MOVING TO CANADA

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KEY FACTS

Official Name: Canada

Capital City: Ottawa

Type of Government: Constitutional monarchy

Official Languages: English and French

Area: 9,976,140 sq. km/ 3,851,788 sq. mi

Population: 33.5 million

Religion: Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3%, other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16%

Currency: Canadian Dollar (C$)

Number of Time Zones: Canada spans six time zones:

• Newfoundland: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) minus 3.5 hrs; Eastern Standard Time (EST) plus 1.5 hrs

• Atlantic: GMT minus 4 hrs; EST plus 1 hr

• Eastern: GMT minus 5 hrs; same as EST

• Central: GMT minus 6 hrs; EST minus 1 hr

• Mountain: GMT minus 7 hrs; EST minus 2 hrs

• Pacific: GMT minus 8 hrs; EST minus 3 hrs

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is observed, in all provinces except Saskatchewan, from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.

Weights and Measures: Metric system

Country Domain: .ca

Country Tel Code: 1

AT A GLANCE

Canada is a land of geographic differences and cultural diversity – a byproduct of massive immigration. Canada has a high standard of living with a friendly and sociable population. Within its vast borders, spanning six time zones, there is a beautiful and varied landscape that includes major mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, and farmland.

Government

Canada is a constitutional monarchy, whose head of state is the British monarch. Active executive power resides in the cabinet, headed by the prime minister, who is usually the leader of the majority party in parliament. The legislative power resides with the Canadian Parliament, with an elected House of Commons of 301 members, and an appointed Senate of 104 representatives.

Representation in the Canadian Parliament is determined on the basis of population, with the largest province, Ontario, having 95 members and the smallest, the Yukon Territory, having only one.

Economy

Canada is an independent, well-developed and modern society, closely linked to Britain and the United States.

Its diversified economy includes resource industries such as forestry, mining, energy, agriculture and fishing. Canada is also taking its place in the world as a leader in high technology. In response to world competition more jobs are also evolving in the service industries. This developing economy has led to budgets in most provinces being balanced and a decline in unemployment.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was signed on January 1, 1994, has invigorated international trade. The signing of NAFTA has further opened the borders between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, and has stimulated Canada’s economy.

Canada today

For business people, especially those from the U.S. and the U.K., similarities of culture make doing business in Canada relatively easy. Should your stay be a lengthy one, you will find that living in this country is a lot like living at home.

Travelers and expatriates of other backgrounds will find comfort in the international atmosphere of many Canadian cities, a result of the arrival of immigrants from all over the world.

UNDERSTANDING THE PEOPLE

It is difficult to make generalizations about the attitudes of any country, especially one as vast as Canada and with a population as diverse.

However, Canadians often have been described as tolerant, community oriented, and polite. These personality traits seem to permeate the population’s attitudes, regardless of origins.

Cultural traditions

Within the relatively young cultural makeup of Canada exist several cultures based in European tradition. Canadians walk a narrow path between the conflicting demands of different language and attitudes, particularly between the French people of Quebec and majority of the rest of the nation. Traditions are flavored by the heritage of each ethnic group’s background, from the French in Quebec to the newly arrived Asians in the Vancouver and Toronto areas.

One of the most deeply rooted Canadian cultures belongs to the Inuit – the native people of northern Canada. The Inuit’s distinctive art forms include stone sculptures and carvings, basketry, and print making.

Religion

Many Canadians are Christians, with Roman Catholicism as the largest denomination. Other major religious groups include the United Church of Canada, the Anglican Church, as well as Presbyterians, Lutherans, Baptists, Muslims, and Jews. Although church and state remain separate and all religions are represented and tolerated, religious organizations play an active role in politics, and some private religious schools are subsidized by the state.

Canadian attitudes

Toward family

Families are important in Canadian society. However, with both parents working in most families, extended families, neighbors, and outside sources also are relied on – for child care, for example.

The need to find jobs also has caused families who remain close emotionally to be nevertheless geographically distant.

Toward foreigners

As a nation comprised largely of immigrants, Canadians are extremely hospitable to foreigners.

Foreign investment is welcomed by both government and business. Joint ventures between foreign and local investors, especially in the manufacturing sector, are becoming increasingly common. Foreign exchange controls and restrictions on the repatriation of capital do not exist in Canada. No industry is closed to private investment, although several areas deemed important to national interest are closely controlled by federal and provincial legislation. Mild opposition to foreign investment occasionally surfaces among organized labor groups and academia with concerns about increasing foreign ownership of business in Canada.

Toward women

In general, women enjoy fair and courteous treatment in Canada, and there are laws in place to protect women’s rights and safety. Women are employed in ever higher positions in business, although men still maintain the majority of the top jobs.

Toward hierarchy

Although the Canadian business framework has been traditionally influenced by the more British formalities, a decentralized strategy that encourages problem solving and informed opinions from employees is gaining favor. The former hierarchical structure of decision making has been replaced with a more participatory management style.

