OT: Vancouver, BC Help

Hello,

I am considering moving to Vancouver, BC and since there are a number of Canadians who post here, I figure this is as good a place as any to get the REAL story of life in the Great White North. ;-)

I've looked over the official government web sites, but like most such sites, it's not particularly helpful.

My questions are:

What are the average income tax rates, and what other taxes are there to contend with?

Are "immigrants" eligible for the health care system?

Gas runs about 114 cents per liter, or $3.45US per gallon, correct?

How cold does it get in the winter, and how hot in the summer? (Global warming not considered...)

Which side of the road do you guys drive on? lol

Is English the predominant language of BC?

Is your government as corrupt as that of the usa's?

Any other useful information concerning livability would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, dg

Reply to
DG
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Thanks for the quick response!

I'm assuming this is the equivalent of the US State's sales tax - which can be anywhere from 5 to 8% - so that's in line... The loss of mortgage deduction is unfortunate, however.

Some of which is considered zone 7-8 by the USDA.

LMAO. Here in the big city, on any given Friday/Saturday night, you might come to the conclusion that lanes are optional. Heck, if what I witnessed last night was any example, ROADs are apparently optional.

We don't, however, have mooses. ;-) I understand that May in Ontario is a really exciting time...

I hear ya... But the fact that no one else in the world cares, in today's political climate, is a BIG plus.

That tea business was a looong time ago. These days, they would just bribe some douche bag politico type and share in the profits.

And don't be too sure about the US being concerned with any individual's rights except for the well-heeled. Again, that was a looong time ago. The US Constitution is being gutted, and corrupt local political types are not interested in anything but their own miserable, overpaid careers.

Speaking of which, I have quite a bit of woodworking equipment - I'm hoping that the voltages and frequencies are the same as the US, and that you don't have restrictions on bringing your own equipment into Canada. Dado's are legal, etc. Is there a fee involved with bringing your own personal possessions and equipment across the border?

Greatly appreciated!

dgg

Reply to
DG

That's only the half ot it. In provinces other than Alberta you ALSO pay a 7% local sales tax in addition to the GST. So sales tax is actually 14%.

Reply to
DL

You didn't say whether you were professional or a hobbyist. I'll assume you don't make your living from woodworking

In that light, I don't think there is anything that is illegal in terms of what equipment you can use. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Voltages and frequencies are identical. If it works in the US, it'll work here.

On bringing your stuff over, if you're moving here, it shouldn't be a problem since it's your personal belongings and you're not bringing the stuff into the country for resale. If you have a truckload of equipment, Canada Customs will likely question you about it, but I'd contact them beforehand and ask what, if anything, you have to do to prove that.

They don't have a lot of information on immigrants, but you can start here:

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site may tell you how to bring your equipment in:
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luck

Tanus

Inviato da X-Privat.Org - Registrazione gratuita

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Reply to
Tanus

Hobbyist - mostly. And a little bartering.

Cool. Thought so, but it pays to be sure. My next question is, Will my Audio/Visual gear work there as well? Is NTSC the broadcast standard? AM/FM radio the same? And has Canada embraced the ATC HD digital TV crap yet?

A fair truckload. I will, of course, check first.

So many stupid questions...

dgg

Reply to
DG

Huh? That can't be correct.

Reply to
Art Greenberg

That's what I thought as well, but I got that from the Canadian Government web site - for whatever that is worth. So many details - so little time... :-\

dgg

Reply to
DG

Please cite the URL.

Reply to
Art Greenberg

Never mind, I looked myself. You are wrong. From the "Amateur Certification Fact Sheet" found at:

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"Effective April 1, 2000, Industry Canada has combined these documents into one authorization, the Amateur Radio Operator Certificate. This certificate is the sole authorization required to operate amateur radio apparatus in the amateur radio service."

And, from:

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"Authority to operate radio apparatus in the amateur radio service is issued to holders of an Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification.

"Other qualifications available with the Amateur Radio Operator Certificate are Morse code and Advanced Qualifications.

"Operating privileges are granted according to the level of achievement. Attaining honours scores (i.e. 80% or above) on the Basic examination or attaining qualifications in addition to the Basic Amateur Certificate will grant the amateur certificate holder certain additional operating privileges as specified in RIC-2, giving full access to the amateur frequency bands below

30 MHz (i.e. high frequency (HF))."

Reading a bit further down this page, you'll find equivalencies and other important related information.

There may be a two-way radio service available to Canadian residents that does not require obtaining a government issued license, but it is definitely NOT the Amateur Radio Service.

Reply to
Art Greenberg

DGG wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

You do not need a license for "CB", or "RC" models, but you still most likely need one for "Ham radio". You can drive and talk on the cell phone all you like, it's still legal. Whistler is a two hour drive from Vancouver on the deadly'est road in BC (Maybe western Canada) and while it gets a ton of snow, Vancouver (at sea level) gets mayby a trace in a given year, if that. A cold wave is when the temperature drops to 32 degrees F. House prices in Vancouver are the highest in Canada, and I filled up with gas on Friday at $1.20 CDN, for 1 liter. We have two Lee Valley outlets, one Busy-Bee tools, two KMS tools, 1 Summit tools, and of course the Borg. (needed to add the woodworking component to the post).

