Monster Media 1994 #1/monster.zip/monster/FREQ_QA/CANAD03.ZIP/CANAD03.TXT

Text File | 1994-03-08 | 257KB | 6,014 lines

Archive-name: canada-faq/part1
Last-modified: 1993/12/11

                    ********************************
                    *      soc.culture.canada      *
                    *  Frequently Asked Questions  *
                    ********************************

Please forward your comments, suggestions and contributions to
Martin Savard at '[e-mail]'

A special thank you to Glenn Chin and Stewart Clamen who compiled
a large number of contributions, to Mark Brader for the proof-reading
of the FAQ, and to all the contributors listed throughout the document.

This document may be freely redistributed in its ENTIRETY provided
that this notice is not removed.  It may not be sold for profit or
incorporated in commercial documents without a written permission.

Feel free to start any thread based on the information included in
the FAQ, but please change the Subject line.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

             ***** TABLE OF CONTENT *****

[Part 1/2, this document]

UPCOMING EVENTS

ABOUT SOC.CULTURE.CANADA
!    1.1 Where can I get an update of this FAQ?
     1.2 Why are so many posts on soc.culture.canada of political nature?

HISTORY
     2.1 When was Canada discovered?
     2.2 How did Canada and the USA become and remain two separate
         countries?
     2.3 How did Canada become an independent country?  Does the
         phrase "the Dominion of Canada" indicate colonial status?
     2.4 So is "The Dominion of Canada" still the official name of
         the country?
     2.5 Why is Canada bilingual?
     2.6 How is Canada bilingual?
     2.7 How did Ottawa become the capital of Canada?
     2.8 What national flags has Canada used?

POLITICS
     3.1 What is the structure of Canada's government?
!    3.2 What are the federal political parties in Canada?
     3.3 What about the provincial governments?
     3.4 Does Canada have something similar to the US Bill of Rights?
     3.5 Why do Canadians want to change their constitution?
     3.6 What does "Distinct Society" mean for Quebec?
     3.7 Is it true that it is illegal to post an English-language
         sign in Quebec?
!    3.8 What is the "official Opposition"?
#    3.9 Who were Canada's Prime Ministers?

SOCIETY AND CULTURE
     4.1 What is the ethnic composition of Canada?
     4.2 What is the census breakdown by language spoken?
!    4.3 Who are some great or famous Canadians?
!    4.4 What are some notable events in Canadian history?
     4.5 What are some icons of Canada?
     4.6 How are Canada and the United States different?
     4.7 What are the words to "O Canada"?
!    4.8 What are some good Canadian movies?
!    4.9 Who are some good Canadian authors?
     4.10 Do Canadians use British or American spelling?
     4.11 What are some examples of Canadian music? How can i find
   Canadian music abroad?
     4.12 What religious affiliations exist in Canada?
!    4.13 What are some special days in the Canadian calendar?
     4.14 Why isn't Canadian Thanksgiving the same day as U.S. Thanksgiving?

EDUCATION
!    5.1 What are the addresses of some Canadian universities?
!    5.2 Which Canadian universities are the best?
     5.3 Do Canadian universities respect foreign academic degrees?
     5.4 Is it true that immigrants to Quebec must send their
         children to French-language schools?
     5.5 What Canadian universities offer graduate programs in my
         field of study?
!    5.6 What universities offer programs in Canadian Studies?
     5.7 Foreign students
        5.7.1 How much would it cost me to study in Canada?
        5.7.2 How long is the Canadian university year?
        5.7.3 Is there a country-wide test for university admission?
        5.7.4 How do I apply to a Canadian university?
        5.7.5 As a foreign student, am I allowed financial aid?
        5.7.6 Will I be covered by Canadian health insurance?
        5.7.7 How do I obtain a student authorization?
        5.7.8 Can I work while I study?
        5.7.9 Where can I get more information on studying in Canada?

[Part 2/2]

(questions about:)

INFORMATION FOR TRAVELLERS
IMMIGRATION, EMIGRATION, AND EMPLOYMENT
TAXATION
ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS
MEDIA
STATISTICAL INFORMATION
ELECTRONIC SOURCES OF INFORMATION
GENERAL INFORMATION

-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPCOMING EVENTS


 Feb. 3-13/94  Carnaval de Quebec.  Quebec City, Qc
 Feb. 94  Winterlude.  Ottawa, Ontario
 Jul. 8-14/ 94  Calgary Stampede. Calgary, Alberta.
 Aug. 12-28/94  XV Commonwealth Games. Victoria, British Columbia

-----------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT SOC.CULTURE.CANADA


        1.1 Where can I get an update of this FAQ?

This FAQ is updated monthly and posted on the Usenet newsgroup
soc.culture.canada.  It will eventually be posted on news.answers and
automatically archived after I straighten out some problems related to
my Internet account.

-----

        1.2 Why are so many posts on soc.culture.canada of political nature?

The charter of soc.culture.canada does not forbid political discussions.
A political discussion group exists in the can.* hierarchy but it is
not widely available outside Canada. Many Canadians abroad and people
interested in this topic can not access that newsgroup. For them,
the only newsgroup available to discuss Canadian politics is often
soc.culture.canada. If the periodic dominance of political discussions
in the group bothers you, don't hesitate to begin some more cultural
threads.

----------------------------------------------------------------
HISTORY

     2.1 When was Canada discovered?

It depends on what you count as discovering Canada.

First, thousands of years before European contact and settlement,
Canada was thinly settled by various Indian tribes and Inuit (Eskimo)
bands.

Viking wrecks have been found on the Canadian east coast, and Basques
were fishing in "Canadian" waters well before the English or French
started to explore Canada.

In 1497, John Cabot (born in Italy as Giovanni Caboto, but working for
the English) reached some part of what is now Canada -- it isn't clear
whether it was the island of Newfoundland, or the Labrador coast, or
Cape Breton Island.

Starting in 1534, Jacques Cartier of France discovered and explored
what is now Quebec and the other eastern provinces.  He was the first
to use the word "Canada", in 1535, in reference to a district along the
St. Lawrence.  (He apparently misunderstood the Iroquoian word kanata,
which actually means "village", as referring to the district.  Until
the English created "Upper Canada", now Ontario, the name Canada
referred exclusively to the French colony, which originated with
Cartier.

Due to their different cultural backgrounds, and perhaps because
Newfoundland was not part of Canada until 1949, French speakers will
usually recognize Cartier as the discoverer, while some English speakers
will prefer Cabot.

-----

     2.2 How did Canada and the USA become and remain two separate
     countries?

During the American Revolution of 1775-83, nearly 40,000 loyalists fled
to Canada from the rebellious colonies.

The War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States began with
a close vote in US Congress.  During the War of 1812, Canada became a
battleground; Toronto was captured and pillaged by the Americans in
1813.  Many Americans hoped to expand the territory of the United
States at the expense of Canada, or even to entice Canada into a
continental American union, but Canadians, whether English- or
French-speaking, showed no enthusiasm for joining the United States.
A small British garrison, with the support of irregular forces of
Indian tribes, kept the Americans at bay.  The Convention of 1818
established the border between western Canada and the United States
at latitude 49 degrees north, as far west as the Rocky Mountains,
and provided for joint US-British control of Oregon (i.e., the entire
Columbia River basin).  <The Universal Almanac 1990>

-----

     2.3  How did Canada become an independent country?  Does the
          phrase "the Dominion of Canada" indicate colonial status?

Independence actually happened in several stages, and the nomenclature
is somewhat confusing because the words "province", "dominion", and
"Canada" have each been used differently at different times.

The four most important formal steps -- each of which was preceded by some
years of political activity -- were:

  July 1, 1867: the British North America Act creates the Canadian
    federal government, and proclaims "one Dominion under the name
    of Canada".  "Dominion" here means a part of the British Empire
    which is self-governing as regards internal matters.  This
    event, illogically referred to as "Confederation", is the one
    celebrated today as having been the birth of Canada.

  December 11, 1931: the Statute of Westminster in effect redefines
    "dominion".  Canada acquires full self-government, with the
    right to declare war, control its own international trade, and
    so on.  Because the provinces cannot agree on an amending
    procedure, control of the Canadian constitution remains in
    Britain.

 January 1, 1947: the Canadian Citizenship Act causes Canadian
    citizens to be distinguished from other British subjects for
    the first time.  (At the same time, the UK is distinguishing
    its own citizens from other British subjects.  However, all
    British subjects resident in Canada retain the right to vote
    in Canada for a further 20+ years.)

 April 17, 1982: The Constitution Act "patriates" the Canadian
     constitution from Britain; henceforth it can be amended
     without British involvement.

Canada still retains a formal dependency to Britain in that the British
monarch is recognized as Canada's also.  The monarch still notionally
chooses representatives who, notionally, must approve each federal and
provincial law and nominate each Prime Minister or Premier.  However,
in practice these representatives (the Governor General and Lieutenants-
Governor) are nominated by appropriate Canadian legislature, and take
a role that is purely formal, except in some cases when an election
results in a minority government and the GG or LG acts as a sort of
referee between the possible PMs or Premiers. <Mark Brader>

-----

     2.4 So is "The Dominion of Canada" still the official name of
         the country?

It never was.  Section 3 of the British North America Act read, in part:

"... the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick shall form
and be One Dominion under the Name of Canada; and on and after that Day
those Three Provinces shall form and be One Dominion under that Name
accordingly."

This clause has never been repealed, though the BNA act is now called the
Constitution Act, 1867.  Thus Canada still is a dominion, or Dominion,
and it is correct to refer to the Dominion of Canada.  However, note
that it says "...under the Name of Canada...."  So the official name of
the country is "Canada."  "Dominion" is a descriptive term which can be
applied to this country, but not part of its official name.

It was however customary for many years to use "Dominion" as if it was
part of the official name, so that many Canadians grew up thinking of
it as that.  <Tom Box, Mark Brader>

-----

     2.5 Why is Canada bilingual?

The first permanent European settlement in Canada was the French
trading station at Quebec, founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608.
In 1663, New France was organized as a French Crown Colony, and royal
governors replaced private commercial interests in governing Quebec.
<The Universal Almanac 1990>

When New France was ceded to the British in 1763 as part of the Treaty
of Paris that ended the Seven Years' War, the French-speaking residents
of the St. Lawrence valley were granted the option of remaining under
English sovereignty or migrating to France.  While the bureaucracy
left, the peasant farmers, "les habitants" remained.  The British
granted its new French-speaking citizenry autonomy with respect to
religion (Roman Catholic), the judiciary (eventually the Code Civile),
and language.  The separation of the thirteen southern colonies from
Britain in 1783 caused significant Loyalist migration to the remaining
British North American colonies, notably to the Maritime region and to
Western Quebec.  The English immigration to Western Quebec, which then
included the southern parts of today's Quebec and Ontario, prompted the
division into Lower Canada (Quebec) and Upper Canada (Ontario) in 1791.

In 1840 the two Canadas were reunified as the Province of Canada.
The United Parliament was supposed to be unilingual English, but custom
soon made it bilingual.  The different judicial systems in Upper and
Lower Canada were governed by two justice ministers.  Deadlock in the
United Parliament, fear of political and economic domination by the
antebellum US, and some British impetus got the five eastern British
colonies in North America (Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince
Edward Island, Newfoundland) together to discuss the prospect of
federation.  With respect to French-language rights at the governmental
level, the traditions of the United Parliament of the Province of
Canada were naturally extended to the Federal Parliament of (the
Dominion) of Canada.

The British North America Act of July 1, 1867, the British Act of
Parliament that created the country, mandated official bilingualism in
the Federal and Quebec legislatures and courts.  <Stewart Clamen>

The Province of Canada formed a federation along with New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia, and the name Canada was applied to the new federation.
The currently existing Canada is a direct descendant of the federation
of 1867, not of the union of 1840.

-----

     2.6 How is Canada bilingual?

Canadians have the right to receive services from their federal
government in the official language of their choice.  This does not
mean you can walk into a post office in every town across the country
and be guaranteed service in both English and French.  Each province
can decide for itself what services it will provide in the minority
language.  New Brunswick has a broad constitutional guarantee of
equality of English and French.  In Quebec, there is a constitutional
guarantee that both French and English may be used in the legislature
and the courts.  Otherwise, provision of services in the minority
language is up to the individual government.  <Tom Box>

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the April 17, 1982, constitutional
amendments guarantees minority-language (English in Quebec, French
elsewhere) education rights "where numbers warrant"; however, not all
of this section is currently in effect.  (See the question "Is it true
that immigrants to Quebec must send their children to French-language
schools?" under Education) <Stewart Clamen, Mark Brader>

-----

     2.7 How did Ottawa become the capital of Canada?

Ottawa served briefly as the capital of the Province of Canada.  Upper
and Lower Canada had their capitals at Toronto and Quebec, respectively.
When they were united into a single colony, the capital was first
located in Kingston, but soon afterward moved to Montreal.  Montreal
was centrally located, the largest city in the colony, and the major
transport hub.  However, there was a riot in the late 1840's in which
the Parliament Buildings were burned down, so Montreal lost its status
as capital, and sessions of the legislature alternated between Quebec
and Toronto.  There was much debate on where the permanent capital
should be, with Quebec, Montreal, Kingston, and Toronto all in the
running.  Quebec almost won out, but the Canadian politicians were
ultimately unable to agree on a capital, and they decided to leave the
choice up to Queen Victoria, who picked Ottawa.  This was in the late
1850's.  There were objections from partisans of other cities, but the
decision was eventually accepted.  The move of the capital to Ottawa
was not immediate, since it was a backwoods lumber town without
adequate facilities to house the government.

Construction of government buildings in Ottawa was underway when the
plan for a larger federation of British North American colonies was
hatched.  This involved splitting the existing province of Canada into
Quebec and Ontario, and they went back to their old capitals of Quebec
and Toronto, while Ottawa became the federal capital.  <Tom Box>

-----

      2.8 What national flags has Canada used?

At the time of Confederation in 1867, Canada remained a dependency of
the United Kingdom, and its flag was therefore the Union Jack.  There
was, however, a desire for a flag to symbolize the new Dominion, and
the flag which came to be used for this purpose was the Canadian Red
Ensign.  The Red Ensign is the flag flown by British merchant ships,
and consists of a red field with a Union Jack in the canton (i.e. the
upper left quadrant).  The Canadian version of this flag was the same
basic design, to which was added the Canadian coat of arms.  At this
time, Canada did not have a distinctive coat of arms; it used a
combination (a quartering, in heraldic jargon) of the arms of the four
original provinces.

The government of Sir John A. Macdonald had the Canadian Red Ensign
flown over the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa.  It also requested
permission from the British Admiralty, in 1874, for this flag to be
flown by Canadian merchant vessels.  This request was at first refused,
and it was only on February 2, 1892, that permission was granted for use
of the Canadian Red Ensign at sea.  The flag had no official status on
land, though it was widely used.

At the end of the 19th century, there was a growth in imperialist
sentiment in Canada, occasioned, at least in part, by Queen Victoria's
diamond jubilee in 1897 and by the Boer War.  The Canadian Red Ensign
was replaced by the Union Jack over the Parliament Buildings.  I am not
sure exactly when this change occurred, but Henri Bourassa asked a
question in the House of Commons on this subject in 1904, to which the
Minister of Public Works replied, "...the flag hitherto flown on the
parliament building has been what is known as the Canadian Merchant
Marine flag.  It is not the national flag in any other sense.  The
national flag, as we understand it for this purpose, is the Union Jack."

On November 21, 1921, Canada acquired a new coat of arms.  The shield
was divided into three sections, the uppermost containing the royal
arms of England and Scotland, the middle part the arms of Ireland and
France, and the lower section three green maple leaves on a single
stem, on a white background, representing Canada.  The colour of the
leaves was changed to red in 1957.

This new coat of arms was used on the Canadian Red Ensign.  In 1924,
use of the Red Ensign was authorized on government buildings outside of
Canada (e.g. High Commissions and Embassies), as well as on merchant
ships.  In 1925, the government of Mackenzie King appointed a committee
to study a design for a national flag, but in the face of opposition,
the committee was dissolved without ever issuing a report.

During the election of 1945, Mackenzie King said he would recommend the
adoption of a national flag.  On September 5, 1945, an Order in Council
authorized the use of the Canadian Red Ensign on government buildings
inside as well as outside Canada, and this flag again replaced the
Union Jack over the Parliament Buildings.  This was just to be a
temporary solution, while a joint committee of the Senate and House of
Commons looked for a permanent design.  The committee looked at 2,695
designs, and finally decided on the Red Ensign, but with a gold maple
leaf outlined in white replacing the coat of arms.  There was
opposition to this proposal both from those who felt the new flag was
too British (containing as it did the Union Jack), and those who felt
it was not British enough, and who preferred the old Red Ensign or the
Union Jack.  Hence the new design was never voted on by Parliament, and
the old Red Ensign continued in use, but without a clear status as
Canada's national flag.

During the election campaign of 1963, Liberal leader Lester Pearson
promised that a national flag would be adopted within two years of his
election.  Pearson's main advisor on this matter was John Matheson, a
Liberal Member of Parliament, student of heraldry, and a disabled war
veteran.  Matheson felt that the lower portion of the coat of arms
representing Canada should be used as the flag, i.e. three red maple
leaves on a single stem, on a white background.  Pearson wanted the
flag to have the same colours as the Union Jack, namely red, white,
and blue, so narrow vertical blue bars were added at the right and
left edges of the flag.  This was the tentative design for the new flag.

This proposal attracted a great deal of opposition, most notably
from John Diefenbaker and his Conservative Party, and from the Royal
Canadian Legion, a veterans' organization.  Both of these groups
favoured the retention of the Canadian Red Ensign.  A House of Commons
committee was created to study the flag issue.  It was made up of seven
Liberals, five Conservatives, one New Democrat, one Social Creditor,
and one Creditiste.  The Liberals supported the "Pearson Pennant" and
the Conservatives the Red Ensign.

During the hearings of the committee, questions were raised about the
symbolism of the three maple leaves.  Did they represent British,
French, and "other" ethnic groups?  Was it a veiled allusion to the
Holy Trinity, and thus an affront to non-Christians?  The answer was in
the eye of the beholder, but a feeling arose among some committee
members that a single maple leaf, symbolic of national unity, might be
preferable to a three-leaf design.  Heraldic purists also objected to
the inclusion of the blue bars, when red and white were Canada's
national colours.

A design was proposed by George F.G. Stanley, Dean of Arts at Royal
Military College, based on the RMC flag.  This consisted of three
vertical stripes, red, white, and red, of equal width, with the RMC
crest in the centre.  Stanley proposed this as the national flag, with
a single red maple leaf replacing the college crest.  This design
attracted support as an alternative to the Pearson design.  It was
eventually modified slightly by making the central white stripe twice
as wide as the red stripes.  This gives better balance between the two
colours, allows for a larger maple leaf, and makes the design look less
like the Peruvian flag.  The leaf was also modified from a realistic
maple leaf to a stylized eleven-pointed leaf.

On October 22, 1964, the committee voted on the various designs.  The
Conservatives supported the Red Ensign, but it was eliminated from
contention, and the two finalists were the Matheson/Pearson design and
that of Stanley.  Expecting the Liberals to stick with the Pearson
proposal, the Tories decided to vote for the Stanley design, but the
Liberals surprised them by switching to the red and white flag, which
was adopted unanimously.  The Conservatives then demanded a vote on
whether the committee should recommend the new design, and voted
against it.

A long and stormy debate in the House of Commons ensued.  After 33 days
of debate and 252 speeches, the government invoked closure, and the
House voted in favour of the new flag by 163 to 78.  The vote came on
December 15, 1964.  The new flag became the official flag of Canada on
February 15, 1965.

There was still much opposition to the new flag and support for the Red
Ensign.  Ontario and Manitoba both almost immediately adopted the Red
Ensign as their provincial flags (with the provincial coat of arms
replacing the Canadian one).  Three decades later, when the flag is
almost universally accepted as a symbol of Canada, it is hard to
realize how much passion its adoption stirred.

The official description of the flag in the Royal Proclamation:
"a red flag of the proportions two by length and one by width, containing
in its centre a white square the width of the flag, bearing a single red
maple leaf, or, in heraldic terms, described as gules on a Canadian pale
argent a maple leaf of the first."

Reference:  Stanley, George F.G., "The Story of Canada's Flag,
A Historical Sketch," Ryerson Press, Toronto, 1965.

<provided by Tom Box>

-----------------------------------------------------------------

POLITICS

     3.1 What is the structure of Canada's government?

The Parliament is composed of a lower house (House of Commons), with
295 members currently, and an upper house (the Senate) with 112 members.

Each members of the House of Commons (called Members of Parliament or
MPs) represents one electoral district, informally called a riding.
MPs are elected for a term running until the Parliament is dissolved.
Parliament must be dissolved after a maximum of 5 years since the
last general election.  When an MP dies or resigns, a replacement may
be elected through a by-election in that riding.

The last general election took place on October 25, 1993.  The Liberal
Party formed a majority government, and its leader (Jean Chretien) became
the head of the government (Prime Minister).  The prime minister and his
Cabinet Ministers are collectively responsible to the House of Commons.
Unlike in the USA, the same person can take the position of prime minister
for an unlimited number of times.

Senators are appointed by the prime minister and occupy their position
until retirement age of 75.  The Senate works about the same way as the
British Chamber of Lords.  Senators appointed by Progressive Conservative
governments currently form the majority in the Senate.

Canada's head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, represented in Canada by the
Governor General (Ramon Hnatyshyn since January 29, 1990).  The governor
general is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister.
While the Prime Minister is not the Head of State, he holds most of the
executive power.

-----

     3.2 What are the federal political parties in Canada?

Parties must hold 12 seats in the House of Commons to be an official
party.  Official parties are granted certain privileges:  guaranteed time
during the question period, extra funding for research and operational
staff, etc.  Currently, only the Liberal Party of Canada, the Bloc
Quebecois, and the Reform Party are official parties.


Liberal Party

The Liberals are the current party in power in Parliament, led by the
Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Jean Chretien.  This is one of the
original two major parties dating from before Confederation.  Historically
it has been slightly left-of-centre.  It is pro-business and, lately,
less pro-American than the PCs.  In this century it has controlled
Quebec's seats in Parliament almost exclusively, with the exception of
John Diefenbaker's second term, the Brian Mulroney era, and the recent
booming of the Bloc Quebecois.  It is nominally against the FTA (Free
Trade Agreement) and NAFTA (North American FTA), but does not
plan to cancel either deal.  The party is nicknamed the Grits, from an old
expression denoting purity: "no sand, clear grit all the way through".


Bloc Quebecois (BQ)

Formed by former Mulroney right-hand man Lucien Bouchard, this group
grew from disenchanted Quebec PC MPs following the failure of the Meech
Lake round of constitutional amendments in 1990.  With looser party
discipline than the other parties, its platform is to advance the
policies of Quebec in Parliament, and to eventually help lead Quebec
out of Confederation.  A few of its members had come to Parliament via
by-elections since 1990.  In the last general election the BQ ran
candidates only in Quebec, where it got 54 out of 75 seats.  As the
party with the second-most seats, it will likely be "Her Majesty's
Loyal Opposition in Parliament".  A controversy is going on in Canada
as whether a separatist party can assume the role of official opposition.


Reform Party (RP)

This party was also formed just a few years ago, by the charismatic
Preston Manning, son of a former Alberta premier.  Its base is
primarily in Alberta.  It has preached a hard line with respect to
Quebec, and has not made an attempt to form local associations there.
Represented by only 1 MP before the latest general election, the party
now holds 52 seats, all but one of these in the western provinces.
The Reform Party has placed itself to the right of the PCs.  During
its election campaign, the party had to defend itself against repeated
complaints that it was racist and sexist.


Progressive Conservative Party (PC)

This party was formed in 1942 when the Conservative Party (the other
major pre-Confederation party) absorbed the smaller Progressive Party.
The party spans the spectrum from centre to near right-wing.  It has
historically been pro-business, and currently is very much pro Free
Trade, including FTA and NAFTA.  It formed a majority government until
the last general election, first under the Right Honourable Brian
Mulroney and then under its current leader the Right Honourable Kim
Campbell (the first female Prime Minister of Canada).  But the party
now holds only 2 seats -- the worst defeat ever in Canadian federal
politics.  Kim Campbell did not get a seat.  Like the Conservative Party
in Britain, the PCs are nicknamed the Tories.


New Democratic Party (NDP)

Formed in 1933 in Saskatchewan as the Co-operative Commonwealth
Federation (CCF), the party began as representative of Prairie farming
interests.  The name change came in 1961 when Ontario-based labour
organizations joined the party.  A member of Socialist International,
it is a social democrat party in the European mould, and has retained
its connections with the Canadian labour movement.  It is against FTA
(which it claims it would abrogate) and NAFTA.  The party has held
either the third- or the fourth-most seats in every Parliament since
its creation, and has been most powerful when supporting a minority
goverment (such as Pierre Trudeau's from 1972 to 1974).  It has had
success at the provincial level, being currently in power in BC,
Saskatchewan, and Ontario, and formerly in Manitoba.  At the federal
level it lost its official party designation in the last election,
keeping only 9 of its previous 40-odd seats.  The current leader,
Audrey McLaughlin, was the first female leader of a major political
party in Canada.


OTHER PARTIES:

There are a considerable number of minor parties that typically field
candidates in various ridings.  These include:

National Party:  Formed in 1992 by writer Mel Hurtig, this party did not
get any member into the House of Commons.  It was certainly the most
serious among the the minor parties in the last election.  The party is
avowedly nationalistic and against foreign ownership.

Rhinoceros Party:   Founded in Quebec[year?], this party is noted for
making outrageous campaign promises, such as moving half the Rockies
one metre to the west as a make-work project and, as an energy-saving
idea, putting larger wheels on the back of all cars, so that they will
always be going downhill.  It is currently in the middle of a contentious
leadership fight between its Quebec and BC chapters.

Green Party of Canada:  With an environmentally-conscious platform.
As of August 1993, the party leader was Chris Lea.
<adapted from Stewart Clamen>

-----

     3.3 What about the provincial governments?

Each provincial government is organized very much like the federal one,
except that there are no provincial Senates.  Some of the terminology
is different between the federal and provincial levels, or from one
province to another:

      Prime Minister             Premier or Prime Minister

      Governor General           Lieutenant-Governor

      Parliament                 Provincial Parliament, Legislative Assembly,
                                 or (in Quebec) National Assembly
<Mark Brader>

The PCs, Liberals, and NDP have provincial wings as well.  Quebec is
special in that neither of its two major provincial parties has a
national affiliation.  Here are the most recent elections and the
parties in power in the provincial legislatures:

PC:  Alberta (1989), Manitoba (1990)
Lib: Newfoundland (1989), P.E.I. (1989), New Brunswick (1991), Nova Scotia
(1993)
PLQ: Quebec (1989)
NDP: Ontario (1990), British Columbia (1991), Saskatchewan (1991)
<Canadian Global Almanac 1993>

[But what other provinces held elections in late 1992 or in 1993?]

The ruling party in Quebec is the Parti Liberal du Quebec (PLQ)
(leader: Robert Bourassa, Premier), which, in spite of its name, has
not been affiliated with the Liberal Party of Canada since the late
1960s.  The Opposition party is the seperatist ("sovereignist")
Parti Quebecois (PQ) (leader: Jacques Parizeau), which was founded
in 1967[?] by the very popular Rene Levesque.  In late 1988 the Quebec
National Assembly (i.e. the provincial legislature) invoked the
"Notwithstanding clause" (see 3.4) to maintain the prohibition against
bilingual store signs; this caused the resignation from the Cabinet of
a number of prominent anglophones, nd drove many anglo-Quebecers from
their traditional PLQ allegiance.  To fill the void, the Equality Party
(EP) was created soon after to defend English interests and was able to
win four west-end Montreal seats in the subsequent election.  Since then
however, rifts in the EP have seen one of its MNAs defect to the PQ
and its founder leave the party, dimming its prospects for survival.
<Stewart Clamen>

[ need description of Social Credit party ]

-----

     3.4 Does Canada have something similar to the US Bill of Rights?

Similar, but less powerful.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was adopted as part of the
Constitution Act of 1982.  It provides very much the same sort of
guarantees that the Bill of Rights does in the US, and in general
has the same power of precedence over other laws.