Toward work

Canadians in general take pride in their work and have a strong work ethic. They also enjoy their leisure time and vacations.

CITIES

Calgary, Alberta

The city of Calgary is set against a spectacular backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. The flavor of the American West closely parallels the spirit of this energetic city.

When oil was discovered in the 1940s, Calgary became the capital of Canada’s energy industry. Energy still plays a role in Calgary’s economy – over 80 percent of Canada’s exploration and development companies are based in Calgary. It also has a number of high-tech companies. Recreation and tourism have also joined the city’s fast-growing industries, and an increasing number of businesses are developing to take advantage of the highest amount of office space per capita among all the major cities of North America. In addition, Calgary is a major transportation hub for central and western Canada.

Calgary is divided into four sections, with streets running north and south and avenues running east-west beginning at 1st Avenue and 1st Street downtown. Memorial Drive divides the north from the south and Centre Street divides the east and west. The Bow River winds through the downtown and most of the city, and resource developers have wisely incorporated it into many neighborhoods via river walks and hiking trails.

Edmonton, Alberta

Edmonton is Alberta’s capital, and its oldest and largest city. Therefore, Edmonton also has a heavy concentration of provincial and federal agencies, as well as corporate offices. The local economy is dominated largely by petroleum, manufacturing, and technology.

Ringed by prairies dotted with lakes and with the North Saskatchewan River winding through the city center, Edmonton is known as one of Canada’s most environmentally conscious cities. It has a model household recycling program, and the highest amount of park space per capita of any North American city.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

A significant port city since 1749, Halifax is the capital and the largest city in Nova Scotia. It lies on the east coast of Nova Scotia Harbor, which is deep enough to accommodate ships from all over the world; in addition Canada’s navy, the Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) operates the Atlantic coast fleet from its base in Halifax.

With its spectacular harbor, lovely park settings, and eclectic architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries alongside contemporary towers of steel and glass, Halifax provides a myriad of historic sites, galleries, libraries, and museums. There is also a wide variety of international restaurants, sidewalk cafes, boutiques and specialty stores along Spring Garden Road. In addition, there is award-winning theater, the Symphony Nova Scotia, a thriving jazz community, and international country music. With a population of approximately 360,000 people, it offers big-city culture with the comforts of a small town.

After losing commercial-maritime traffic to Montreal, it is a positive sign that the port has rebounded. Halifax has recently been identified as one of the lowest-cost sites among ten Canadian and American cities that has been reviewed for building light-manufacturing facilities. Situated about five hours from Europe and four hours from Vancouver and California, it is a good location for many companies. In addition, offshore exploration of natural gas has opened a whole new area of opportunity.

Montreal, Quebec

Montreal is Canada’s second largest city, Quebec’s cultural center, and the second-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris. It lies at the foot of Mount Royal, on an island at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers.

Montreal is uniquely positioned in a number of ways. Geographically, it is at the epicenter of trade routes in northeastern North America. Hundreds of years of history combined with waves of immigration from a number of countries mean that Francophone and Anglophone cultures live side by side in the area, sometimes with conflict.

The city was Canada’s largest and most prosperous for centuries until the 1970s, when political and cultural crisis weakened its status considerably. More recent economic recovery has helped Montreal regain its importance as a business, cultural and economic center.

The greater metropolitan area of Montreal is comprised of various communities and enclaves, which most often are sorted by language of everyday life. Extending all over downtown is the Underground City, a set of pedestrian walkways that cross under streets and connect buildings. Over half a million people enter the Underground City daily. Overlooking it all is Mount Royal, a large park featuring manmade lakes, recreational areas, a number of landmarks, and two cemeteries.

Ottawa, Ontario

Some Canadians consider it something of a cruel joke that Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the site of their nation’s capital, for it now sits off the beaten path, the main east-west corridor. In 1857, however, it seemed a reasonable compromise in the rivalry between Quebec and Ontario. The natural setting is stunning, remote enough from Canada’s then-hostile southern neighbor and centrally located for the main settlements.

Ottawa, an Indian name meaning, “a place for buying and selling,” sits at the confluence of the Ottawa and Rideau rivers. It is the center of a 1,800-square-mile National Capital Region that includes portions of Ontario and Quebec, and a group of recently amalgamated cities. The federal government is the dominant employer, followed by high technology, life sciences, and biotechnology. The city’s residents enjoy one of the lowest crime rates in Canada, an abundance of cultural and recreational activities, and some of the country’s most reasonable housing prices.

Quebec City, Quebec
Perched on a cliff above the St. Lawrence River, Quebec is the only city with fortified walls in North America.

Quebec City has been a center of French Canadian culture since the 17th century, when fur trappers and missionaries settled the area known as New France, and it still maintains the appearance of a large provincial city in France. Since then, the city has been the defacto center of the provincial secession movement.

Beginning in the mid-19th century, economic centers to the east began to draw business away from Quebec, and today government is the largest employer in the city. The old city, or Upper Town, remains an area of interest mainly to tourists. Business visitors will find that most of their activity will be centered in the so-called Lower Town at the base of the cliff and in the surrounding financial districts.

