Canada

General Information
Business Hours
Business & social hints
Climate
Customs
Health
Immigration & Passport
Useful Contacts

General Information

Capital City:: Ottawa
Population:: 34.72 million
Area:: 6,198,886 square miles
Language:: English, French
Electricity:: 110V AC 60Hz
Direct Dial:: 1
Driving:: Driving is on the right. National licence required. International Driving Permit recommended
Currency:: Canadian Dollar (CAD 1 = 100 Cents)

Business Hours

Bank:: 1000-1500 Mon-Fri (most banks open 0800-2100 Thur)
Office:: 0900-1700 Mon-Fri
Shops:: 0900-1800 Mon-Fri (most open Sat, some on Sun, most main shops open until 2100 Thur-Fri)
Public Holidays:: 2012 01 Jan : New Year's Day 06 Apr : Good Friday 21 May : Victoria Day 01 Jul : Canada Day 03 Sep : Labour Day 11 Oct : Thanksgiving Day 11 Nov : Remembrance Day 25 Dec : Christmas Note: If holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday - they are usually observed the following Monday.

Business and social hints

General:: Business in the English speaking provinces is conducted in English, in the French speaking ones in French. Smoking in public places is now illegal in some parts, including bars. On social occasions, eg invitation to restaurants or clubs, punctuality is appreciated. Dress as for business meetings unless otherwise indicated. The minimum drinking age is as follows: Alberta, Manitoba & Quebec (18 years), British Colombia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Nova Scotia (19 years)
Tipping:: Around 15% in restaurants & for taxis
Clothing:: Canadian Prairies; Light clothes with warmer wear for summer, extra warm thermals for winter Eastern Canada; Reasonably warm clothes in summer, thermals for winter, rainwear at any time Northern Canada; Fairly heavy clothes for summer, extra heavy thermals for winter Southern Canada; Lights clothes with warmer wear for summer, thermals for winter, rainwear at any time Western Canada; lighter clothes with warmer wear for summer. Reasonably warm clothes for winters in costal area, thermals for visiting inland or mountain areas. Rainwear especially during winter
Emergency Services:: Police, Fire & Ambulance: 911
Hotel Classification:: There is no official hotel classification system in Canada. The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) operates a voluntary scheme similar to that used by our own AA/RAC. This awards diamonds on a scale from 1 up to 5. CAA gradings are very strict and are usually equivalent to the next highest category (so a 3-diamond hotel is probably equivalent to a normal 4-star). Where properties subscribe to CAA their diamond ratings are given here. Otherwise our usual arbitrary categories of ï¿½ up to ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ are given based on rack rates, facilities and perceived quality. These equate to the commonly used 1- to 5-star system. These categories serve only to compare relative standards within any given area.

Canada's climate can generally be divided into five main areas: Canadian Prairies; run from the Rocky Mountains to western shores of Lake Superior & southern parts of Alberta, Manitoba & Saskatchewan. Summers here are short, warm & showery. Winters are cold with freezing winds but not much snow. Calgary & Edmonton are slightly warmer during winter than Winnipeg Eastern Canada; including Newfoundland, Labrador Coast, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island & Nova Scotia, has changeable summers & cold winters, conditions can change suddenly from day to day, rain & cloud never far away throughout the year. Summers are generally bright, although sea fogs are common. Winter months have snow & only a few hours of sunshine a day Northern Canada; including northern British Colombia, Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan & Yukon. This area is essentially uninhabitable due to its extreme winter weather. The land is snow covered for most of the year, with a very short summer period which is changeable & accompanied by cold winds which can bring sudden frost & snow Southern Canada; including Ontario & Quebec which border the Great Lakes. Summers here are the sunniest & warmest in Canada, however summer storms can bring unsettled, wet & cold conditions. Winters are harsh, the lakes freeze from Dec-Mar but surprisingly there may also be mild spells even in the middle of winter Western Canada; including southern British Columbia, western Alberta & Canadian Rockies, is a mountainous region with a Pacific Ocean coastline. Coastal areas have warm, sunny summers & mild winters, albeit considerably wet, foggy & changeable. Coastal mountains are particularly wet, much rain falls as snow. Inland areas tend to be protected from the worst weather & are generally drier, although this is offset by freezing temperatures during winter

Halifax (Nova Scotia)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum Temperature °C	0	-1	3	8	15	20	23	23	19	14	8	2
Minimum Temperature °C	-9	-9	-5	-1	4	9	13	13	10	5	0	-6
Average Humidity (mornings) %	82	81	77	76	76	77	81	82	82	82	84	80
Average Humidity (afternoons) %	69	63	60	60	62	63	64	65	65	63	71	68
Average Rainfall	137	109	125	114	104	102	97	112	104	137	135	137

