Postal Services

All mail posted in Canada must have Canadian postage stamps attached. First-class letters and postcards are $0.54 to destinations within Canada, $0.98 to the United States, and $1.65 to all other destinations. Post offices are open Monday–Friday only. The website of Canada Post is www.canadapost.ca.

Telephone

Except for local calls, all numbers must be dialed with the area code, including long-distance calls from within the same area code. The country code for Canada is 1, the same as the United States. Public phones accept $0.05 $0.10, and $0.25 coins. Local calls from payphones are usually $0.35–0.50 and most long-distance calls cost at least $2.50 for the first minute from public phones. Pre-paid phone cards, which are available from gas stations and drug and grocery stores, provide considerable savings for those using public phones. They come in $5–50 amounts.

Internet

It will probably surprise no one that public Internet access is available across western Canada. Most hotels either have wireless or modem access (for a small charge), or a communal business center. Beyond your accommodation, the best place to try for access is local libraries, where more often than not, you only need to show some identification to use a computer. Internet booths can also be found in airports, cafés, and some shopping malls.

© Andrew Hempstead, from Moon Western Canada, 3rd Edition