However, the force of the Charter is limited by two things.  One is
a clause saying that the rights and freedoms that it guarantees are
subject to "such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be
demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society".  In practice
what this means is that rights and freedoms mean only as much as the
Supreme Court says they do; and, of course, this is exactly the
situation in the USA, even though there is no such clause there.

The second and more important limitation is the so-called "notwithstanding
clause".  This clause allows any ordinary law to take precedence over
the Charter, for a period of up to five years (renewable indefinitely),
*simply by stating that it does so*.  Thus the Charter does not provide
any "checks and balances" against the prospect of a tyrannical government
in solid control of Parliament.  It was apparently assumed by the authors
of the Constitution Act that to abuse this override power would be
political suicide for a government and therefore none would ever do it.
<Mark Brader>

-----
     3.5 Why do Canadians want to change their constitution?

The constitution was patriated from Great Britain in 1982. Since
that time, Canada can now modify its own constitution without the
consent of the British parliament. While all the other provinces
expressed approval of the 1982 constitution by signing it, Quebec,
led by an separatist government, did not.  Provincial approval
was not actually required under the old constitution, so the new one
is in effect in Quebec, just the same as elsewhere, but the situation
was an unhappy one.

In an attempt to gain Quebec's approval of the constitution, Brian
Mulroney initiated talks among the 10 premiers that led to a new
constitutional agreement in 1987 (the Meech Lake Agreement).  Because
of the nature of the changes, under the constitution this agreement
required ratification by each province.  The ratification deadline
was in June 1990, and the agreement died when Manitoba and
Newfoundland did not ratify it.

A new agreement was then sought, and many problems arose. Quebec
wanted to be recognized as a "distinct society" (read next question),
natives wanted their own independent government, and the small
provinces wanted to reform the useless Senate.  A draft agreement
called the Charlottetown Accord was reached, a single package
reflecting all these and many other concerns. Again it would have
required ratification by all provinces. A non-binding national
referendum was held, and the vote was strong enough
against the accord to allow it to die at that point.  The
constitutional problems have been put on hold since then, so that
the governments can devote more attention to the economy.

-----

     3.6 What does "Distinct Society" mean for Quebec?

Two failed attempts at amending the Canadian constitution, the Meech
Lake accord of 1987 and the Charlottetown accord of 1991, each would
have added a clause to the effect that Quebec constitutes a "Distinct
Society" within Canada.  The CIBC, a major Canadian bank, distributed
an article in 1992 containing the following commentary:

"Perhaps no one issue has been so hotly debated among Canadians as the
issue of 'distinct society' status for Quebec.  Supporters of the
concept note that it is simply an affirmation of the obvious.  Since the
passage of the Quebec Act in 1774, the Roman Catholic religion, the
French system of civil law and the French language have characterized
Quebec society.  This reality has been consistently recognized in law.

Legislation governing Canada both before and since Confederation, has
granted distinctive rights to Quebec.  By the mid-19th century, language
had grown into the one issue considered essential to protect those
rights.  And by 1867, language and culture had become so important that
they were prominent factors in the creation of the British North
America Act, which united the colonies of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick.

Opponents of a distinct society constitutional clause fear it will give
special powers to the Quebec government.  They believe that, as a
result, Quebec law would not be subject to the guarantees of the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms [see 3.4].  Similarly, they fear that
distinct society status will give Quebec greater powers than other
provinces.

In considering the issue of provincial equality, it is important to
remember that in many respects, Canadian provinces are far from equal
in relation to one another.  They are not uniform, for instance, in
terms of customs, rights or services.  Parents in Ontario are able to
send their children to either public or separate school systems [see
5.4].  This is not true for all provinces.  Similarly, while access to
our national health care system is universal, the service that each
province offers its citizens are not identical.  Thus, while equality
is a goal of many Canadians, significant differences exist among
provinces - differences shaped by the historical, regional and cultural
realities that defined each province at the time it joined the Canadian
federation.

In recognition of this fact, the federal government's proposals
recommend that the distinct reality of Quebec society be acknowledged.
This distinct society includes Quebec's civil law tradition, its
language and its unique culture.  In addition, the proposals recommend
that it is the responsibility of all governments to preserve Canada's
linguistic majorities and minorities and that Quebec has a special
responsibility to preserve its own distinct culture.

Some in Quebec see these recommendations as giving to Quebec less than
the Meech Lake Accord offered.  On the other hand, some opponents of the
distinct society provision, as it was described in the Meech Lake
document, think that this new proposal addresses many of their concerns."

<"The Constitutional Debate: A Straight Talking Guide for Canadians."
 Inserted in Maclean's, July 6, 1992 by CIBC.  A complete copy of the
 document (in English or French) can be obtained by writing to:
     Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
     Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
     Commerce Court Postal Station
     Toronto, Ontario
     M5L 1A2
>

-----

     3.7 Is it true that it is illegal to post an English-language
         sign in Quebec?

This was true for most commercial signs, but not any more.

In 1977, the Parti Quebecois government in Quebec passed the "Charter
of the French Language", which among other things changed some of the
rules affecting education, business, and public advertising in Quebec.
With respect to signs, the Charter specified that all commercial signs
in the province (except those on family-owned and operated businesses
employing fewer than 5 people) must be in French only.  This provision
was challenged by two test cases in Quebec.  The first claimed that
businesses had the right to post in any language(s) they want.  The
second claimed the right to include languages in addition to French.
<Stewart Clamen>

The Quebec Superior Court, the Quebec Court of Appeal, and the Supreme
Court of Canada all ruled that it was a reasonable limit on free speech
to require the use of French on signs, but not reasonable to prohibit
other languages.  However, there is a so-called "notwithstanding
clause" in the Charter [see 3.4] which allows a legislature to exclude
a law from certain provisions of the Charter, and the Quebec government
used this clause to maintain the ban on languages other than French.
This clause requires the law to be renewed every five years, and the
Quebec government has decided not to do so.  <Tom Box>

A business, either owned by an individual or a corporation, can now
post signs in any language it wishes as long as a French version is
also present and clearly predominant.  <Pierre Breton>

-----

     3.8  What is the "official Opposition"?

The official Opposition is the party that has the largest number of
seats in the House of Commons other than the party in power.  Its
leader gets the title of Leader of the Opposition.  He or she gets
extra pay (the same amount as a Cabinet minister) and an official
residence (named Stornoway), and sits directly opposite the Prime
Minister in the House of Commons.  The status of official Opposition
carries with it certain privileges, such as leading off in the daily
question period, and having the first chance to reply in debates on
government bills and motions.

There's also an official Opposition in each provincial legislature.

A party can decline to form the official Opposition.  This happened in
1921, when the Liberals finished first, the Progressives second, and
the Conservatives third.  The Progressives were a new Western-based
protest party, and they decided not to become the official opposition,
so that status went to the Tories.  I really don't know why they did
this.  Third parties were a new phenomenon in Canadian politics at that
time -- Parliament had just had Liberals, Conservatives, and a few
independents before then.

This was the first time since Confederation that a party other than the
Grits and Tories has finished second, and the only time up to 1993.

The Prime Minister can hold office without being a Member of Parliament,
though convention requires him to find a seat in Parliament within a
reasonable period of time.  But the Leader of the Opposition (hereafter
LO) must actually be an MP.  Since there have been several times when
the opposition party leader did not have a seat in Parliament, each time
its parliamentary caucus had to choose somebody else as a temporary LO.

I'm not sure when the position of LO was first given legal
definition (it's now mentioned in the Parliament of Canada Act,
and perhaps in other statutes as well).  At the time of Confederation,
there was not the well-defined party structure that exists today,
and there was no clear LO when Parliament first met.  George
Brown would likely have been the LO, but he had been defeated
in his riding.  It was John A. Macdonald's government who assigned the
seating in the House, and they gave the LO's seat (opposite the PM) to
Sandfield Macdonald.  (S. Macdonald was also the first Premier of
Ontario.  At that time, one could sit in both the federal Parliament
and a provincial Legislature.)

After the election for the 2nd Parliament in 1872, the Liberal
caucus met and designated Alexander Mackenzie as their leader
(at a meeting in early 1873).  I will therefore start my list with
him.  I have also included the party affiliation (L = Liberal,
C = Conservative or Progressive Conservative, BQ = Bloc
Quebecois), and whether or not the LO was a Privy Councillor.

As was discussed here previously, many LOs have been Privy
Councillors, usually because of their past service in the Cabinet,
but the LO is not necessarily a member of the Privy Council.

Name                     Party        Date       Privy Council

Alexander Mackenzie        L          1873           no(?)
John A. Macdonald          C          1873-78        yes
Alexander Mackenzie        L          1878-80        yes
Edward Blake               L          1880-87        yes
Wilfrid Laurier            L          1887-96        yes
Charles Tupper             C          1896-1900      yes
Robert Borden              C          1901-11        no
Wilfrid Laurier            L          1911-19        yes
D. D. McKenzie             L          1919           no
Mackenzie King             L          1919-21        yes
Arthur Meighen             C          1921-26        yes
Mackenzie King             L          1926           yes
Hugh Guthrie               C          1926-27        yes
R. B. Bennett              C          1927-30        yes
Mackenzie King             L          1930-35        yes
R. B. Bennett              C          1935-38        yes
Robert Manion              C          1938-40        yes
Richard Hanson             C-PC       1940-43        yes
Gordon Graydon             PC         1943-45        no
John Bracken              PC         1945-48        no
George Drew                PC         1948-56        no/yes
John Diefenbaker           PC         1956-57        no
Louis St-Laurent           L          1957-58        yes
Lester Pearson             L          1958-63        yes
John Diefenbaker           PC         1963-67        yes
Michael Starr              PC         1967           yes
Robert Stanfield           PC         1967-76        yes
Joe Clark                  PC         1976-79        no
Pierre Trudeau             L          1979-80        yes
Joe Clark                  PC         1980-83        yes
Erik Nielsen               PC         1983           yes
Brian Mulroney             PC         1983-84        no/yes
John Turner                L          1984-90        yes
Herb Gray                  L          1990           yes
Jean Chretien              L          1990-93        yes
Lucien Bouchard            BQ         1993-          yes

I've tried to make this accurate, but I don't claim this is an
authoritative list, and corrections are welcome.
<Tom Box>

-----

     3.9  Who were Canada's Prime Ministers?

C: Conservative
PC: Progressive Conservative
L: Liberal

NAME                    BORN        PARTY  PERIOD             NOTE

Sir John A. MacDonald   Scotland      C    Jul 1867-Nov 1873
Alexander Mackenzie     Scotland      L    Nov 1873-Oct 1878
Sir John A. MacDonald                      Oct 1878-Jun 1891
Sir John J.C. Cabot     [???]         C    Jun 1891-Nov 1892
Sir John S. Thompson    Nova Scotia   C    Dec 1892-Dec 1894
Sir Mackenzie Bowell    [???]         C    Dec 1894-Apr 1896
Sir Charles Tupper      Nova Scotia   C    May 1896-Jul 1896
Sir Wilfrid Laurier     Quebec        L    Jul 1896-Oct 1911
Sir Robert L. Borden    Nova Scotia   C    Oct 1911-Jul 1920
Arthur Meighen          Ontario       C    Jul 1920-Dec 1921
W. L. Mackenzie King    Ontario       L    Dec 1921-Jul 1926
Arthur Meighen                             Jul 1926-Sep 1926
W. L. Mackenzie King                       Sep 1926-Aug 1930
Richard B. Bennett      [???]         C    Aug 1930-Oct 1935
W. L. Mackenzie King                       Oct 1935-Nov 1948
Louis St. Laurent       Quebec        L    Nov 1948-Jun 1957
John G. Diefenbaker     Ontario       PC   Jun 1957-Apr 1963  Grew up in Sask.
Lester B. Pearson       Ontario       L    Apr 1963-Apr 1968  Nobel Peace Prize
Pierre E. Trudeau       Quebec        L    Apr 1968-Jun 1979
C. Joe Clark            Alberta       PC   Jun 1979-Mar 1980  Youngest PM (39)
Pierre E. Trudeau                          Mar 1980-Jun 1984
John N. Turner          England       L    Jun 1984-Sep 1984
M. Brian Mulroney       Quebec        PC   Sep 1984-Jun 1993
Kim Campbell            BC            PC   Jun 1993-Nov 1993  First Female PM
Jean Chretien           Quebec        L    Nov 1993-

-----------------------------------------------------------------

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

     4.1 What is the ethnic composition of Canada?

 40%   British Isles origin
 27%   French origin
 20%   other European
  2%   Asian
  1.5% indigenous Indian or Eskimo
<The Universal Almanac 1990>

-----

     4.2 What is the census breakdown by language spoken?

During the census which it conducts every five years, Statistics Canada
asks a series of questions about language.  These can be conveniently
classed under three headings:

1) HOME LANGUAGE - This is the response to the question, "What language
does this person speak most often at home?"

2) MOTHER TONGUE - This is the response to the question, "What is the
language that this person first learned at home in childhood and still
understands?"

3) KNOWLEDGE OF LANGUAGES - This is the response to the question, "What
language(s) can this person speak well enough to conduct a
conversation?"

Here are the results from the 1991 census, for the top-ranking
languages in one or more categories.  Multiple responses are allowed to
all the questions, so percentages may add to more than 100%.

                  HOME                 MOTHER             KNOWLEDGE OF
                LANGUAGE               TONGUE              LANGUAGES

English      18,664,635  69.1%    16,454,515  61.0%    22,505,420  83.4%
French        6,369,360  23.6%     6,623,235  24.5%     8,508,960  31.5%
Chinese         430,090   1.6%       516,875   2.0%       557,300   2.1%
Italian         288,290   1.1%       538,690   2.0%       701,910   2.6%
Portuguese      152,530   0.6%       220,630   0.8%       254,470   0.9%
Spanish         145,045   0.5%       187,615   0.7%       402,430   1.4%
German          134,460   0.5%       490,650   1.8%       684,950   2.5%
Punjabi         123,775   0.5%       147,265   0.5%       167,930   0.6%
Polish          117,150   0.4%       200,395   0.7%       239,580   0.8%
Greek            93,160   0.3%       132,980   0.5%       161,320   0.6%
Arabic           82,450   0.3%       119,255   0.4%       164,380   0.6%
Vietnamese       79,585   0.3%        83,630   0.3%       113,115   0.5%
Tagalog          75,390   0.3%       115,980   0.4%       136,975   0.5%
Ukrainian        49,995   0.2%       201,315   0.7%       249,540   0.9%
Dutch            19,915   0.1%       146,420   0.5%       173,295   0.6%

<provided by Tom Box>

-----

     4.3 Who are some great or famous Canadians?

Dan Aykroyd            Actor (Blues Brothers, Ghost Busters ...)
Sid Altman             Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1989
Frederick G. Banting   Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1923 for discovery of insulin
                       with Charles Best
Billy Bishop           World War I fighter pilot, shot down 72 enemy planes
John Candy             Actor
Michael J. Fox         Actor (Family Ties, Back to the Future...)
Wayne Gretzky          National Hockey League all-time point scoring leader
Phil Hartmann  Actor (Saturday Night Live)
Gerhard Herzberg       Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1971
David H. Hubel         Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1981
Brian W. Kernighan     Computer programmer and writer
Lorne Michaels         Producer (Saturday Night Live, The Three Amigos,...)
Mike Myers             Actor (Wayne's World)
James A. Naismith      Invented basketball at Springfield, Mass., in 1891
Lester B. Pearson      Former Prime Minister, Nobel Peace Prize in 1957
Mary Pickford  Academy award winning Actress
John C. Polanyi        Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986
Louis Riel             Metis leader of Northwest Rebellion in 1885
Paul Shaffer           David Letterman's maestro
William Shatner        Captain Kirk character on Star Trek television show
Donald Sutherland Actor (M.A.S.H.)
Henry Taube            Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1983
Richard E. Taylor      Nobel Prize in Physics in 1990
Alex Trebek            Jeopardy host
Neil Young  Rock performer

Entertainment:


-----

     4.4 What are some notable events in Canadian history?

1867:  Confederation
1967:  Montreal hosted Expo 67
1972:  Canada defeated USSR in Summit Series of ice hockey:  4W-3L-1T.
1976:  Montreal hosted the Olympic Summer Games
1988:  Calgary hosted the XV Olympic Winter Games
1986:  Vancouver hosted Expo 1986

-----

     4.5 What are some icons of Canada?

Front Page Challenge is the longest-running entertainment program on
Canadian television.

The Grey Cup was donated in 1909 by Lord Earl Grey, Governor General
of Canada (also of tea fame), and now symbolizes team supremacy in
the Canadian Football League.

The Maple Leaf, prominent on the Canadian flag, and the Beaver are
official national symbols.

The Montreal Canadiens, established in 1909, are the winningest
professional sports franchise in North America with 24 Stanley Cup
championships (as of 1993).

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police was founded as the North-West
Mounted Police in 1873.

The Snowbirds are a nine-plane aerobatic team of the Canadian Air
Force.

The Stanley Cup was donated in 1893 by Lord Stanley of Preston,
Governor General of Canada, and now symbolizes team supremacy in the
National Hockey League.

-----

     4.6 How are Canada and the United States different?

Though Canadian and American societies are in some ways very similar,
in other ways they are very different.  In a sense, Canada represents a
rejection of the ideals of the American Revolution.  Most of the early
settlement of Ontario and New Brunswick was by Loyalists fleeing the
revolution, and there was a significant flow of Loyalists to parts of
Quebec and Nova Scotia as well.  These were people who rejected the
notions of individualism and equality which became the basis of an
American ideology, in favour of a more hierarchical, elitist society.

This affected many facets of Canadian life.  The dominant religious
denominations in Canada, Catholic and Anglican, were much more
hierarchical than the main Protestant denominations in the U.S.  Though
Canada does not have a state church, neither do we have the rigorous
separation of Church and State that exists in the U.S.  There are
state-supported schools with religious affiliations in many Canadian
provinces.

Perhaps because religion was less of a personal affair in Canada, it
seems to have suffered a steeper decline here than in the U.S.  Church
attendance is significantly lower here, and politicians do not make a
show of being publicly pious, as American politicians do.

Though the early settlement of Canada reflected a conservative
rejection of the liberal (in the 18th century sense) ideals of the
American Revolution, this has, paradoxically, made Canada far more
receptive to socialist ideas, since both socialism and traditional
conservatism both involve a more interventionist, "paternalistic"
government than classical liberalism.  Thus Canadians are far more
accepting of government-run health insurance, or of gun control.

Canadians are much less wedded to the concept of individual liberties,
and more accepting of government intervention to maintain an orderly
society, than are Americans.  (This is a very broad generalization, to
which there are countless exceptions.)

The adoption of the Canadian Charter of Rights in 1982 can be seen as a
significant step towards a more American philosophy.  However, note that
the Charter is significantly more limited than the American Bill of Rights
(see 3.4).

The American system basically sees government as bad.  There is an
elaborate system of separation of powers and of checks and balances to
ensure that one branch of government does not gain too much power.
Much of the US constitution is designed to protect individual citizens
from the actions of governments.

In Canada, in contrast, the executive and legislative branches of
government are intimately linked.  The Charter of Rights is a recent
innovation, and its application is tempered by the power of legislators
to override it.  <Tom Box>

-----

     4.7 What are the words to "O Canada"?

The current English version:
     O Canada!  Our home and native land!
     True patriot love in all thy sons command.
     With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
     The true North, strong and free!
     From far and wide, O Canada,
     We stand on guard for thee.

     God keep our land glorious and free!
     O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
     O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!


De me'moire:

     O^ Canada!  Terre de nos ai"eux.
     Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux.
     Car ton bras sait porter l'e'pe'e,
     Il sait porter la croix.
     Ton histoire est une e'pope'e,
     des plus brillants exploits.

     Et ta valeur, de foi trempe'e,
     prote`gera nos foyers et nos droits,
     prote`gera nos foyers et nos droits.

(2e couplet, peu utilise)
     Sous l'oeil de Dieu pres du fleuve ge'ant
     Le canadien grandit en espe'rant
     Il est ne' d'une race fie`re
     Be'ni fut son berceau
     Le ciel a marque' sa carrie`re
     Dans ce monde nouveau.

     Toujours guide' par sa lumie`re,
     Il gardera l'honneur de son drapeau,
     Il gardera l'honneur de son drapeau.

(Il y a aussi un troisie`me couplet, mais je ne m'en souviens plus)

<French version provided by Denis Fortin>


The remaining words are seldom sung.

English verses continue...

      O Canada! Where pines and maples grow,
      Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.
      How dear to us they vast domain,
      From East to Western sea,
      Thou land of hope for all who toil,
      Thou true North, strong and free!
      (O Canada!... etc.)

      O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies
      May stalwart sons and gentle maidens rise;
      To keep thee steadfast through the years
      From East to Western sea,
      Our Father land, our Motherland!
      Our true North strong and free!
      (O Canada!... etc.)

      Ruler Supreme, Who hearest humble prayer,
      Hold our dominions in Thy loving care.
      Help use to find, O God, in Thee,
      A lasting, rich reward,
      As waiting for the better day
      We ever stand on guard.
      (O Canada!...  etc.)

---------------- In French

     De son patron, pre'curseur du vrai Dieu,
     Il porte au font l'aure'ole de feu.
     Ennemi de la tyrannie,
     Mais plein de loyaute',
     Il veut garder dans l'harmonie
     Sa fiere' liberte';

     Et par l'effort de son ge'nie,
     Sur notre sol asseoir la ve'rite'.
     Sur notre sol asseoir la ve'rite'.

     Amour sacre' du tro^ne de l'autel,
     Remplis nos cours de ton souffle immortel!
     Parmi les races entrange`res,
     Notre guide est la loi;
     Sachons e^tre un peuple de fre`res
     Sous le joug de la foi.

     Et re'pe'tons, comme nos pe`res,
     Le cri vainqueur "Pour le Christ et le Roi!"
     Le cri vainqueur "Pour le Christ et le Roi!"

The music was written by Calixa Lavallee and the original French words
by Judge Adolphe-Basile Routhier, around 1880.  The English version,
not really a translation, was by Stanley Weir in 1908.  In 1867 the
Canadian Parliament got into the act and changed some of Weir's words.
<Neale Adams>

[The English version was changed a lot more recently than that, too.
 Details?]

-----

     4.8 What are some good Canadian movies?

The Festival of Festivals has updated its 1984 survey of the best
Canadian films ever.  The current standings are:

1. Mon oncle Antoine (Claude Jutra, 1971)
2. Jesus de Montreal (Denys Arcand, 1988)
3. Goin' Down the Road (Don Shebib, 1970)
4. Le declin de l'empire Americain (Denys Arcand, 1986)
5. Les bons debarras (Francis Mankiewicz, 1980)
6. Les ordres (Michel Brault, 1974)
7. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (Ted Kotcheff, 1974)
8. The Grey Fox (Phillip Borsos, 1982)
9. I've Heard the Mermaids Singing (Patricia Rozema, 1987)
10. The Adjuster (Atom Egoyan, 1991)

Knocked off of 1984's list were J.A. Martin photographe (Jean
Beaudin, 1976), Pour la suite du monde (Pierre Perrault and
Michel Brault, 1963), Le vrai nature de Bernadette (Gilles Carle,
1972), and Nobody Waved Goodbye (Don Owen, 1964).
<Sources:  Globe and Mail, provided by Stephanie Fysh>

Leolo (Jean-Claude Lauzon)
The Adjuster (Atom Egoyan)
<Stewart Clamen>

Who Has Seen the Wind [by who?]

[ others? ]

-----

     4.9 Who are some good Canadian authors?

Margaret Atwood (A Handmaid's Tale)
Robertson Davies (The Deptford Trilogy: Fifth Business, The Manticore,
    World of Wonders)
William Gibson (Mona Lisa Overdrive)
Anne Hebert (Kamouraska, Les Fous de Bassan)
Farley Mowat (Never Cry Wolf)
Mordecai Richler (The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz)
Gabrielle Roy (Bonheur d'Occasion (trans: The Tin Flute))
Pamela Sargent (Venus of Dreams)

<Stewart Clamen, Mike Eisler, Martin Savard>

[ others? ]

-----

     4.10 Do Canadians use British or American spelling?

Standard Canadian written English uses characteristic features of both
British and American spelling.  Most Canadians use "colour" (not
"color"), "harbour" (not "harbor"), "cheque" (not "check"), and
"centre" (not "center"), but also "specialize" (not "specialise"),
"draft" (not "draught"), and "tire" (not "tyre").

Canadian newspapers and magazines each have their own spelling standard.
The (Toronto) Globe and Mail tends to use the above rules, for instance,
while The (Montreal) Gazette, will use "color" and "harbor", but also
"cheque" and "centre".  <Stewart Clamen>

Newspaper practice is somewhat influenced by the desire to run stories
originating in the US with minimal editing. <Mark Brader>

-----

     4.11 What are some examples of Canadian music? How can i find
   Canadian music abroad?

Contact Gary Dare at [e-mail] for a list of compact discs.

-----

     4.12 What religious affiliations exist in Canada?

Maclean's Religion Poll (April 12, 1993)

Source: 4510 adults in a phone poll (Jan-Mar 1993), as part of the
 regular monthly Angus-Reid poll

ROUGH BREAKDOWN

Christian     78%
Jewish         1%
Hindu        0.5%
Buddhist     0.5%
Islamic      0.5%
no religion   10%
atheist       ~9%

FORMAL AFFILIATION

Religion                       Now  As a child

Roman Catholic                  38%     44%
None                            16       4
United                          13      14
Anglican                         9      11
Conservative(*)                  8       8
Lutheran/Presbyterian            6       8
Non-Denominational Protestant    4       4
Non-Christian denominations(+)   3       2
Other Christian($)               2       1
Don't Know/No Response           3       3

(*) Includes Baptist, Church of Nazarene, Pentecostal, Apostolic,
    Mennonite, Canadian Reformed, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
    Saints (Mormon), Seventh-Day Adventist, Brethren, Plymouth Brethren,
    Salvation Army, Alliance, Evangelical, Methodist, Congregationalist,
    Wesleyan, Gospel, Worldwide Church of God, Church of Christ, born
    again Christian, Christian Reformed.

(+) Includes Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, New Age, Sikh, Spiritualist,
    Soka Gakki International, North American native religion, Theosophical
    society paganism, Baha'i, humanist, agnostic, Wicca, Lemurian, New
    Thought Movement.

($) Includes Orthodox, Unitarian, Jehovah's Witness, Christadelphian,
    Christian Scientist, Church of Scientology.

