up there when I was a kid.

[MonaCD]

Colleen - thanks for the clarification. But don't you just love all the holidays in Nfld! :D

 

Yes, they do seem to like their celebrations. Maybe it's a result of their "late to the table" joining of confederation that they seem to celebrate some UK holidays as well as Canadian, best of both worlds I think. :p

[Ephraim]

Great info, thanks. My late mother was born in Three Rivers outside of Montreal, so we had yellow pea soup sent to us from family members up there when I was a kid.

 

Well, times change. We call that town Trois Rivieres now. No one uses the English name anymore. It was famous at one time for the Wabasso factory and looms. Today the Wabasso name is actually owned by a department store. They went out of business and they name was bought.

[Kamloops50]

National Holidays -

 

New Year's Day (January 1)

 

Good Friday

 

Easter Sunday

 

Victoria Day (May)

The Sovereign's birthday has been celebrated in Canada since the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). May 24, Queen Victoria's birthday, was declared a holiday by the Legislature of the Province of Canada in 1845.

 

After the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, an Act was passed by the Parliament of Canada establishing a legal holiday on May 24 in each year (or May 25 if May 24 fell on a Sunday) under the name Victoria Day. An amendment to the Statutes of Canada in 1952 established the celebration of Victoria Day on the Monday preceding May 25.

 

Canada Day (July 1)

Canada Day (French: Fete du Canada), formerly Dominion Day, is Canada's national holiday, marking the establishment of Canada as new federation with its own constitution on July 1, 1867. It is a federal holiday generally celebrated on July 1 annually by all provincial governments and most businesses across the country.

 

A day off from work for most citizens and residents, Canada Day is Canada's main patriotic holiday, often a time for outdoor activities in the early Canadian summer. Frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday," particularly in the popular press, the holiday celebrates the anniversary of Canada's creation as the first Dominion, through the 1867 British North America Act, which joined several British colonies into one self-governing federal polity. However, the British Parliament at first kept limited rights of political control over the new country, which were shed by stages over the years until the last vestiges were ended in 1982, when the Constitution Act patriated the Canadian constitution.

 

Canada Day thus differs from Independence Day celebrations in other countries, in that it does not commemorate a clear-cut date of complete independence.

 

Labour Day (first Monday in September)

 

Thanksgiving Day (second Monday in October)

The first Thanksgiving Day in Canada after Confederation was observed on April 15, 1872, to celebrate the recovery of The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) from a serious illness. No record is found of a Thanksgiving Day between 1872 and 1879.

 

From 1879 to 1898, both inclusive, it was observed on a Thursday in November. In 1899, it was fixed on a Thursday in October, where it stayed until 1907. From 1908 to 1921, it was observed on a Monday in October, the exact date being appointed by proclamation.

 

From 1921 to 1930, the Armistice Day Act provided that Thanksgiving would be observed on Armistice Day, which was fixed by statute on the Monday of the week in which November 11 fell. In 1931, Parliament adopted an Act to amend the Armistice Day Act, providing that the day should be observed on November 11 and that the day should be known as "Remembrance Day".

 

Accordingly, the old practice was resumed of fixing Thanksgiving Day by proclamation, and it has been since 1931 on the second Monday of October,

 

Rememberance Day (November 11)

See the note, above, under Thanksgiving.

 

Christmas Day (December 25)

 

Boxing Day (December 26)

The day after Christmas, the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is better known as Boxing Day. The term may come from the opening of church poor boxes that day; maybe from the earthenware boxes with which boy apprentices collected money at the doors of their masters' clients. "Boxing Day" is listed in the Canada Labour Code as a holiday.

 

Holidays in the Provinces and Territories

 

Ontario

Family Day (third Monday of February)

Civic Holiday (first Monday of August)

 

Quebec

National Day (June 24)

 

Nova Scotia

Natal Day (first Monday of August, except in Halifax where it varies from year to year, usually August or July)

 

New Brunswick

New Brunswick Day (first Monday of August)

 

Manitoba

Civic Holiday (first Monday of August)

Louis Riel Day (third Monday of February)

 

British Columbia

British Columbia Day (first Monday of August)

 

Prince Edward Island

Natal Day (by proclamation, usually on first Monday of August)

 

Saskatchewan

Family Day (third Monday of February)

