In other big cities, the use of English decreases, and in some rural areas you will have difficulty finding people who will speak English. In general, the smaller the town, the harder it is to get by without speaking some French.
You may have heard reports of hostility towards English-speakers in Quebec. This does sometimes happen -- manifested as poor service in a store or restaurant, for example -- but when it occurs it is directed at English-speaking residents, not tourists. French-speaking Quebecers don't expect American tourists to speak French, but some are hostile towards English-speaking Quebecers -- people who live permanently in Quebec but do not bother to learn French, and expect and demand to be served in English wherever they go. (It is, however, quite possible to live in Quebec without speaking French, particularly in Montreal where you will find a large population of people whose first language is English, some large English-speaking neighborhoods, McGill University which is English-only and quite prestigious in Canada, and so on.)
Of course, people everywhere in the world respond better to visitors who make an effort to speak the local language, and Quebec is no exception. A few token words will always be welcomed. If you don't speak any French, don't worry about it, but don't be pushy or demanding about getting immediate service in English, and be patient and polite on the few occasions where you encounter communication difficulties. In exclusively French-speaking areas, many people can still understand English quite well, although they do not like to speak it and will resent being pressured to do so.
Q: What about speaking French outside Quebec?
A: Outside of Quebec, few people speak French. In New Brunswick, there are many people who speak French as their first language, but almost everyone speaks English as well.
Q: When should I expect stores and attractions to be closed?
A: Opening hours for things like shops and restaurants tend to be a bit shorter than in the US, but longer than in Europe. You can expect all shops to be open between 10 am and 5 pm Monday to Saturday at least, but there is great variation from one place to another. It is common for stores to remain open until about 9 pm on at least some days of the week, especially larger stores and malls. Again, details vary by place. Sunday opening is rare in some provinces and common in others.
Restaurants are almost always open 7 days a week and usually remain open at times well outside typical mealtimes. Convenience stores (small stores selling mostly food) are generally open 14 hours a day or more, every day. As in most countries, attractions like museums tend to have relatively short opening hours, while things like amusement parks keep long hours.
The following holidays are observed in Canada. All banks will be closed on each of these days, and so will most shops and other businesses that wouldn't be open on a Sunday.
New Year's Day: January 1
Good Friday: Date varies, late March to late April
Easter Monday: the Monday after Good Friday; most shops open
Victoria Day: the Monday in May 18-24
Canada Day: July 1; formerly called Dominion Day
Civic Holiday: the Monday in August 1-7; see note below
Labour Day: the Monday in September 1-7
Thanksgiving: the Monday in October 8-14
Christmas: December 25
Boxing Day: December 26
Note: Civic Holiday may be known by other names in various places. It is not observed in Quebec.
There are observances on Remembrance Day, November 11, but many businesses remain open. Christmas is the major holiday of the year, and businesses and services that operate every other day of the year will close that day and often close early the preceding day. When a fixed-date holiday falls on a day that a business would normally close (e.g. Christmas on a Sunday), then the Friday or Monday of that weekend is taken as a holiday.
Quebec has a few special holidays. St-Jean-Baptiste Day, also called the Fete Nationale, is celebrated on June 24. Most places are closed January 2, though this day off doesn't have a name. Banks are open on Good Friday but closed Easter Monday.
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Q: Is USA car insurance valid in Canada?
A: Yes.
If you have time, ask your auto insurance company to send you a Canadian inter-provincial insurance card. Your standard car insurance is almost certainly valid in Canada, but it helps to have the card as standard proof of coverage (i.e. something that is easily recognized as valid, as opposed to having to read the fine print in your policy) in Canada. Also, if the car you are driving isn't registered in the name of someone going on the trip, bring written proof that you have the permission of the owner to take the car into Canada. (John R. Grout)
Q: Is my (name) oil company credit card good in Canada?
A: Esso (a branch of Exxon) takes Exxon and BP cards. Shell and Sunoco gas stations exist in Canada. Petro-Canada accepts Mobil and BP cards.
I'm looking for information on other cards/companies. Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted.
Q: Is gas expensive in Canada?
A: Compared to USA, yes. Compared to Europe, no.
Americans be warned: gasoline may cost up to one and a half times as much as you are used to paying. When Canadians go across the border, they head south with their gas tanks dry and fill up just before coming home. Our gas is still a good deal cheaper than gas in Europe, though.
Q: Can I use a radar detector in Canada?