<provided by Stewart Clamen>

-----

     4.13 What are some special days in the Canadian calendar?

January 1:            New Year's Day
April 1, 1994:         Good Friday (2 days before Easter Sunday)
April 3, 1994:         Easter Sunday (date varies, late March to late April)
May 8, 1994:         Mother's Day (2nd Sunday in May)
May 23, 1994:        Victoria Day (Monday after the 17th)
June 19, 1994:       Father's Day (3rd Sunday in June)
June 24:             St. Jean de Baptiste in Quebec
July 1:              Canada Day (In commemoration for the day of the
                     foundation of the dominion of Canada)
August 1, 1994:      Civic Holiday (1st Monday in August, some provinces only)
September 5, 1994:   Labor Day (1st Monday in September)
October 10, 1994:    Thanksgiving Day (2nd Monday in October)
November 11:         Remembrance Day
December 25:         Christmas Day
December 26:         Boxing Day

-----

     4.14 Why isn't Canadian Thanksgiving the same day as US Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving being originally a day to thank God for harvest, it makes
sense that Canadian Thanksgiving be before the US one, seeing that
climatic differences between the two countries cause Canada to have
its last harvests earlier in the Fall. <M.S.>

Proclaimed as "a day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God
for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed",
Thanksgiving draws upon 3 traditions: harvest celebrations in European
peasan societies for which the symbol was the cornucopia (horn of
plenty); formal observances, such as that celebrated by Martin FROBISHER
in the eastern Arctic in 1578 - the first North American Thanksgiving;
and the Pilgrims' celebration of their first harvest in Massachusetts
(1621) involving the uniquely American turkey, squash and pumpkin.
The celebration was brought to Nova Scotia in the 1750s and the citizens
of Halifax commemorated the end of the SEVEN YEARS WAR (1763) with
a day of Thanksgiving. Loyalists brought the celebration to other
parts of the country. In 1879 Parliament declared Nov 6 as a day of
Thanksgiving;  it was celebrated as a national rather a religious
holiday. Later and earlier dates were observed, the most popular
being the third Monday in Oct. After WWI, Thanksgiving and Armistice
(later Remembrance) Day were celebrated in the same week. It was not
until 31 Jan 1957 that Parliament proclaimed the observance of
Thanksgiving on the second Monday in Oct. E.C. Drury, the former
"Farmer-Premier" of Ontario lamented later that "the farmers' own holiday
has been stolen by the towns" to give them a long weekend when the weather
was better. <The Canadian Encyclopedia, Hurtig; provided by Stewart Clamen>

-----------------------------------------------------------------
EDUCATION

     5.1 What are the addresses of some Canadian universities?

Nainish Bapna ([e-mail]) maintains an e-mail address list
of admission offices in more than 25 countries, including Canada.
It is available for FTP at:
          Site:        wilbur.stanford.edu
          Directory:   /pub/nagps/Info-Exchange
          File:         gradschool.email


  [English Programs]

ACADIA U.                       ALBERTA, U. OF
Wolfville, Nova Scotia          Edmonton, Alberta
B0P 1X0  [phone]         T6G 2E1  [phone]

ATHABASCA U.                    AUGUSTANA U. COLLEGE
Box 10000                       4901-46 Avenue
University Drive                Camrose, Alberta
Athabaska, Alberta              T4V 2R3  [phone]
T0G 2R0  [phone]

BISHOP'S U.                     BRANDON U.
Lennoxville, Quebec             Brandon, Manitoba
J1M 1Z7  [phone]         R7A 6A9  [phone]

BRESICA COLLEGE                 BRITISH COLUMBIA, U of  (UBC)
1285 Western Road               2075 Wesbrook Mall
London, Ontario                 Vancouver, British Columbia
N6G 1H2  [phone]         V6T 1Z1  [phone]

BROCK U.                        CALGARY, U. of
Merrittville Highway            2500 University Drive
St. Catharines, Ontario         Calgary, Alberta
L2S 3A1  [phone]         T2N 1N4

CAMPION COLLEGE                 CAPE BRETON, U. COLLEGE
c/o The Univ. of Regina         P.O BOX 5300
Regina, Saskatchewan            Sydney, Nova Scotia
S4S 0A2  [phone]         B1P 6L2  [phone]

CARLETON U.                     CONCORDIA COLLEGE
Ottawa, Ontario                 7128 Ada Blvd
K1S 5B6  [phone]         Edmonton, Alberta
                                T5B 4E4  [phone]

CONCORDIA U.                    DALHOUSIE U.
Sir George William Campus       Halifax, Nova Scotia
1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd West   B3H 3J5  [phone]
Montreal, Quebec
H3G 1M8  [phone]

GUELPH, U. of                   HURON COLLEGE
Guelph, Ontario                 1349 Western Road
N1G 2W1                         London, Ontario
                                N6G 1H3  [phone]

KING'S COLLEGE                  THE KING'S COLLEGE
266 Epworth Avenue              10766-97 Street
London, Ontario                 Edmonton, Alberta
N6A 2M3  [phone]         T5H 2M1  [phone]

KING'S COLLEGE U.               LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY
Halifax, Nova Scotia            Oliver Road
B3H 2A1  [phone]         Thunder Bay, Ontario
                                P7B 5E1  [phone]

LAURENTIAN U.                   LETHBRIDGE, U of
Ramsey Lake Road                4401 University Dr.
Sudbury, Ontario                Lethbridge, Alberta
P3E 2C6  [phone]         T1K 3M4  [phone]

LUTHER COLLEGE                  MANITOBA, U of
University of Regina            Winnipeg, Manitoba
Regina, Saskatchewan            R3T 2N2  [phone]
S4S 0A2  [phone]

MCGILL U.                       MCMASTER U.
845 Sherbroke St. West          Hamilton, Ontario
Montreal, Quebec                L8S 4L8  [phone]
H3A 2T5  [phone]

MEMORIAL U. OF NEWFOUNDLAND     MOUNT ALLISON U.
Elizabeth Avenue                Sackville, New Brunswick
St. John's, Nfld.               E0A 3C0  [phone]
A1C 5S7  [phone]

MOUNT SAINT VINCENT U.          NEW BRUNSWICK, U of
Halifax, Nova Scotia            P.O. Box 4400
B3M 2J6  [phone]         Fredericton, New Brunswick
                                E3B 5A3  [phone]

NOVA SCOTIA AGRICULTURAL        NORTHERN B.C. U.
COLLEGE                         P.O. Bag 1950, Station A
P.O. BOX 550                    Prince George, British Columbia
Truro, Nova Scotia              V2L 5P2
B2N 5E3  [phone]

THE ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR       UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
STUDIES IN EDUCATION (OISE)     550 Cumberland
252 Bloor St. West              P.O. BOX 450, Station A
Toronto, Ontario                Ottawa, Ontario
M5S 1V6  [phone]         K1N 6N5  [phone]

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, U of      QUEEN'S U.
Charlottetown, P.E.I.           Kingston, Ontario
C1A 4P3  [phone]         K7L 3N6  [phone]

REGINA, U of                    ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE OF CANADA
Regina, Saskatchwan             Kingston, Ontario
S4S 0A2  [phone]         K7K 5L0  [phone]

RYERSON POLYTECHNICAL U.        ST. FRANCIS XAVIER U.
350 Victoria St.                Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Toronto, Ontario                B2G 1C0  [phone]
M5B 2K3  [phone]

ST. MARY'S U.
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3H 3C3  [phone]

ST. THOMAS U.                   SASKATCHEWAN, U of
P.O. BOX 4569                   Saskatoon, Sask.
Fredericton, New Brunswick      S7N 0W0  [phone]
E3B 5G3  [phone]

SASKATCHEWAN INDIAN             SIMON FRASER U.
FEDERATED COLLEGE               Burnaby, British Columbia
Piapot Indian Reserve 75        V5A 1S6  [phone]
Box 9, R.R.2, Site 3
Craven, Sask.
S0G 0W0  [phone]

SUDBURY, U of                   TECHNICAL U. OF NOVA SCOTIA
Ramsey Lake Road                P.O. Box 1000
Sudbury, Ontario                Halifax, N.S.
P3E 2C6  [phone]         B3J 2X4  [phone]

TORONTO, U of                   TRENT U.
315 Bloor St. West              Peterborough, Ontario
Toronto, Ontario                K9J 7B8  [phone]
M5S 1A1  [phone]

TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY      VICTORIA, U of
7600 Glover Road                P.O. Box 1700
Langley, B.C.                   Victoria, B.C.
V3A 6H4  [phone]         V8W 2Y2  [phone]

WATERLOO, U of                  WESTERN ONTARIO, U of
Waterloo, Ontario               London, Ontario
N2L 3G1  [phone]         N6A 3K7  [phone]

WILFRID LAURIER U.              WINNIPEG U. of
Waterloo, Ontario               515 Portage Ave.
N2L 3C5  [phone]         Winnipeg, Manitoba
                                R3B 2E9  [phone]

YORK U.
4700 Keele St.
North York, Ontario
M3J 1P3  [phone]


            [Universites francophone/French universities]


COLLEGE DOMINICAN DE            ECOLE DES HAUTES ETUDES
COMMERCIALES
PHILOSOPHIE ET DE THEOLOGIE     5255 Avenue Decelles
96 Avenue Empress               Montreal, Quebec
Ottawa, Ontario                 H3T 1V6  [phone]
K1R 7G3  [phone]

UNIVERSITE LAVAL                UNIVERSITE DE MONCTON
Cite Universitaire              Moncton, Nouveau-Brunswick
Quebec, Quebec                  E1A 3E9  [phone]
G1K 7P4  [phone]

UNIVERSITE DE MONTREAL          ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE DE MONTREAL
C.P. 6128, Succursale A         C.P. 6079, Succursale A
Montreal, Quebec                Montreal, Quebec
H3C 3J7  [phone]         H3C 3A7  [phone]

UNIVERSITE SAINTE-ANNE          COLLEGE UNIVERSITAIRE DE ST-BONIFACE
Pointe-de-l'Eglise,             200 ave. de la Cathedrale
Nouvelle-Ecosse                 Saint-Boniface, Manitoba
B0W 1M0                         R2H 0H7  [phone]

COLLEGE MILITAIRE ROYAL         UNIVERSITE SAINT PAUL
DE SAINT-JEAN                   223 Main
St-Jean sur le Richelieu,       Ottawa, Ontario
Quebec                          K1S 1C4  [phone]
J0J 1R0  [phone]

(Veuillez noter que les Hautes Etudes Commerciales et Polytechnique sont
 des ecoles de l'Universite de Montreal)


Reseau de l'universite du Quebec:

ECOLE DE TECHNOLOGIE SUPERIEURE ECOLE NATIONALE
D'ADMINISTRATION PUBLIQUE
4750 Avenue Henri-Julien        945 Avenue Wolfe
Montreal, Quebec                Sainte-Foy, Quebec
H2T 2C8  [phone]         G1V 3J9  [phone]

INSTITUT ARMAND FRAPPIER        INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE
531 Boulevard des Prairies      SCIENTIFIQUE
Laval, Quebec                   2635 Hochelaga, Suite 640
H7N 4Z3  [phone]         C.P. 7500
                                Sainte-Foy, Quebec
                                G1V 4C7  [phone]

TELE-UNIVERSITE                 UQAT
2635 Boulevard Hochelaga        42 Monseigneur Rheaume Est
7e etage                        Rouyn, Quebec
Quebec, Quebec                  J9X 5E4  [phone]
G1V 4V9  [phone]

UQAC                            UQAH
555 boul. de l'Universite       C.P. 1250, Succursale B
Chicoutimi, Quebec              Hull, Quebec
G7H 2B1  [phone]         J8X 3X7  [phone]

UQAM                            UQAR
C.P. 8888. Succ. A              300 allee des Ursulines
Montreal, Quebec                Rimouski, Quebec
H3C 3P8  [phone]         G5L 3A1  [phone]

UQTR                            Siege Social / Universite du Quebec
3351, boul. des Forges          2875 Boulevard Laurier
Trois-Rivieres, Quebec          Ste-Foy, Quebec
G9A 5H7  [phone]         G1V 2M3  [phone]

[UQA... = Universite du Quebec a...]

Universites bilingues => les universites suivantes offrent aussi leurs
                         programmes d'etude en francais (veuillez consulter
                         la section sur les universites de langue anglaise
                         pour obtenir les coordonnees):

                         U OF OTTAWA/Universite d'Ottawa
                         LAURENTIAN U/Universite Laurentienne
                         U OF SUDBURY/Universite de Sudbury
                         ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE/College Militaire Royal

L'universite York offre aussi certains programmes en Francais sur
son Campus de Glendon. L'Universite d'Alberta offre des programmes
en francais par sa faculte Saint-Jean.

(Les etudiants d'universites anglophones du Quebec (McGill, Concordia,
Bishop's) ont la possibilite de remettre leurs travaux en francais, et
de repondre en francais aux questions d'examen. La plupart des universites
bilingues permettent aussi a leurs etudiants d'utiliser la langue de
leur choix lors de la remise de travaux et lors des examens.)

-----

     5.2 Which Canadian universities are the best?

It is very hard and often subjective to rank the quality of education
of a university.  The reputation of a university, or the level of
recognition given to its degrees, varies between different fields of
study.  If you plan to study in Canada, ask people for their opinion,
ask the universities for information, and you'll have a better idea.
You can get an idea of the quality of a university by looking at the
degrees that are offered. A measure of the expertise of the universities
can be obtained by looking at their research activities (primarly conducted
at the graduate level).

While Western Ontario, for example, does not stand very high in the
following ranking, it offers without a doubt the best business
programs (undergraduate and graduate) in Canada. Do not base your
selection exclusively on the following data.

The Canadian magazine "Maclean's" ranks the Canadian universities every
year, based on:

     Student Body (entering grade, proportion who graduate, international
                   students, students' awards...)
     Classes (median size, number of classes taught by tenured Faculty)
     Faculty (number with Ph.D., grants obtained, awards)
     Finances (operating budget, % of budget for scholarships and bursaries,
               % of budget for student services)
     Library (holdings per student, % of budget for acquisition and % of
              university's expenses for library)
     Reputation (Alumni financial support, reputation survey)

The ranking is divided in 3 categories:

Medical/Doctoral:     Universities with a major commitment to PhD programs
                      and research. All have medical schools wich set them
                      apart due to the size of research grants.
Comprehensive:        Offer a significant amount of research activity and a
                      wide range of programs (including professional degrees)
                      at the graduate and undergraduate level.
Primarily undergrad.: Largely focused on undergraduate education with
                      relatively few graduate programs.


The ranking in 1993 (November 15 issue) was:

MEDICAL/DOCTORAL        COMPREHENSIVE           PRIMARILY
UNIVERSITIES            UNIVERSITIES            UNDERGRADUATE

 1. McGill               1. Simon Fraser         1. Mount Allison
 2. Queen's              2. Waterloo             2. Trent
 3. Toronto              3. Victoria             3. Acadia
 4. UBC                  4. Guelph               4. Lethbridge
 5. McMaster             5. York                 5. Bishop's
 6. Calgary              6. UQAM                 6. Wilfrid Laurier
 7. Montreal             7. Regina               7. St. Francis Xavier
 8. Dalhousie            8. New Brunswick        8. Mount St. Vincent
 9. Ottawa               9. Carleton             9. Saint Mary's
10. Alberta             10. Windsor             10. St. Thomas
11. Western Ontario     11. Memorial            11. Moncton
12. Laval               12. Concordia           12. UQAR
13. Saskatchewan        13. UQTR                13. Brock
14. Sherbrooke                                  14. Winnipeg
15. Manitoba                                    15. Brandon
                                                16. Chicoutimi
                                                17. P.E.I.
                                                18. Lakehead
                                                19. Laurentian
                                                20. Cape Breton (UCCB)
                                                21. Ryerson
                                                22. Nipissing
                                                23. UQAH

REPUTATION WINNERS:

     HIGHEST           MOST               LEADERS OF      BEST
     QUALITY           INNOVATIVE         TOMORROW        OVERALL

 1.  McGill            Waterloo           Waterloo        Waterloo
 2.  Queen's           McMaster           UBC             UBC
 3.  UBC               Guelph             Calgary         McMaster
 4.  Toronto           Queen's            McMaster        McGill
 5.  Waterloo          McGill             Simon Fraser    Queen's
 6.  McMaster          UBC                Guelph          Calgary
 7.  Alberta           Simon Fraser       McGill          Guelph
 8.  Montreal          Calgary            Victoria        Toronto
 9.  Guelph            Toronto            Queen's         Simon Fraser
10.  Acadia            Sherbrooke         York            Alberta


UNIVERSITIES WITH THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
(graduate level):

MEDICAL/DOCTORAL        COMPREHENSIVE
UNIVERSITIES            UNIVERSITIES

1. Laval                1. New Brunswick
2. Saskatchewan         2. Regina
3. Queen's              3. Windsor
4. McGill               4. Memorial
5. Alberta              5. Regina


A 50-page special report was included in the Nov. 15, 1993 issue of
Maclean's. It includes the details of the ranking, description of the
universities, and related articles.

-----

 5.3 Do Canadian universities respect foreign academic degrees?

There is no central organisation responsible for the evaluation of
foreign degrees in Canada.  Universities do that kind of evaluation
individually.  People with a degree from an accredited school generally
have no problem.

You should not have any problems with the following universities:

 Degrees from universities (and 4-year colleges) recognized by
 U.S. accredited agencies.

 Degrees from British universities with a Royal Charter, Act of
 Parliement or affilitated with the Committee on National
 Academic Awards.

 Most degrees from accredited universities in countries
 operating with the same system than Canada (US, Commonwealth,
 etc.).

You could have problems with unaccredited U.S. universities and (of
course) diploma mills.

A degree from a French university is not equivalent to a Canadian (or
US or UK) Bachelor.  You will probably be required to take more courses
in order to get a bachelor, or to be accepted to the master's program.
The same thing applies for ESCs and other post-graduate French
schools.  A French doctorate will be recognized at the same value as a
Ph.D. in Canada.

-----

     5.4 Is it true that immigrants to Quebec must send their
         children to French-language schools?

[ include province-by-province info? ]

Education is a field of provincial jurisdiction.  Until 1982, there
were no constitutional guarantees of minority-language education
rights.  There were guarantees for Protestant and Catholic schools in
certain provinces.

Historically, Quebec has always had both English and French schools,
while many other provinces had only English schools.  Sometimes this
was due to more-or-less benign neglect of the tiny French minority in
some provinces, sometimes due to active hostility to French.

In Quebec, a large proportion of immigrants sent their children to
English schools.  This was partly because the immigrants saw English as
economically advantageous, partly because the French schools were
almost all Catholic, and non-Catholics were not welcome in these
schools (until about a generation ago, the Catholic Church was very
influential in Quebec).

By the late 1960s, with the birth rate rapidly declining, French-speaking
Quebecers became concerned about the survival of their community, and
the tendency of many immigrants to assimilate into the English-speaking
minority was seen as a threat to the future of French.  Laws were
therefore adopted to require the children of immigrants to attend
French school.  English schools would continue to exist, but they would
be only for the existing English community, not for newcomers.  There
were many exceptions and bureaucratic complications to these rules,
but that was the basic idea.

This law forced not only immigrants from other countries, but also
newcomers to Quebec from other Canadian provinces, to attend French
schools.  In reaction to this, a clause was inserted in the 1982
Charter of Rights to allow this last group to attend English schools.
This clause also guaranteed the right to French-language schools in the
other provinces.

This is not a blanket guarantee of freedom of linguistic choice in
education.  Quebec can still, and does, require the children of
immigrants to attend French school.  <Tom Box>

-----

     5.5 What Canadian universities offer graduate programs in my
         field of study?

(The highest degree offered by universities is Ph.D., unless otherwise
 mentioned in parentheses)

In each list, universities mentioned after a ";" are French only.

AERONAUTICAL AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING:
 UBC, Carleton, Ottawa, Toronto; Polytechnique (M.Eng.).

AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING:
 Alberta (M.Ag. & M.Sc.), UBC (M.Sc.), Guelph, Manitoba, McGill,
 Saskatchewan; Laval (M.Sc.).

ANATOMY:
 Alberta, UBC, Dalhousie, Manitoba, McGill, Ottawa, Queen's,
 Saskatchewan, Simon Fraser, Toronto, Western; Montreal.

AQUACULTURE:
 Dalhousie, New Brunswick, Simon Fraser (M.Aqua), Waterloo;

ANTHROPOLOGY:
 Alberta, UBC, Calgary (MA), Carleton (MA), Dalhousie (MA),
 Guelph (MA), Lethbridge (MA), Manitoba, McGill, McMaster,
 Memorial (MA), New Brunswick, Saskatchewan (MA), Toronto, Trent
 (MA), Western (MA), York; Laval, Montreal.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE:
 UBC, Calgary, Concordia, New Brunswick, Waterloo, York (M.Sc.);
 Montreal.

ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS:
 UBC, Calgary, New Brunswick, St.Mary's (M.Sc.), Toronto,
 Western, York;

BIOCHEMISTRY:
 Alberta, UBC, Calgary, Concordia, Dalhousie, Guelph, Lethbridge
 (M.Sc.), Manitoba, McGill, McMaster, Memorial, New Brunswick,
 Ottawa, Queen's, Regina, Saskatchewan, Simon Fraser, Toronto,
 Waterloo, Western, Windsor; Laval, Moncton (M.Sc.), Montreal,
 Sherbrooke.

BIOLOGY:
 Bishop's (M.Sc.), UBC, Brock (M.Sc.), Calgary, Concordia
 (m.Sc.), Dalhousie, Lakehead (M.Sc.), Laurentian (M.Sc.),
 Lethbridge (M.Sc.), McGill, McMaster, Memorial, Mount Allison
 (M.Sc.), New Brunswick, Ottawa, Queen's (M.Sc.), St.Francis
 Xavier (M.Sc.), Saskatchewan, Simon Fraser, Waterloo, York;
 Laval, Moncton (M.Sc.), Montreal, UQAM (M.Sc.), Sherbrooke.

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING:
 UBC, Calgary, Guelph (M.Sc.), Saskatchewan, Simon Fraser,
 Toronto; Montreal, Polytechnique.

BIOPHYSICS:
 UBC, Calgary, Concordia (M.Sc.), Dalhousie, Guelph, Manitoba,
 Memorial, New Brunswick, Toronto, Waterloo, Western Ontario;
 Montreal, UQTR.

BOTANY:
 Alberta, UBC, Calgary, Guelph, Manitoba, New Brnswick, Regina,
 Toronto, Waterloo;

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (* = French only):
 MBA programs, as ranked by "Canadian Business" (April 1993) in
 its survey among Canadian CEOs:

        1. Western Ontario          6. York
        2. Queen's                  7. *Hautes-Etudes-Commerciales
        3. Toronto                  8. *Sherbrooke (MBA)
        4. McGill                   9. Calgary
        5. British Columbia        10. McMaster

 Others:
        Alberta, Concordia, Dalhousie (MBA), Laurentian (MBA), *Laval,
        Manitoba, Memorial (MBA), *Moncton (MBA), New Brunswick (MBA),
        Ottawa (MBA), *UQAM, Saint Mary's (MBA), Saskatchewan (MBA), Simon
        Fraser (MBA), Victoria (MBA), Wilfrid Laurier (MBA), Windsor (MBA).

CHEMISTRY:
 Acadia (M.Sc.), Alberta, Bishop's (M.Sc.), UBC, Brock (M.Sc.),
 Calgary, Carleton, Concordia, Dalhousie, Guelph, Lakehead
 (M.Sc.), Laurentian (M.Sc.), Lethbridge (M.Sc.), Manitoba,
 McGill, McMaster, Memorial, Mount Allison (M.Sc.), New
 Brunswick, Ottawa, Queen's, Regina, RMC (M.Sc.), St. Francis
 Xavier (M.Sc.), Saskatchewan, Simon Fraser, Toronto, Waterloo,
 Windsor, York; Laval, Moncton (M.Sc.), Montreal, UQAM (M.Sc.),
 UQTR (M.Sc.), Sherbrooke.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING:
 Alberta, UBC, Calgary, McGill, McMaster, New Brunswick, Ottawa,
 Royal Military College (M.Eng), Saskatchewan, Toronto,
 Waterloo; Laval, Polytechnique, Sherbrooke.

CIVIL ENGINEERING:
 Alberta, UBC, Calgary, Carleton*, Concordia, Manitoba, McGill,
 McMaster, Memorial, New Brunswick, Ottawa*, Royal Military
 College (M.Eng.), Regina (M.Sc.), Saskatchewan, Toronto,
 Waterloo, Windsor; Laval, Polytechnique, Sherbrooke.

COMPUTER SCIENCE:
 Alberta, UBC, Calgary, Carleton, Concordia, Dalhousie (M.Sc.),
 Guelph (M.Sc.),  Lethbridge (M.Sc.), McMaster (M.Sc.), Manioba,
 Memorial (M.Sc.), New Brunswick, Ottawa, Queen's, Roy. Mil.
 Col. (M.Sc.), Regina (M.Sc.), Saskatchewan, Simon Fraser,
 Toronto, Waterloo, Western Ontario, Windsor (M.Sc.), York
 (M.Sc.); Montreal, Laval.

DENTISTRY:
 Alberta, UBC, Saskatchewan, Toronto, Western Ontario; Laval,
 Montreal.

ECOLOGY:
 UBC, Calgary, Concordia (M.Sc.), New Brunswick, Saskatchewan,
 Waterloo;

ECONOMICS:
 Acadia (MA), Alberta, UBC, Calgary, Carleton, Concordia,
 Dalhousie, Guelph, Lakehead (MA), Lethbridge (MA), Manitoba,
 McGill, McMaster, Memorial, New Brunswick (MA), Ottawa,
 Queen's, Regina (MA), Saskatchewan (MA), Simon Fraser, Toronto,
 Waterloo (MA), Western, Wilfrid Laurier (MA), Windsor (MA),
 York; Laval, Moncton (MA), Montreal, UQAM (M.Sc.), Sherbrooke
 (MA).

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING (*=Also Computer Engineering)
 *Alberta, *UBC, *Calgary, *Carleton, *Concordia, *Manitoba,
 McGill, *McMaster, New Brunswick, *Ottawa, Queen's, *Royal
 Military College (M.Eng.), Regina (M.Sc.), Saskatchewan, *Simon
 Fraser, Toronto, *Waterloo, Windsor; *Laval, *Polytechnique,
 ETS, UQTR, Sherbrooke.

 Memorial also offers M.Eng. and PhD in Computer Engineering
 only.

EMBRYOLOGY AND REPRODUCTION BIOLOGY:
 UBC, New Brunswick, Waterloo;

ENTOMOLOGY:
 Alberta, Guelph, Manitoba, McGill, New Brunswick, Simon Fraser
 (MPM), Waterloo;

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING:
 UBC, McMaster, Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor; Sherbrooke (M.Env.).

FORESTRY ENGINEERING:
 UBC (MASc), New Brunswick; Laval, UQTR.

GENETICS:
 Alberta, UBC, Guelph, Manitoba, McGill (M.Sc.), McMaster,
 Memorial, New Brunswick, Regina, Toronto, Waterloo; UQAC
 (M.Sc.).

GEOGRAPHY (Scientific):
 Alberta (M.Sc.), UBC, Calgary, Guelph, McGill (M.Sc.),
 McMaster, Memorial, Regina (M.Sc.), Saskatchewan, Simon Fraser,
 York (M.Sc.); Montreal, UQAC (MA.Sc.), Sherbrooke.

GEOGRAPHY (Social):
 Alberta, UBC, Calgary, Carleton (MA), Concordia (MA), Guelph,
 Lethbridge (MA), Manitoba, McGill, McMaster, Memorial, ...???;
 Montreal, Sherbrooke (M.Sc.).

GEOLOGY:
 Alberta (PhD & Post-grad diploma), UBC, Brock (M.Sc.), Calgary,
 Dalhousie, Lakehead (M.Sc.), Laurentian (M.Sc.), McMaster,
 Memorial, New Brunswick, Ottawa, Queen's, Regina (M.Sc.),
 Saskatchewan, Toronto, Waterloo, Westerrn, Windsor (M.Sc.);
 Montreal

GEOPHYSICS & SEISMOLOGY:
 UBC, Calgary, McGill (M.Eng.), Memorial, New Brunswick,
 Saskatchewan, Waterloo, Western, York (M.Sc.);

HEALTH ADMINISTRATION:
 Alberta (MHSA), UBC, Dalhousie (M.Sc.), Manitoba, Toronto,
 Western Ontario (MCID); Montreal

IMMUNOLOGY:
 Alberta, UBC, Guelph, McGill, McMaster, Memorial, New
 Brunswick, Ottawa, Toronto, Western; Montreal, Armand Frappier
 (M.Sc.).

INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY:
 Waterloo, Windsor; Montreal, Sherbrooke (MPs).

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:
 UBC, Carleton (MA/LLB), Waterloo (MA), York; Laval (MA).

MARINE ENGINEERING AND NAVAL ARCHITECTURE:
 UBC, Memorial.

MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY:
 UBC, McGill (M.Sc.), Memorial (M.Sc.), New Brunswick, Simon
 Fraser, Waterloo; UQAR.