Civic Holiday (first Monday of August)

 

Alberta

Alberta Family Day (third Monday of February)

Heritage Day (first Monday of August)

 

Newfoundland and Labrador

Celebrated on nearest Monday:

St. Patrick's Day (March 17)

St. George's Day (April 23)

Discovery Day (June 24)

Memorial Day (July 1)

Orangemen's Day (July 12)

Regatta Day / Civic Holiday (fixed by municipal council orders)

 

Northwest Territories

National Aboriginal Day (June 21)

Civic Holiday (first Monday of August)

 

Yukon

Discovery Day (third Monday of August)

 

Nunavut

Nunavut Day (July )

 

Victoria Day holiday is the third monday in not close to May 24.

This year the Victoria Day is on May 19 . I know because my son is getting married on Sat(May 17) of the Victoria Day Holiday

 

:cool:

[MonaCD]

Victoria Day holiday is the third monday in not close to May 24.

This year the Victoria Day is on May 19 . I know because my son is getting married on Sat(May 17) of the Victoria Day Holiday

 

:cool:

 

 

 

An amendment to the Statutes of Canada in 1952 established the celebration of Victoria Day on the Monday preceding May 25.

 

May 19th is the Monday preceeding May 25th (Which happens to be the next Sunday) and generally it will work out to be the third Monday of the Month.

[Urban trekker]

If there are five Mondays in May then it will be the fourth Monday just to confuse the matter some more.

 

Good luck on your son's upcoming wedding - it is also my best friend's birthday on the 17th so we both have something to celebrate but mine will be a whole lot cheaper.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[MonaCD]

If there are five Mondays in May then it will be the fourth Monday just to confuse the matter some more.

 

Good luck on your son's upcoming wedding - it is also my best friend's birthday on the 17th so we both have something to celebrate but mine will be a whole lot cheaper.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

Yeah, that's why I said generally, but at least it's not as hard to figure out as Easter, that one's a real challenge best left to the church I guess :confused:

[scopewest]

Well, times change. We call that town Trois Rivieres now. No one uses the English name anymore. It was famous at one time for the Wabasso factory and looms. Today the Wabasso name is actually owned by a department store. They went out of business and they name was bought.

 

Actually her family called it Trois Rivieres since French was their native language. She didn't learn English until they moved to the U.S. when she was nine years old.

[Ephraim]

Car Insurance

 

I just wanted to bring to the attention of visitors to Canada that if you are planning on declining the extra insurance when renting a car in Canada that you should request (and carry) a copy of a Canada/Inter-Province insurance certificate. This is usually pink in colour (though it no longer needs to be) and is proof of car insurance in Canada. An American form with Canada specifically mentioned can also serve as proof of insurance. A sample is available at http://www.fsco.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/bulletins/autobulletins/archives/a-18_93-1.pdf

 

If you were planning on using your credit card for insurance, they generally don't cover liability insurance, which is why some rental companies require that you provide proof for Canada.

 

Be aware that different provinces in Canada handle insurance differently. For example, Quebec has a no-fault policy, which means that your insurance company is responsible for paying your claim (and it is their responsibility to settle with the other person's insurance company.) And bodily harm is handled by the SAAQ, the department of motor vehicles, essentially.

[Ephraim]

This week I was asked by someone why some things are so much more expensive in Canada than in the US, like alcohol. And I was asked why we get such long bills. So, here is my most basic explanations, plus an explanation of what a Canadian Crown Corporation is....

 

Expensive products in Canada - Canada taxes the sins. Expect to pay very high prices for alcohol and cigarettes (and be limited on their import.) Expect to also pay dearly for milk products or to be asked how much milk/cream you want in your coffee. Why? We have milk boards that control the prices and milk is expensive. So much so that we import milk solids from Britain and New Zealand to produce ice cream.

 

Long Bills - Well, we Canadians seem to like explanations and to see what our taxes are doing. We also have the separate government corporations that provide services and insurance. For example, I needed to renew my driver's licence and have my picture taken. My bill was such... $16 licence fee, $34.89 insurance premium (personal bodily insurance in Quebec is on your driver's licence), tax on insurance $3.14 (Quebec taxes insurance 9%), administrative charge $4 (for using the counter to pay instead of paying at the bank), plasticification charge $6 (yes, they charge us to laminate our driver's licence in that special lamination material) and finally a photo charge (including sales taxes) $1.97. Of course, I only have to get a photo and plastification every four years.