Toronto, Ontario

Toronto is the business center of Canada. Financial services, high technology, and insurance companies top the list of businesses represented there. Toronto is home to more top-ranked international companies than any other Canadian city. It is true to its name, which is a Huron Indian word for “place of meeting.” Bay Street is as well-known throughout the country as a financial center as Wall Street is by Canada’s southern neighbor.

For most of its history, Toronto was considered to be a poor cousin to Montreal. Toronto became Canada’s most populous city in 1977 and, in the process, gained a great deal of confidence. Having changed dramatically in the past generation, Toronto used to be referred to as “Hog Town.” It was notorious for indifferent service in restaurants and stringent blue laws, and remaining shuttered on Sundays. This staid, if safe, atmosphere also earned Toronto the nickname “Toronto the good.” Without sacrificing its safety and comfort, Toronto has evolved into a vital, interesting place. Credit for the metamorphosis must be given to the waves of immigrants who poured into the city from all over the world after World War II, bringing their customs with them.

Toronto is now one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the Western Hemisphere. The city sparkles with life — indeed, some maintain that it has become as sophisticated as Montreal. Its center remains vibrant, and still retains good residential neighborhoods. However, it has also become one of the most expensive Canadian cities in which to live.

The city is situated on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario and is intersected by two rivers, the Humber River and the Don River. The residential neighborhoods of Toronto are older and of different character than the skyscrapered downtown area. They cater to artists, to professionals, and to ethnic communities that have both new and old roots in the area.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver’s industries have traditionally been fishing, forestry, and shipping. Recently, it has been emerging as an international financial center, as well as a popular locale for film and television production. People are also drawn to Vancouver as tourists, and for sports and leisure, because of the city’s natural beauty.

Vancouver is on a peninsula protruding into the Georgia Strait between Burrard Inlet, a deep fjord, and the delta of the Fraser River. Not only is the city surrounded on three sides by water, it is almost completely surrounded by mountains. To the north, the Coast Range rises steeply and is a favorite destination for skiers. To the west, across Burrard Inlet, the mountains of Vancouver Island can be seen. To the south, the Cascade Range is clearly visible.

Vancouver’s climate is much milder than the rest of Canada. The city rarely receives snow, although there is an abundance in the mountains. Vancouver does, however, receive much rain – 150 cm/60 in – per year.

The city is relatively young, and its nascent life is visible in the architecture along the waterfront, as viewed from east to west. The oldest section of Vancouver – neighborhoods like Gastown and Chinatown – surrounds Main Street around the working port of Burrard Inlet.

Successive influxes of immigrants, the latest from Asia, add to the diverse and cosmopolitan nature of this sparkling city.

CLIMATE

The image of Canada as a frigid northern climate is not totally accurate. In fact, the city of Toronto is at the same longitude as major U.S. midwestern cities such as Detroit and Minneapolis, and its climate is similar to much of the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

The rest of Canada’s climate is as varied as its topography, and this great expansive country includes a collection of extremes. In most of the country, winter lasts longer than summer; yet when summer comes, even in the north, it can be very hot, producing lush growth. Rainfall varies from light to moderate, and there are heavy snowfalls in some areas.

Much of the north, which is virtually uninhabited, has an arctic climate that is particularly harsh, and ground that is permanently frozen.

Moving from west to east, the coast of British Columbia has a moderate climate, with mild, damp winters.

The Prairie Provinces have a continental climate of extremes that vary from year to year. Winters are generally long and cold, with bitter winds; temperatures remain well below freezing for weeks, broken by sudden thaws. Summers are short, hot, and dry. Precipitation is light, and often comes in the form of violent thunderstorms in summer and blizzards in winter.

Ontario has a wide variety of climate. In the south, where most of the population lives, winters are less severe than in the north because of the moderating influence of the Great Lakes. Summers are also longer in the south but more humid as well.

Quebec’s climate has more extremes than that of Ontario. Winters are colder and longer, and there is more snow. Spring is brief, and summer comes with a rush of hot, humid weather.

On the east coast, the climate is moderated by the sea, compared with the middle of the country, where summers are not as hot and winters are not as cold. There is more humidity in this region and a good deal of fog in the spring. The climate, however, is not as mild as the maritime climate of British Columbia.

The climate in Winnipeg may exacerbate existing health problems for people with serious cases of asthma, sinusitis, or the vascular condition known as Raynaud’s Disease.

Throughout Canada, extremely dry air in the winter may cause skin irritation and can aggravate throat and nose problems. Moisturizers can do much to protect skin against the warm dry heat of houses in winter.

Influenza is a health risk during the winter season, typically November through April. Cases of influenza A have occurred in Canada’s Yukon Territory, as well as in Alaska, and travelers 65 years of age and older, and those with chronic health conditions, are advised to consult with a doctor prior to traveling to this region.

Information provided in association with Living Abroad