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Canada is an enormous country full of beautiful sights, sounds, and wildlife just begging to be discovered. Not only are the people you meet generally pleasant and helpful, but they’re also willing to share this country with you, whether it’s for a short time or a long time. To get the most out of your trip, consider these tips before packing your bags.
Canadian Gambling Laws
Gambling laws are both on a country and province level because some provinces are more lenient than others. For example, VLTs or Video Lottery Terminals are accessible in restaurants throughout Saskatchewan but aren’t legal in Ontario. Canada, in general, is pretty lenient with gambling laws, and they don’t prohibit the practice of licensed online casinos, like Casumo casino. You’re unlikely to have any mishaps with the law involving gambling in Canada unless what you’re gambling on is already considered illegal.
Bring Travel Insurance
Canada is a progressive country with universal healthcare, meaning citizens pay for their health care via their taxes. It’s a common misconception that travelers will receive health insurance in an emergency for free, but that isn’t the case. You can pay upwards of 5 thousand dollars for a broken wrist if you don’t have travel insurance. Ensure that you read the fine print when purchasing health insurance and that it covers sports-related activities like skiing or rafting. Otherwise, your travel insurance may not cover you.
Temperatures Really Fluctuate
Another common stereotype is how cold Canada can be, and the stereotype isn’t actually that far off. In the winter, temperatures commonly dip below -20 Celsius in southern Canadian cities, but in summer, they can be as high as 30 celsius. It’s important to dress for the weather and bring what you need depending on the season. Be aware that winds can be incredibly cold because in places like the prairies (where the good skiing is), there is a lot of wide-open space, and winds can reach as high as 60 km/h on average.
Two Official Languages but Most of Canada Speaks English
Just like American schools teach Spanish as a second language, Canadian schools teach French as a mandatory class up until the 10th grade. Despite the fact that French is a common sight for Canadians because it’s on most of their products, you won’t find many people speaking the language unless you visit Quebec. However, even in places like Montreal, you’re likely to converse with someone fluent in English. Due to Canada’s multicultural sociality, you’re more likely to find someone speaking Mandarin or Urdu!
Legal Drinking Age is 18 or 19 Depending on the Province
Many Americans are happy to hear that you can drink at 18 years old in some provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec) while the rest have 19 as the standard. If you’re looking to buy beer or liquor, it isn’t available in grocery or convenience. You’ll need to go to beer stores or liquor stores that stock those products. These aren’t difficult to find, and most of these stores tend to stock alcohol from all over the country and world.
Get Ready for Long Drives
America and Europe, despite the fact that they have more countries and states within them, have incredibly short driving times between major cities. To get from Regina, Saskatchewan to Calgary, Alberta, it takes an average of 7 hours with few exciting stops in between. Canada has notoriously high airline prices too, so it’s more affordable to drive or take the VIA rail. Canada also has 6 different time zones, ten provinces, and three territories, so it’s unlikely you’ll be able to cover the majority of the country in a week’s time.
Emergency Service Number
Canadians are pretty polite – but that doesn’t mean that crime doesn’t occur; it’s just less likely to be the case. If you’re a victim of an emergency or you’re witnessing one, call 911 for all emergency services like an ambulance, police, and firefighters. If you’re not in an emergency, every province has its own non-emergency number you can Google, or you can follow this link to view the Canadian directory. Canadian emergency responders are typically quick.
