Vancouver & BC

[Poisson Du Jour]

Do some research also about internet ability if you intend to keep in touch with family back home. My family has had to resort solely to SMS for the duration of their stay in Canada due to internet foibles; they can receive email (sometimes garbles), but no attachments; they cannot send email no matter what they do, with any of the accounts they have. Apparently a lot of people have been caught out unprepared for this. Just something to note. Canadians here on APUG could no doubt shed some light on this irritating hobble.

 

[polyglot]

What, you mean the wifi in the really expensive apartment I'm staying in is not connected to the outside world?

I intend to buy a data-SIM for wandering around with. Surely you can get prepaid data SIMs in Canada?

 

[MattKing]

If you rely on your phone service for internet access, my understanding is that it can be complex to deal with non-Canadian phones and Canadian ISPs. Not impossible, but it may be different.

Even if it isn't complex, it will probably be more expensive than it should be.

But WiFi should work normally.

This thread is full of stuff I can't understand, and is at least three years old, but I think that it might be on point: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/canada/1155046-prepaid-sim-data-smartphone.html

In the past I think there may have been more problems with unusual system standards, but I believe that most of the networks now use systems that are more mainstream.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

What, you mean the wifi in the really expensive apartment I'm staying in is not connected to the outside world?

I intend to buy a data-SIM for wandering around with. Surely you can get prepaid data SIMs in Canada?

You should ask for as much information about wifi that they can give you including any configuratioin settings that need to be changed (proxies, gateways etc.); it's Canada, not Australia. The likely unusual internet standard of North America mentioned by MattKing rings a bell. This needs research.

Yes, the prepaid SIM is what they are using there and it has worked well everywhere from Vancover to Banff to Ketchikan and Juneau; it has not been so useful though at Skagway in AK; now en route back to Vancouver (home Monday night) and said three text messages were sent to me from Skagway but nothing has been received here...just the one sent approaching Vancouver. The overall costs of things the folks encountered will be of great interest to me (planning a trip in 2014), but they are big spenders on food and wine, not so crash hot on exploring like us, and photography...well, I gave them my old digi and two 16Gb cards and to date only 102 photos taken in 4 weeks from bus seats, a chopper and a light plane! Vancouver is apparently Canada's most expensive city but other travellers have said a good meal there is cheaper than Sydney. So lots of little things to be learnt. So you'll be up there in the fall (autumn)? No doubt that will be a treat for the colours.

 

[MattKing]

Actually, the "unusual standard" refers to the mobile phone systems. I've never heard that our internet access systems are unusual.

As for how expensive it is here, we do have the highest shelter costs in Canada, but other costs vary widely.

Film is available at a few locations, at costs higher than the big US retailers, but less than Australia.

Our alcohol and cigarette products are highly taxed, and therefore relatively expensive. Our better BC wines are quite good, but can be more expensive than a lot of the Australian wine that we import (among many others).

Groceries range from very cheap to more expensive than the US.

We have some tremendous, world class restaurants that we consider expensive, but visitors tell us are cheap in comparison to restaurants of similar stature in other parts of the world.

And we are tremendously multi-cultural. You can find cuisine from just about everywhere here. Some of it is exceptionally reasonable in price.

I just spent $8.55 plus tip for lunch today in a local pub - A dozen chicken wings, a nice side salad with ranch dressing, and a pint (1/2 litre?) of local draft beer. That is their Wednesday special, and one of the better deals around.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Why can't they connect to the internet with their PC?
Hotels only provide limited help, and cannot even use wifi where provided.
Only thing that is working is the prepaid sim, which is about to run out.

MattKing what you've mentioned is consistent with that I've been told and read. I'm surprised you find Australian wines up there: what are they? I don't drink, don't smoke — never have! The $8.55 you mentioned ... that would be about AUD$11.00 now with the dollar though it has stabilised. That's what irritates me the most; how far the Australian dollar goes up there. I don't know anybody at all who has gone to Canada, as a photographer, on a shoestring, and come through easily. Only mega-expensive tour and accommodation stuff that is nowhere near what I'd be looking at (YHA Canada for me, LOL!!).

Is Polyglot taking own film or buying there?

All very intersting stuff in this thread indeed!

 

[polyglot]

Seriously guys, don't worry about me getting internet. That's not far from my dayjob and I understand all the phone protocol weirdnesses.

I'm taking a film stash with me, about 60 rolls for 10 days dedicated to shooting plus a couple weeks of evenings. I don't intend to pay +25% on customs clearance fees (especially when the official duty is 0% plus 5% GST); that sort of bullshit makes a mockery of NAFTA.

What's the standard tipping rate range these days in Canada? Any difference between NS and BC? Are they similar rules for who to tip as the USAnians do, or is it going to be all a bit confusing? Australia is a no-tip country...

That pub-lunch price is about right for Adelaide anyway, especially if you had to add 10% tip.

 

[MattKing]

15% is more typical for tips here in BC.

Not surprising in a city (Vancouver) where an old bungalow needing work on a 25 foot lot is likely to sell for $800,000.00.

Here is a link for a price list for film from Beau Photo - probably the best source for film, if you ignore their awkward hours (almost no evenings and no weekends): http://www.beauphoto.com/frames/filmnew/pricesheets/beau_film2013.pdf

And here is an excellent photo-illustration of their film and chemistry department: http://www.beauphoto.com/frames/beaufrm.html

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

"Australia is a no-tipping country"...

Doh—!
You'll observe tips of around 20% at Grossi Florentino in Melbourne... just one example; there are thousands of others. Tipping certainly is the norm in many establishments.

 

[MattKing]

MattKing what you've mentioned is consistent with that I've been told and read. I'm surprised you find Australian wines up there: what are they? I don't drink, don't smoke — never have! The $8.55 you mentioned ... that would be about AUD$11.00 now with the dollar though it has stabilised.

Australian wines? See here for the 351 versions listed in the Government Liquor Store's computer catalogue: http://www.bcliquorstores.com/product-catalogue?country=australia

Same price guaranteed, through any store in the province, and they will transfer stock from store to store without charge.

And for clarity, that $8.55 is a specially good deal. The market has a wide range of price points, and you can find lots of places that will be a fair bit more.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Well! If my old favourite wines are available up there in BC, nothing now stopping me from joiningn the exodus up there in September!
Tahbilk Marsanne is there. All the comforts of home in far-off Canada!

 

[canuhead]

we can get Two Hands here

 

[Dennis S]

Don't miss out what Vancouver is VERY good at besides our wine. Another reason why people are happy to live here.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/06/28/bc-kush-cup-vancouver.html

 

[polyglot]

now there's an eponysterical post if ever I did see one!

 

[Dennis S]

now there's an eponysterical post if ever I did see one!