A: Not in most provinces or either territory.
Possession of a radar detector is illegal in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon Territory, even if not in use. Police may confiscate the detector and fine you, even if it is disconnected and stored in the trunk. Radar detectors are, to the best of my knowledge, legal in British Columbia and Alberta; I'm not sure about Saskatchewan. Rules may change faster than I can update this document, so you may want to check with the RCMP in the area that you plan to visit in order to be certain.
Q: Are the highways good?
A: Not as good as US highways, but the drivers are nicer.
In densely populated areas (southern Ontario and southern Quebec), highways are comparable to what you'd expect in the US. In less-densely populated areas, Canadian highways are small by US standards. We have relatively few roads built to the standards of the Interstate highway system; the Trans-Canada Highway is only two lanes for much of the way. Canadian drivers are more courteous than US drivers; they even pull onto the shoulder on long-distance one lane highways if they see you want to pass them. (Robert Kimmel)
Q: Are there any special traffic signals I should be aware of?
A: Yes.
FLASHING GREEN traffic light: In most provinces (I have confirmations of this from Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick), it means that you (being the person who can see the flashing light) have the right-of-way and all other traffic that could conflict with you, including oncoming traffic, has a red light. You can do anything you normally would at a green light, and left turns can be made safely without worrying about oncoming traffic. If you are turning, watch for pedestrians; they usually have a 'Don't Walk' signal but often ignore it.
In British Columbia, flashing green means something different. It indicates that the light is pedestrian-controlled and will only change when a pedestrian presses a button to request a walk signal. Oncoming traffic also sees a flashing green. Cross traffic sees a stop sign or its equivalent, a flashing red light, so they may enter the intersection although they must yield to you. A flashing green signal is similar to a regular green signal; you can make any maneuvers that you would make at a regular green signal, and you must yield to oncoming traffic if making a left turn.
YIELD signs come in two varieties. The most common are the international red triangle pointing down with a white triangle in the middle, with no words. In some places you may also see a yellow triangle with the word 'Yield'.
ONE-WAY STREET signs show a large white arrow on a black background, the same as one of the two designs used in the USA except that there are no words.
PAVEMENT MARKINGS use the same color coding as in the USA. Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions, and always remain on your left in normal driving. Yellow lines are used to mark the centreline of a two-way road, the median edges of a divided road, and the left edge of a one-way road. White lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. Reversible lanes, where traffic moves in different directions at different times of the day, are marked with yellow lines on both sides of the lane.
Some traffic signals use yellow and red arrows as well as green arrows to indicate allowable turning movements; the meaning is pretty clear.
Some traffic signals will display a red signal and a green arrow at the same time, which may be confusing to some visitors. This means you can go in the green arrow direction but if you're headed in any other direction, stop and wait for a plain green or another arrow. In some places, the green arrow may flash; the meaning is the same.
In some areas of Canada, traffic signs are bilingual. They're in French in Quebec, of course, but don't worry if you don't read French. 'Maximum 90 km/h' means the same in English as in French, and a stop sign looks the same, even if it does say 'Arret'.
USA drivers: everything is written in kilometres, not miles, but you're still moving at the same speed. Highway speed limits are normally 90-100 km/h which means 55-60 mph; in the city, speed limits are typically 50-60 km/h, which is 30-35 mph.
Q: Can I make a right turn on red?
A: Yes, except in the province of Quebec.
Right turns on red are prohibited in Quebec but permitted everywhere else in Canada, except where a 'No Right Turn on Red' sign is posted at the intersection. (In some places, such signs show a picture of a red traffic signal and a right-turning arrow with a red circle-and-slash, instead of using words.) You may also make a left turn on red from a one-way street to a one-way street anywhere in Canada except Quebec. Make sure you come to a complete stop, check traffic carefully, and yield to all conflicting traffic and pedestrians before proceeding.
Q: Do car headlights turn on automatically at night?
A: Probably not.
New cars turn on their 'running lights' or 'marker lights' when you start the car. These might not necessarily include the headlights, though, which you might have to turn on separately. Apparently this is different from standard practice in the USA.
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Q: Where can I exchange currency?
A: First choice: a bank machine (ATM, robot bank). Second choice: a bank.
The best option for obtaining local currency, no matter where in the world you are travelling, is to use an automatic teller machine. This assumes, of course, that you have a bank account which is accessible by ATM and that your card works in the country you are visiting (see next question). |
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