 

Even when we buy gas and the price includes the taxes, our bills spell out exactly how much in federal tax and how much in provincial tax. Here in Montreal we also pay an extra 1.5c per litre to subsidize public transport.

 

When we buy a plane ticket, we get to see even more fees.... so here is an example of a flight from Canada to the US:

 

Departing Flight 346.00

Returning Flight 346.00

NAV 15.00 (The cost of using air traffic control in Canada)

Canada Airport Improvement Fee SQ 36.00 (The cost of using the airport)

U.S.A Transportation Tax US 31.88 (US air transport taxes)

U.S Agriculture Fee XA 5.17 (US fee to make sure we aren't bringing food)

Air Travellers Security Charge (ATSC) CA 7.94 (Airport security)

U.S Passenger Facility Charge XF 4.66 (US airport fee)

Canada Quebec Sales Tax XQ 1.58 (Quebec sales tax)

Canada Goods and Services Tax XG 37.55 (Federal sales tax)

September 11 Security Fee AY 2.59 (US Security fee)

U.S.A Immigration User Fee XY 7.24 (US Immigration fee)

 

Crown Corporations - Government owned services or insurance. I realize that you have these in the US, but I don't think you have them to the extent that we have these in Canada. My favourite to explain is CEIC, the Canada Employment Insurance Corporation. Essentially the government doesn't run the unemployment insurance system in Canada, this corporation does. We pay a fee from our salary as well as employer and when/if we get unemployed, this insurance kicks in to help us. Other crown corporations in Canada include our passport office, our post office and even our pension plan. In Quebec (where I am from) this extends to automotive bodily harm insurance (SAAQ - The Corporation for the Insurance of Automobiles of Quebec), our public pension plan (one of the largest public investment firms in the world), the ferries and even our electric company (hydro).

 

Incidentally, in Canada, the word hydro is actually a synonym for electricity, not for water (in spite of a glaring error on the part of Kathy Reichs in one of her books.) When Canadians mention paying their hydro bill, they are paying for electricity.... I don't know about other Canadians, but here in Montreal, water is entirely free and unmetered.

[Plant]

Very interesting, Ephraim. I'd like to see charges broken down here.

 

Free water? Wow! Not only do we pay for water, but we also pay for sewer (based on water usage) and for garbage collection on the same bill. Our last one was about $80.00.

 

We're paying about $4.00 for a gallon of 2% milk. Since the price of gas went up the price of milk followed, then kept going :eek: !

 

Hope y'all are well,

 

Fern

[cruiseryyc]

Very interesting, Ephraim. I'd like to see charges broken down here.

 

Free water? Wow! Not only do we pay for water, but we also pay for sewer (based on water usage) and for garbage collection on the same bill. Our last one was about $80.00.

 

We're paying about $4.00 for a gallon of 2% milk. Since the price of gas went up the price of milk followed, then kept going :eek: !

 

Hope y'all are well,

 

Fern

 

Water is not free everywhere in Canada, a lot of cities have it metered and you pay by consumption. Here in Alberta we pay a flat monthly fee for our water - quite frankly I'd like to see everyone on a meter as it might force people to start conserving water.

[Ephraim]

Very interesting, Ephraim. I'd like to see charges broken down here.

 

Free water? Wow! Not only do we pay for water, but we also pay for sewer (based on water usage) and for garbage collection on the same bill. Our last one was about $80.00.

 

We're paying about $4.00 for a gallon of 2% milk. Since the price of gas went up the price of milk followed, then kept going :eek: !

 

Hope y'all are well,

 

Fern

 

Well, 4 litres of regular 2% milk in bags is CAD$5.43. The Pur Filter that I use is CAD$6.89 in bags. In the 2 litre carton that I use it's $3.79. As I said, I live in Montreal and don't know about elsewhere, but here we pay city taxes and that covers water, sewage and garbage collection. They collect garbage twice a week and recycling once a week.

[Cynthia48]

Smarties are actually a UK thing that we inherited, along with the desire for Vinegar on chips and fries.

 

Wondered when someone would mention this.

 

all british chocolate is better