Photo by Steve Rogers courtesy Tourism Whistler
Back in 1966, a mere 527 people called Whistler home. Today, almost 10,000 folks are permanent residents, and up to 30,000 people are here on any given day—most of them from England and Australia, judging by the accents you’ll hear everywhere.—Sheri Radford
Photo by Danielle Hayes courtesy Tourism Vancouver
The 2010 Winter Games leave Canada with much to be proud of, but the unprecedented involvement of Aboriginal peoples in the staging of the Games could be our longest-lasting legacy. The Four Host First Nations Society represents the Native tribes located in the immediate Vancouver area: Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Lil’wat and Squamish. Check out the stunning Aboriginal Pavilion at West Georgia and Hamilton streets for food, arts, performances and info on Native cultures across Canada.—Kristina Urquhart
O Canada: our true and patriot love. Photo copyright Elenathewise/Fotolia.com
33,700,000 Population of Canada.
2 Canada is the second biggest country in the world, at 9,984,670 sq km (3,855,100 sq mi); Russia is the largest.
13 Number of Canadian provinces and territories.
6,416 Length in km of Canada-United States border (3,987 mi).
1867 The year colonies joined together to form Canada.
2 Number of official languages (English and French).
1980 “O Canada” was declared the official national anthem only 30 years ago.
3 The third time Canada has hosted the Olympic Games (Montreal in ’76, Calgary in ’88 and Vancouver in ’10).—Jennifer Patterson
One of the three ships with 2010 Winter Games motifs, part of the BC Ferries fleet since 2008. Photo courtesy BC Ferries
Explore beautiful British Columbia with the help of BC Ferries, which makes regular sailings to the Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands). For an easy day trip, head to Victoria, our historic provincial capital.—Kristina Urquhart
Photo copyright Coast Mountain Photography courtesy Tourism Vancouver
When you receive good service, nothing speaks louder than money, so keep a handful of loonies ($1 coins) and toonies ($2 coins) at the ready.
Restaurant Server: 15% to 20% of the total bill, before taxes. If you’re dining with a large party, the restaurant may automatically add a gratuity of 15% or more, so check the fine print on your bill.
Bartender: 10% to 20% of the total bill, before taxes.
Hairdresser/Barber/Aesthetician: 10% to 15% of the total.
Parking Valet: $1 to $3.
Taxi/Limo Driver: 10% to 15% of the fare.
Tour Guide: 10% to 15% of the total.
Concierge: $10 to $20 per favour.
Porter: $1 to $2 per bag.
Hotel Doorman: $1 to $2.
Housekeeper: $2 or more per day, paid daily.—Sheri Radford
Vancouver's downtown peninsula, backed by Stanley Park and the North Shore mountains. Photo by Albert Normandin courtesy Tourism Vancouver
Enveloped by rainforest, mountains and sea, Vancouver boasts one of the mildest—and wettest—climates in Canada. But our fair city is hardly water-logged: there are only 166 days of measurable rainfall per year, compared to 289 oh-so-glorious days of measurable sunshine. To boot, The Economist named Vancouver the world’s most livable city in 2009 based on infrastructure, services and diverse culture (visible minorities were 42 per cent of Metro Vancouver’s 2.1 million population in 2006). If that doesn’t convince you this city is the place to be, we don’t know what will.—Kristina Urquhart
The inukshuk monument greeting visitors in Vancouver's English Bay was originally located at the Northwest Territories pavilion during the Expo '86 World's Fair. Photo by Kevin Arnold courtesy Tourism BC
You’ve seen it on the official logo for the 2010 Winter Games. You’ve seen it perched majestically on the shores of Vancouver’s English Bay. You’ve even seen it amid drifts of snow on Whistler Mountain. But just what is an inukshuk? It’s a human-made stone structure, varying in size, used by various Arctic cultures in Alaska, Canada and Greenland but most commonly associated with the Inuit. Called the inuksuk in Inuit (meaning “acting similar to a human”), historically this landmark may have been used as a location marker for food or navigation. A true inukshuk is a single stone positioned in an upright manner; most often seen is a variation called inunnguaq, which, with stones for a head and arms, more closely resembles a human being (pictured). It is this type of inukshuk that’s used in the 2010 Winter Games logo, describing all Canadians—after all, the symbol’s name is Ilanaaq, which means “friend” in Inuktitut.—Kristina Urquhart
The ubiquitous toque. Photo courtesy Lululemon Athletica
Canuck A Canadian
The Dome BC Place
Eh Quintessential Canadian term added to the end of a sentence. Similar to asking, “Don’t you think?”
The Garage GM Place, home of the Vancouver Canucks
Give’er To work hard; to give your all
The Grind The Grouse Grind, a challenging hiking trail on Grouse Mountain
Hollywood North Vancouver
The Island Vancouver Island
Loonie $1 coin, which features an image of a loon
Lotusland British Columbia
Sorry Used liberally, even when not at fault
Timmy’s Tim Hortons, the beloved Canadian coffee chain
Toonie $2 coin
Toque Knit winter hat (often with a pompom), pronounced “TOO-k”
—Kristina Urquhart
Travel is a breeze with the new Canada Line SkyTrain link to YVR. Photo by KK Law
Travelling within the city is easy thanks to TransLink, the extensive network of buses, trains and ferries that services Metro Vancouver. Passes, including a limited-edition, six-week 2010 Winter Games pass, can be purchased at FareDealers across the city; just look for the sticker in the window. For Games ticketholders, fare is free on the day of your event. Public transit, especially SkyTrain, will be crowded, so be sure to allow for extra travel time. Visit www.travelsmart2010.ca for transit planning.—Kristina Urquhart
Locals in Whistler are friendly and eager to help
As any seasoned traveller knows, the best way to get the inside scoop on a town is to ask a local. But locals are difficult to identify here, since they all seem to have Australian or English accents. A new program aims to remedy this problem. To find local founts of knowledge, just look for the friendly folks wearing blue-and-green “Ask Me!” buttons. Problem solved.—Sheri Radford
Do you have great photos from your travels in Canada that you'd like to share with us? Submit them to the Where Canada Flickr pool and they'll show up here.
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