In British Columbia, to speak with a nurse for medical information 24 hours a day, call 811 to reach the HealthLink BC service (www.healthlinkbc.ca). You can also phone HealthLink BC at 604/215-8110.
HOSPITALS
Vancouver General Hospital (920 W. 10th Ave., 604/875-4111, www.vch.ca) has a 24-hour emergency room, which will assist patients ages 17 and older. If children under 17 need emergency medical attention, take them to B.C. Children’s Hospital (4480 Oak St., 604/875-2345 or 888/300-3088, www.bcchildrens.ca).
Downtown, you can get 24-hour emergency care at St. Paul’s Hospital (1081 Burrard St., 604/682-2344, www.providencehealthcare.org). On the University of British Columbia campus, the UBC Urgent Care Clinic (UBC Hospital, Koerner Pavilion, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, 604/822-7121, www.vch.ca, 8am-10pm daily) is a good choice for X-rays and nonemergency medical issues.
Check the website Emergency Wait Times (www.edwaittimes.ca) for the estimated waiting time at local emergency rooms.
PHARMACIES
Several locations of Shoppers Drug Mart (www.shoppersdrugmart.ca) have 24-hour pharmacies, including branches in the West End (1125 Davie St., 604/669-2424), on Broadway near Vancouver General Hospital (885 W. Broadway, 604/708-1135), and in Kitsilano (2302 W. 4th Ave., 604/738-3138). Other centrally located branches have extended hours, including Robson and Burrard downtown (748 Burrard St., 778/330-4711, 8am-midnight daily) and Yaletown (1006 Homer St., 604/669-0330, 8am-midnight Mon.-Sat., 9am-midnight Sun.).
London Drugs (www.londondrugs.com), another Canadian pharmacy chain, has several downtown locations that are open late, including 710 Granville Street (604/448-4802, 8am-10pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-10pm Sat., 10am-8pm Sun.) and 1187 Robson Street (604/448-4819, 9am-10pm Mon.-Sat., 10am-10pm Sun.).
HEALTH INSURANCE
If you become ill or injured while traveling in British Columbia, go to the nearest hospital emergency room or walk-in health clinic.
If you’re a resident of another Canadian province, your provincial health plan may not provide health coverage while you’re out of your home province. If the plan does provide coverage, it may pay only the amount it would pay for the service in your home province, not what you might be billed in British Columbia. Either way, before your trip, it’s a good idea to purchase supplemental travel health insurance to cover any unexpected medical costs while you’re on the road.
If you live outside Canada, make sure that you have health insurance that will cover you and your family in Canada. You normally have to pay for medical services provided in Canada and then file a claim with your health insurance provider after you return home.
CRIME
Compared to many cities around the world, Vancouver is relatively safe. The most prevalent crimes are property crimes. Bicycle thefts are a particular problem, and car break-ins happen more frequently than anyone would like. Don’t leave valuables in your car, and always lock your bike.
Vancouver has a significant homeless population, many of whom congregate on the streets of Gastown and Chinatown, particularly along sections of Hastings Street, near Main Street. While that isn’t a reason to avoid the area, use caution as you would in any urban neighborhood. Hop on the bus or take a cab if you’re in this part of the city late at night.
Travel Tips
WHAT TO PACK
In casual Vancouver, decent slacks and a blouse or collared shirt would be appropriate attire almost anywhere. You can dress up a bit when you’re eating out, and many people bring out their finery if they’re attending the opera, the symphony, or a dance club.
Bring comfortable walking or hiking shoes, and clothes for the outdoors. In summer, bring a jacket or sweater for the cool evenings; even during the day, temperatures rarely rise much above 75°F (24°C).
If you’re visiting between October and May, pack rain gear; a good rain jacket and an umbrella will protect you from the inevitable drizzle and frequent downpours. Temperatures typically don’t drop below freezing in the city, but it can be cool enough that you’d want a hat and gloves between November and March.