MATHEMATICS (*=Statistics also)
 *Alberta, *UBC, *Calgary, *Carleton, *Dalhousie, Guelph,
 Lakehead (M.Sc. & MA), Lethbridge (M.Sc.), *Manitoba, McGill,
 *McMaster, *Memorial, *New Brunswick, *Ottawa, Queen's, Roy.
 Mil. Col. (M.Sc.), *Regina, *Saskatchewan, *Simon Fraser,
 *Toronto, *Waterloo, *Western Ontario, *Windsor, *York; *Laval,
 *Montreal, UQAM, Sherbrooke (M.Sc).

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING:

 Alberta, UBC, Calgary, Carleton, Concordia, Manitoba, McGill,
 McMaster, New Brunswick, Ottawa, Queen's, Roy. Mil. Col.
 (M.Eng.), Saskatchewan, Toronto, Waterloo, Windsor; Laval,
 Polytechnique, Sherbrooke.

MEDICAL/HEALTH SCIENCE (Please refer to universities to know what
degrees and certifications are offered):
 Alberta, UBC, Dalhousie, Manitoba, McGill, McMaster, Memorial,
 Ottawa, Saskatchewan, Toronto, Waterloo; Laval, Moncton,
 Montreal, INRS, Sherbrooke.

METEOROLOGY:
 Alberta (M.Sc.), UBC, McGill, York; UQAM (M.Sc.).

METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING:
 Alberta, UBC,  McGill, Queen's, Toronto, Windsor;
 Polytechnique.

MICROBIOLOGY:
 Alberta, UBC, Calgary, Dalhousie, Guelph, Manitoba, McGill,
 McMaster, New Brunswick, Ottawa, Queen's, Regina, Saskatchewan,
 Simon Frase, Toronto, Waterloo, Western; Montreal, Armand
 Frappier (M.Sc.), Sherbrooke.

MINING AND MINERALS ENGINEERING:
 Alberta, UBC, Laurentian (M.Sc.), McGill, Queen's; Laval.

NUCLEAR ENGINEERING:
 McMaster, Royal Military College (M.Eng.); Polytechnique.

NUCLEAR PHYSICS:
 UBC, McMaster, New Brunswick, Waterloo;

OPTICS:
 New Brunswick, Waterloo;

PALEONTOLOGY:
 New Brunswick, Waterloo;

PETROLEUM ENGINEERING:
 Alberta.

PHARMACY:
 Alberta, UBC, Dalhousie, Manitoba, McGill, Memorial (M.Sc.),
 Ottawa, Queen's, Saskatchewan, Toronto, Western Ontario; Laval,
 Montreal, Sherbrooke.

PHARMACOLOGY:
 Alberta, UBC, Dalhousie, Guelph, Manitoba, McMaster, Ottawa,
 Saskatchewan, Toronto; Laval, Montreal, Sherbrooke.

PSYCHOLOGY:
 Acadia (M.Sc.), Alberta, UBC, Brock (MA), Calgary, Carleton,
 Concordia, Dalhousie, Guelph (MA), Lakehead (MA), Lethbridge
 (MA), Manitoba, McGill, McMaster, Memorial, New Brunswick,
 OISE, Ottawa, Queen's, Regina, St. Mary's (M.Sc.),
 Saskatchewan, Simon Fraser, Toronto, Waterloo, Western, Wilfrid
 Laurier (MA), Windsor, York; Laval, Moncton (M.Ec.), Montreal,
 UQAM, UQTR, Saint Boniface (M.Ed.).

PHYSICS AND APPLIED PHYSICS:
 Alberta, Bishop's (M.Sc.), UBC, Brock (M.Sc.), Calgary,
 Carleton, Concordia, Dalhousie, Guelph, Lakehead (M.Sc.),
 Laurentian (M.Sc.), Lethbridge (M.Sc.), Manitoba, McGill,
 Memorial (M.Sc.), New Brunswick, Ottawa, Queen's, RMC (M.Sc.),
 Regina, St.Francis Xavier (M.Sc.), Saskatchewan, Simon Fraser,
 Toronto, Waterloo, Western, Windsor, York; Laval, Moncton
 (M.Sc.), Montreal, INRS, UQTR (M.Sc.), Sherbrooke.

PHYSIOLOGY:
 Alberta, UBC, Dalhousie, Guelph, McGill, McMaster, New
 Brunswick, Ottawa, Queen's, Saskatchewan, Toronto, Waterloo,
 Western; Montreal, Sherbrooke.

POLITICAL SCIENCE:
 Alberta, UBC, Brock (MA), Calgary, Carleton, Concordia (MA),
 Dalhousie, Guelph (MA), Lethbridge (MA), Manitoba (MA), McGill,
 McMaster (MA), Memorial (MA, M.Phil.), New Brunswick (MA),
 Queen's, Regina (MA), Saskatchewan (MA), Simon Fraser (MA),
 Toronto, Waterloo (MA), Western, Wilfrid Laurier (MA), Windsor
 (MA), York; Laval, Montreal, UQAM.

SOCIOLOGY:
 Acadia (MA), Alberta, UBC, Carleton, Concordia (MA), Dalhousie
 (MA), Guelph (MA), Lakehead (MA), Lethbridge (MA), Manitoba,
 McGill, McMaster, Memorial, New Brunswick, OICE, Queen's (MA),
 Regina (MA), Saskatchewan (MA), Toronto, Waterloo, Western,
 Windsor (MA), York; Laval, Montreal, UQAM.

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS:
 UBC, COncordia, New Brunswick, Ottawa (M.Sc.), Waterloo;
 Montreal.

TOXICOLOGY:
 UBC, Carleton (M.Sc.), Guelph, Memorial (M.Sc.), Ottawa
 (M.Sc.), Saskatchewan, Toronto (MA), Waterloo; Montreal
 (M.Sc.).

URBAN STUDIES:
 UBC, Letbridge (MA), Toronto (M.Sc.), Waterloo, York; INRS,
 UQAM.

WOMEN'S STUDIES:
 OISE, Simon Fraser (MA), Toronto (Faculty of Law), York;

ZOOLOGY:
 Alberta, UBC, Calgary, Guelph (M.Sc.), Manitoba, New Brunswick,
 Regina, Toronto, Waterloo, Western;

-----

     5.6 What universities offer programs in Canadian Studies?

The following Canadian universities offer a BA degree in Canadian
studies. The programs usually include sociology, history, politics,
economics, literature, ...

 Alberta, Laurentian, Ottawa, York, [more]


Les universite's suivantes offrent un programme francophone de B.A.
en "Etudes Canadiennes". Le curriculum inclut des cours en sociologie,
histoire, politique, e'conomie, litte'rature, etc.

 Alberta (Faculte' St-Jean), Laurentian, Ottawa,
 York (Colle`ge de Glendon), Montreal et Sainte-Anne.

The following universities outside Canada offer programs in
Canadian Studies:

 University of Maine: About 50 courses including around 20 on French Canada.

                        Coordinator, Canada House
                          University of Maine
                        Orono, MA 04469
                        USA
                        <Jeffrey L. Hayes>
[I'd appreciate to get names & addresses of universities outside
Canada offering "Canadian Studies". Thank you.]



-----

     5.7 Foreign students (information as of June 1993)

        5.7.1  How much would it cost me to study in Canada?

Education in Canada is highly subsidized.  The private sector
contributes only in a small proportion to the universities, while
governments supports most of the education system.  A semester can cost
a Canadian student between $800 and $1,500, depending on the province
where the university is located.  Foreign students can expect to pay
tuition fees of about $1,000 to $12,000 per semester.

Newfoundland, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Alberta typically ask
lower tuition fees, while Ontario and Quebec ask much more from
international students.  Grad students usually pay less money than
undergrads.  It would be preferable to get more information from the
universities you are interested in.

Other student expenses include books, supplies and instruments,
housing, food, laundry, transportation, health care, clothing and
entertainment.  Students may spend from $7,000 to $10,000 per year, in
addition to tuition fees.


        5.7.2 How long is the Canadian university year?

Usually 8 months long.  It normally starts in September and ends at the
end of April, sometimes at the beginning of May.  Many universities also
offer courses during the summer.  Most universities will take new
students only starting in September, but depending on the universities
and on the program you're interested in, you could be allowed to start
your program in January or May.

        5.7.3 Is there a country-wide test for university admission?

There is no country-wide entrance test or examination for admission.
Each university sets its own admission standards.

All Canadian universities require evidence of proficiency in the
language of instruction, either English or French, but not all require
a test.  Students should inquire of the university.  Once again, minimum
test scores vary from university to university.  The most frequently
required English test is:

  Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
  Educational Testing Service
  Princeton, NJ 08540
  USA

Foreign students with an English background (high school) usually don't
need to prove their knowledge of English, unless all candidates
(including Canadian students) must pass the test.  The same applies for
French universities.

        5.7.4  How do I apply to a Canadian university?

Most universities require applications to be in by early spring
(sometimes as soon as March 1) for September's semester.  You should
inquire directly to the universities.

For undergraduate programs, write at the office of the registrar at
each university where you plan to apply, specifying your intended field
of study.  They will give you all the details about their admission
requirements, procedures, tuition fees and other costs.  They will also
send you an application form.  Universities usually charge administration
fees for applications.

In Ontario, requests for application forms should be sent to the
Ontario Universities' Application Centre (PO BOX 1328, Guelph, Ontario,
N1H 7P4).  Please note that that centre doesn't provide information on
programs.

For information about graduate programs, you should normally contact
the office of the dean of the faculty you're interested in.  The
registrar office will usually forward your request (only the addresses
of registrar offices are provided in this FAQ).  Ask for information
about research opportunities.

If the institution that you're applying to requests information (such
as your previous academic record) that isn't available in either
English of French, you will probably have to send it accompanied by
a certified or notarized translation in the language of the institution.

        5.7.5 As a foreign student, am I allowed financial aid?

You need to be a Canadian citizen or a landed immigrant to be allowed
financial aid from the government.

You should get information from your government concerning scholarship
programs and financial aid. The financial aid office of the Canadian
university can provide you with information on scholarships available
for you.

        5.7.6 Will I be covered by Canadian health insurance?

International students and their families cannot be covered by
provincial government health plans unless they can demonstrate, by
obtaining a work permit or a landed immigrant status, that they intend
to stay there after their studies are completed (See section on
immigration).  International students should therefore make arrangements
for private medical insurance.

        5.7.7 How do I obtain a student authorization?

After being accepted in a Canadian university, you must apply for a
student authorization at the nearest Canadian diplomatic mission.
For some nationalities, visas are also required. You'll get them at the
same time as the student authorization. You will need:

 A valid passport

 An original letter of acceptance from a university or college.

 Evidence of adequate funds to cover tuition and living costs
 for you and your dependents, including return transportation.

 Students going to Quebec institutions will also need a
 "Certificat d'acceptation du Quebec" (CAQ) from the Quebec
 immigration authorities.

 If applicable, a letter from the student's sponsor
 (read section on Immigration).

 A letter of reference from a dependable person in your
 community could help.

In some cases, a medical examination by a doctor designated by the
Canadian embassy could be required.  The visa officer will provide
information on that requirement.

There is a charge of $75 for the student's authorization (family
maximum of $150).  There is no fee for the visa if it is issued with a
student authorization.

All foreign students, except those from the USA, St. Pierre et Miquelon,
and Greenland, need to have their (valid!) student's authorizations
BEFORE coming to Canada.  In no circumstance should a student come to
Canada without it.  Even students from the USA, St. Pierre et Miquelon,
and Greenland would do well to get the student authorization in their
home countries before coming, just for peace of mind, and to avoid having
to navigate in the Canadian bureaucracy upon getting here.

        5.7.8 Can I work while I study?

As a foreign post-secondary student, you may apply for an employment
authorization if:

 The employment is certified by your educational institution as
 being essential and integral part of your course study (e.g. a
 cooperative program, internship, ...); or

 you are a graduate assistant; or

 you wish to work part-time on the campus at a university where
 you are registered as a full-time student (summer employment
 may be full-time if you return to the university in September);
 or

 you have completed a university program and wish to work for up
 to one year in employment related to your field of study; or

 you are sponsored by the Canadian International Development
 Agency and the employment is part of your program arranged by
 CIDA; or

 you have been, through no fault of your own, cut off from
 finances upon which you are dependent for day-to-day expenses.

 Note:  Spouses of full-time students may apply for authorization
 to work anywhere, subject to medical requirements.

*** In all cases, it is necessary to obtain an employment authorization
(work permit) from Employment and Immigration Canada before taking any
employment.  If you work without an employment authorization, your
student authorization will cease to be valid and you may be required to
leave Canada. ***

In most cases, employment authorizations are employer-specific. This
means that a student has to find a job first, then apply for an
employment authorization.  There is a charge of $75 for an employment
authorization.

        5.7.9  Where can I get more information on studying in Canada?

 "Awards for Study in Canada":
        Awards offered to international students and trainees.
  Canadian Bureau for International Education,
  85 Albert St, Suite 1400,
  Ottawa, Ontario
  K1P 6A4

 "Going to Canada to Study":
  Council of Ministers of Education
  252 Bloor Street West,
  Toronto, Ontario
  M5S 1V5

 "University Study in Canada": reference series no. 36.
  Available (free) from Canadian posts abroad (Embassies,
  High Commissions, Consulates).

 "Studying in Canada":
  Available (free) from Canadian posts abroad or from:
  Canadian Department of Employment and Immigration
  Ottawa, Ontario
  K1A 0J9.

 "Study in Canada":
  Canadian Bureau for International Education
  (address above)

 "International Students Handbook 1993":
 Biennial.  Describes life in Canada including social customs,
 transportation, history, finding an apartment, food, literature
 and more.  Order from Canadian Bureau for International Education
 (address above).  Cost was $9 in 1991.

 "Admission Requirements to Canadian Faculties of Medicine and
 their Selection Policies".
  Association of Canadian Medical Colleges,
  151 Slater St., Suite 1006,
  Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5N1.
 Around $25-$30.



--
                    |
Martin Savard       |    Character is simply habit long continued
Ottawa, Canada      |
                    |                         - Plutarch


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Archive-name: canada-faq/part2
Last-modified: 1993/12/11

                    ********************************
                    *      soc.culture.canada      *
                    *  Frequently Asked Questions  *
                    ********************************

Please forward your comments, suggestions and contributions to
Martin Savard at '[e-mail]'

A special thank you to Glenn Chin and Stewart Clamen who compiled
a large number of contributions, to Mark Brader for the proof-reading
of the FAQ, and to all the contributors listed throughout the document.

This document may be freely redistributed in its ENTIRETY provided
that this notice is not removed.  It may not be sold for profit or
incorporated in commercial documents without a written permission.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

             ***** TABLE OF CONTENT *****

[Part 1/2, other document]

(questions and answers about:)

UPCOMING EVENTS
ABOUT SOC.CULTURE.CANADA
HISTORY
POLITICS
SOCIETY AND CULTURE
EDUCATION

[Part 2/2, this document]

INFORMATION FOR TRAVELLERS

     6.1 How can I get travel information from government services?
     6.2  What is to be visited in...
        6.2.1  ... Alberta?
#       6.2.2  ... British Colombia?
        6.2.8  ... Ontario?
#       6.2.12 ... Yukon?
     6.3 What are the requirements to enter Canada as a tourist?
     6.4 Do tourists in Canada get free health care?
     6.5 How can tourists get reimbursed for taxes paid while in Canada?
#    6.6 U.S. State Department Travel Advisory (on Canada)
     6.7 Canada-USA financial matters
        6.7.1 Where is the best place to exchange US currency
              in Canada and vice versa?
        6.7.2 What credit cards are accepted in Canada?
        6.7.3 Will I be able to pay my expenses in US dollars?
        6.7.4 May I cash or deposit US cheques (or checks :-) in Canada
              and vice versa?
        6.7.5 If I have an ATM card for my bank at home, can I make
              a withdrawal in Canada?
     6.8  What is the weather like in Canada?
     6.9  How can I use European electrical equipment in Canada?

IMMIGRATION, EMIGRATION, AND EMPLOYMENT
     7.1 Who needs a Canadian passport and how do I go about getting one?
     7.2 What are the addresses of some Canadian embassies and consulates?
     7.3 Does the free trade agreement mean that an American can
  work in Canada and vice versa?
       7.3.1 OK, my profession is on the list.  What do I (as a Canadian)
             need to do to work in the US?
       7.3.2 What do I need to do (as an American) to be able to
              work in Canada?
     7.4 How do I become a Canadian citizen?
     7.5  Once I'm a landed immigrant, can I travel in and out of Canada
          whenever I want?
     7.6 Can I be a dual Canadian-American citizen?
     7.7  How will my credit rating in my country affect me in Canada?
     7.8 Immigrating to Canada
        7.8.1 How can I immigrate to Canada as an independent class
              immigrant?
        7.8.2  According to the point system, what occupations are
               most needed in Canada?
        7.8.3 May I immigrate to Canada as a sponsored immigrant?
     7.9 How do I import an automobile into Canada from the US?
     7.10  Does a Canadian citizen need a visa to visit country X?

TAXATION
     8.1 What kind of income taxes does one have to pay in Canada?
     8.2 How can I contact Revenue Canada?  The Canadian Tax Foundation?
     8.3 How can tourists get reimbursed for taxes paid while in Canada?
     8.4 Do I have to pay Canadian taxes if I work or live abroad?
     8.5 What are the customs clearing fees of some couriers?

ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS
     9.1 Where can I get information on Canadian industry and trade?
     9.2 How can I start a business in Canada?
     9.3 How can I contact economic development offices?
     9.4 What are sources of venture capital?
     9.5 What is Canada's foreign trade position?
     9.6  What are the characteristics of the Canadian economy?

MEDIA
     10.1 What Canadian television shows can I see from abroad?
     10.2 What are some 50,000-watt AM radio stations originating from
          Canada?
     10.3 How can I subscribe to some Canadian newspapers?
     10.4 How can I subscribe to some Canadian magazines?
     10.5  Comment puis-je m'abonner a certaines revues canadiennes?
     10.6 How can I listen to Canadian radio while abroad?
          What is the Radio Canada International schedule?

STATISTICAL INFORMATION
     11.1 What is the population of Canada?
     11.2 What is the census breakdown by language spoken?
#    11.3 How large are Canada's major and mid-sized cities?
     11.4 How can I access data provided by Statistics Canada on the Internet?

ELECTRONIC SOURCES OF INFORMATION
     12.1 How can I get Internet access in Canada?
     12.2 What Canadian-interest newsgroups exist?
     12.3 Is there anything about Canada in the World Wide Web?
     12.4 What Internet-accessible libraries of Canadian interest exist?
     12.5 How can I access documents by the Canadian government's
          Department of Industry and Science?
#    12.6 Where can I find e-mail addresses of government bodies?

GENERAL INFORMATION
     13.1 What are the time zones in Canada?
     13.2 How can I, a Canadian resident, check my own credit record?
     13.3 As a Canadian living abroad, how can I vote?
     13.4 Where can I list my non-profit organization?
     13.5 What is the geography of Canada like?
     13.6 How does the postal system work in Canada?
     13.7 How does the phone system work in Canada?

-----------------------------------------------------------------

INFORMATION FOR TRAVELLERS

Also have a look at the files on  ftp.cc.umanitoba.ca  in the directory
/pub/rec-travel/north_america/canada.  In case ftp.cc.umanitoba.ca is
not in your nameserver files, try  ccu.umanitoba.ca  or the number
130.179.16.8

Additions or corrections should be sent to Brian Lucas
<[e-mail]>.

To become on-line users of the Business Opportunities Sourcing System
(BOSS)-Tourism database, contact:

 BOSS-Tourism
 235 Queen Street, First Floor East
 Ottawa, Ontario
 K1A 0H6
 Fax [phone]

-----

 6.1 How can I get travel information from government services?

Tourism is a provincial juridiction in Canada.  Therefore, you must
ask provincial governments for that kind of information.  When writing
for information, make sure you specify what kind of activities
(sightseeing, hunting, skiing, events...) and accommodations (hotel,
motel, camping, bed & breakfast, Youth Hostel, ...) you plan to select.
Many provinces also have brochures for many of their cities.  Make sure
you specify everything that you want.  When calling, you'll generally
be asked about your plans.  The brochures, guides, and other travel
publications are free (mailing included).

ALBERTA                         BRITISH COLUMBIA

Alberta Tourism                 Tourism British Columbia
Vacation Counselling            Parliament Buildings
3rd floor, City Centre Bldg     Victoria, British Columbia
10155 102 Street                Canada  V8V 1X4
Edmonton, Alberta               [phone]
Canada T5J 4L6                  Canada + USA: 1-800-663-6000
[phone]
Canada + USA: 1-800-661-8888

MANITOBA                        NEW BRUNSWICK

Travel Manitoba                 Tourism New Brunswick
Department 20, 7th floor        P.O. BOX 12345
155 Carlton Street              Fredericton, New Brunswick
Winnipeg, Manitoba              Canada  E3B 5C3
Canada  R3C 3H8                 [phone]
[phone]                  New Brunswick: 1-800-442-4442
Canada + USA: 1-800-665-0040    Canada + USA: 1-800-561-0123

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR         NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Department of Tourism and       Northwest Territories Tourism
Culture                         P.O. BOX 1320
P.O. BOX 8730                   Yellowknife, N.W.T.
St. John's, Newfoundland        Canada  X1A 2L9
Canada  A1B 4K2                 [phone]
[phone]                  Canada + USA: 1-800-661-0788
Canada + USA: 1-800-563-6353

NOVA SCOTIA  (read note #1)     ONTARIO (read note #2)

Department of Tourism and       Ontario Travel
Culture                         Queen's Park
P.O. BOX 456                    Toronto, Ontario
Halifax, Nova Scotia            Canada  M7A 2R9
Canada  B3J 2R5                 [phone]
[phone]                  TDD: [phone]
Canada: 1-800-565-0000          Canada + USA: 1-800-ONTARIO
USA: 1-800-341-6096

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND            QUEBEC (read note #3)

Department of Tourism,          Tourisme Quebec
Parks and Recreation            C.P. 20,000
Visitors Services Division      Quebec, Quebec
P.O. BOX 940                    Canada  G1K 7X2
Charlottetown, P.E.I            [phone]
Canada  C1A 7M5                 Canada + USA: 1-800-363-7777
[phone]
Canada + USA: 1-800-565-0267

SASKATCHEWAN                    YUKON

Tourism Saskatchewan            Tourism Yukon
1919 Saskatchewan Dr.           P.O. BOX 2703
Regina, Saskatchewan            Whitehorse, Yukon
Canada S4P 3V7                  Canada  Y1A 2C6
[phone]                  [phone]
Canada + USA: 1-800-667-7191


Notes:
        #1: Department of Tourism & Culture, Nova Scotia can also take
            your reservations for accomodation.
        #2: Ontario Travel can also take reservations for 170 different
            hotels, resorts and motels.
        #3: Receptionists at Tourisme Quebec speak both French & English.
            Tourism publications are also available in English.

-----

     6.2  What is to be visited in...

[This section is not complete. I encourage people to send their
contributions. I apologize for the 'advertising tone' of some of the
tourism information as it was taken from marketing brochures
published by the provincial governments]

        6.2.1  ... Alberta?

Compilation includes:        Banff

** BANFF **

Located in the Rocky Mountains, Banff National Park is very popular
for its ski slopes and hiking trails.  Banff is really the place for
nature lovers. It has an international reputation.  As well as the
attractions mentioned in this part, you'll find lots of beautiful
scenery.  Be sure to call Alberta Tourism for more information.

Some companies offer complete tour packages for skiing in Banff.
These include air travel (from Canadian and US cities), hotel, and
access to ski facilities.  Companies include: Canadian Holidays
(1-800-561-8881), Air Canada Vacations (905-615-8000).

SULPHUR MOUNTAIN GONDOLA (South end of Mountain Ave. 2 miles from Banff
town)
 Ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain in a glass-enclosed, four-
 passenger gondola and enjoy a 360-degree view of Banff and
 area.  Canada's highest restaurant is situated at the summit
 and offers self-serve meals.  Short hiking trails explore the
 summit.  Admission: $7.94 (Adults), $3.50 (<12) and free (<5).
 [phone] (24 hours); fax [phone].

BANFF SPRINGS HOTEL  (Spray Ave.)
 Constructed in 1888.  Visitors are welcome to view the grounds.
 If you can't stay there during your trip, be sure you see it.

BANFF PARK MUSEUM (92 Banff Ave.)
 Presents wildlife displays of the birds and mammals found in
 Banff Natural Park.  Thu to Sun from 10am to 6pm except for
 Christmas and Boxing Day.  Free.  [phone];
 fax [phone].

CAVE AND BASIN CENTENNIAL CENTRE (311 Cave Ave.)
 Visitors can walk into the cave, view the intact basin, and
 learn about the discovery of the hot springs.  Historical
 exhibits and videos tell the ark's history.  Warm outdoor pool
 in the summer.  [phone]; fax [phone].

LUXTON MUSEUM (1 Birch Ave.)
 Displays about the natives: costumes, hunting equipment, dances,
 songs, and legends.  Daily.  Admission between $2 and $3.50;
 maximum $8/family.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM AND GIFT SHOP (112 Banff Ave.)
 Displays show the cave system of the area.  4 dinosaur skulls
 are included among the numerous fossil specimens.  Slide shows
 illustrate the formation of the Rockies.  The shop sells fossils
 and books on geology.  Admission $1 to $2.  Open daily.
 [phone].

-

        6.2.2 ... British Columbia?

The following items reflect a strong Victoria bias because the
pamphlets were obtained from Victoria Tourism.  I have tried to
balance these with information that I can recall from memory.

There is an excellent BC Government Gopher, cln.etc.bc.ca. It
is one of the best gophers that I have ever seen.  You can obtain
road information (construction, winter conditions, sheep on road,
etc.), BC Ferries schedules, phone numbers of MLA's and an
experimental accommodation section.

XV COMMONWEALTH GAMES
August 12-28, 1994
Victoria, British Columbia

Events:  Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics,
Lawn Bowls, Weightlifting, Shooting, Wrestling
Demonstration: Field Lacrosse (including aboriginal teams)
Disabled Sports: Aquatics, Athletics, Lawn Bowls

Ticket Ordering:

 All orders forms received up to November 1, 1993 will be
 processed by a random selection lottery.  Orders are now being
 filled on a first-come first-served basis. Actual times for events
 will be announced in January 1994. For more information:
                            Victoria Commonwealth Games Society
                            P.O. Box 1994
                            Victoria, British Columbia
                            V8W 3M8
                            [phone]
                            1-800-663-3883

Special travel and accommodation packages available through
Canadian Holidays (as of November 30, 1993).  Write:
 Canadian Holidays
 7th Floor,
 191 The West Mall
 Etobicoke, Ontario
 M9C 5K9

[BC INFO:]

Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, BC
July 1-Sept 6 - 9:30am-7:00pm
Sept 7-June 30 - 10:00am-5:30pm
Excellent museum, one of the best in BC with full-scale displays and
large native collection.
675 Belleville St, Victoria, BC, V8V 1X4 (on the Inner Harbour)

Bungy Zone, Nanaimo
Jump off 42 meter high bridge, into the Nanaimo River gorge.  13 km south
of Nanaimo.  Heaviest jumper: 172 kg.  Oldest: 85.5 years.  65 years and
over jump free.  Annual Naked Bungy Day (mid-February) where naked
jumpers jump free.  Chickens (paid, weighed, tied, and hooked): 1%.
P.O. Box 399, Station "A", Nanaimo, BC, V9R 5L3.  (604) 753-JUMP
1-800-668-7771 (for Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana)  Price not
listed, but I would guess about 75 bucks.