Toronto (Ontario)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum Temperature °C	-1	-1	3	10	17	23	26	25	21	13	6	1
Minimum Temperature °C	-9	-9	-5	1	7	12	15	14	11	4	-1	-6
Average Humidity (mornings) %	78	78	76	74	73	78	79	83	87	87	82	80
Average Humidity (afternoons) %	70	67	62	56	55	58	56	58	60	62	68	71
Average Rainfall	69	61	66	64	74	69	74	69	74	61	71	66

Vancouver (British Columbia)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum Temperature °C	5	7	10	14	18	21	23	23	18	14	9	6
Minimum Temperature °C	0	1	3	4	8	11	12	12	9	7	4	2
Average Humidity (mornings) %	93	91	91	89	88	87	89	90	92	92	91	91
Average Humidity (afternoons) %	85	78	70	67	63	65	62	62	72	80	84	88
Average Rainfall	218	147	127	84	71	64	31	43	91	147	211	224

Import Allowances:: For persons of 18 years of age or older: 1) Non-residents: a) 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars and 200g of loose tobacco b) 1.14L of spirits, 1.5L of wine, or 24 bottles or cans of beer.(8.5L) c) Reasonable amount Perfume 2) Residents: a) 200 Cigarettes and 50 Cigars and 200g of Tobacco b) 1.14 litres of liquor or 1.5 litres of wine or cans of beer.(8.5L)
Contraband:: Firearms & weapons, perishable items, vegetables, meat & dairy products

None.

Compulsary Vaccinations: None.
Recommended Immunisations: None.
Risks: - Rabies - Spread through the saliva of an infected animal, usually through a bite or scratch. There is a low risk in terrestrial animals in this country, but bat rabies maybe present, and exposure to bat saliva or neural tissue should be considered a potential risk. Any animal or bat bite should be assessed immediately. GENERAL INFO FOR ALL TRAVELLERS: Details listed can occasionally change at very short notice and it's recommended that all travellers seek advice from their Practice Nurse, GP or Travel Clinic when planning a visit to Canada. It should be noted that some vaccinations and treatments may require one or more visits and should be planned well in advance of travel. Primary courses and boosters should always be up to date as recommended for life in the UK. This should include vaccines given to special groups due to complications or risk exposure such as Hepatitis B for health care workers, influenza and pneumococcal vaccines for the elderly etc.

Passports and passport replacing documents must be valid for the period of intended stay. Exempt: a) Passports and passport replacing documents issued to nationals of Canada must be valid on arrival.

The following DO NOT require a visa: 1) Nationals of Canada. a) Permanent residents of Canada holding a permanent Residents Card. b) Temporary residents of Canada holding a facilitation counterfoil in their passport or travel document (shown as valid for a single or multiple entry). c) Persons returning to Canada from the USA or St. Pierre & Miquelon who are in possession of a valid and subsisting student or employment authorization issued prior to departure from Canada. 2) For stays up to 6 months: a) Holders of British passports endorsed either "British Citizen", "British Overseas Territories Citizen", "British Dependent Territories Citizen", b) Holders of British passports endorsed "British Subject", and "British Overseas Citizen" in both cases providing the passport contains the endorsement "Holder is Entitled to Re-admission to the UK" c) Holders of British passports endorsed "British National (Overseas)" issued by the Government of the UK to persons born in Hong Kong d) Nationals of Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Hong Kong (SAR China passports), Iceland, Ireland (Rep of), Israel (National Passport Holders), Italy, Japan, Korea (The Republic of South), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania*, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland*, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Western Samoa, the Holy See * Must have an e-passport. e) Permanent residents of United States holding Permanent resident or Resident Alien Card f) Holders of Taiwan passports, providing the passport includes an ID card number. Nationals of all other countries require a visa to enter Canada.

If a visa is not required, entry is not guaranteed. Canada reserves the right to refuse admission, on grounds such as health, finance, previous non-compliance, international rights violations, and organised crime. For further information please contact the High Commission. The decision on entry can only be made at the airport, border or port of entry. Entry requirements may change from time to time and should be checked with the High Commission of Canada.

Embassy

High Commission of Canada Immigration & Visa Section 38 Grosvenor Square London, W1K 4AA tel: +44 020 7258 6600 fax: +44 0207 258 6333 website: www.unitedkingdom.gc.ca hours: 0800-1100 (Mon-Fri)