ACCESS FOR TRAVELERS WITH DISABILITIES
Many of western Canada’s attractions, hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, and transportation options are accessible to travelers with disabilities. A useful general resource about accessible travel to and around Canada is the government’s Access to Travel website (www.accesstotravel.gc.ca). It includes details about transportation between and around B.C. cities and towns, as well as general tips and travel advice.
Most national and provincial parks offer accessible facilities. Many picnic areas, campsites, and park washrooms, as well as some trails, can accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility aids. Get details on facilities in specific parks from Parks Canada (www.pc.gc.ca) or B.C. Parks (www.env.gov.bc.ca).
TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN
Western Canada is an extremely family-friendly destination. Not only are there tons of fun things for families to do, but plenty of resources also help support traveling families or make travel more affordable.
Many museums, attractions, and recreational facilities offer free admission for kids under a certain age (often 5 or 6, but sometimes 11 or 12). Many offer discounted family admission rates, which generally include two adults and at least two children. Ask about family discounts when you’re buying tickets.
Kids stay free at many major hotels. Other good lodging options for traveling families, besides the typical chain motels, include suite hotels (in cities) and cabins or cottages (in more rural areas), which often provide more space for the money, as well as kitchen facilities where you can prepare your own food. Some bed-and-breakfasts don’t accept kids, so always ask.
Many restaurants in Canada offer children’s menus with a few kid-approved food selections. Encourage your kids to try new things, though, since they may surprise you with their newfound love for bison burgers, handmade noodles, or sushi.
When you’re visiting a national park or national historic site with kids, ask for a free Parks Canada Xplorer booklet, which has child-friendly activities to help them explore that destination. At most parks, Parks Canada staff offer interpretive programs, from wildlife talks to guided hikes, that are designed for kids or suitable for families; ask at the park visitors center or check the Parks Canada website (www.pc.gc.ca) for details and schedules.
Note that if only one parent is traveling with his or her children, the Canadian government recommends that the parent carry a written letter of permission from the other parent. Divorced parents who share custody should also travel with a copy of their legal custody documents. If you are traveling with a child who isn’t your own (or for whom you’re not the legal guardian), you should carry written permission from the parents or guardians indicating that you’re allowed to travel with the child. You may be asked to present these letters at the border when you enter Canada. For a sample letter of consent, see the Travel and Tourism section of the Government of Canada’s website (www.travel.gc.ca).
SENIOR TRAVELERS
The good thing about getting older is that you can often get discounts. Many B.C. attractions, lodgings, and transportation providers offer discounts for seniors. Normally, you need to be 65 to qualify for a senior discount, although occasionally these discounts are extended to travelers at age 60 or 62.
Parks Canada offers discounts at the country’s national parks and national historic sites, with reduced rates for single-day admissions and annual passes.
GAY AND LESBIAN TRAVELERS
Canada is far more welcoming to gay and lesbian travelers than many other destinations. Marriage equality is the law in Canada.
Vancouver has a large LGBTQ community. The hub of the community is along Davie Street in the city’s West End, with another popular area along Commercial Drive in East Vancouver, although accommodations, restaurants, and other facilities across the city (and indeed across B.C.) welcome gay and lesbian travelers. Tourism Vancouver (www.tourismvancouver.com) publishes a quarterly LGBTQ newsletter, Out in Vancouver. G
ayvan Travel Marketing (www.gayvan.com) can tell you more about the local community, events, and resources.
Other resources for gay and lesbian travel to Canada include Travel Gay Canada (www.travelgaycanada.com), the country’s gay and lesbian tourism association, and TAG Approved (www.tagapproved.com), which highlights gay-friendly hotels and attractions.
MONEY
Canada’s currency is the dollar, and like its U.S. counterpart, it’s divided into 100 cents. Canadian bills include $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 denominations. Coins include five, 10, and 25 cents, and one and two dollars. The gold-colored one-dollar coin is called the “loonie,” for the picture of the loon on its back side. The two-dollar coin is nicknamed the “toonie” (since it’s equal to two loonies). Throughout this book, prices are listed in Canadian dollars (unless otherwise specified).
