Section: City Guide
Head; City Solutions
Deck: Your Vancouver survival guide
Byline: By Jane Mundy

Alcohol
The drinking age in B.C is 19. Alcohol sales are through the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch (LCLB) stores, where you’ll find wine, spirits and imported and domestic beer (www.bcliquorstores.com). There are also licensed private retail stores, commonly referred to as “cold beer and wine stores.”

Banks
Major banks are Bank of Montreal (BMO), CIBC, TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank, and RBC Royal Bank. Operating hours vary between banks, and sometimes even branches, but generally speaking are Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Some banks are open later, and on Saturdays. All banks are closed on Sundays and national holidays.
Most banks have automatic teller machines (ATMs) where you can withdraw cash or deposit cheques around the clock. However, if you use an ATM other than your bank, a service fee will be charged to your account.
To open an account you must have two pieces of ID – one must be a Canadian driver’s license, birth certificate or passport, a Citizenship or Naturalization Certificate, a Permanent Resident or Citizenship card or a Social Insurance card. For more information, visit Canadian Bankers Association at www.cba.ca.

Credit Unions
More than one in three British Columbians use a credit union for their banking needs. Credit unions are owned by their customers and provide the full range of financial services, including ATMs and online banking. Credit unions serve 139 different communities in B.C., including 40 that have no other financial institution. For more information, visit  www.creditunionsofbc.com.

Business Hours
The average workday is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some government offices close at 4 p.m. Smaller stores, shops and supermarkets are usually open Monday to Saturday from about 9 a.m. to at least 6 p.m. Larger stores, including major shopping malls, keep later hours with many open until 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. Sunday hours are usually noon to 5 p.m. There are a few convenience stores, drugstores, grocery storesand a few supermarketsopen 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Drugstores
You’ll find many smaller pharmacies in B.C. but the two major chains are London Drugs (www.londondrugs.com) and Shoppers Drug Mart (www.shoppersdrugmart.ca).

Electricity
The electrical standard is 110 volts/60 cycles AC. Dual-voltage appliances require an adaptor to convert the plug into one with two flat parallel prongs.

Emergency
Dial 911 for immediate police, fire or ambulance assistance.

Employment
Unemployment is the lowest it’s been since 1978, particularly in the hospitality and construction sectors.
How easy or difficult it is to find a job depends on your skills and chosen field. Work requirements for those coming from outside of Canada can be found on the Government of Canada Services for Non-Canadians website at www.canadainternational.gc.ca.
A Human Resource Centre of Canada is a good starting point; there you can apply for a Social Insurance Number, (you need one to work in Canada), access the job bank, or research workplace and employer information. Visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca or call 604-872-7431 or 1-800-206-7218 outside Vancouver.
BC WorkInfo Net (www.bc.workinfonet.ca) provides a variety of resources for job, education, career and labour market information.
There are many organizations in Vancouver that help newcomers familiarize themselves with the job market, brush up on job search skills and find employment. These services are often free and include referrals, placements and help with English language skills and provide computers and Internet access for job hunting:
• S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Foundation:
www.career-foundation.com;
604-684-1628
• Mosaic Employment Programs:
www.mosaicbc.com; 604-254-9626
• Career Axis at Immigration Services Society of BC:
www.issbc.org; 604-684-2123
• YWCA Focus at Work: www.ywcavan.org;
604-605-4666
Other job websites for the Vancouver area are:
www.workopolis.com
www.jobshark.ca
www.hotjobs.ca
www.bcjobs.com
www.employmentinvancouver.com
www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/humanresources/jobs/

Grocery Stores
Save-On-Foods, Safeway and MarketPlace IGA are the largest grocery store chains found throughout the province. The Real Canadian Superstore is a big-box chain that offers a one-stop shop for food, toys, electronics, home décor, clothing, gardening supplies, an in-store pharmacy and even a photo lab. In Vancouver a variety of stores sell organic and gourmet foods including Capers Community Markets, Choices Markets and Whole Foods. Urban Fare is uber
On-line shopping options that will deliver to your door, include Stong’s Market (www.stongs.com) and Small Potatoes Urban Delivery (www.spud.ca).

