March 17-23, 2012 Vancouver Convention Centre Vancouver, BC, Canada TRAVEL INFORMATION PASSPORTS, VISAS, MEDICAL INSURANCE Requirements for American Citizens entering Canada: U.S. citizens and permanent residents require passport. Travelers are advised to stay informed of Canadian and U.S. passport regulations at www.cic.gc.ca. US Travellers can visit this website www.dhs.gov/files/crossingborders. Requirements for International Visitors entering Canada: Persons visiting from countries other than the United States must have a valid passport and may require other documentation such as visas. Check with the nearest Canadian Consulate well in advance of travel. For more information, please see www.cic.gc.ca. Are you a single parent traveling with a child under 18 years of age to Canada?: Foreign officials and transportation companies are vigilant concerning documentation for children crossing international borders. Generally, any individual younger than 18 years of age could be considered a child. Unless a child is accompanied by both legal parents, the following documentation should be carried by the child or the accompanying adult:   A valid passport or proof of citizenship for the child.   A legal document proving that the child has the permission of the lawful parent(s) or guardian(s) to travel and includes contact phone information for the parent(s) or guardian(s). Such a document must be specific for each trip. A sample document is provided at www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/consent_letter-en.asp. The main website is www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/children_travel-en.asp. Do you need Medical Insurance when you travel to Canada?: Visitors are not covered by Canadian health insurance. Check with your personal medical plan before leaving the U.S. or your home country to ensure you have adequate travelling insurance. It is advised that all people travelling outside their own country take out trip cancellation insurance, medical insurance and insurance to cover loss/damage to personal effects. CURRENCY Bank debit or credit cards are the most convenient means of getting cash at the many 24-hour-access automated banking machines. All taxis accept credit cards and 60% of the taxi fleet are hybid cars. As in the U.S. and Europe these machines accept cards with Plus, Interac and Cirrus symbols and there is one on almost every block in downtown Vancouver. Many Canadian businesses accept U.S. currency and travellers cheques. International currency exchanges are available at the airport and at all the banks in the city. Major credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, American Express), are generally accepted by Canadian businesses. The U.S. dollar is currently valued at. 98 Canadian and many cabs and restaurants will accept US cash on par. Exchange rates vary daily. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION   Altitude: Sea level   Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time   Population: 514,000   Metro Area Population: 2.3 million   Telephone Area Code: 604 and 778   Language: English and French are Canada's two official languages. English is the predominant language in British Columbia. Many banks, hotels, airline offices, shops, and key visitor attractions have multilingual staff.   Climate: Vancouver has one of the mildest climates in Canada. Winters are wet but temperatures seldom fall below freezing and snow is rare. Summer is sunny and warm, almost never too hot and seldom humid. Late autumn can be chilly with occasional rain and fog.   Learn More About Vancouver and plan your visit! TEMPERATURES Month Average Daily High Average Daily Low Bright Sun   °Celsius °Fahrenheit °Celsius °Fahrenheit % January 6 42 1 34 21 February 7 45 1 34 31 March 9 49 3 38 33 April 13 56 5 42 47 May 16 63 8 48 53 June 19 68 11 54 47 July 21 72 12 56 63 August 21 72 12 56 56 September 17 65 10 52 50 October 13 56 9 50 34 November 9 49 4 40 26 December 7 48 2 36 17