M.V. Lady Rose (& MV Francis Barkley)
Set sail for spectacular West Coast Scenery aboard the MV Lady Rose.
The Lady leaves at 8am from the Argyle Street Dock in Port Alberni, then
steams down the Alberni Inlet and into Barkley sound to Bamfield or
through the Broken Group Islands to Ucluelet, then returns to Port Alberni
in the late afternoon.  Services the Broken Islands and West Coast Trail
(both part of Pacific Rim National Park).  Fares range from $10 (one
way) to $36 (return) depending on destination.
Alberni Marine Transportation, P.O. Box 188, Port Alberni, BC, V6Y 7M7
Phone: [phone]  Fax: [phone]

Western Wildcat Tours
Backpack or kayak over scenic Vancouver Island.  Explore the half
million acres of Strathcona Provincial Park's mountain wilderness,
experience the spirit of Vancouver Island's green cathedrals and
visit some of the continent's last remaining old growth forest.
Choose from a smorgasbord of paddling possibilities.  Lounge in rock
pools by the sea at Hotsprings Cove.
P.O. Box 1162, Nanaimo, BC, V9R 6E7   Tel/Fax: [phone]

Seacoast Expeditions (Marine Wildlife Tours)
Join us for an exhilarating and adventurous experience of coastal waters
and marine wildlife.  Watch for: KILLER WHALES, Mink Whales, Dall's
Porpoises, Harbour Porpoises, Harbour Seals, California and Stellar Sea
Lions; Elephant Seals, Bald Eagles and many species of marine birds.
2 & 3 hour trips in high speed 23' zodiacs.  $50/$70 adult, $25/45 youth.
1655 Ash Road, Victoria, BC, V8N 2T2   [phone]

TimberTours - Fletcher Challenge Canada
Informative tours, free of charge.  Courtenay, Campbell River, Lake
Cowichan, Port McNeill, Moresby Island, Crofton.  Tours range from
1 1/2 hours to 6 1/2 hours and activities vary from tours of pulp mills,
active logging sites, tree planting, eagle nesting sites, nature walks.
Call [phone] for more information.

Victoria Express Passenger Ferry
Fast, convenient express service between Port Angeles, WA and Victoria.
Fares: $20 US Return.  4 sailings in winter, 8 sailings in summer.
Info: 206-452-8088 (WA), 604-361-9144 (BC)

Victoria Clipper
Passenger ferry between Victoria & Seattle
Fares: Range from $46-49 1-way and $74-85 round trip depending on
season.  Advance round trips (14 days, restrictions) $59-69.  Prices in
US Dollars.
Clipper Navigation, 1000A Wharf St., Victoria, BC, V8W 1T4, 604-382-8100
In SABRE, N*/VICTORIA CLIPPER  Also 1-800-888-2535 outside Seattle & BC

As far as I know, there is no car ferry between Victoria and Seattle
despite political pressure by Victoria's merchants.  Also, the Royal
Sealink Express between downtown Victoria and downtown Vancouver has
gone bankrupt.

The BC Government announced November 23, 1993, that it would provide BC
Ferries with $1M to operate a Seattle-Victoria car ferry for the 1994
season only.  This is mostly due to the XV Commonwealth Games being
hosted in Victoria.

Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park, North Vancouver
450 foot suspension bridge, 230 feet above Capilano River.  Original
bridge constructed in 1889.  Totem poles, small museum.  Entrance fee
of approx. 8 bucks.  3735 Capilano Rd, North Vancouver, BC, V7R 4J1
[phone]

Grouse Mountain Skyride
Ski area in winter, hiking area in summer, plus logger sports, chair
rides, wood carving, Theatre in the Sky, helicopter tours.  $14.50 for
adults, $9.25 Youth, $5.95 Child, Free under 5, Family $54.95
6400 Nancy Greene Way, North Vancouver, BC, V7R 4K9

Other attractions in Vancouver are Science World, Vancouver Aquarium,
CN IMAX Theatre, Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver 86ers, Vancouver VooDoo,
BC Lions, Cypress Bowl, Seymour Mountain (provincial park), Rief Bird
Sanctuary, Lynn Canyon Interpretive Centre, Stanley Park, Fantasy
Gardens, Playland, PNE, the Cecil.

The West Coast Trail has become so popular that reservations are
required to hike the Trail.  It is a 80 kilometre hike between Bamfield
and Port Renfrew (?).  Only 50 hikers each day are permitted to begin
at each end of the trail.  Reservations are free and may be obtained
from Parks Canada.

The Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit is another area where popularity has
forced a reservation system.  The Bowron Lakes are a chain of 5 lakes,
120km long, including some portages and line canoes.  Reservations may
be made from Parks Canada and the rate is $20/canoe.  The Bowron Lakes
are approximately 2 hours northeast of Quesnel.

Barkerville is a historic gold rush town that at one time was the
largest town north of San Francisco and west of Chicago.  The town
is fascinating and contains over 100 (?) restored buildings.  The
charm is that it is a realistic portrayal of the town with the bakery
selling fresh bread and the general store selling supplies.  You can
also hear mock trials with the famed hanging judge, Sir Matthew Begbie.
Pioneer cemetery, a Chinatown, gold panning, dance halls with real
dancers and plays, restaurants.  Approx. $6 admission.  1 1/2 hour drive
east of Quesnel.
<Bob Gray>

-

        6.2.3 ... Manitoba?
        6.2.4 ... New Brunswick?
        6.2.5 ... Newfoundland and Labrador?
        6.2.6 ... the Northwest Territories?
        6.2.7 ... Nova Scotia?

-

        6.2.8 ... Ontario?

Compilation includes:   Niagara Falls
   Ottawa
   Toronto

** NIAGARA FALLS **

Much nicer on the Canadian side!  Of course, the Falls are THE attraction
to visit in Niagara Falls.  They draw tourists from all over the world.
They also draw honeymooners in the thousands.  The falls are equally
spectacular all year round.  A system of illumination also makes them
a great attraction at night.

GREAT GORGE ADVENTURE (4330 River Rd.)
 An elevator takes you down to the Niagara gorge below the
 falls, to a walkway that follows the edge of the river.
 May to October, daily.

MAID OF THE MIST (at 5920 River Rd.)
 A tough little boat that takes tourists in front of the American
 Falls, and upriver right into the horseshoe of the main falls
 where the noise is deafening and the spray hits like tropical
 rain.  Raincoats supplied.  Daily, from mid-May to mid-October.

MARINELAND (7657 Portage Rd. South)
 A marine park with impressive dolphin, sea lion, and whale
 shows.  Admission price also admits you to the adjacent game
 farm, plus unlimited use of rides.  March to December, daily.
 Rides don't operate in winter.

MINOLTA TOWER CENTRE (6732 Oakes Dr.)
 Restaurant overlooking the falls.  On-site attractions during
 the summer.  Open daily.

NIAGARA FALLS IMAX THEATER (6170 Bachanan Ave)
 A film on the falls (45 minutes) on a giant 6-storey-high
 screen.  The lobby houses the Niagara Daredevil Adventures -
 artifacts and displays on the various stuntmen and daredevils
 who have challenged the falls over the years.

NIAGARA FALLS MUSEUM  (5651 River Rd.)
 North America's oldest, with over 700,000 exhibits, including 7
 authentic Egyptian mummies and the Daredevil Hall of Fame.
 Daily.

NIAGARA HELICOPTERS LTD. (3731 Victoria Ave., near Whirlpool Rapids)
 Flights over the falls. All year, daily (weather permitting).

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE
 Originally named Newark.  Population 13,000.  One of the best-
 preserved (and prettiest) 19th-century towns in North America.
 Fort George National Historic Park (tells about Canada-USA
 battles).  Many old buildings.  Wineries.

NIAGARA SPANISH AERO CAR (Niagara Parkway, at Rapids)
 A cable car that makes the dizzling, 550 m (1,800ft) trip high
 above the Whirlpool Rapids.

SKYLON TOWER (5200 Robinson St.)
 Revolving restaurant overlooking the falls.  236 meters above
 them.

TIVOLI MINIATURE WORLD (5930 Victoria Ave.)
 A world tour in miniature, where visitors can see landmarks
 and lesser known village squares, complete in every detail
 but built on a scale of 1/30 actual size.  Buildings include
 St. Peter's Basilica, Eiffel Tower, the Tower of Pisa, and the
 Kremlin.  Daily, from Easter to Christmas.

WHITEWATER WATERPARK (7430 Lundy's Lane)
 Five giant waterslides, super-surf wave pool, play pools, video
 arcade and snack and picnic facilities.  Daily (weather permitting)
 from June to Labour Day (first Monday in September).


** OTTAWA **

A 2-hour drive from Montreal and 5 hours from Toronto.  International
airport, train station, and frequent bus service.


Info:   Canada's Capital Information Center
 14 Metcalfe Street, Ottawa
 Open daily from 9am to 5pm, 10am to 4pm on Sundays.
 [phone].

 Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority Visitor Information Center
 65 Elgin Street, National Arts Center
 Open daily from 9am to 5pm, 10am to 4pm on Sundays

BANK OF CANADA/CURRENCY MUSEUM  (234 Wellington)
 The museum is housed on the first floor and is open Tuesday to
 Saturday, 10.30am to 5pm, and on Sundays from 1pm to 5pm.
 [phone].

BANK STREET PROMENADE (on Bank St., from Gladstone Avenue to Wellington)
 The fine stores and services of the promenade make it a
 favourite spot for the serious shopper and casual browser
 alike.

BYTOWN MUSEUM (steps aside the Chateau Laurier)
 In the Commissariat, the oldest stone building in Ottawa.  The
 exhibits in the museum explore Ottawa's history and pay tribute
 to the builders of the Rideau Canal.
 Open 10am to 4pm, Sundays 2pm to 5pm, closed Tuesdays.
 [phone].

BYWARD MARKET (east of Sussex Drive and north of Rideau Street)
 First opened in 1840.  Farmers from the Ottawa Valley offer
 vegetables, fruits, flowers, and maple syrup from street-side
 booths and stalls.  Specialty shops, restaurants, pubs.

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CARICATURE (136 St. Patrick Street, corner Sussex)
 20,000 caricature works from the 18th, 19th, and 20th
 centuries.  Wed to Fri.

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION (Laurier St. in Hull, just across the river)
 A wide variety of exhibits.  The Museum is also home of the
 world's 1st combination of IMAX and OMNIMAX.
 Tue to Sun 9am to 5pm, Thu until 8pm.
 [phone].  (From Ottawa just dial 776-7000.)

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY (1 Rideau Canal)
 Founded by and affiliated with the National Gallery of Canada.
 150,000 images.
 Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat, Sun from 11am to 5pm;
 Wed from 4pm to 8pm; Thu 11am to 8pm.
 [phone].

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF NATURE (corner of Metcalfe and McLeod St.)
 Explore the world of insects, dinosaurs, gems, animals, and the
 changing face of the Earth.  Open daily from 10am to 5pm;
 to 8pm on Thu.  [phone] (24-hour service).

CANADIAN TULIP FESTIVAL
 The Dutch Royal Family spent their enforced exile in Ottawa
 during WWII.  As a token of appreciation the Dutch people sent
 tulip bulbs (over 4 million of them).  Now, each and every
 spring, the gift is given anew and the city celebrates with a
 Spring Festival (concerts, firework displays, decorated boats
 on the Canal...).  Mid-May all over the city (tulips especially
 along the canal and at Dows Lake).

CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM  (330 Sussex Drive)
 Open Tue to Sun from 9.30am to 5pm; to 8pm on Thu.
 [phone].

CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM / AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM (Prince of Wales Drive)
 500-hectare experimental farm.  The land was designated
 for agricultural research.  You'll find ornemental flower
 gardens, rippling fields of grain, rare trees from around the
 world, livestock barns, dairy barn.  Museum closed until May
 1994 for renovations.  [phone].

CHATEAU LAURIER (Just east of Parliament Hill)
 Built in 1912, in the style of a stately French chateau, it is
 the luxury hotel in the perfect foil to the neo-Gothic design
 of the Parliament buildings.

DOWS LAKE AND PAVILION (Take Queen Elizabeth Dr. south)
 Recreation area.  The Pavilion is home to 3 restaurants and a
 raised summer terrace that allows diners a splendid view of the
 lake.  The surrounding parklands, including some of the capital's
 most spectacular flower beds, are a great place for a summer picnic.
 You can rent paddle boats and canoes for a ride on the lake.

GATINEAU PARK (on the Quebec side, just 20 minutes from Ottawa. Follow
 Tache Blvd. west out of Hull, then turn north along the scenic
 Gatineau parkway).  A 35,000-hectare park where deer and other
 wildlife still abound.  Hundreds of kilometres of trails for
 walkers, hikers, cyclists, and cross country skiing enthusiats.
 [phone].

JACQUES CARTIER PARK (in Hull, on the Ottawa river between the Alexandra
 and MacDonald-Cartier bridges).  Offers fine views of the Rideau
 Falls and the Ottawa skyline.

MAJOR'S HILLS PARK (Behind the Chateau Laurier, east of Parliament Hill)
 Ottawa's oldest park (1874).  Several statues, exquisite views
 of the Ottawa River, Hull, the Parliament buildings and the
 Rideau Canal.

NATIONAL ARTS CENTER  (53 Elgin St.)
 Hosts hundreds of Canadian and international musical, theatrical,
 dance and variety performances.  Public tours available.
 [phone].

NATIONAL AVIATION MUSEUM  (From Sussex Dr. take the Rockliffe Parkway until
 you see the exit to the new National Aviation Museum).  One of
 the most impressive collections of vintage aircraft in the world
 -- 43 airplanes and numerous artifacts.
 Tue to Sun from 9pm to 5pm; to 9pm on Thu.
 [phone].

NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA  (corner of Sussex Dr. and St. Patrick St.)
 Has the capacity to exhibit more than 1900 works of art.
 Daily from 10am to 6pm; to 8pm on Thu.
 [phone].

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (1867 St. Laurent blvd, corner
 of Lancaster).  Explore how man has transformed the natural
 elements into a new world of mechanics, transportation, and
 technological advances.
 Tue to Sun from 9am to 5pm; to 9pm on Thu.
 [phone].

NATIONAL PEACEKEEPING MONUMENT (corner of Sussex and St. Patrick)
 The world's only monument to honour peacekeepers.  A "sacred
 grove" of 12 oak trees is intented to remind visitors of the
 peacekeepers from 10 provinces and 2 territories who served
 during the past 40 years.

PARLIAMENT HILL (On Wellington St.)
 Pretty Parliament Buildings.  Change of the Guard by guards in
 scarlet tunics and bearskin busbies is a must-see (every summer
 day from 10am to 10.30am).

RIDEAU CANAL (runs for some 8 kms for Ottawa Downtown to Carleton University)
 In May, the parkways beside the canal bloom with tulips; in
 summer, they are thronged with cyclists, joggers, and
 picnikers; in winter, the canal turns into the "World's Longest
 Ice Skating Rink".

RIDEAU HALL (at 1 Sussex Dr. in front of Prime Minister's residence)
 This estate is the official residence of Canada's Governor
 General (see 2.3, 3.1).  Tours of the grounds (until Mid-Oct.)
 are free and leave on the hour from the main gate on Sussex Dr.
 Wed to Sun from 10am to 3pm.
 [phone], [phone] or [phone].

ROYAL CANADIAN MINT (320 Sussex Dr.)
 Manufactures Canadian coins.  Tours are not available in fall
 and winter months.  [phone].

SHOPPING CENTRES
        Rideau Center (230 stores), attached to the Westin Hotel and
  Convention Centre; a 10-minute walk from Parliament Hill
        Bank Street Promenade (many stores, boutiques; some antique stores)
        Somerset Village
        St. Laurent Shopping Centre (over 200 stores), corner of St. Laurent
  and Queensway.
        Bayshore Shopping Centre (165 stores), in the west end, corner of
  Richmond Road and Queensway.  Open until 10pm every weekday.
        Stittsville Flea Market, on Hazeldean Road.  Open Sundays from 9am to
                5 pm in the summer.  Huge.  [phone].

SOMERSET VILLAGE (On Somerset St. between Bank St. and O'Connor St.)
 Lined with restored Victorian homes that now host 50 small
 businesses, restaurants, boutiques, and outdoor cafe.  Hosts many
 outdoor special events (danses, concerts, and exhibitions).
 [phone].

SPARKS STREET MALL (one block south of Parliament Hill)
 Pedestrian mall.  Also houses some market stalls in the summer.

SUPREME COURT OF CANADA (just a 5-minutes walk east of Parliament Hill)
 The lobby and courtroom are open to public on weekdays from 9am
 to 5pm.  [phone].

WINTERLUDE
 10-day winter carnival with sporting activities, entertainment,
 fireworks, ice sculptures, and more, centred around the ice-bound
 Rideau Canal.


** TORONTO **

5 hours of driving from Ottawa, about 6 hours from Montreal.
International airport, train and bus stations.

ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO (Dundas St. West, 2 blocks west of University Ave.)
 50 galleries showing a permanent collection of 600 years of
 creative endeavour.  The Gallery also has an active program of
 special exhibitions.  Wed to Sun and holiday Mondays.

BLACK CREEK PIONEER VILLAGE (corner Jane St. and Steeles Avenue)
 A living Ontario village, which recreates with surprising
 realism the sights, sounds, and smells of a rural pioneer
 community of the pre-Confederation era.  Flour is ground in
 the mill, horses are shod in the blacksmith's shop, the
 villagers wear period costumes and work at their pioneer
 crafts while you watch and wander.

CANADA'S SPORTS HALL OF FAME  (Exhibition Place, Lake Shore Blvd. West)
 A large well-established national sports museum displaying
 thousands of sports artifacts in its 3 galleries.  Open daily.

CANADA'S WONDERLAND (in Vaughan, north of Toronto)
 A 150-hectare theme park designed to entertain the whole family.
 Over 50 rides (8 roller coasters), live shows, and a new water
 theme called SplashWorks.  Open daily from late May to Labour
 Day (1st Monday in Sept.); weekends in May and from Labour Day
 to Canadian Thanksgiving (2nd Monday in October).

CASA LOMA (1 Austin Terrace, near Davenport and Spadina)
 A fairy tale castle, creation of an industrialist and financier
 who spent $3 million in 1911 to build a rambling medieval-style
 castle to live in.  Secret doorways, hidden rooms, etc.  Open
 daily.

CITY HALL (corner of Queen and Bay Sts.)
 A pair of curved towers.  The huge forecourt, Nathan Phillips
 Square, is home of art shows, brass bands, people watchers,
 suntanners, and brown-baggers in summer.  Skating is possible
 on the frozen pool in Winter.  Check ahead for information on
 possibility of tours.

CN TOWER (301 Front St. West)
 This is the world's tallest free-standing structure (553
 metres, 1815 feet).  It's a tourist attraction as well as a
 communication tower.  Indoor and outdoor observation decks and
 the world's largest revolving restaurant (no jeans, shorts,
 bermudas or running shoes in the restaurant) at 351 metres.
 From the highest observation deck (447 metres), you can see
 almost 160 km (100 miles) on a clear day.  At night the city
 view is beautiful.  Open daily; restaurant reservations are
 advisable if you're planning on dinner.  As everyone knows,
 CN stands for Canadian National Railways.

FORT YORK (Garrison Road, east of CNE grounds)
 Established in 1793, destroyed in 1813 (see 2.2) but rebuilt
 almost immediately.  Now restored with 8 original log, stone,
 and brick buildings. The guard marches and demonstrates military
 skills to the strain of the fife and drum in the summer.
 Open daily.

HARBOURFRONT
 A still developing urban playground combines recreation,
 shopping, and the arts.  Permanent features include the Power
 Plant art gallery, craft studios, boutiques, restaurants, antique
 market, and a creative playground for children.

THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME (Yonge and Front, old Bank of Montreal building)
 The name says it all.  Open daily.

METRO TORONTO ZOO (Northeast of city, 2 km north of Highway 401 on
 Meadowvale Rd.) 710 acres.  Wear confortable shoes and take a
 whole day.  Open all year, daily.

ONTARIO PLACE (955 Lake Shore Blvd. West)
 Built over Lake Ontario on 3 artificial islands.  You'll find an
 IMAX theatre ("Cinesphere"), exhibits, rides, playgrounds,
 restaurants, lawns for picnicking, a marina, and an outdoor
 amphitheatre.  Open mid-May to beginning of Sept.; Cinesphere
 operates year round. [?]

ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE (corner of Don Mills Rd. and Eglinton Ave. East)
 Intends to demonstrate that science and technology are a visible
 and engrossing part of our lives.  Worth seeing.  Open daily.

PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT BUILDING (Queen's Park, north end of University Ave.)
 Was built in the late 1800s.  Visitors can stroll the marble
 halls, take guided tours, or listen to the Members of Provincial
 Parliament in the Legislative Chamber.
 Tours: mid-May to Labour Day, daily; September to Mid-May, weekdays.
 House in session: Oct. to Dec. and Feb. to June.

ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM (100 Queen's Park)
 Canada's largest public museum.
 Closed Mondays, except from Victoria Day (Monday preceding May 25)
 to Labour Day (1st Monday in September).

SHOPPING
        Yonge Street (many stores)
        Eaton Centre (on Yonge St. from Queen to Dundas, 300 stores)
        Fairview Mall (Don Mills Rd. & Sheppard Ave.)
        The Promenade (Highway 7 & Bathurst St.)
        Scarborough Town Centre (Highway 401 and McCowan Rd.)
        Markville Shopping Centre (Highway 7 and MCCowan Rd.)
        Yorkdale (Dufferin St. and Highway 401)
        Dixie Value Mall (QEW and Dixie Rd., Mississauga)

SKYDOME (corner of Front St. and John St.)
 Multi-purpose stadium with a fully retractable roof.  Home of
 the Argos (football) and Blue Jays (baseball).  It also hosts a
 variety of concerts.  Tours are available if the facility is not
 in use.

TORONTO ISLAND (a short ride on one of the Island ferries, no cars allowed)
 Playgrounds, rides, and a farm for kids, lots of space for
 picnickers, tennis courts (Hanlan's Point) and plenty more.

TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE (The Exchange Tower, 2 First Canadian Place)
 Offers a Visitor Centre and presentations.  Open weekdays.
 Presentations from Tue to Fri at 2pm.

-
        6.2.9 ... Prince Edward Island?
        6.2.10 ... Quebec?
        6.2.11 ... Saskatchewan?

-

        6.2.12 ... Yukon?

The U.S. State Department Travel Advisory published some information on Yukon:

The Yukon:  The Yukon may be considered frontier territory in many
areas.  Facilities for car repair, while generally adequate, may
sometimes be limited outside the larger communities.  Because of the
distances from major population centers, the cost of food, gasoline,
and lodging often runs higher than in the continental United States.

The Highway:  The 1500 mile Alaska (formerly the Alcan) highway
starts in Dawson Creek, British Colombia, and runs north and west
through Fort St. John and Fort Nelson to the Yukon Territory towns
of Watson Lake, the capital city of Whitehorse and onward into
Fairbanks, Alaska.  For most of its length, it is a two or four lane
divided highway.  Most of it is in good condition and previously
rough sections have been repaired for the celebrations.  The highway
runs through some spectacularly beautiful areas, but much of the
area is sparsely inhabited.  Gas stations are spaced an average of
60 miles apart.

Lodging:  A full range of camping and motel lodging can be found in
the Yukon.  Further away from population centers, however, travelers
can expect facilities to be basic.  Several new motels and
campgrounds are opening this year, but travelers are advised to have
reservations -- particularly during the peak month of July.  It
might be wise to plan travel either a little earlier or a little
later than peak season, e.g., late May or early September.

Medical Care:  The longest stretch between medical facilities is
approximately 150 miles.  As with car repair, medical facilities are
limited outside of population centers.  As in many foreign
countries, most hospitals and clinics will insist on payment before
discharge.  While some (but not all) now accept Visa or Mastercard,
most will not wait for payment from insurance companies.
<Provided by Bob Gray>

-----

     6.3  What are the requirements to enter Canada as a tourist?

You must have a valid reason to visit, be in good health, be law-abiding,
have enough funds to support yourself and any dependants, and have a
valid passport or travel documents.  Return airline tickets are often
required as well.  Citizens or permanent residents of the USA, St. Pierre
et Miquelon, and Greenland do not need a passport when entering directly
from their country.  However, proof of citizenship or permanent residence
must be provided (birth certificate or resident alien card); also provide
photo ID if the proof of citizenship has no photo.

Visitors coming from certain countries will be required to present a
visitor visa.  It must be obtained at a visa office outside Canada.
For these people, entry into Canada will not be granted without this
document.  People from countries requiring a visitor visa are
encouraged to present a letter of invitation from friends or relatives
in Canada.  This letter should indicate the length of the stay and that
the host confirms that he will provide any assistance required.  To know
if you require a visa to enter Canada, contact the nearest Canadian
diplomatic mission.

Visits in Canada should be of less than 180 days unless otherwise
specified.  The officers at the airport or at the border determine the
length of visit.  Visitors can not study or work in Canada during their
stay -- to do so, you must apply for a student or employment authorization.

-----

     6.4 Do tourists in Canada get free health care?

No.  Only Canadian citizens and landed immigrants (i.e. permanent
residents) can be covered by the governmental health insurance.
Most provinces also have residency restrictions, even for Canadian
citizens.

If your country offers you free health insurance coverage, make sure
to get some information on what it covers when you travel in Canada.
You're always better to get private insurance.  Insurance companies
will often offer you cash advances to pay your doctor's bill.  It could
prevent you from spoiling your trip and having to wait months before
your government insurance refunds you.

-----

     6.5 How can tourists get reimbursed for taxes paid while in Canada?

Visitors may apply for Goods and Services Tax (GST) refunds for goods
purchased for export from Canada and for lodging expenses.  I've gotten
pamphlets with the appropriate mail-in forms at Calgary International
Airport.  Duty-free stores at major border crossings have GST refund
booths.  Present your receipts to the person, who will record the
amounts and GST numbers, stamp the receipts, and return them to you
along with your refund in Canadian dollars.  <Fred Grosby>

Airport duty-free shops all originally signed up, then opted out of the
program because the volume was too high.  I can imagine that they got
complaints from people who were in lineups and either missed their
planes or had to leave and did not get their GST refund at the
airport.  The only airport duty-free that has remained in the program
is the one in Quebec City, which does not have that much international
traffic.

If you apply for your refund by mail, Revenue Canada will send it in
US$ if you are in the US, and C$ if you are anywhere else in the world.
<David Sherman>

Mail receipts to:       Revenue Canada
   Customs, Excise and Taxation Visitor rebate program
   Ottawa, ON
   Canada
   K1A 1J5

GST can be refunded on $100 or more of goods purchased for export plus
lodging.  You can also wait til you get home, and mail in your receipts
with the form.  How to get the form?  I called revenue canada in Ottawa.
Our motel owner also had them.  <Louise Mallory>

Taxes on restaurant bills can not be refunded because the expense was
not done for lodging or for export.

Provincial sales tax (PST) has its own rules which vary by province;
some provinces do not allow any refunds for tourists.

-----

     6.6 U.S. State Department Travel Information on Canada

 May 27, 1993

Country Description:  Canada is a highly developed stable democracy
with a modern economy.  Tourist facilities are widely available.  In
northern and wilderness areas, tourist facilities are less developed
and can be vast distances apart.

Entry Requirements:  Proof of U.S. citizenship and photo
identification are required for travel to Canada.  Visas are not
required for tourists entering from the United States for stays up
to 180 days.  U.S. citizens entering Canada from a third country
must have a valid passport or an official U.S. travel document.  For
further information, including information on student or business
travel, travelers can contact the Embassy of Canada at 501
Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.  20001, [phone]
or the nearest Canadian consulate in Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo,
Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New
York, or Seattle.

Medical Facilities:  Good medical care is widely available.  U.S.
medical and auto insurance may not be valid in Canada.  Travelers
have found that in some cases, supplemental auto or medical
insurance with specific Canadian coverage has proved to be useful.
Further information on health matters can be obtained from the
Centers for Disease Control's international travelers hotline on
[phone].

Crime Information:  Canada has a higher incidence of criminal
activity in urban areas than in the countryside.  Violent crimes
such as murder, armed robbery, and rape occur infrequently.  The
loss or theft of a U.S. passport abroad should be reported
immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or
consulate.  U.S. citizens can refer to the Department of State's
pamphlet "A Safe Trip Abroad" for ways to promote a more
trouble-free journey.  The pamphlet is available from the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C.  20402.

Drug Penalties:  U.S. citizens are subject to Canadian laws while
they are in Canada.  Penalties for possession, use, and dealing in
illegal drugs are strict, and convicted offenders can expect jail
sentences and fines.

