Flyerwalk2

Moving to Vancouver at the end of the month. I'm an American who never lived in Canada before. What do I have to know about Canada and Vancouver?

I took an online citizenship test on a Canadian government website and scores a 78% on over 100 questions. Some were tough, like asking who the MP was for some riding in Richmond and asking a lot of history questions. My guess is that the average American would know about 5% or less but score higher than that due to multiple guess.

gglave

Where do you live now?

From a societal perspective, Vancouver is probably closest to Portland and San Francisco.

Climate, think Seattle. Beautiful summers, cool, wet, grey winters.

The biggest shock for most people is Vancouver's real estate prices. Staggeringly high. Probably not a surprise if you're coming from NYC or San Francisco, painful if you're coming from Phoenix.

Vancouver, as a city, is really all about being outdoors, year round. Good restaurants, but not a lot of culture. Our largest live theatre company went under not too long ago, and one of our largest live venues was recently turned into a church.

From a FlyerTalk perspective, our airport is well-respected, with lots of destinations served, particularly in Asia. Airfares are higher than people pay in the USA, mostly because the air travel infrastructure in Canada isn't as heavily government-subsidized as it is for our socialist friends to the south

...it's an easy drive to BLI and SEA though, which are our 'alternate' airports.

Braindrain

What do you want to know?

Taiwaned

After my wife moved to Vancouver, the hardest thing for her to adjust was the dark winters. Sun sets really early and rises real late in the winter. Hard for her to get used to, especially the constant rain.

On a positive light, my wife is always amazed at how multicultural it is in Vancouver. Therefore different perspective on everything. She feels welcome in Vancouver because everybody it seems speaks with an "accent".

weather

Welcome to Vancouver!!! One of the only places in the world where you can water ski & snow ski within 30 minutes on the same day. Just make sure you have a good breathable raincoat plus a good pair of thick soled boots. You are going to love it here!

sokolov

Check if you can "import" your credit history. If not, use the Amex Global Card Transfer (and if you don't have a US Amex card, get one ASAP and use it for the required number of months, then use the Global Transfer service).

B1

You'll need to understand the healthcare system. I assume there is a waiting period in BC where you will not be covered and you should use your own insurance. When someone asks "How are you?" The answer is "Fine. Thanks for asking and how are you." Learn that "hydro" refers to electricity and not water. Always apologize for any contact; "Sorry" is very popular. Hold doors open for others and go in last. "Football" does not necessarily refer to the NFL. "College" refers to a two year school while "University" refers to what Americans refer to as "College." Grades in school are designated by "Grade" followed by a number: Grade Four, not Fourth Grade. You can complain about Air Canada but go easy on WestJet. Rob Ford is the mayor of Toronto, not Vancouver. The mayor of Vancouver is not obese. "Paper" money is made of plastic. There are no pennies while amounts for one and two dollars are carried by coins. Join NEXUS immediately.

tentseller

Rob Ford, Mayor or Toronto smokes crack cocaine, Gregor Robertson, mayor of Vancouver smokes
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Salmon!
:P

Just remember there is American English and Canadian English. Some words or their applications are different.

Jagboi

I've always thought of that as an Ontario expression, I've never heard of anyone in the west call it that.

gglave

Our power company is called "BC Hydro."

mkjr

It's very expensive for housing and other staples (gas, some of the highest prices in Canada). Wages tend to be about 20-30 percent lower in some industries, I can speak directly for lawyers which in both private practice and in house make much less than comparable positions and levels in Toronto.

Transit tends to be good if you are close to arterial routes or the sky train although it can be a grind to get to some stations.

Booze is very pricey compared to the us. Wine, especially.

Find out how to sign up for a health card right away if you can as you will have a three month wait period as I recall.

As another notes, get a good gortex jacket with a hood and decent footwear that can handle some rain.

Personally, the whole selling point about golfing and skiing in the same day is bullocks. I lived there for 30 years and never did once but did golf almost all year round but depending on where you live in the us, this could mean nothing. The comment to say water ski and ski is absurd.

Try to get a cc right away and start to establish a Canadian credit rating.

Don't be too American. Some in Vancouver tend to have a pretty narrow view of those outside Vancouver. They have an unusual hatred to those from Toronto, that I have never understood since every person I meet here in Toronto has nothing but good things to say about the city and ask me why I left...FYI, I did for more pay and a better career in a field that there is limited opportunity in Vancouver for.

opethfan

My rule is: Zones 1 and 2 - awesome. Zone 3 - walk.

A few umbrellas (preferably ones that can be compacted to fit in a bag or hang off your wrist) are a must, as well.

I've only ever noticed light jesting to Americans, and Toronto as well, actually. Just as the Canadian identity seems to be "look how we're different from Americans!" the Vancouver identity is "look how we're different from Toronto!"

ghYHZ

.....and there's also Hydro Quebec and Newfoundland & Labrador Hydro.

aster

A few things I noticed are:
- no booze at supermarkets
- not that many young people going crazy and partying out on town
- they say a lot of people from HK came over, but I couldn't find a single decent Chinese restaurant downtown (except for that food-court type place)
- imported goods seemed really expensive, even at the local chemists/drugstore
- if you want to get on the set of the real "Walking Dead" (not actors - the real thing!) then head to Gastown. You will be surrounded by real zombies.
- this one is from a trip some time ago (not my most recent one), but strip clubs in Vancouver are (or at least were) so far superior to those below the border that I wouldn't know where to begin...
- better beer, especially if you're used to mainstream US "beer-like products"
- expensive public transport
- very bad shopping malls (but strangely Edmonton's are supposed to be world class)

gglave

Note that carrying an umbrella marks you as 'not from Vancouver.'

Vancouverites just pull up the hoods on their gore-tex jackets and carry on.

In that sense, look how we're different from Toronto!