Hello Readers!
I hope you’ve all had a wonderful holiday season so far, and are enjoying the comforts of home with your loved ones! I’ve definitely been ecstatic to be back in Vancouver and spending time with friends and family, while overdosing on some dearly missed Canadian Maple Syrup (sorry Vermont- yours just isn’t the same). While wrapped up in being a tourist in my own city, I completely dropped the ball on generating new blog posts, so I apologize for the brief hiatus there!
To many of my international friends, I have always described Vancouver as the pretty, but spoiled city in Canada. We don’t endure the excessive heat waves of 35°C+ whether, or the frigid temperatures of the infamous Canadian winters. Usually, the we sit at comfortable balmy weather, while enduring endless rainy days.
At least this was my opinion until I walked out of Vancouver International Airport upon arriving home from San Francisco and exclaiming, “AH. Why is it so cold in this country??” (For the record- every day I get to school in San Fran, stripping off my layers and grumbling, “Why is it so damn hot in this country?”).The city even decided to surprise and delight us this year with a WHITE CHRISTMAS. This literally never happens here, we’ve grown used to sunny, green Christmases, or a rainy and grey one.
While being home, there are some minor customs that I had completely forgotten about, having adapted to an American style of life. So for the first time visitor, or the traveller returning to Canada after a tenure abroad, here are some quick tips for navigating the Canadian system (& Vancouver!)
VANCOUVER QUICK TIPS
MONEY
- We use the Canadian Dollar here, and yes, that is different from the American Dollar, and yes, our bills allegedly smell like maple syrup.
- The silver coin with a gold polar bear in the middle is $2, and the big gold coin with a Loon (basically a duck-like bird) is $1.
- Canada has phased out the penny (1 cent coin), so your purchase will be rounded up or down to the closest $0.05 value. (Ex. $19.99 will get rounded up to $20, $5.52 would be rounded down to $5.50)
- There is a Provincial Sales Tax (PST) of 7% and a Goods & Services Tax (GST) of 5% which are applied to most purchases at the checkout, the price you see on the tag is before these taxes.
TRANSPORTATION
- Uber and Lyft are not permitted to operate in the province, only taxis are operational here
- Taxis can be REALLY expensive, depending on where you are going, try to take public transportation; we have a very good system and the views from the skytrain can be beautiful! (TIP: take the Canada Line skytrain from the airport to downtown rather than cabbing, it will save you lots of money and will likely be quicker!)
- Don’t skip out on the transit fare, just buy the ticket, as there are often ticket checks! The fare is much cheaper than the penalty.
- If you’re sticking to just downtown Vancouver, walk! The core is pretty small and easy to navigate by foot.
Here is the transit trip planning website, I personally find Google Maps to be much more helpful! http://tripplanning.translink.ca/
LAWS TO NOTE
- Jaywalking is illegal in Vancouver, if you are spotted, you will get a ticket.
- If you’re renting a car, note that it is illegal to use, or even touch your cell phone while behind the wheel. You can be ticketed for even touching the screen of your phone to change the song! It is also highly illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of higher than 0.08.
- You cannot drink in public here (sad, I know). You will be ticketed for open alcohol and even possibly public intoxication. Keep your drinks with their original seal, or within their 6-pack packaging, even a half empty bottle can be classified as open alcohol since the seal has been broken!
- There are very strict smoking laws, you are not allowed to smoke indoors, or within 6 metres of an entryway, window or air intake area. Designated smoking areas are indicated by signage.
ALCOHOL
- The legal drinking age in BC is 19 years old
- Most bars/ clubs close around 2-3am, and the lines are ridiculously long by 11pm (even earlier for some); get there early!
- You are required to show TWO pieces of ID at liquor stores and bars/ clubs. This would be one piece of photo ID (Driver’s license, passport etc.) and a secondary piece with your name on it (Credit Card)
- On this thread (still highly disgruntled by this), you cannot purchase alcohol in grocery stores in Canada, you have to go to a separate liquor store for this.
**NOTE: Government owned BCL’s (pictured below) have very particular hours, don’t be surprised if you find them closed early during the week, or on a Sunday. Ensure you check before you leave, or research a privately owned liquor store near you, they are often open later!**
Check location hours here: http://www.bcliquorstores.com/store/locator
MISCELLEANEOUS
- Canada uses the metric system (KM’s, Litres) and uses Celsius to measure temperatures.
- Vancouver operates on Pacific Standard Time (PST).
- The primary language spoken in Vancouver is English.
- Electric socket voltage is 110-120 volts AC, similar to the US.
- Always carry an umbrella, the rain will start without a warning
- Vancouverites are always more than happy to assist should you be lost or have questions, don’t be afraid to ask!
Hope this guide proves to be helpful for your first visit to Vancouver, please do not hesitate to comment any additional questions below!
Happy Holidays!
Until next time,
Sam x
Van(City) of my Dreams 