Other Information:  (a) Canadians consider driving under the
influence of alcohol a serious offense.  Penalties are heavy, and
any prior conviction (no matter how long ago or how minor the
infraction) is grounds for exclusion from Canada.  A waiver of
exclusion may be obtained from Canadian Consulates in the United
States, but requires several weeks.  (b) Firearms are strictly
controlled.  In general, handguns are not permitted in Canada.
Anyone wishing to take hunting rifles into Canada can contact in
advance the nearest Canadian Consulate for detailed information and
instructions.  In all cases, travelers must declare to Canadian
customs authorities any firearms in their possession when entering
Canada.  If a traveler is denied permission to take the firearm into
Canada, there are in many cases facilities near the border crossing
where firearms may be stored pending the traveler's return to the
U.S.  Canadian law requires that officials confiscate guns from
those crossing the border who deny having guns in their possession.
Confiscated guns are never returned.  (c)  It is illegal to take
automobile radar detectors into the provinces of Quebec, Ontario,
and Manitoba or into the Northwest territories.  The police will
confiscate radar detectors, whether in use or not, and impose fines
up to one thousand dollars.  (d) The prevailing language in Quebec
province is French rather than English as in most of Canada.
However, even in Quebec, English is spoken at most hotels and many
tourist facilities.

Registration:  U.S. citizens who register in the Consular Section
at the U.S. Embassy or at a U.S. Consulate may obtain updated
information on travel and security within Canada.

Embassy and Consulate Locations:  The U.S. Embassy in Canada is
located at 100
Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, telephone [phone].

There are also consulates in:

Calgary, Alberta, at 615 Macleod Trail SE, [phone];

Halifax, Nova Scotia, at Suite 910, Cogswell Tower, Scotia Square,
[phone];

Montreal, Quebec, at 1155 St. Alexander Street, [phone];

Quebec City, Quebec, at 2 Place Terrasse Dufferin, [phone];

Toronto, Ontario, at 360 University Avenue, [phone]; and

Vancouver, British Columbia, at 1095 West Pender Street, (604)
685-4311.
<Provided by Bob Gray>

-----

     6.7 Canada-USA financial matters

        6.7.1 Where is the best place to exchange US currency
              in Canada and vice versa?

( See the canada-faq file maintained by Brian Lucas for information
concerning the exchange of US currency in Canada. )

In the US, your best bet is hotels.  Not only will they give a slightly
better rate than the banks (consistently about 3-4 cents higher, in
favour of Can$), but they are nicer and faster than US banks, and they
do not require an account, as some banks have.  <Stephanie Clarkson-Aines>

The exchange rate at retail stores tends to get worse the farther you
are from the Canada-US border.  <Paul Ward>

Pretty much every bank in the US that I have seen will exchange foreign
currency.  But they will charge outrageous spreads, that is, the
difference between the buy rate and the sell rate.  I have seen it as
high as seven points.  If the base exchange rate were $C1.20 to $US1,
they would charge you $1.235 to buy a US dollar, and only give you
$1.165 if you sold it at the end of your trip.  In contrast, in Canada
I have usually found that the spreads are at most 4.5 points.  Canadian
residents going to the US should exchange their money before leaving.

People living in the Toronto area who want to exchange money to US or
other major currencies should go to Friedberg Mercantile Exchange on
Bay Street between Queen and King.  They give the best rates; their
spread is usually no more than 1.5 points (maybe 2).  If you need to
exchange, say, $5000, you will typically save about $75 over going to a
bank.  They will even give your money in US$ American Express travellers
cheques at no additional charge.  Their minimum transaction is $200.
<Charles Kozierok>

        6.7.2  What credit cards are accepted in Canada?

Visa and MasterCard are generally accepted everywhere (restaurants,
hotels, stores, ...).  While American Express is widely accepted in
hotels, large restaurants, and transportation companies, you might find
that many restaurants, stores, boutiques, and cafes won't accept it.

With Visa and MasterCard, you'll also be able to get cash advances at
any bank machine in Canada.  Every bank has an affiliation with either
Visa or MasterCard (mostly Visa; the Bank of Montreal is the largest
MasterCard bank).

        6.7.3  Will I be able to pay my expenses in US dollars?

Most hotels, stores, restaurants will accept US$, but they will give
you a lower rate than banks or airports.  For example, you might get
C$1.10 when the rate is $1.20, or $1.20 when the rate is $1.32.  Large
hotels will usually give you a rate that approaches those at the bank.

        6.7.4 May I cash or deposit US cheques (or checks :-) in Canada
              and vice versa?

My sister has had terrible experiences with her Boston-area bank.
They did not like to accept her Canadian cheques, even when they
were cheques drawn on US dollar accounts.  <Stewart Clamen>

Once I deposited a cheque in Canadian funds at an American bank.
The cheque took six months to clear and the bank took a US$40
service charge.  <Julie Heynssens>

The problem is that the Canadian and US cheque-clearing systems are
not integrated with each other.  So if you present a cheque drawn on a
Canadian bank -- even if the account at that bank is in US dollars --
it is treated as a foreign item.  I have had merchants tell me horror
stories about such cheques -- they can take six weeks to clear, with
the funds not being credited to the person's account till then, and
service charges of $25 to $300 applying.

The solution is to get a chequing account that clears through the US
system.  We have an account at Wood Gundy that does exactly that, and
write cheques in the US all the time with no problems.  <David Sherman>

I have a friend who experienced similar problems when he tried to clear
my cheque drawn on a US bank at his Canadian bank.  While the cheque
was cleared from my US account within days, the fund showed up at his
Canadian bank some three weeks later.  My friend had to use his
certificate of deposit accounts as collateral to get the fund released.
<Pi Hong>

I have been quite successful getting cheques from US banks deposited in
my CIBC (Cdn$) account without service charges.  The tellers have
always quoted a 3- or 4-week hold on the funds, but in actual fact the
cheques have usually cleared in less than a week, and I have managed to
get the customer service manager at my CIBC branch to authorize a
reduction in the standard hold.

It appears that CIBC uses my US bank, Wells Fargo, as a "correspondent"
bank for handling US items.  This probably explains why my deposited
cheques written on my Wells Fargo account clear so quickly.

According to the people at Wells Fargo Bank, a cheque I write on my
account is considered to have been irrevocably paid as of the end of
the next business day after their automated "Express Access" system
says it had "posted" to my account.  The extra day apparently gives the
customer one last chance to stop payment.

Things do not seem to be as tidy going the other way.  The folks at
Wells Fargo have told me that if I were to try to deposit a Canadian
cheque in my Wells Fargo account, they would treat it as a collection
item, that is, long delays and ridiculous fees.  My solution so far has
been to buy a US$ draft at CIBC and deposit that.  <Rich Wales>

Canadian bank account holders don't need to have a US dollar account to
write cheques denominated in US dollars -- you just write on the cheque
what currency payment is to be in, and the bank will charge a fee
(about $5, I think).  This works at the Royal Bank, and I assume the
others are the same.  Such cheques are not easily cleared in the US.
<Mark Brader>


        6.7.5 If I have an ATM card for my bank at home, can I make
              a withdrawal in Canada?

Most of the major Canadian banks and trust companies are on the Plus
network, and those that aren't on Plus are on Cirrus.  (See 6.7.2;
Cirrus is affiliated with MasterCard.)  You get Canadian dollars,
of course, and generally the exchange rate is good.  Your bank will
probably make a service charge of $2 or so for each withdrawal.

Those whose banks are only on other networks are out of luck.
<Mark Brader>


     6.8  What is the weather like in Canada?

Canada is the second-largest country in the world, in area, and the
climate varies accordingly!  However, to generalize...

Maritimes:  Winters are cold and very snow-filled with an average high
around -5 degrees Celsius (23 Fahrenheit).  Summers are generally mild,
but rarely much above 25C (77F).

Southern Ontario:  September starts in the mid-20s C and by late
October, it goes down to the low-10s.  Winters are not overly cold and
usually not a lot of snow with an average high about -5C or slightly
warmer.  Summers are usually hot.

Prairies:  One word should do it for summer and winter: extreme.
Average January highs -10 to -15C (12-21F); average July highs 27-30C.

Vancouver:  Moderate in all seasons. I read somewhere that the record
high temperature for Vancouver and the record low temp are only 40C
apart.  <Ken Breadner>

(Average Lows and Highs in celsius for some Canadian cities)

OTTAWA

  Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec

H  -5    -5    1     11    19    24    27    25    20    12    4    -3
L -15   -15   -8      0     7    12    14    13     9     3   -2   -12

QUEBEC CITY

  Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec

H  -7    -6    0      7    16    22    24    23    18    11     2    -5
L -16   -15   -8     -1     5    11    14    12     8     3    -3   -12

TORONTO

  Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec

H   0     0     3    10    17    23    26    25    21    13    6     1
L  -8    -8    -4     1     7    12    15    14    11     4    0    -5

VANCOUVER

  Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec

H  5     7     10    14    18    21    23    23    18    14    9     6
L  0     1      3     4     8    11    12    12     9     7    4     2

-----

     6.9 How can I use European electrical equipment in Canada?

Buy suitable adaptors before you come.  Most stores in Canada only sell
adaptors for our equipment to be used in other countries.

The principal electricity standards here are the same as in the US.
The nominal voltage is 120 V (often misquoted as 110, but variations of
that size are not important anyway), the frequency is 60 Hz, and
ungrounded plugs have two parallel flat pins.

This assumes that you are only interested in using simple things like
razors.  If you are moving here and want to bring computers, sound
systems, and the like, an adaptor may not suffice.  TV broadcast
standards are also quite different.  <Mark Brader>


-----------------------------------------------------------------

IMMIGRATION, EMIGRATION, AND EMPLOYMENT

For more information, or confirmation of the following answers, contact
a Canadian diplomatic mission or write to:

 Enquiries Centre
 Employment and Immigration Canada
 Ottawa, ON
 K1A 0J9
 Tel: [phone]

     7.1 Who needs a Canadian passport and how do I go about getting one?

Canadian passports are issued to Canadian citizens and are needed for
travel to most other countries, except to the US.  They last for five
years, but the country you visit may require your passport to still
be valid for a certain period after you arrive.

To get one in Canada, first get the application form from any post
office or passport office.  The form has the full details, but in
brief, you need:
   - your photo taken by a professional photographer
   - to supply proof of citizenship and the like ("supporting documents")
   - to have your answers guaranteed by another person who knows you and
     whose occupation is on a list provided (there is also a procedure
     to follow if you do not know such a person); and
   - to pay the fee.
If you deliver the form to a passport office, you will wait in line and
then they will go over it with you and return your supporting documents,
and the passport is ready in less than a week.

Alternatively, you can trust your documents to Canada Post.

If you are outside Canada, contact a Canadian consulate or embassy.
<Mark Brader>

-----

     7.2 What are the addresses of some Canadian embassies and consulates?

USA

Embassy of Canada
501 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
Ph: 202-682-1740             [<--need verification]
    202-682-1760 for visa immigration inquiries

Canadian Consulate General           Canadian Consulate General
400 South Tower                      Three Copley Place
1 CNN Tower                          Suite 400
Atlanta, GA  30303-2705              Boston, MA  02116

Canadian Consulate                   Canadian Consulate General
1 Marine Midland Center              2 Prudential Plaza
Suite 3550                           180 North Stetson Avenue
Buffalo, NY  14203-2884              Suite 2400
                                     Chicago, IL  60601

Canadian Consulate                   Canadian Consulate General
55 Public Square                     St. Paul Place, Suite 1700
Suite 1008                           750 North St. Paul Street
Cleveland, OH  44113                 Dallas, TX  75201
                                     [phone]
                                     Fax: [phone]

Canadian Consulate General           Canadian Consulate General
600 Renaissance Center               300 South Grand Avenue
Suite 1100                           10th Floor, California Plaza
Detroit, MI  48243-1704              Los Angeles, CA  90071
                                     [phone]   [<--need verification]

Canadian Consulate General           Canadian Consulate General
701 Fourth Avenue South              1251 Avenue of the Americas
Suite 900                            Exxon Building, 16th Floor
Minneapolis, MN  55415-1899          New York, NY  10020-1175

Canadian Consulate General
412 Plaza 600
Sixth and Stewart
Seattle, WA  98101-1286


Austria         Canadian Embassy
                Dr. Karl Lueger Ring 10
                A-1010 Vienna
                Austria
                Tel. [phone]
                Telex (Destination code 47) 11-5320 (DMCAN A)
                Fax  [phone]

France          Canadian Embassy
                35, avenue Montaigne, 75008
                Paris, France
                Tel. [phone]
                Telex (Destination code 42) 651806 (CANADA 651806F)
                Fax  [phone]

                Canadian Consulate
                Bonnel Part-Dieu Building
                74, rue de Bonnel, 3rd Floor
                69428 Lyon Cedex 03
                France
                Tel. [phone]
                Telex (Destination code 42) 380003 (CANADA)
                Fax  [phone]

Germany         Canadian Embassy
                Friedrich-Wilhelm-Strasse 18
  D-5300 Bonn 1,
                Germany
                Tel. [phone]
                Telex (Destination code 41) 886421 (DOMCA D)
                Fax  [phone]

                Canadian Consulate General
                Tal 29
                D-8000 Munich 2
                Germany
                Tel. [phone]
                Telex (Destination code 0411) 5214139 (CAND D)
                Fax  [phone]

Great Britain   Canadian High Commission
                Macdonald House
                One Grosvenor Square
                London, W1X 0AB
  England
                Tel. [phone]
                Telex (Destination code 51) 261592 (CDALDING)
                Fax  [phone]

-----

     7.3 Does the free trade agreement mean that an American can
  work in Canada and vice versa?

The US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (hereafter the FTA) has a provision
whereby citizens of the US and Canada *in certain professions* may work
in the other country without having to get a normal work authorization.
In the US, it means you get a TC-1 visa instead of an H-1; in Canada
it means you get an "FTA Professional Authorization" instead of a
"Work Authorization".

Here's the list of covered professions:

accountant
engineer
scientist
   biologist
   biochemist
   physicist
   geneticist
   zoologist
   entomologist
   geophysicist
   epidemiologist
   pharmacologist
   animal scientist
   agriculturist (agronomist)
   dairy scientist
   poultry scientist
   soil scientist
research assistant (working in a post-secondary educational institution)
medical or allied professional
   physician (teaching and/or research only)
   dentist
   registered nurse
   veterinarian
   medical technologist
   clinical lab technologist
architect
lawyer
teacher
   college
   university
   seminary
economist
social worker
vocational counselor
mathematician (baccalaureate)
hotel manager (baccalaureate + 3 yrs experience)
librarian (MLS)
animal breeder
plant breeder
horticulturist
sylviculturist (forestry specialist)
range manager (range conservationist)
forester
journalist (baccalaureate + 3 yrs experience)
nutritionist
dietician
technical publications writer
computer systems analyst
psychologist
management consultant (baccalaureate + 3 yrs experience)
disaster relief insurance claims adjuster
scientific technician/technologist
   must:
       a) work in direct support of professionals in the following disciplines:
          chemistry, geology, geophysics, meteorology, physics, astronomy,
          agricultural sciences, biology or forestry;
       b) possess theoretical knowledge of the discipline;
       c) solve practical problems in the discipline; and
       d) apply principles of the discipline to basic or applied research.
<Marcy Thompson>


       7.3.1 OK, my profession is on the list.  What do I (as a Canadian)
             need to do to work in the US?

The "TC Temporary Professional" (TC stands for "trade Canada") visa
has been available since January 1, 1989.

For this TC visa, you must:

- enter from Canada;
- have proof of Canadian citizenship in the form of a birth certificate and
  photo-ID or a passport that is valid for at least six months after the
  end of the employment period (landed immigrant status is not acceptable);
- provide sufficient documentation of your professional credentials in one of
  the qualifying professions;
- have proof of employment plans, such as a written offer of employment,
  in your profession;
- pay exactly US$50; and
- be prepared to spend up to two hours at an airport or probably less
  at a Class 'A' (i.e. land, sea or air border) point-of-entry.

Your credentials and position stated in your offer of employment must
match a profession listed on the Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS) master list for TC's.  For example, engineer is a listed
profession, requiring at least a bachelor's degree in any discipline or
state/provincial licencing.  To get a full one year visa, your offer
must show support by the employer for that period.

The job offer must contain the following information:

- A term of employment of duration not greater than one year.
- Job title from one of the professions on the list.  If you work for a
  company that uses fixed titles, such as Software Engineer III, and you
  are trying to get a visa as a computer systems analyst, the letter
  should say, "as a Software Engineer III, Company X's internal job
  classification for persons who perform the duties of a computer
  systems analyst".
- Description of duties.
- Salary(optional?).  They may want to know that you can live on your salary.

As a precautionary measure, be sure to have a second letter addressed
to the INS.  Phone the INS headquarters in Washington if you cannot
find people to properly handle your application.  Documents that state
the laws governing the FTA can be obtained by calling the Buffalo
District office at 716-846-4739.  US Consulates in Canada also have an
information card on this.

You can only get the visa when you are ready to start your trip.  In
other words, you cannot get the visa one day and travel to your
destination another day.

The TC visa can be renewed an unlimited number of times.  If after a
year you still want to work in the US, exit the country to Canada and
re-enter as before.  Alternatively, with about three months left in
your TC, get a local INS department to renew it at a cost of about
US$35.

The final choice is to apply for permanent residence under the third
preference category of desirable professionals.  Your employer must
sign an affidavit of support, and you do not have to leave the US to
apply.  Applicants for permanent residence are placed on a waiting list
for occupational green cards, but the TC visa must be kept current.  An
application would take about one year to complete.  The US State
Department can be contacted for general visa information at
202-663-1225.  The number of its BBS is 202-647-9225.

If you lose your job, you cannot do anything else until you get a
modification of the TC-1 after receiving a new job offer in the same
field.

Few people in either the US or Canada know of the existence of the TC;
you may have some trouble convincing them that you are legally entitled
to work by virtue of your citizenship and your profession.  Security
clearances can also be a factor.  Since the Reagan Administration,
non-US citizens are not able to get jobs classified Top Secret or above
-- not even Permanent Residents.

If you do not fall under the provisions of the FTA, that is, cannot
get a TC-1, you can try and get an H-1.  H-1 visas are non-renewable(?)
and last for up to five years.  This is much harder and more time
consuming, and involves a lot more than just showing up at the border
with documentation.


        7.3.2 What do I need to do (as an American) to be able to
              work in Canada?

The US-Canada Free Trade Agreement also provides a streamlined way for
skilled Americans to work in Canada on a temporary basis.  However, if
you are looking to move to Canada permanently, this will probably not
help you unless you can find an employer that wants you badly enough to
try and get special immigration clearance for you (see the question
"How can I immigrate to Canada as a non-family-class immigrant?") and
will hire you via the Free Trade setup until the special clearance
comes through.

Here is what is needed to get a work permit:

    a. Proof of US citizenship (birth certificate and passport);
    b. A written job offer from a Canadian employer;
    c. Professional credentials for the appropriate job category:
       a university degree and, if required, proof of experience; and
    d. C$100 cash.

Salary will be subject to Canadian taxes.  US citizens must file US
income tax returns no matter where in the world they live, even if they
have no US income.  All world income of a US citizen is subject to US
income tax.  You get to deduct foreign tax paid on foreign income as a
tax credit, and since most countries have a higher tax rate than the
US, it is mostly a matter of filing.

A permit can be made on the spot in about 15 minutes when you arrive at
the border.  Permits are good for a year at a time and can be renewed
indefinitely; just cross into the US with your renewed job offer and
all your paperwork, and do it again.  Ask the immigration official to
issue the permit on the spot since the fast mail-in method takes over a
month.  Possession of an FTA work authorization entitles you to
provincial medical insurance and allows you to bring your school-age
children into Canada with a student visa.

-----

     7.4 How do I become a Canadian citizen?

It is possible to obtain landed immigrant status in Canada (see the
question "How can I immigrate to Canada as a non-family-class
immigrant?").  Anyone who wants to become a Canadian citizen must first
become a landed immigrant and wait three years before applying for
citizenship.  It is also possible for someone to be a landed immigrant
and never apply for Canadian citizenship at all.

The main things a landed immigrant cannot do are vote, serve on a jury,
and run for elective office.  Also, without citizenship, there is the
risk of being deported or refused reentry to Canada if you commit a
serious crime, if you get horribly ill while outside the country, or if
you leave Canada for an extended period of time (generally more than
six months in any 12-month period).  <Rich Wales>

-----

     7.5  Once I'm a landed immigrant, can I travel in and out of Canada
          whenever I want?

If you are currently a landed immigrant of Canada but a citizen of
another country and need to leave for more than six months, you can
apply for a Returning Resident Permit.  It costs about C$75, and can be
obtained at any Canadian Immigration Office or Consulate.  It is good
for one year, but can be extended for up to two years.  If it is to
expire before your planned return, you can reapply, but you have to
re-pay the fee.  This allows you to hold your landed immigrant status
"in limbo" while you are away.  You have to exhibit a distinct interest
in returning back to Canada in order to be eligible.  <Joel DeYoung>

To get a Returning Resident Permit, you will be required to provide
proof that the departure is temporary and that you will not be abandoning
Canada as your place of permanent residence.  A copy of your passport,
3 passport size photos, a copy of your record of landing, and letters of
a lawyer, school, doctor, or others justifying your absence from Canada
will be required.

-----

     7.6 Can I be a dual Canadian-American citizen?

Canada's citizenship laws freely permit dual citizenship with any other
country or countries in the world.  Hence, it is not necessary to give
up one's previous citizenship in order to become a Canadian unless the
other country requires this.  In particular, it is not necessary for an
American to give up American citizenship in order to become a Canadian
citizen.

US law used to mandate loss of citizenship for anyone who became a
citizen of another country, with few if any exceptions.  However,
several things have happened since that time:  two decisions of the
Supreme Court in 1967 and 1980; changes to the Immigration and
Nationality Act by Congress in 1986; and changes by the State
Department to their administrative procedures for handling dual
citizenship cases in 1990.

The current situation is almost the opposite of what it used to be.
The State Department will now assume that a US citizen who acquires or
asserts citizenship in another country intended to keep his or her US
citizenship as well.  In order to lose one's US status in such a
situation, one must now either explicitly petition for revocation of
citizenship, or else do one of a very limited number of things which
are generally considered to be wholly incompatible with a wish to
retain US ties.

A "Dual Citizenship FAQ" has been prepared for people interested in the
current state and some of the history of US law as it relates to dual
citizenship and loss of US citizenship.  To get the "Dual Citizenship
FAQ", send mail to [e-mail].  For example:

  From: [e-mail]
  To: [e-mail]
  Subject: send dualcit

Please be sure to spell the phrase "send dualcit" precisely as shown,
and put it in the "Subject:" line of your message's header.  Otherwise,
the automatic handler for my incoming mail will not recognize your
request.

I am not a lawyer, and my "Dual Citizenship FAQ" should not be taken as
official legal advice.  If you are in a dual citizenship situation or
are contemplating such a move, you may wish to discuss things with a
lawyer who is knowledgeable about the latest developments in this
aspect of US law, as well as the laws of the other country you are
involved with.  <Rich Wales>

-----

     7.7  How will my credit rating in my country affect me in Canada?

CIBC (where we have a chequing account) initially refused to give me
    a VISA because I had only been in Canada for a few weeks and I had
    no Canadian credit history.  They refused to consider my US credit
    history, period.  I offered copies of my US credit reports for them
    to examine, but they were not interested because they said they
    could not verify their authenticity.  I finally got a CIBC VISA
    with a C$500 credit limit through the personal intervention of my
    branch's manager.

Scotiabank told me not even to bother applying for a VISA until I had
    been at my current job for at least three months.

T-D initially refused to give me a VISA because I had not been at my
    current job for at least two years.  After a long talk with one of
    their credit people, they agreed to reconsider my history with VISA
    cards in the US, and I eventually got a T-D VISA with a reasonable
    limit.

Citibank Canada welcomed my VISA application with open arms because I
    already had a Citibank card from the US.  They gave me a VISA with
    a high limit (but also a high interest rate) with no hassle.

My impression is that Canadian lenders do have ways of accessing US
credit info, but they have to go through some kind of broker and this
costs them money.  This may explain why, for example, Zellers and Sears
readily grabbed my US credit history, but CIBC insisted they could not
do this.

It may also help to get one or more VISA cards in the US (as opposed to
MasterCard) before moving to Canada, since most of the major Canadian
banks offer VISA, and at least the T-D seems to have a way of accessing
VISA info even if getting my entire credit history from the US was too
much of a hassle.  A US Citibank VISA might be a particularly good
inroad to the Canadian credit market, since Citibank Canada has a
special program in place for holders of Citibank cards from the US.

If you get turned down, call the bank back and discuss the matter with
their credit department.  If the first person you get on the phone
mumbles some boilerplate stuff about a "computerized profile", politely
insist that you wish to know exactly why you were turned down.  You may
need to ask for a supervisor, since the first person may be a "droid"
with no access to detailed information and no authority to do anything
for you anyway.  <Rich Wales>

-----

     7.8 Immigrating to Canada

        7.8.1 How can I immigrate to Canada as an independent class
              immigrant?

You can look for work in Canada with the understanding that (1) you
cannot legally work in Canada until/unless you are accepted for
immigration or get a temporary work permit, and (2) employers are
unlikely to give you any serious consideration until after you have
been accepted for immigration or get a work permit.  There is a
procedure whereby an employer can petition the Canadian government for
clearance to hire a foreigner (actually, they ask the government to
give the person in question extra preference for immigration selection)
-- but in order to accomplish this, the government has to be convinced
that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available to fill the
job and is even minimally able to meet the qualifications for the job.
That is, even if you are the best candidate, the company still has to
hire someone already in the country if such a person can be found who
can do the job "well enough" and is willing to take it.  Foreigners
cannot live with friends in Canada until and unless they get permission
from the Canadian government.

For people who want to move to parts of Canada other than Quebec, the
federal government's selection criteria give equal preference to
facility in English or French, with extra points if you speak both.
The immigration officials have a fair amount of discretionary authority
in evaluating applications, and if, for example, you speak only French
but propose to move to Toronto (where most people speak only English),
you might lose points based on your likely inability to succeed in
finding work and integrating yourself into the community.  But the idea
in such a situation is not to discriminate against French speakers as
such in non-French-speaking parts of Canada, but simply to recognize
that such an applicant is going to have a harder time immigrating to a
place where he/she does not know the dominant language of the region.

Prospective immigrants to Canada who wish to go to Quebec are handled
by Quebec's own immigration office.  General eligibility issues such as
security (criminal record checks) and health are still handled by the
Canadian federal government, but the selection criteria (education,
work experience, etc.) are handled by Quebec.  Quebec's immigrant
selection criteria, from what I understand, give heavy preference to
people who speak French and have some familiarity with Quebec through
having spent time there on vacations or whatever.  An applicant for
Quebec can get a few points for speaking English, but not nearly so
many as if he or she speaks French.

As for promoting the immigration of "highly qualified" people, the
Canadian system does base the selection of immigrants primarily on the
basis of job skills rather than national or regional quotas or other
such methods.  The Canadian government uses a frequently updated list
of high-demand occupational categories with varying "points" given to
people qualified to do various kinds of work.  If your occupation is
not in the occupational demand list, this is an automatic bar to
immigration unless you get an "approved" job offer.  You can get an
"approved" job offer if an employer wants to hire you and can convince
the government that no available Canadian citizen or landed immigrant
is even minimally qualified to do the job in question and is willing to
take the job.  You will get ten points for a job offer, and your
immigration application will be considered even without points for
occupational demand.  For example, university professors are not on the
occupational demand list, but Canadian universities still manage to
import foreign faculty members via the approved job offer mechanism.
In practice, it is very difficult to meet the criteria for an approved
job offer, and the submission process is a major bureaucratic hassle
for the employer.  Hence, you are unlikely to get such an offer unless
someone wants you very badly.  Quebec's separate immigrant selection
system works similarly, but they use their own occupational demand list
which is keyed specifically for the job market in Quebec.