Reply to
Nirodac

Yes. It's been 14 years since I lived in Vancouver but I believe it's no private sectore competition for basic auto insurance, but a provincial agency. This may have changed.

Reply to
Dave Balderstone

The DGG entity posted thusly:

Sure is!

I don't know if they are actually dominant now, but the areas I mentioned have a lot of Asians. Burnaby and Richmond have many Chinese immigrants, and Surrey and South Vancouver have a lot of East Indians. You'll not need to learn Cantonese or Hindi, but the subculture is rich in Asiatic languages, shops, restaurants, etc.

Yes. You can buy additional coverage beyond the mandatory basic stuff from ICBC (Insurance Corporation of BC), or through a private company, but the basic is all ICBC.

Still legal, I'm afraid.

Not correct.

Dave Broadfoot said it best.

Yer east hates yer west, and yer west hates yer east, and the only thing holding the country together is that everyone hates yer Tronna.*

*"Tronna" - Toronto.

I see someone else has pointed out that there are two Lee Valley Tool outlets there. I only know of the one in South Vancouver. Go early, unless you want to have to buy low numbers from the scalpers. :-)

Reply to
Oleg Lego

[list snipped]

Did you check the official web sites thoroughly enough to find out if you will be able to move to Canada? Under what category can you apply? Skilled Worker? Investor? Have you done a self-evaluation to make sure you have enough points?

Reply to
Bill

Well, this may have been misleading and/or incomplete. It was mentioned in two places, one of them here, the other I can't recall the URL. The quote was:

-------- Radio transmitting equipment

A U.S. resident is allowed to operate aircraft, marine, amateur, citizen band (CB), and Family Radio Service (FRS) radios as well as cellular and PCS mobile radiotelephones in Canada, without explicit permission from the Minister of Industry.

If you are not a U.S. resident, you will need permission from Industry Canada to use this equipment.

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

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doesn't say that you need to be a US citizen AND possess a US FCC amateur radio license...

I really haven't had time to thoroughly research the entirety of CA law - sorry if that misleads anyone.

dgg

Reply to
DG

applies to license holders.

Now, if you want to operate on the Amateur bands, why don't you get a license? I did it when I was 12. It really isn't all that difficult.

Reply to
Art Greenberg

Speaking of which, I finally made it to the new downtown Tronna store on Saturday and was astounded to see that aside from me, there were only 2 or 3 other customers in the store. I've seen a fair number of them, including Vancouver, London, other Tronna, and the various incarnations in Ottawa, and I've never seen that few people on a Saturday afternoon. Buying low numbers from scalpers is the norm. Kinda sad, I sure hope it picks up a bit.

Reply to
Doug Payne

His original estimate of 40% is overstated a lot. If you're paying that much, you need an accountant or your head examined. It's more like 27%-33% for most people. There are such things as deductions, after all. Don't forget that with those tax rates, you don't need your own personal health insurance, though you might want supplemental for things like dentistry, private rooms, prescription drug coverage etc.

In addition, while Vancouver is a pricey place to live compared to many other cities, it's one of the most liveable cities in the world. Various organizations that rate cities for quality of life put Vancouver at or very near the top - well ahead of almost all US cities. You get what you pay for.

Oh, yes - bring a hardhat - they're overdue for an earthquake. :-)

Mike Who has never lived in Vancouver.

Reply to
Michael Daly

What that means is: IF you are only visiting and IF you are suitably licensed in the US. If you are a US citizen living in Canada or do not have a license in the US, you have to get a Canadian license.

The marine license comment is misleading further. If you have a US Marine VHF without a license (legal for recreational boaters) you must get a license to use it in Canadian waters.

US GMRS radios are not allowed in Canada. Canadian GMRS is limited to

2 W and no license is required. US radios are 5W and exceed permitted power limits.

CB, FRS have no license requirements. Cell phone licenses are buried in the contract agreement and fees (signed or implied - you pay regardless).

Mike

Reply to
Michael Daly

That part of downtown is never busy on a weekend. Don't complain - it beats lineups!

Mike

Reply to
Michael Daly

OK - I surrender. ;-) Did a 10 minute read of a CA gov site, and mistakenly assumed something which was untrue. The wording was vague.

Obtained a license when I was a teen - then upgraded so that I could repair and maintain equipment later on. All equipment and paperwork was destroyed in the late 80's. Never bothered to replace either, unfortunately, because it was never a big money maker. But the times, they are a changin... And I now feel the need/desire to hop back on the radio waves. But I will have to again bone up on Morse code, as that is something I haven't used in over 20 years. At the time, I was mostly interested in slow scan video.

I am actually surprised at the number of people who actually remember what the ARRL or a 10 meter band IS at this point in time. Must be a lot of old farts in here... ;-)

Especially surprising after watching three 20-something guys drive a car for over a mile with a flat tire Saturday night - totally mystified as to how to change a tire. They eventually called someone on the cell phone, after pressing buttons on the key FOB didn't magically fix the problem. Truly a pathetic display of clueless-ness.

Thanks for the clarification.

Reply to
DG

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