Major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, are accepted throughout British Columbia, although some smaller establishments may take payment in cash only. You’ll find automated teller machines (ATMs)—which Canadian banks call automated banking machines, or ABMs—in almost every town. Debit cards are also widely accepted through the region.
Bank of Canada (www.bankofcanada.ca), the Canadian central bank, publishes the official exchange rate between Canadian dollars and other currencies. You can exchange U.S. dollars, euros, British pounds, Australian dollars, and other major currencies for Canadian dollars at banks across B.C. or at currency exchange dealers in Vancouver, Victoria, and Whistler. Some B.C. businesses will accept U.S. dollars, although the exchange rate is usually worse than the official rate, and you’ll get change back in Canadian funds. You’re nearly always better off paying in Canadian currency or using a credit card.
TAXES
Purchases in Canada are subject both to a Federal Goods and Services Tax (G.S.T.) and, in most provinces, to an additional provincial sales tax (P.S.T.). The G.S.T. is currently 5 percent, and in British Columbia, the P.S.T. will add 7 percent to your purchases. Not every item you buy is subject to both types of sales tax; basic groceries and prepared food, books, newspapers, magazines, and children’s clothing are all exempt from B.C.’s sales tax.
However, on accommodations, you’ll pay an 8 percent P.S.T., plus an additional municipal and regional district tax of up to 3 percent. British Columbia charges a 10 percent tax on liquor.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
Canada officially uses the metric system. Distances and speed limits are marked in kilometers, gasoline and bottled beverages are sold by the liter, and weights are given in grams or kilograms.
Electrical service in Canada is 120 volts, the same as in the United States, with the same types of plugs.
British Columbia has two time zones. Most of the province, including Vancouver, Victoria, and Whistler, is in the Pacific time zone. The easternmost part of the province, on the Alberta border, is in the mountain time zone; Cranbrook, Golden, and Invermere are among the B.C. communities that follow mountain time.
British Columbia observes daylight savings time. Clocks move forward one hour on the second Sunday in March and turn back one hour on the first Sunday of November.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Near Canada Place, the Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre (200 Burrard St., plaza level, 604/683-2000, www.tourismvancouver.com, 9am-5pm daily) provides helpful information about the city. Inside the visitors center, Tickets Tonight (604/684-2787, www.ticketstonight.ca, 9am-5pm daily) sells half-price same-day theater and event tickets.
Tourism Vancouver’s Inside Vancouver blog (www.insidevancouver.ca) details goings-on around town and provides event listings. Destination BC (www.hellobc.com), the provincial tourism agency, has a useful website with information about Vancouver and destinations across the province. The City of Vancouver website (http://vancouver.ca) provides details about city-run parks, theaters, and transportation. TransLink (www.translink.ca), the city’s public transit system, has an online trip-planning function that can help you get around town.
COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA
The city’s local daily newspapers include the Vancouver Sun (www.vancouversun.com) and Vancouver Province (www.theprovince.com). The daily Toronto-based Globe and Mail (www.theglobeandmail.com) covers news across Canada, including Vancouver, as does the CBC (www.cbc.ca), Canada’s public television and radio outlet.
The Georgia Straight (www.straight.com) provides arts and entertainment listings, restaurant reviews, and area news. Other community news outlets include the Vancouver Courier (www.vancourier.com) and the WestEnder (www.westender.com). Vancouver Magazine (http://vanmag.com), a glossy monthly also available online, covers city news, restaurants, and events.
The online Scout Magazine (http://scoutmagazine.ca) features Vancouver restaurant and food stories. Miss 604 (www.miss604.com) and Vancouver Is Awesome (http://vancouverisawesome.com) are established local blogs.
Recreation
NATIONAL, PROVINCIAL, AND REGIONAL PARKS
NATIONAL PARKS
Throughout 2017, in honor of Canada’s 150th anniversary, admission to all of the country’s national parks is free.