People who want to move to Canada need to file a lengthy application in
triplicate with a sizable stack of supporting documents.  The whole
process is likely to cost at least US$400, which is non-refundable even
if you are turned down, and to take a year or more.  If you want to pursue
the possibility of immigrating to Canada, contact the nearest Canadian
consulate and tell them you are interested in applying for immigration.
They will send you free of charge a short questionnaire that you should
fill out and mail back.  If the people at the consulate decide you are
a reasonable prospect, they will send you the "real" forms, which will
cost plenty of money to file.  In preparation for all of this, start
now to gather things like:

==> birth and marriage certificates;
==> school diplomas and transcripts;
==> lists of everywhere you have ever lived, every job you have ever had,
    and every organization you have ever belonged to since you turned
    18, including such things as school student body organizations
    where membership was automatic by virtue of attending the school in
    question;
==> your complete medical history, including any nontrivial illness or
    accident you have ever had and every time you have ever been a
    patient in a hospital; and
==> financial records to document your assets, debts, income, etc.

You will need all the above, either together with your application or
to show to the immigration officer when or if they call you in for an
interview.  <Rich Wales>

Employment and Immigration Canada uses a selection system to recruit
various types of independent applicants

1. Self-employed
 A person who will set up or buy a business that will help
 Canadian economy, culture or arts.

2. Entrepreneur
 A person who will set up, buy or invest in a business in which
 he/she will be involved at the management level.

3. Investors
 A person worth at least $500,000 with management experience.
 The applicant has to present an investment proposal that will
 help create jobs in Canada.

4. Assisted relatives
 A person whom is the parent, grandparent, niece, nephew,
 brother, sister, son, daughter, uncle, aunt, grandson, or
 granddaughter of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident will
 automatically get 5 supplemental points.


All independent applicants must apply at a visa office outside Canada
(Embassy, Consulate, High Commission)

The point system is based the following factors:

  Maximum
  Points           Factor

   12              Education
    8              Experience
   18              Specific vocational preparation
   10              Occupation
   10              Arranged employment or designated occ.
    8              Demographic factor
   10              Age (10 points if 21-44; 2 points deducted for each
                   year under 21 or over 44)
   15              Knowledge of English and/or French
   10              Personal suitability (e.g. do you plan on living in Toronto
     if you speak only French?)
    5              Bonus for assisted relatives
   30              Bonus for self-employed immigrants

Minimum selection units required per category

Entrepreneur           25
Investor               25
self-employed          70 (includes 30 bonus points)
skilled worker         70
assisted relative      70 (includes 5 bonus points for assisted relatives)

Applicants must also meet medical and security requirements.
Processing fees are $450 or more.


        7.8.2  According to the point system, what occupations are
               most needed in Canada?

Systems Analysts, computer programmers and related occupations

Audiologists, speech pathologists, clinical occupational therapy
specialists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, remedial
gymnast [?]

Radiotherapy technician, prosthetist-orthotist, respiratory
technologist, electroencephalographic tech.

Chef-cook general, head chef, banquet chef, cook-small establishment,
chef, patissier, chef, saucier, chef, rotisseur, cook-domestic,
chef-garde-manger, chef, entremetier, cateretr, cook-institution,
working sous-chef, cook - kosher foods, cook - foreign foods, cook-first,
cook - theraputic diet, cook-camp

Bench moulder

A whole list that I am too lazy to type out (42 items) under the
category of industrial, farm, and construction machinery mechanics
and repairers.

The following designated occupations are in special demand in
certain provinces:

Newfoundland: Occupational therapist, physiotherapist
PEI: (None)
New Brunswick: (Consultations not complete)
Quebec: (Exclusive provincial selection of independent immigrants)
Ontario: Design and development engineer, electrical and electronic,
  occupational therapist, physiotherapist
Manitoba: (None)
Saskatchewan: Occupational therapist; physiotherapist
Alberta: Speech pathologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist,
  dental hygienist
Brit. Columbia: Speech pathologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist,
      dental hygienist, farmer, nursery
NWT: No designations
Yukon: No designations

Notes: 10 assessment points for the occupation factor, 10 points
for designated occupation under the arranged employment factor,
processing priority for designated occupations as defined in
the Regulations.  <Alice Ramirez>


        7.8.3 May I immigrate to Canada as a sponsored immigrant?

I have also been told that if you show up at the Canada-US border
married, the immigration officer can at his or her discretion issue you
a visa on the spot.  <Maurice Charland>

Any Canadian citizen or permanent resident over 19 years old can sponsor
members of his/her family.  The categories of relatives that can be
sponsored are the following:

 Spouse* or Fiance(e)**
 Dependent children***
 Parents and grandparents
 Brothers, sisters, nephews & nieces under 19 years old and unmarried
 A child under 19 that will be adopted

 *If newlyweds, the authorities will want to ensure that it isn't
  a marriage of convenience.
 **As above, and the wedding must be scheduled.
 ***A child is dependent if:
   1. Under 19 and unmarried; or
   2. Full-time student 19 or over and financially dependent; or
   3. Disabled and financially dependent.

Any family member who enters Canada via sponsorship will be dependent on
the sponsor for financial security, and will not be eligible for welfare
payments for [7?] years.

The processing fee is $450 (not refundable).  Once the sponsorship is
approved, a letter will be sent indicating the processing time.

Also read the previous question (7.8.1) for information on assisted
relatives.

-----

     7.9 How do I import an automobile into Canada from the US?

Cars built for the US market through and including the 1984 model year
can be imported into Canada with no problems, as long as they were
originally built to US specifications and have the standard notice,
which is usually a metal plate riveted into the driver's side door jamb.

However, many cars built for the US market starting with the 1985 model
year do not meet Canadian safety requirements and are not eligible for
importation to Canada.  Contact Transport Canada in Ottawa at
613-998-2174 and ask specifically regarding the make, model, and year
of your car.  The list from Transport Canada is consulted by Canadian
customs people in deciding whether to allow you to bring your car in.

As of fall 1992, certain fairly minor issues can be taken care of by
the vehicle owner after importation.  The Canada Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) requires a car being imported from the US to include
km/h markings on the speedometer -- but most cars already have such
markings, and if not, you are permitted to buy a set of stickers and
put them on the plastic cover of the instrument panel.  The CMVSS does
not require an odometer reading in miles to be replaced with one
reading in kilometres.  Daytime running lights (DRL's) are required for
importation of a car of the 1990 model year or later -- but this
requirement can be satisfied by adding a DRL kit (from Canadian Tire or
similar stores, or from the car dealer in Canada if available) after
bringing the car into Canada.  Also, if a car has air bags, the CMVSS
requires the maintenance label to be bilingual (English/French).  But
again, this can be done by having a dealer in Canada stick on a new
label.  The importer is required to sign something at Customs promising
to follow through on the issue(s) involved.

However, the more major problems cannot be fixed to the satisfaction of
Transport Canada.  The three crucial issues that determine whether a
car is on the importable list or not are:  bumper strength (8 km/h or
5 mph collision test in Canada); seat belt anchorage strength (many
US-spec cars do not meet the Canadian requirements); and child seat
tether anchorage strength (Canada requires tether straps on all
front-facing "toddler" seats, and newer cars must have a place to
attach the tether strap to).  If a car does not meet all these
requirements, you are out of luck.  In particular, Canada does not
presently allow "grey-market conversion" of a non-complying car to meet
the CMVSS.

Contact US Customs at the place where you plan to cross the border into
Canada, at least three days prior to the intended emigration date, and
give or mail them a notarized copy of the title certificate for your
car.  Then, before crossing the border, stop at the US Customs office
and let them check the VIN of your car.  The intent of this rule is
apparently to curb the smuggling of stolen cars out of the US, by
allowing Customs to run a records check on the VIN number of your car.

However, this export rule seems to be little known, even by moving
companies.  When I moved to Canada in December 1992, I asked the movers
about what I should do to help them meet the requirements of this
export rule.  It turned out that even people at the highest levels of
the moving company in question had no idea what I was talking about.
Inquiries to other companies revealed a similar ignorance regarding the
situation.

In the end, I managed to send a notarized copy of the title to the
right customs office (the moving company could not tell me where the
van would cross the border until the day after our pickup!) -- but the
truck driver neglected to stop at US Customs before entering Canada,
and when asked about this later on, he tried to tell me this was not
necessary.  Fortunately, the Canadian customs people did not seem to
care or even ask.  I eventually managed to get a letter from US Customs
absolving me of any liability in this situation, and I definitely plan
to carry a copy of said letter with me the next time I cross the
border.  <Rich Wales>

You need to get forms from customs and pay C$100 to bring your car in.
<Brian Fisher>

-----

      7.10  Does a Canadian citizen need a visa to visit country X?

Contact a consulate or embassy of country X.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TAXATION

     8.1 What kind of income taxes does one have to pay in Canada?

The 1993 marginal income tax rates on salary are:

British Columbia                Ontario                        Quebec

$ 6.8 - 29.6K   25.0        $ 6.8 - 29.6K    25.9%     $ 6.8 -  7.7K    13.9%
 29.6 - 33.4    39.0         29.6 - 33.4     40.4        7.7 - 14.0     31.8
 33.4 - 38.7    39.6         33.4 - 38.7     41.0       14.0 - 23.0     33.8
 38.7 - 54.5    40.4         38.7 - 52.2     41.9       23.0 - 29.6     35.8
 54.5 - 59.2    43.2         52.2 - 59.2     44.4       29.6 - 32.5     43.6
 59.2 - 63.3    48.1         59.2 - 63.3     49.6       32.5 - 33.4     44.7
 63.3 - 79.3    49.6         63.3 - 67.8     51.0       33.4 - 38.7     45.6
 79.3 and up    51.1         67.8 and up     52.4       38.7 - 50.0     46.6
                                                        50.0 - 54.2     47.7
                                                        54.2 - 59.2     48.9
                                                        59.2 - 63.3     51.5
                                                        63.3 and up     52.9

Deductions or credits on income tax are available for contributions
to pension plans and registered retirement savings plans, individuals
supporting family members, tuition fees, investment expenses, etc.

Marginal income tax rates for other provinces and other details can be
found in the July 24, 1993, edition of The Financial Post.

-----

      8.2 How can I contact Revenue Canada?  The Canadian Tax Foundation?

Revenue Canada                           Canadian Tax Foundation
Ottawa District Office                   Suite 1800
360 Lisgar Street                        1 Queen Street East
Ottawa, ON                               Toronto, ON
K1A 1A2                                  M5C 2Y2

-----

     8.3 How can tourists get reimbursed for taxes paid while in Canada?

See the same question under Information for Travellers.

-----

     8.4 Do I have to pay Canadian taxes if I work or live abroad?

[ needs to be generalized ]

One thing Canadians working temporarily in the US should look at is
whether they can get out of paying into the Federal Insurance
Contributions Act.  The US/Canada tax treaty has wording that allows
nationals of one country working temporarily in the other to continue
paying into their home country's social security system and avoid
paying in the country where they temporarily reside and work.  The
advantage of paying less than C$1000 for Canada Pension Plan instead of
US$4000 (plus another US$4000 from an employer in matching funds)
should not be underestimated.  Ten years of payment into the CPP
clinches a minimal pension.

You must work out of Canada for two years to be tax free; otherwise you
owe Ottawa and your province the difference between what you paid in US
taxes and what you owe in Canadian taxes.  This may apply to Canadians
working with a TC-1, too.  <Norbert Schlenker, Gary Dare>

-----

     8.5 What are the customs clearing fees of some couriers?

United Parcel Service (UPS) charges:

 Brokerage        $5.25        for goods valued less than $40
   $14.20        for goods valued between $40 and $100
 Surcharge      min. $3        for collecting the GST
 COD charge         $40        unless you give them a VISA number

Plus the GST (Goods and Services Tax) or duty.

All this for one- to two-week delivery.

For a US$35 manual they charged me $24.91 of fees.  I am appealing it
to their refunds department because I was told when they phoned that it
would be "about $5 plus GST".  And I was not told that there would be a
COD charge that could be avoided by giving them a VISA number.

If you are dealing with a large shipper in the US they may have very
low Federal Express rates, usually in the $12 to $15 range.
<Stuart Lynne>


The July 1993 issue of Toronto Computes! (a monthly tabloid) has a very
useful article and table comparing the costs of various couriers.

In brief, DHL and FedEx do not charge customs clearing fees, Purolator
charges only for non-express goods over $20 in value, and UPS and
Canada Post always charge at least $5.

DHL, FedEx, and Purolator will even let you clear your own goods, if you
feel for whatever reason that their staff may make an error in processing
your shipment.  Canada Post and UPS will not.

DHL, FedEx, and Purolator allow the sender to prepay duty and taxes.
Canada Post and UPS do not.

On the other hand, UPS is the only company that will appeal an incorrect
calculation to Canada Customs for you "for free", except that since
they will not give you back the original fee, which can be more
than the appeal fee for other couriers, this advantage is dubious.
Canada Post will not submit appeals on your behalf.  <John J. Chew III>

I send stuff to the US via Priority Post.  I pay a premium to do this
but have never had a problem with them.  They tell me it will be in
Texas tomorrow afternoon and it is.

Priority Post charges $25.00 per envelope and $50.00 per 10 pounds of
stuff on average.  Like I said, a premium for premium service.
<Dennis Breckenridge>

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS

     9.1 Where can I get information on Canadian industry and trade?

Industry, Science and Technology Canada (ISTC) and External Affairs and
International Trade Canada (EAITC) provide services, information products,
and programs in industry and trade matters.

ISTC                                    EAITC
C.D. Howe Building                      InfoExport
1st Floor, East Tower                   Lester B. Pearson Building
235 Queen Street                        125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario                         Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H5                                 K1A 0G2
Tel. [phone] [952-ISTC]            Tel. [phone]
Fax  [phone]                            800-267-8376
                                        Fax  [phone]

Also see the question "How can I access documents by the Department of
Industry and Science, Government of Canada?" under Electronic Sources
of Information.

-----

     9.2 How can I start a business in Canada?

Contact your nearest Canadian Embassy or Consulate, or:

 Investment Canada
 P.O. Box 2800, Station "D"
 Ottawa, Ontario
 K1P 6A5
 Tel. [phone]
 Fax  [phone]

-----

     9.3 How can I contact economic development offices?

Addresses of city economic development offices can be found in the
August 1993 issue of Canadian Business.

-----

     9.4 What are sources of venture capital?

Federal Business Development Bank
800 Victoria Square
Tour de la Place Victoria
Montreal, Quebec
H4Z 1L4
Tel. [phone]
Fax  [phone]

FBDB is a federal Crown corporation.

The 1991 publication "Venture Capital in Canada: A Guide and Sources"
is available from:

 Association of Canadian Venture Capital Companies
 Suite 1000, 120 Eglinton Avenue East
 Toronto, Ontario
 M4P 1E2
 Tel. [phone]
 Fax  [phone]

------

     9.5  What is Canada's foreign trade position?

Exports:
 US$133.5 billion (1990)
  partners:
    US (68%), Japan, UK, Germany, South Korea, Netherlands, China

  commodities:
    newsprint, wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, machinery, natural
    gas, aluminum, motor vehicles and parts, telecommunications equipment

Imports:
 US$124.7 billion
  partners:
    US (65%), Japan, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Taiwan, South Korea
  commodities:
    crude petroleum, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts, durable
    consumer goods, electronic computers, telecommunications equipment
    and parts

Balance of trade is traditionally positive (US$ 9,823,000,000 in 1990),
but the balance of payments is always near or below zero.  That is due to
the exchange of services, especially tourism.  Many Canadians take their
vacations in the USA.

Canada has an agreement on car production with the USA that allows it to
be one of the biggest exporting countries for cars, trucks, and parts
(most are exported to the USA).  Now there is the Free Trade Agreement
(FTA) with the USA.  This started in 1989 and its implementation is still
in progress.  Canada and US still have some disagreements because of
Canada's government intervention (i.e. subsidies) in the Canadian economy.

The USA and Canada are negotiating the expansion of the FTA into a North
American FTA (NAFTA) that would include Mexico.  The initiative in this
was from the USA, Mexico is willing, and the Canadian government feels
like it should participate.

-----

    9.6  What are the characteristics of the Canadian economy?

From the CIA World Fact Book, 1992:

 "As an affluent, high-tech industrial society, Canada today
 closely resembles the US in per capita output, market-oriented
 economic system, and pattern of production.  Since World War II
 the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service
 sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy
 into one primarily industrial and urban.  In the 1980s, Canada
 registered one of the highest rates of real growth among the
 OECD nations, averaging about 3.2%.  With its great natural
 resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant,
 Canada has excellent economic prospects.  However, the
 continuing constitutional impasse between English- and
 French-speaking areas has observers discussing a possible split
 in the confederation; foreign investors are becoming edgy."

The national debt has become a major problem.  It is now over $450
billion, and is increased every year by the snowball effect of the
interest on the debt.  Deficits are usually over $30 billion.  Over
30% of all government expditure goes to paying the interest on the
principal, and that proportion is going up.

The labour force is divided: services 72.3%, manufacturing 20%,
agriculture 4.5%, construction 3%, other 1.1% (1992)

30.6% of the labour force is unionized (39.6% of nonagricultural paid
workers)

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in 1991, was $709 billion (US$588.5
Billion), with real annual growth of -1.5%, and the GDP per capita was
$26,850 (US$22,293).  Agriculture accounts for 3% of the GDP.

Unemployment is 12% (August 1993).


-----------------------------------------------------------------
MEDIA

     10.1 What Canadian television shows can I see from abroad?

Stewart Clamen ([e-mail]) maintains a database of Canadian
television exports, the most recent of which can be retrieved via
anonymous ftp from byron.sp.cs.cmu.edu:canada/tv-exports.Z

-----

     10.2 What are some 50,000-watt AM radio stations originating from
          Canada?

Here is the list of CBC (English) / SRC (French) AM radio stations that
are powerful enough to reach many parts of the US up to a distance of
about 750 miles / 1200 km from the border.  The 50,000-watt class A
clear-channel stations can easily be received up to 750 miles / 1200 km
away from the transmitter with a good AM radio such as the GE Superadio
III (approx. US $45-50 from K-Mart and other discount or electronics
stores).  The class A stations are authorized to reflect its signals
off the ionosphere (skywave) to cover large areas.  CBC/SRC also has
some powerful class B stations with highly directional transmission
patterns that are much more difficult, but not impossible, to receive
in the US.  I have included both CBC/SRC AM stations in Windsor, ON, in
the list because these two stations are located just across the river
from Detroit.

   AM Freq (kHz)  Call  City and Province     class    watts
   -------------  ----  -----------------     -----    -----
CBC       540     CBK   Regina, SK            A        50000
          640     CBN   St. John's, NF        A        10000
          690     CBU   Vancouver, BC         B        50000
          740     CBL   Toronto, ON           A        50000
          740     CBX   Edmonton, AB          B        50000
          940     CBM   Montreal, PQ          A        50000
          990     CBW   Winnipeg, MB          A        46000
         1010     CBR   Calgary, AB           A        50000
         1070     CBA   Moncton, NB           A        50000
         1550     CBE   Windsor, ON           A        10000

SRC       540     CBEF  Windsor, ON           B         5000
          690     CBF   Montreal, PQ          A        50000
          860     CJBC  Toronto, ON           A        50000
          980     CBV   Quebec, PQ            B        50000
         1580     CBJ   Chicoutimi, PQ        A        50000

I did not include any FM stations since the most powerful FM stations
only have ranges of about 125 miles / 200 km.  FM reception require
direct line-of-sight to the transmitter.  As a result, Canadian FM
stations are available only within 125 miles / 200 km from the border
unless one has a satellite dish.  <Oliver Tse>

900 AM in Hamilton is another 50,000-watt channel.

-----

     10.3 How can I subscribe to some Canadian newspapers?

Calgary Herald                           The Edmonton Journal
The Southam Newspaper Group              The Southam Newspaper Group
215 16 Street S.E.                       The Journal Building
P.O. Box 2400                            Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 2S6
Station M                                Tel. [phone]
Calgary, Alberta  T2P 0W8
Tel. [phone]

The Gazette                              The Globe and Mail
The Southam Newspaper Group              444 Front Street West
250 St. Antoine West                     Toronto, Ontario  M5V 2S9
Montreal, Quebec  H2Y 3R7                Tel. [phone]
Tel. [phone], Ext. 2400

The Ottawa Citizen                       The Toronto Star
The Southam Newspaper Group              1 Yonge Street
1101 Baxter Road                         Toronto, Ontario  M5E 1E6
Box 5020                                 Tel. [phone]
Ottawa, Ontario  K2C 3M4
Tel. [phone]

LA PRESSE est publi'ee par LA PRESSE, LT'EE, 7, rue Saint-Jacques,
Montr'eal H2Y 1K9.  Seule la Presse Canadienne est autoris'ee `a diffuser
les informations de LA PRESSE et celles des services de la Presse
Associ'ee et de Reuter.  Tous droits de reproduction des informations
particuli`eres `a LA PRESSE sont 'egalement r'eserv'es.
RENSEIGNEMENTS  [phone]
REDACTION       [phone]

La Presse                        La Presse is published in French
7 St. Jacques Street
Montreal, Quebec  H2Y 1K9
Tel. [phone]

The Vancouver Sun                        Winnipeg Free Press
Pacific Press Ltd.                       Thomson Newspapers Company Limited
2250 Granville Street                    1355 Mountain Avenue
Vancouver, British Columbia  V6H 3G2     Winnipeg, Manitoba  R2X 3B6
Tel. [phone]                        Tel. [phone]

-----

     10.4 How can I subscribe to some Canadian magazines?

Current Affairs (Weekly):

        Maclean's                       Tel: [phone]  or 1-800-268-6811
        Box 4003, Station A             Fax  [phone]
        Toronto, Ontario
        M5W 2B8

        ISSN 0024-9262

        Subscription (September 1993)
        Canadian funds:

                Canada: $39.95 /year, $69.95 /2 years
                USA (surface): $55.00
                USA (first class): $125.00
                Other countries (air mail): $160.00

Business (monthly):

        Canadian Business               Tel: [phone]
        PO BOX 30000 Station B          Fax  [phone]
        Markham, Ontario
        M7Y 7A2

        ISSN 0008-3100

        Subscription (September 1993)
        Canadian funds:

                Canada: $24 /year, $60 /3 years
                Others: $40 /year, $100 /3 years
                Back copies: $3 plus postage
   (Last Corporate Top 500 was June 1993)

-----

     10.5  Comment puis-je m'abonner a certaines revues canadiennes?

Actualite' (20 nume'ro/anne'e):

        L'Actualite'                   Tel: [phone]
        1001 boul. Maisonneuve Ouest
        Montreal, Quebec
        H3A 3E1

        ISSN 03830-8714

        Abonnement (Octobre 1993)

                Canada: 25$ /anne'e + Taxes
                E'tats-Unis: 40$ /anne'e
                Autres: 54$ /anne'e

Vulgarisation scientifique (10 nume'ro/anne'e):

        Que'bec Science                Tel: [phone]
        C.P. 250
        Sillery, Que'bec
        G1T 2R1

        En France:
        Dawson France, B.P. 57, 91871, Palaiseau, Cedex, France

        Abonnement:   Canada      E'tranger
        (septembre 1993)

        1 an           34.67$       43$
        2 ans          59.86$       75$
        3 ans          83.20$      105$

-----

     10.6 How can I listen to Canadian radio while abroad?
          What is the Radio Canada International schedule?

Radio Canada International
P.O. Box / Case postale 6000
Montreal, Quebec   H3C 3A8

RCI Program Schedule * September 26, 1993 - March 26, 1994
English programming
________________________________________________________________________


SERVICE         DAY             UTC             FREQUENCIES
-------         ---             ---             -----------
E U R O P E A N   S E R V I C E

RCI             MO-FR           0600-0630       6050U 6150 7155U 9760
RCI             7D              1430-1500       9555U 11915S 11935U #15315
                                                15325S
RCI             7D              2130-2230       5995U 7260U 11945 13650
                                                15325
CBC             MO-FR           2300-2330       5995U 7250U
RCI             SA-SU           2300-0000       5995U 7250U
CBC             MO-FR           2330-0100       5995U 7250U
CBC             SU-MO           0000-0100       5995U 7250U


A F R I C A N   S E R V I C E

RCI             MO-FR           0600-0630       6050U 6150 7155U 9740U
                                                9760 11905U
RCI             7D              1430-1500       9555U 11935U 15325S
                                                #17820
RCI             7D              2130-2230       5995U 7260U 11945 13650
                                                13670 15140 15325 17820
CBC             MO-FR           2300-2330       5995U 7250U
RCI             SA-SU           2300-0000       5995U 7250U
CBC             MO-FR           2330-0100       5995U 7250U
CBC             SU-MO           0000-0100       5995U 7250U


M I D D L E   E A S T   S E R V I C E

RCI             7D              0400-0430       6150S 9505M 9670U
RCI             MO-FR           0600-0630       6050U 11905U
RCI             7D              1430-1500       9555U 11935U 15325S
RCI             7D              2130-2230       5995U


U N I T E D   S T A T E S   S E R V I C E

RCI             7D              0200-0300       6120 9755 11845
CBC             7D              0300-0400       6010 9755
CBC             MO-FR           1300-1400       11855 17820
CBC             SU              1400-1700       11955 17820
CBC             MO-FR           2300-2330       5960 9755 11845
RCI             SA-SU           2300-0000       5960 9755 11845
CBC             MO-FR           2330-0100       5960 9775
CBC             SU-MO           0000-0100       5960 9755


A S I A N   S E R V I C E

RCI             7D              1230-1300       6150Y 11730Y
RCI             7D              1330-1357       6150X 9535X
RCI             7D              1630-1657       7150X 9550X
CBC             MO-FR           2200-2230       11705Y
RCI             SA-SU           2200-2230       11705Y


L A T I N   A M E R I C A N   S E R V I C E

RCI             7D              0200-0300       9535 11845 11940
CBC             7D              0300-0400       6010 9725
CBC             MO-FR           2300-2300       9535 11845 11940
RCI             SA-SU           2300-0000       9535 11845 11940


C A R I B B E A N   S E R V I C E

RCI             7D              0200-0300       9535 11845 11940
CBC             7D              0300-0400       6010 9725
CBC             MO-FR           1300-1400       17820
CBC             SU              1400-1700       17280
CBC             MO-FR           2300-2330       9535 11845 11940
RCI             SA-SU           2300-0000       9535 11845 11940
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This schedule is subject to change without notice.  All times and days in
UTC (Coordinated Universal Time).