Housing
Whether you decide to rent or buy, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) provides valuable information online. Homebuyers will find information on steps to purchasing a home, hiring an inspector and calculating your mortgage. Renters will find information on landlord and tenant responsibilities, deposits, rental agreements, and rent payments and increases. Visit www.cmhc.ca.
If you’re looking to rent, a good place to start is the classified section of the newspaper. You can search online at http://classifieds.canada.com/vancouver or at www.rentbc.com.
In Vancouver, where the vacancy rate is low, many landlords will simply post signs in their windows or on their front lawns. A walk around the neighbourhood could land you an unadvertised apartment.
Average rents are high for Canada, though slightly less than Toronto: $695 for a bachelor, $823 for a one-bedroom, and $1,160 for a two-bedroom.
For buyers: A complete listing of properties for sale by region is at www.mls.ca, but it’s a good idea to enlist the help of a real estate agent, especially in Vancouver’s frantic market. Agents get the listings a few days before they’re posted online and can guide you through the home-buying process.
Housing prices vary greatly depending on area and type of homes. For more information, visit Real Estate Prices on page 24.

Holidays
National holidays are New Year’s Day (January 1), Good Friday and Easter Monday (late March or early April), Victoria Day (Monday before May 25), Canada Day (July 1), Labour Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving (second Monday in October), Remembrance Day (November 11), Christmas Day (December 25) and Boxing Day (December 26). The Civic Holiday, also known as B.C. Day (first Monday in August) is a day off for most employees.

Immigration Assistance
The government of British Columbia’s Newcomers’ Guide to Resources and Services
(www.ag.gov.bc.ca/sam/newcomers_guide/index.htm) covers almost everything you need to know including government and citizenship, health care, banking and money, finding a place to live and work, childcare and education. It also provides a listing of immigrant settlement agencies in your area.
Immigrant Services Society of BC (www.issbc.org) also offers a wide range of services to immigrants including language training, family and youth services, job placement and housing.
YMCA Connections is a program that helps new immigrants settle in Canada by matching them with volunteer hosts. It’s available to youths, adults and families. For more information visit www.vanymca.org/NoFrame/Employ/Connections.html or call 604-685-8066.
The Citizenship and Immigration Canada website (www.cic.gc.ca) provides general information as well as a list of where to get help in your community.

Language
English is the language spoken most often in Vancouver, with Chinese a close second. Over 70 languages are spoken, including Canada’s other official language, French, as well as Punjabi, German, Italian, Tagalog (Filipino) and Spanish. More than half of Vancouver’s school-age children have been raised speaking a language other than English.
The government of Canada offers free language training for adult permanent residents through English Language Services for Adults (ELSA) in B.C. Visit www.gic.gc.ca for a training centre in your community.

Newspapers
Vancouver has two major daily newspapers – The Vancouver Sun and The Province. Canada’s two major daily national papers, The Globe and Mail and The National Post, are also available here. As well, there are three free dailies, which include 24 hours, and Metro. The Georgia Straight (published every Thursday) is the place to look for anything about entertainment.

Restaurants
From African to Vietnamese, Vancouver serves it all. The large Asian and South Asian populations in the city make for popular Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Indian dining experiences. Sushi is available in every neighbourhood. A variety of websites provide listings and food reviews; two good ones are www.dinehere.ca and www.vancouverrestaurantguide.net. Vancouver magazine (www. vanmag.com) also regularly publishes restaurant reviews in its Where the Bites Are section.

Taxes
You’ll pay a goods and services tax (GST) of six percent on almost everything you buy except for basic groceries and some prescription drugs. There is also a provincial sales tax (PST) of seven percent.

Telephones
There are two area codes in Vancouver – 604 and 778. It’s necessary to dial all 10 digits for local calls. In surrounding areas 604 is also used, but it’s necessary to dial 1 before the 10-digit number, and long distance charges will apply. Area code 250 is used for the Island and the rest of B.C.
When making a long-distance call, dial 1 plus the 10-digit telephone number. 1-800 or 1-888 numbers are toll free and can be dialed without charge anywhere in the country.  
For operator assistance, dial 0. For directory assistance both for local and other North American telephone numbers, dial 411. There is a charge of 75 cents for this service.
For International calls dial 011, followed by the country code (the front pages of the telephone book include a list of country codes; Canada’s country code is 1) and then the local number. To have an operator assist you, dial 0 and ask for the overseas operator.

Weather
Vancouver’s climate is one of the mildest in Canada. Temperatures average 0 to 5 °C (mid 40s Fahrenheit) in January and are in the low 20’s° C (high 70s Fahrenheit) in July. Winters are wet (the average annual precipitation is 1,219 mm) but it rarely snows, except on the local mountains. MTV