Parks Canada (888/773-8888, www.pc.gc.ca) is the agency responsible for the country’s national parks. You can purchase an annual Parks Canada Discovery Pass (adults $67.70, seniors $57.90, kids 6-16 $33.30, family/group $136.40), valid at more than 100 national parks, national marine conservation areas, and national historic sites across the country. The family/group pass is good for up to seven people arriving together at a particular site. If you’re going to visit several parks and historic sites during your travels, a Discovery Pass can be a good value.
If you purchase your Discovery Pass at the beginning of a month, your pass will be valid for 13 months, rather than 12, since the pass expires on the last day of the month in which you bought it.
You can buy a Discovery Pass online or by phone from Parks Canada or in person at any national park or historic site. If you’ve already bought a day pass to a park or historic site within the past 30 days, you can credit the price of that ticket toward a Discovery Pass.
PROVINCIAL PARKS
British Columbia has more than 1,000 provincially managed parks and protected areas, run by B.C. Parks (www.env.gov.bc.ca). The B.C. Parks system is the second largest group of parks in Canada; only the country’s national park system protects a larger area. The first provincial park in British Columbia, Strathcona Park on Vancouver Island, opened in 1911.
Among the most visited parks near Vancouver are Cypress Provincial Park (www.cypressmountain.com) on the North Shore, Shannon Falls Provincial Park (www.env.gov.bc.ca) and Stawamus Chief Provincial Park (http://seatoskyparks.com) in Squamish, and Garibaldi Provincial Park (www.env.gov.bc.ca), which extends from Squamish north to Whistler and beyond.
While there are fees to camp in B.C.’s provincial parks, day use at most B.C. parks is free.
REGIONAL AND URBAN PARKS
At the end of Vancouver’s downtown peninsula, Stanley Park is the city’s marquee park, with 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of rainforest, beaches, and walking trails. Near the University of British Columbia campus on Vancouver’s West Side, Pacific Spirit Regional Park is even larger. This rainforest park measures more than 1,800 acres (760 hectares), with 40 miles (70 kilometers) of hiking paths. On the North Shore, West Vancouver’s Lighthouse Park (www.lighthousepark.ca) rewards visitors with beautiful waterfront views.
HIKING
British Columbia has plenty of opportunities to hit the trail, whether you’re looking to tromp around in the woods for an afternoon or set off on a multiday hiking adventure. In Vancouver, you can hike in Stanley Park or Pacific Spirit Regional Park.
Just outside the city, there are numerous hiking routes on the North Shore, from the iconic Grouse Grind (www.grousemountain.com) to the trails in Cypress Provincial Park (www.cypressmountain.com). North Vancouver’s Lynn Canyon Park (www.lynncanyon.ca) has a suspension bridge that’s free to cross, as well as several
easy-to-moderate hiking paths.
Within an hour’s drive of Vancouver, the Squamish area is a popular hiking destination. Among the area’s best hikes is the climb up “The Chief,” the imposing rock cliff in Stawamus Chief Provincial Park (http://seatoskyparks.com). Hikers also gravitate to the 750-square-mile (1,942-square-kilometer) Garibaldi Provincial Park (www.env.gov.bc.ca) for its more than 55 miles (90 kilometers) of hiking trails.
Whistler has several hiking trails in or near the village, including the 25-mile (40-kilometer) Valley Trail (www.whistler.ca) that’s open to both walkers and cyclists. Up on the mountain, Whistler-Blackcomb (www.whistlerblackcomb.com) has numerous hiking trails of all levels that you can access from the lifts or gondolas.
BIKING
Mountain bikers head for the North Shore, particularly the trails near the three local ski hills, Grouse (www.grousemountain.com), Cypress (www.cypressmountain.com), and Mount Seymour (www.mountseymour.com). Whistler-Blackcomb (www.whistlerblackcomb.com) is a mecca for mountain bikers, with more than 70 trails open from mid-May through mid-October.
In bike-friendly Victoria, you can cycle around the city or pedal a longer rail trail. The 35-mile (55-kilometer) Galloping Goose Trail runs along a former rail line from Victoria west to the town of Sooke, and the 18-mile (29-kilometer) Lochside Regional Trail connects Victoria and Swartz Bay, where the ferries from Vancouver dock.
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