Service Column: RCI - broadcast containing Radio Canada International program
                CBC - broadcast containing Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
                      programs (of particular interest to Canadians abroad)

Frequencies Column:     M - Relay from Moosbrunn (Austria)
                        S - Relay from Sines (Portugal)
                        U - Relay from Skelton (England)
                        X - Relay from Xian (China)
                        Y - Relay from Yamata (Japan)
                        # - Monday through Saturday service
                        $ - First half hour only
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
P R O G R A M   D E T A I L S
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Radio Canada International Programs

UTC             DAY             PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
---             ---             --------------------

0200-0300       TU-SA           SPECTRUM *[1]
0200-0300       SU              INNOVATION CANADA *[5], EARTH WATCH [5]
                MO              ARTS IN CANADA *[4], THE MAILBAG
0400-0430       TU-SA           SPECTRUM *[1]
0400-0430       SU              INNOVATION CANADA *[5]
                MO              THE MAILBAG *
0600-0630       MO-FR           REPORT TO PEACEKEEPERS *[6]
1230-1300       MO-FR           SPECTRUM *[1]
1230-1300       SA              INNOVATION CANADA *[5]
                SU              THE MAILBAG *
1330-1400       MO-FR           SPECTRUM *[1]
1330-1400       SA              INNOVATION CANADA *[5]
                SU              ARTS IN CANADA *[4]
1430-1500       MO-FR           SPECTRUM *[1]
1430-1500       SA              INNOVATION CANADA *[5]
                SU              ARTS IN CANADA *[4]
1630-1700       MO-FR           SPECTRUM *[1]
1630-1700       SA              INNOVATION CANADA *[5]
                                THE MAILBAG *
2130-2230       MO-FR           SPECTRUM *[1]
2130-2200       SA              INNOVATION CANADA *[5]
                SU              ARTS IN CANADA *[4]
2200-2230       SA              EARTH WATCH **[5]
                SU              THE MAILBAG
2300-2300       SA              INNOVATION CANADA **[5]
                SU              ARTS IN CANADA **[4]
2330-0000       SA              EARTH WATCH **[5]
                SU              THE MAILBAG


Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Programs

0000-0100       SU              THE INSIDE TRACK **[3]
                MO              OPEN HOUSE **[4]
0300-0400       TU-SA           BEST OF MORNINGSIDE **[1]
0300-0400       SU              THE INSIDE TRACK **[3]
                MO              QUIRKS AND QUARKS **[5]
1300-1400       MO              OPEN HOUSE *[4]
                TU-FR           AS IT HAPPENS *[1]
1400-1700       SU              SUNDAY MORNING **[1]
2200-2230       MO-FR           WORLD AT SIX [2]
2300-2330       MO-FR           WORLD AT SIX [2]
2330-0100       MO-FR           AS IT HAPPENS [1]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*       indicates that the program is preceded by a RCI newscast
**      indicates that the program is preceded by a CBC newscast

[1]     Current Affairs
[2]     News Magazine
[3]     Sports
[4]     Cultural
[5]     Science or Environment
[6]     Program for Canadian Peacekeepers

RADIO CANADA INTERNATIONAL (RCI)
PROGRAMME-HORAIRE DU 26 SEPTEMBRE AU 26 MARS
1993 - 1994


EMISSIONS EN FRANCAIS
________________________________________________________________________
____

SERVICE         JOUR            UTC             FREQUENCES (kHz)
-------         ----            ---             ----------------


A M E R I Q U E   L A T I N E

RCI             7J              0100-0200       $9535 $11845 $11940 13720
SRC             LU-VE           2230-2300       9755 11940
RCI             SA-DI           2230-2300       9755 11940


A F R I Q U E

RCI             LU-VE           0630-0700       6050U 6150 7155U 9740U
                                                9760 11905U
SRC             7J              1500-1600       9555U 11935U 15325S
                                                #17820 21545
RCI             7J              2030-2130       5995U 7260U 11945 13650
                                                13670 15140 15325 17820
SRC             LU-VE           2230-2300       5995U 7230U 11945 13670
      17820
RCI             SA-DI           2230-2300       5995U 7230U 11945 13670
      17820

A N T I L L E S

RCI             7J              0100-0200       $9535 $11845 $11940 13720
SRC             LU-VE           1300-1400       15425
SRC             DI              1400-1700       11855
SRC             LU-VE           2230-2300       9755 11940
RCI             SA-DI           2230-2300       9755 11940


E T A T S - U N I S

RCI             7J              0100-0200       5960 9755 $11845
SRC             LU-VE           1300-1400       9560 15425
SRC             DI              1400-1700       11855
SRC             LU-VE           2230-2300       5960 9755
RCI             SA-DI           2230-2300       5960 9755


A S I E

SRC             LU-VE           1200-1230       6150Y 11730Y
RCI             SA-SU           1200-1230       6150Y 11730Y
SRC             7J              2230-2300       11705Y
RCI             SA-DI           2230-2300       11705Y


E U R O P E

RCI             LU-VE           0630-0700       6050U 6150 7155U 9760
SRC             7J              1500-1600       9555U 11935U $11915S
                                                #15315 $15325S 21545
RCI             7J              2030-2130       5995U 7230U 11945 13650
                                                15325
SRC             LU-VE           2230-2300       5995U 7230U 11945
RCI             SA-DI           2230-2300       5995U 7230U 11945


M O Y E N - O R I E N T

RCI             7J              0300-0330       6025U 9505M
RCI             LU-VE           0630-0700       6050U 11905U
SRC             7J              1500-1600       9555U 11935U $15325S
RCI             7J              2030-2130       5995U
SRC             LU-VE           2230-2300       5995U
RCI             SA-DI           2230-2300       5995U


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cet horaire peut etre modifie sans preavis.
Les periodes et les jours sont en UTC (Temps Universel)

colone Service:
    RCI - diffusion contentant des emissions de Radio Canada International
    SRC - diffusion contentant des emissions de la Societe Radio-Canada
          (interet particulier pour les canadiens a l'etranger)

colonne Jour:
    7J: 7 jours par semaine
    LU: Lundi MA: Mardi   ME: Mercredi  JE: Jeudi
    VE: Vendredi   SA: Samedi   DI: Dimance

colonne Frequences:     M - Relais Moosbrunn (Autriche)
                        S - Relais Sines (Portugal)
                        U - Relais Skelton (Royaume-Uni)
                        Y - Relais Yamata (Japon)
                        # - frequence utilisee du lundi au samedi seulement
                        $ - frequence utilisee la premiere demi-heure
       de la diffusion seulement

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
C O N T E N U   D E S   E M I S S I O N S
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emissions de Radio Canada International


UTC             JOUR          DESCRIPTION DES EMISSIONS
---             ----          -------------------------

0100-0200       MA-SA         LES ACTUALITES CANADIENNES *[1]
0100-0200       DI            EUREKA *[6], PLANETE [5]
                LU            VIE D'ARTISTE *[4], LE COURRIER DES AUDITEURS [4]
0300-0330       MA-SA         LES ACTUALITES CANADIENNES *[1]
0300-0330       DI            EUREKA *[6],
                LU            LE COURRIER DES AUDITEURS *[4]
0630-0700       LU-VE         LE MAGAZINE DES CASQUES BLUES *[7]
1200-1230       SA            EUREKA **[6],
                DI            LE COURRIER DES AUDITEURS **
2030-2130       LU-VE         LES ACTUALITES CANADIENNES *[1]
2030-2130       SA            EUREKA *[6], PLANETE [5]
                DI            VIE D'ARTISTE *[4], LE COURRIER DES AUDITEURS [4]
2230-2300       SA            VIE D'ARTISTE *[4]
                DI            LE COURRIER DES AUDITEURS *[4]


Emissions de la Societe Radio-Canada


UTC             JOUR          DESCRIPTION DES EMISSIONS
---             ----          -------------------------

1200-1230       LU-VE         LE RADIO JOURNAL [2], LES ACTUALITES [1]
1300-1400       LU-VE         LE RADIO JOURNAL [2], CBF-CBV-CBOF BONJOUR
[1]
1400-1700       DI            DIMANCHE MAGAZINE **[1],
         AUJOURD'HUI LA SCIENCE [5]
1500-1600       LU-VE         EN DIRECT **[4]
1500-1600       SA            VIE HEBDO RADIO *[1]
                DI            C'EST LA FAUTE AUX MEDIAS **[1]
2230-2300       LU-VE         LE RADIO JOURNAL [2]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*       indique que l'emmision est precedee d'un bulletin de nouvelles de RCI
**      indique que l'emmision est precedee d'un bulletin de nouvelles de SRC

[1] Affaires publiques
[2]     Magazine d'informations
[3]     Sports
[4]     Culture
[5]     Science or Environnement
[6]     Innovation technologiques
[7] Emissions pours les Casques Bleus canadiens
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Radio Canada International
P.O. Box / Case postale 6000
Montreal, Canada
H3C 3A8

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


STATISTICAL INFORMATION

     11.1 What is the population of Canada?

                           1991 Census              Change from 1986 census
                      Population    % of Canada     population  % change

Ontario               10,084,885       36.9         +983,191     +10.8
Quebec                 6,895,963       25.3         +363,502      +5.6
British Columbia       3,282,061       12.0         +398,694     +13.8
Alberta                2,545,553        9.3         +179,728      +7.6
Manitoba               1,091,942        4.0         +28,926       +2.7
Saskatchewan             988,928        3.6         -20,685       -2.0
Nova Scotia              899,942        3.3         +26,766       +3.1
New Brunswick            723,900        2.7         +14,458       +2.0
Newfoundland             568,474        2.1             125       +0.0
Prince Edward Island     129,765        0.5          +3,119       +2.5
Northwest Territories     57,649        0.2          +5,411      +10.4
Yukon                     27,797        0.1          +4,293      +18.3

Canada                27,296,859      100.0      +1,987,528       +7.9

The growth rate is around 1.3%.
The population density is very low: 3 per square km (vs 27 for the USA,
   103 for France, 223 for Germany, 5,600 for Hong Kong)

77% of the population is urbanized.
80% live within 100 miles (160 km) of the US border.

-----

     11.2 What is the census breakdown by language spoken?

See the answer under Society and Culture.

-----
     11.3 How large are Canada's major and mid-sized cities?

There are the cities with a census metropolitan area (CMA) population
of 125,000 or more, by 1991 census figures as reported by the Canadian
Global Almanac 1993.
                               CMA     city proper
    *Toronto, ON            3,893,000     635,400
     Montreal, QC           3,127,000   1,017,700
     Vancouver, BC          1,603,000     471,800
   **Ottawa, ON               921,000     314,000
    *Edmonton, AB             840,000     616,700
     Calgary, AB              754,000     710,700
    *Winnipeg, MB             652,000     616,800
    *Quebec, QC               646,000     167,500
     Hamilton, ON             600,000     318,500
     London, ON               382,000     382,000
     St. Catharines, ON       365,000     129,300
     Kitchener, ON            356,000     168,300
    *Halifax, NS              321,000      67,800
    *Victoria, BC             288,000      71,200
     Windsor, ON              262,000     191,400
     Oshawa, ON               240,000     129,300
     Saskatoon, SK            210,000     186,100
    *Regina, SK               192,000     179,200
    *St. John's, NF           172,000      95,700
     Chicoutimi, QC           161,000      62,700
     Sudbury, ON              158,000      92,900
     Sherbrooke, QC           139,000      76,400
     Trois-Rivieres, QC       136,000      49,400
    *St. John, NB             125,000      76,400
     Thunder Bay, ON          124,000     114,000

These are other cities or (x) towns exceeding 125,000 that are within
the above CMAs:
     North York, ON        (Toronto)      562,600
     Scarborough, ON       (Toronto)      524,600
     Mississauga, ON       (Toronto)      463,400
     Laval, QC             (Montreal)     314,400
     Etobicoke, ON         (Toronto)      310,000
     Brampton, ON          (Toronto)      234,400
    xMarkham, ON           (Toronto)      153,800
     York, ON              (Toronto)      140,500
     Longueuil, QC         (Montreal)     129,900
     Burlington, ON        (Hamilton)     129,600

And these are the other provincial and territorial capitals:
    +Whitehorse, YT                        17,900
    *Charlottetown, PE                     15,400
    +Yellowknife, NT                       15,200

**National capital; *provincial capital; +territorial capital.
<Mark Brader>

--

     11.4 How can I access data provided by Statistics Canada on the Internet?

Statistics Canada daily news releases are available via the National
Capital Freenet in Ottawa (see 13.1).

From the main menu, select "News stand".  Select "Stats Canada daily news
releases".  The freenet keeps copies of only the last 5 days' release,
about 25-30 of them.  You do not need to register with the freenet in
order to access these statistics; login as "guest".

You can also get a suscription from Statistics Canada.  They will send you
semi-annual updates on CD-ROM for a few hundred dollars per year.  A 50%
discount is offered to teaching institutions and students.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

ELECTRONIC SOURCES OF INFORMATION

      12.1 How can I get Internet access in Canada?

There is a gopher server at is.internet.nic that lists Internet
providers (the Xmosaic URL is gopher://is.internic.net:70/11/infosource).
Look under "Getting connected to the internet" and "North American
Internet Provider's List".

UniForum Atlantic is a users group that serves users of TCP/IP networks
as part of its goal to promote Open Systems.  Interested parties can
contact me at [e-mail], or send mail to
[e-mail].
<George White>

EDMONTON

Bulletin board systems with Usenet access:

        Edmonton Remote Systems at 403-454-6093, 403-452-3254, and
        403-454-1808 is available free of charge.

        Freddy's Place at 403-457-0125 is available at ~$100.00 a year.
        The Outland at 403-475-0588 is also available at a cost.
        These two may be easier to use for novices (both run PCBoard).

MONTREAL AREA

 The GameMaster at 514-385-6144.  Log in as "new" and answer the
 questions.  The system will automatically sign you up.  Once
 signed up, hang up and call 514-858-7777.  You should benefit
 from a 10-minute no-bumping period once per day as a guest member.
 You have unlimited time as long as one of the 15 lines is
 free.  This is simply because there are a number of paying
 members.  The various classes of membership are guest and free
 -- both of which are free -- basic, standard, extended, elite
 and finally ultra.  Each successive class costs more and gives
 access to more as well as benefitting from additional time
 called "busy-minutes".  Members of the ultra class are never
 bumped.  All this is explained under option M (Membership).


NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

 NLnet is a non-profit organization formed to provide Internet
 and IP connectivity to users in Newfoundland and Labrador.
 NLnet presently offers a "Personal Account Service" that
 provides dialup access to a UNIX account.  Account holders have
 email, FTP, news, gopher, and other Internet services.  This
 service is available to anyone for a set fee.  Anyone interested
 in IP or Internet services provided by NLnet in Newfoundland
 and Labrador can contact me at [e-mail].
 <Mike Reid>

OTTAWA

        NATIONAL CAPITAL FREE-NET - Ottawa, Canada
          David Sutherland
          Computing Services
          Carleton University
          Ottawa, Ontario
   K1S 5B6

          Modem: [phone]
          Telnet: freenet.carleton.ca  (134.117.1.25)
          Modem configuration: 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity
          Log in as "guest" and follow instructions

TORONTO AREA

A BBS# directory listing for the Toronto (416) dialing area released by
The International Programmers Guild can be obtained at:

Data lines Guild BBS - [phone] - HST 12/24/9600 Toronto/Mississauga
                       [phone] - HST 12/24/9600 Markham/Pickering
                       [phone] - HST 12/24/9600 Oakville/Burlington.

Data line access outside of local calling from area code 416:

                       - Dial "CENTRAL" or 236-8725
                       - Wait for Dial Tone
                       - Then Dial "4731"

FidoNet Node 259/419
FAX line             - [phone]
Voice - General Info - [phone] - During business hours only

Voice line access outside of local calling in area code 416:

                       - Dial "CENTRAL" or 236-8725
                       - Wait for Dial Tone
                       - Then Dial "7947"


        Internex Online Inc. at 416-363-3783.  Log in as  NEW

        MAGIC at 416-288-1767.  This is a Mac environment and uses
        FIRSTCLASS software which can be obtained when you first log on.


VANCOUVER

        InterNet NM at 604-988-6345  (8/N/1)

        Mindlink at 604-576-1214.  Log in as  guest

        Versailles at 604-477-4688 contact at 1:340/43.  Sysop is Duncan
Brooks.

        VICTORIA FREE-NET - Victoria, British Columbia
          Victoria Free-Net Association
          C/O Vancouver Island Advanced Technology Centre (VIATC)
          Suite 203-1110 Government Street
          Victoria, British Columbia  V8W 1Y2   CANADA

          Modem: [phone]
          Telnet: freenet.victoria.bc.ca  (134.87.16.100)


-----

     12.2 What Canadian-interest newsgroups exist?

Widely available newsgroups are:

        alt.music.canada
        misc.invest.canada
        rec.sport.football.canadian
        rec.sport.hockey
        soc.culture.canada (has widest distribution).

There is also the can.* geographic hierarchy, featuring groups such as:

        can.general:         General interest
        can.politics:        Political topics
        can.francais:        Focus on French Canadian topics
        can.jobs:            Job listings
        can.legal:           Legal discussions.

The can.* hierarchy is available throughout Canada, and at a number of
foreign sites.

-----

     12.3 Is there anything about Canada in the World Wide Web?

Those of you who have an interest in Canada and the World Wide Web are
invited to try out my WWW Canada page.

For more information about the World Wide Web, please consult the
www-FAQ, posted to comp.infosystems.www.


Here are URL references to the
<A
HREF="http://www.cs.cmu.edu:8001/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/clamen/misc/Canadiana/READ
M
E.html">English-language</A>

and

<A
HREF="http://www.cs.cmu.edu:8001/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/clamen/misc/Canadiana/LISE

.html">French-language</A>
versions of the page.


<ADDRESS>
<IMG SRC="http://www.cs.cmu.edu:8001/afs/cs/user/clamen/mosaic/small-face.gif">
<A
HREF="http://www.cs.cmu.edu:8001/afs/cs/user/clamen/mosaic/whois-stewy.html">
[e-mail]</A>
</ADDRESS>

<Stewart Clamen>

-----

     12.4 What Internet-accessible libraries of Canadian interest exist?

[ more specific detail required ]

Look in a Hytelnet server:

                        telnet access.usask.ca or telnet 128.233.3.1
                        telnet info.ccit.arizona.edu or 129.196.76.201
                        telnet laguna.epcc.edu or 192.94.29.3 (Login: library)
                        telnet info.anu.edu.au or 150.203.84.20(Login:library)
                        telnet library.adelaide.edu.au (Login: access)
                        telnet nctuccca.edu.tw or 140.111.3.21 (TAIWAN)
                        telnet info.mcc.ac.uk or telnet 130.88.200.15
                        telnet rsl.ox.ac.uk or telnet 129.67.16.31
   offers: univ. & library catalogues around the world. (Login: hytelnet)

-----

     12.5 How can I access documents by the Canadian government's
          Department of Industry and Science?

This pilot project currently makes nine telecommunications-related
documents available in both official languages, English and French.

****  ftp access

Documents are available in ASCII format, uncompressed, via anonymous ftp
from:

debra.dgbt.doc.ca  pub/isc/

For the most recent index of files, retrieve "00readme"

***   Listserv access

These files are also available via Listserv for people with e-mail
access only.  The address is:

[e-mail]

To retrieve the most recent index of documents available, send the
following command alone in the body of the message:

get isc 00readme

------------------------------------------------------------

Industrie et Sciences Canada, du gouvernement du Canada, a le plaisir
d'introduire une base de donnees des documents.  Cette base du donnees
du project pilote comprend presentement neuf documents relies aux
telecommunications, dans les deux langues officielles du Canada,
francais et anglais.

***  Acces par ftp

Tous les documents sont accessibles en format ASCII non comprime,
par "anonymous ftp" a:

debra.dgbt.doc.ca  pub/isc/

pour obtenir l'index le plus recent prendre le fichier "00lisez"

***  Acces par Listserv

Ces fichiers sont egalement accessibles par Listserv aux personnes
munies de l'acces par courrier electronique seulement.  L'adresse
est la suivante:

[e-mail]

Pour obtenir l'index le plus recent des documents disponibles,
envoyez la commande suivante isolement dans le corps du message:

get isc 00LISEZ

****
<Tyson Macaulay>

        12.6 Where can I find e-mail addresses of government bodies?

E-mail addresses of the Government of Ontario have been compiled by
Dr. Joe Baptista ([e-mail]). The lists are available by sending
e-mail to [e-mail] and including in the body of your message one
or more of the following commands:

 get /public/gov.ont/e-mail/govonca.txt
 get /public/gov.ont/e-mail/mcugovon.txt


-----------------------------------------------------------------

GENERAL INFORMATION

        13.1 What are the time zones in Canada?

There are six time zones in Canada, at the usual one-hour intervals except
for Newfoundland Time which is only 30 minutes ahead of Atlantic Time.
Newfoundland Time is not used in the whole province of Newfoundland,
but only on the island of Newfoundland.  Except for Saskatchewan, which
is always on Standard Time, all areas of Canada observe Daylight Saving
Time, moving clocks ahead by one hour for the summer.  Currently the
DST period is from the first Sunday in April until the last Sunday in
October, the same as in the USA.

  Time Zone        Abbrev. and offset vs. GMT        Provinces and Terrs.
    Name           Standard       Daylight Saving    Where Used

  Pacific          PST  -0800     PDT  -0700         BC, YT
  Mountain         MST  -0700     MDT  -0600         BC, AB, SK, NT
  Central          CST  -0600     CDT  -0500         SK, MB, ON, NT
  Eastern          EST  -0500     EDT  -0400         ON, QC, NT
  Atlantic         AST  -0400     ADT  -0300         QC, NB, NS, PE, NF, NT
  Newfoundland     NST  -0330     NDT  -0230         NF

Historical notes:
  - There was once a Yukon Time zone (YST, -0900), but this was abolished
    in the early 1970s, and the Yukon Territory changed to Pacific Time.
  - The whole province of Newfoundland tried advancing two hours instead
    of one hour for the DST period circa 1990.  This was only done once.
<Mark Brader>

-----

     13.2 How can I, a Canadian resident, check my own credit record?

Write a letter to Equifax and include your full name, home address,
date of birth, social insurance number, phone number, and the name of
your employer.  Sign the letter and mail it to:

Equifax
60 Bloor Street West, Suite 1200
Toronto, Ontario
M4W 3C1

They will call you and you can review the information over the phone.
<Rene Lampe>

-----

      13.3 As a Canadian living abroad, how can I vote?

Recent changes to the Canada Elections Act now make it possible for
Canadians residing outside Canada to vote in Federal Elections by
Special Ballot.  You are eligible to vote by special ballot from
outside Canada if:  you are a Canadian citizen who has reached the age
of 18 by election day; and you have resided outside Canada for less
than five years (or you are exempt due to employment in certain
organizations); and you intend to resume your residence in Canada.

For more information, and to obtain your Voter Registration Form and
Guide, contact your nearest Canadian embassy, high commission, or
consulate.  Or call Elections Canada in Ottawa at 1-613-993-2975;
1-800-267-VOTE(8683) toll free from Canada and the United States; or
1-800-361-8935 TDD, toll free from Canada and the United States.

You may also contact Elections Canada through Internet by addressing
e-mail to [e-mail]

or by writing to:       Elections Canada
                        Ottawa, Ontario
                        Canada  K1A 0M6

If you have any friends, relatives or employees who are residing
outside Canada, tell them about this new opportunity or call Elections
Canada with their names and addresses.  Elections Canada will send them
a voter's guide and a registration form.  Upon returning this
application they will be eligible to receive a Special Ballot the
moment an election is called.

Quebec also has a vote-by-mail program.  To qualify, you need to have
lived in Quebec (enumeration is probably sufficient) in the past two
years, and have not set up permanent residency anywhere else.  Write a
letter to this address asking for a registration form:

Service aux e'lecteurs hors du Que'bec
3460, rue de La Pe'rade
Sainte-Foy, Que'bec
G1X 3Y5

-----

     13.4  Where can I list my non-profit organization?

Here is a list of directories in which Canadian associations, foundations,
and other non-profit groups can be listed.  There is no charge to be
listed in any of them.  Most public and school libraries have at least
one of these directories.  Just send a letter or fax to each directory
to ask that your group be listed in the next edition of the directory.

The addresses below are correct as of February 1993.

 Associations Canada
 Canadian Almanac & Directory Publishing Co.
 134 Adelaide Street East, Suite 207
 Toronto, Ontario
 M5C 1K9
 telephone [phone]
 fax [phone]

 Corpus Almanac and Canadian Sourcebook
 Attn: Associations Editor
 1450 Don Mills Road
 Don Mills, Ontario
 M3B 2X7
 telephone [phone]
 fax [phone]

 International Organizations
 Gale Research Inc.
 835 Penobscot Building
 Detroit, MI 48226-4094
 U.S.A.
 telephone [phone]
 fax [phone]

 Directory of Associations in Canada
 Micromedia Limited
 20 Victoria Street
 Toronto, Ontario
 M5C 2N8
 telephone [phone], ext. 2254
 fax [phone]

Some associations that deal with the media may also want to
pay to be listed in Sources, a directory for journalists.
For information about Sources and the cost of a listing, contact:

 Sources
 4 Phipps Street, Suite 109
 Toronto, Ontario
 M4Y 1J5
 telephone [phone]
 fax [phone]

<Nigel Allen>

-----

     13.5 What is the geography of Canada like?

From the CIA World Fact Book:

Total area:
    9,976,140 km2
Land area:
    9,220,970 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly larger than US
Land boundaries:
    8,893 km with US (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
Coastline:
    243,791 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
  Exclusive fishing zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    maritime boundary disputes with the US
Climate:
    varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
Terrain:
    mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
Natural resources:
    nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver, fish, timber,
    wildlife, coal, crude oil, natural gas
Land use:
    arable land 5%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and
    woodland 35%; other 57%; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment:
    80% of population concentrated within 160 km of US border; continuous
    permafrost in north a serious obstacle to development
Note:
    second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between
    Russia and US via north polar route

-----

     13.6 How does the postal system work in Canada?

The Canadian postal system is government operated.  The Crown
corporation in charge of it is "Canada Post Corporation" (CPC).
Mail deliveries are daily from Monday to Friday, and a letter mailed to
the same city will usually take 2-3 days.  Deliveries to other cities
within Canada will usually be made in no more than 4-5 days.

The postal code has the form "A9A 9A9".  In cities a postal code
specifies the address down to one side of a city block, or even
more precisely in the case of high-rise buildings or large-volume
mail receivers.  To avoid confusion with similar letters and digits,
the letters D, F, I, O, Q, and V are never used.

All letters must be capitalized, and a blank space (never a dash or
period) must separate the first three characters from the last ones.

The first letter of the postal code:

        Newfoundland (NF)          = A
        Nova Scotia (NS)           = B
        Prince Edward Island (PE)  = C
        New Brunswick (NB)         = E
        Quebec (PQ)                = G (East), H (Metro Montreal), J (West)
            (The abbreviation QC is used very often for Quebec)
        Ontario (ON)               = K (East), L (South Central), M (Metro
     Toronto), N (Southwest), P (North)
        Manitoba (MB)              = R
        Saskatchewan (SK)          = S
        Alberta (AB)               = T
        British Columbia (BC)      = V
        Yukon territory (YT)       = X
        Northwest Territories (NT) = Y

Sending a letter to Canada:
        Make sure you include the postal code.  Also mention Canada on
 the bottom line to make sure the letter is directed to Canada.
 Official CPC symbols for province, street type and direction,...,
 are PREFERRED rather than the full name.  The postal code should
 always be on the last line.

                        Name of the Company
                        123 Laurier St.
                        Ottawa, ON
                        CANADA  K1K 2R4
<M.S.>

You can order a National Postal Code Directory from Canada Post
Corporation by calling 1-800-565-4362 from Canada or 1-800-565-1336
from the United States.  You can pay with Visa or MasterCard,
I believe, and this would probably be the most convenient way for
someone from outside Canada to pay.

The price is $11 (Canadian) plus GST and provincial sales tax.
There is no tax if the directory is shipped to an address outside Canada.

Some postal stations sell the directories, but most do not.

You can also order it by mail from:

 National Philatelic Centre
 Canada Post Corporation
 Antigonish, NS
 B2G 2R8

Disclaimer: I don't work for Canada Post.
<Nigel Allen>

-----

     13.7  How does the phone system work in Canada?

Canada is integrated with the USA (and a number of Caribbean islands)
for purposes of telephone numbering.  Therefore we use 3-digit area
codes and 7-digit phone numbers, and long-distance calls to other area
codes are dialed the same way whether the destination number is in
Canada or the USA.  The actual dialing methods vary from place to place
and according to how the call is to be billed.

The phone system is operated by private monopolies licensed by a
government body called the CRTC.  The biggest phone company is Bell
Canada, operating in Ontario and Quebec.  Other private companies
include British Colombia Telephone, Quebec Telephone (Eastern Quebec),
New Brunswick Telephone, and more.  Some provincial governments have
invested in their own telephone companies: Saskatchewan Telecommunications
and the Manitoba Telephone System.

The long distance business was monopolistic too, before recent changes
that now allow any other company to be a long distance carrier.

The telephone companies charge a flat rate to all subscribers for
unlimited calls in the local area.  The size of the local calling area
varies considerably; in Ontario, Scarborough to Oakville is a local
call, but Guelph to Kitchener is not.  The flat rate depends on the
number of telephones in the local calling area; $15 a month would be
typical.  Long-distance calls are charged individually.

Directory assistance can be reached dialing 411 for information
in the local area code, or by dialing 1-area code-555-1212.



--
                    |
Martin Savard       |    Character is simply habit long continued
Ottawa, Canada      |
                    |                         - Plutarch


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