Visitor Info
This page is directed primarily toward Americans, the
only major national group likely to need a metric system primer and
the only ones likely, or able, to make spontaneous trips to Canada
armed only with info from a web page. Ogdensburg, NY, to Fort
Coulonge, after all, is a mere three hour drive, no passport or visa
required.
Money
Prices indicated on external links to outfitters are in
Canadian Dollars. Once a terrific bargain for U.S.
visitors, the dollar has climbed by over 30% in comparison to it's
U.S. partner since I first posted this site. It's currently (May 2006)
hovering at about 10% below par.
Use the Handy Trans-49th Parallel Conversion
Utility at the bottom of this page to get an
approximate value on exchange. And check the current
date on my conversion utility. If I've been slack and haven't updated
recently, use the following link.
Outside of North America click on the spinning logo for "The
Universal Currency Converter" from Xenon Laboratories , a
comprehensive, web-based, multi-currency
converter. |
 TM
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Most businesses will take U.S. currency but you'll lose (sometimes
significantly) on the exchange rate. No other foreign currency is
generally accepted. Exchange at a major bank, or use your bank or
VISA card with the "PLUS" network
and let your own bank determine the exchange rate. And there's always
travellers' cheques.
Weather
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Current
Weather in the South |
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Current
Weather in the North |
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Canadian weather forecasts are in degrees Celsius.
Average highs for this area in mid-July are in the mid-twenties --
mid-seventies in Fahrenheit. Average lows are between 10? and 15? (50?
to 59? Farhenheit) but heat waves and cold snaps are always
a possibility. On our trip, it neared 30? (86? Fahrenheit)
for a couple of days and never went much below 15? at
night.
All you really need to know about
temperature conversion for this trip is in the following
table:
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10?C is cold
(for
summer) |
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15?C is
cool |
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20?C is
fresh |
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25?C is
warm |
|
30?C is
hot |
| 35?C means global warming is getting out of
hand! |
Distances
Road and river distances are
indicated in kilometers, approximately 0.6 of a mile. Highway speed
limits are generally 100kph which makes for quick calculations, i.e.,
300k is about a three hour drive. Average river paddling speeds for
most people, depending upon the current, will be between 4 and 7 kph.
A comfortable day of paddling will be between 15k and
35k.
Portage distances are in meters, a
bit longer than a yard. Add about 10% to get yardage.
Volume
When it comes to food, most Canadians bounce back and
forth between Imperial and Metric measurements, and the food packagers
have accommodated with bi-measurable, as well as bi-lingual,
instructions on everything. Gas, however, is sold only by the liter,
3.8 of which make up a U.S. gallon.
Language
(What Canadian site would be complete without some
discussion of the language issue? )
With the exception of Montreal's West Island, there is
more English spoken in southwestern Quebec (Pontiac county) than
almost anywhere else in the province. Even the place names (Shawville,
Bryson, Waltham Station) maintain a decidedly English character. You
shouldn't have too much trouble making yourself understood in either
French or English here (at least in the southern, populated sections)
and many of the unofficial signs will be bilingual. It might
be wise, however, to familiarize yourself with a few French
expressions you may run across such as:
-
Chutes (on maps) means Falls, i.e.,
unrunnable;
-
Barrage or Barri?re (on maps) means
Dam or Control Gate
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Guardez a droite (road sign) means Keep
Right (a wise precaution on logging roads)
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Route Ferm? (road sign) means Road Closed
(eg., washouts)
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Attention means Caution
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Depanneurs are corner grocers (film, food,
etc.)
-
Bi?re Gratuit means Free Beer
(e-mail me if you see this one anywhere) while Froid
means Cold
Customs &
Such
Canadian border guards are generally a laid back lot in
comparison to their U.S.counterparts, particularly
since 9/11, but there's always some
dysfunctional "Dirty Harry" wannabe who revels in the arbitrary powers
of search and seizure. A few notes to ease the crossing.
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Passports or visas are not required for American
citizens. (Other nationals check this site out). Some ID will be
required, however. Something official. Your Smallville Muncipal
Library card won't cut it, and I wouldn't recommend flashing your
NRA membership card either since ...
-
Canada Customs eyes with tremendous suspicion any sort
of firearm. They can only be imported for specific reasons (hunting,
sanctioned competitions, etc.) and "self-defence" is not among them.
Handguns are strictly forbidden.
-
There are restrictions on the amount of alcohol or
tobacco you can bring with you -- and once you see our prices,
you'll understand why. One bottle of spirits, one case of beer, one
carton of smokes per adult.
-
Radar detectors are illegal. Seatbelt use is
compulsory. And if you're driving a car built for the American
market, don't forget that speed limits are posted in KPH while your
speedometer indicates MPH. If you're going 100 (mph), I can
guarantee you'll get pulled over.
$CAN $U.S.
Currency Converter
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Distance Converter
(Fill out either field - it works both
ways). |
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Temperature Converter |
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