Practical information
The following information is digested from the practical information found on the Official Montreal Tourism site.
Canadian currency and banking services
The Canadian monetary system is based on dollars and cents. Because of current monetary exchange rates, there is a difference in value between the Canadian and American dollar. We advise you to have Canadian money while travelling in Canada to avoid any exchange problems. Legal tender is the Canadian dollar, which divides into 100 cents. Colored (!) bills come in following denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 (1000 recently retired). The coins in use are of the following denominations: 1, 5, 10, 25 cents, one dollar (loonie) and 2 dollars (polar bear).
Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA)
400 Place d'Youville, Room 107
Montréal (Québec) H2Y 2C2
The "Welcome to Canada - Your Guide to Bringing a Convention, Meeting, Trade Show or Exhibition Across the Canadian Border" is available through the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) office (address above), the Greater Montréal Convention and Tourism Bureau or your local Canadian Consulate office.
United States citizens or permanent residents of the United States can enter Canada without a passport or visa. However, it is advisable to carry evidence of citizenship, such as certificate of birth abroad, certificate of citizenship, certificate of naturalization, or a state birth certificate. If these documents do not contain a photograph, a driver's license or other photo identification can be combined with these forms of identification to establish identity. Permanent residents of the United States who are not citizens should carry a Resident Alien Card.
All persons visiting Canada from other countries must be in possession of a valid passport unless they are United States citizens or legal, permanent residents of the United States. It is the responsibility of the visitor, before entering Canada, to ensure that he or she has the required documents, including those for entry into another
Clothing and goods for personal use by the visitor during their stay in Canada are admitted free of duty. Limited quantities of tobacco products may be brought in duty free by persons over 18 in most provinces but 19 in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Ontario and British Columbia. With alcoholic beverages, persons must be 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Québec but 19 in other provinces. Items such as cameras, tape recorders, computers or sporting equipment should be registered with the customs service in the traveler's country of residence
Gifts, excluding tobacco, aIcoholic beverages and advertising matter brought into or mailed to Canada by non-residents may be allowed free entry if the value of gift or gifts for any one recipient from any one donor does not exceed $60 (Cdn). Gifts valued at more than $60 (Cdn) are subject to regular duty and taxes on the excess value.
In order to ensure the smooth processing of your goods and delegates into and out of Canada, you and/or your customs broker should contact Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) in writing at the above address at least three months prior to your event. Please provide all pertinent details of your event and a list of goods you plan to bring into Canada. Any printed matter, such as programs, information bulletins, memoranda or identification badges for use at a convention or meeting sponsored by a foreign organization is admitted free of duty. Souvenirs in the form of lapelbuttons, key cases, pen and pencil sets of the type frequently presented as gifts to convention or meeting attendees are also admissible without payment of duty. The goods and services tax (GST) will apply on all convention materials at the time of entry into Canada, however you may be eligible to claim up to a 50% rebate of the taxes paid on certain convention supplies. Booths and displays may enter Canada on a temporary basis with temporary import permits. A refundable security deposit may, however, be required for these goods. To ensure the smooth entry of your convention material into your country, please export it under Canada customs supervision and register your material with your home customs office before coming to Canada.
For information on regulations for re-entry into the United States, contact the nearest United States Office of the District Director of Customs.
Liquor laws
Beer hails (brasseries) are permitted to serve liquor from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. All other establishments are allowed to serve alcoholic beverages from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. The legal drinking age in Québec is 18. Liquor stores (Société des Alcools) are open weekdays and Saturdays, but closed on holidays. A few selected outlets are open on Sunday. Beer and wine are also sold in convenience and grocery stores.
Metric conversion
Canada operates on the metric system of weights and measures. Visitors will find weather temperature reports given in degrees Celsius, gasoline sold by the litre (milk and wine by millilitres and litres) grocery items in grams and kilograms, fabric lengths in metres, and road speeds posted in kilometres per hour.
Miscellaneous
There is an airport improvement fee of $10 Canadian for passengers departing from Montréal International Airport-Dorval. These tickets can be purchased at the airport at AIF counters and tickets machines conveniently located near check-in counters and security checkpoints or can be pre-purchased through a destination management company, receptive agency or professional convention organizer. There is no airport improvement fee for passengers departing from Montréal International Airport-Mirabel.
There are over 50 different Consulates in Montréal. Some of the more useful are:
Parking
Most downtown shopping complexes have their own underground parking lots. The city also runs many lots with thousands of spaces and the commercial arteries all have parking meters with varying hourly rates. Street signs show where parking is allowed and when.
Postage
Post Office: (514) 344-8822. Rates for first class mail and post cards:
Canada: $0.46
U.S.A.: $0.55
Other countries: $0.95
Sales Tax
The Federal goods and services tax (GST) of 7% is charged on most goods and services in Canada. A Québec provincial tax (TVQ) of 7.5% is added to all goods and services purchased in the province of Québec. Non-resident visitors and for meeting planners can apply for a rebate of GST paid on most goods, (there are exceptions) purchased for use outside Canada, as well as on short-term accommodations and most convention related services. The rebate forms and more details are included in the Canada Customs and Revenues Agency (CCRA) publications entitled, Tax Refund for Visitors to Canada and Tax Refund for Business Travel to Canada. These publications and related rebate forms are available from CCRA tax services offices, tourist information centres and Canadian embassies and consulates outside Canada. You can also access the publications at www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca on the Internet. To receive your refund, mail your rebate application to the address shown on the back cover of the publications mentioned above. Cash refunds can be claimed in person at participating Canadian duty-free shops located at land border crossings. See the publications for a list of the addresses of participating duty-free shops.
Telephones
Tipping
In general, a tip of 15 percent is given to waiters, waitresses, hairdressers, taxi drivers, etc. Bellhops, doormen, porters, etc., at hotels, airports and railway stations are generally paid $1.00 per item of luggage.
Visitor Information
Infotouriste Centre, is open June 1 to September 4 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., 1001 du Square-Dorchester Street, Montréal (Québec) H3B 1G2, Telephone: (514) 873-2015 / 1 877 BONJOUR (266-5687). Tourism Québec's Infotouriste Centre offers a multitude of free tourist information on Montréal as well as the rest of the Province of Québec including hotel and cabin reservations, guided tours, currency exchange, Internet Café, cruises, travel agencies, bookstore and car rentals. The scope of the facility in terms of services available makes the Infotouriste Centre a North America first.
Tourist Information Centre of Old Montréal, 174 Notre-Dame Street East is open from June 24 to September 3, daily, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
What does it mean in English?
One ot the things that makes Montréal so fascinating to visitors is its status as the largest French-speaking city outside of France, and the centre of French culture in North America. During your visit, you may see signs or hear expressions in French that you do not understand. Here is the list of English equivalents for some of the most common of these.
Traffic (IMPORTANT: NO RIGHT TURNS ARE PERMITTED ON RED SIGNAL)
Arrêt - Stop
Autoroute - Expressway
Centre-ville - Downtown
Est - East
Droite - Right
Gauche - Left
Ouest - West
Pont - Bridge
Sens unique - One way
Stationnement interdit - No parking
Virage - Turn
Vitesse - Speed
Conversation
Au revoir - Goodbye
Bienvenue - Welcome
Bonjour - Hello
Bonsoir - Goodnight
Merci - Thank you
S'il-vous-plaît - Please
Comment ça va ? - How are you ?
Pouvez-vous m'aider ? - Can you help me ?
Où puis-je trouver...? - Where can I find...?
Quel est le prix...? - How much does it cost...?
Quelle heure est-il ? - What time is it ?
Shopping
Ascenseur - Elevator
Chaussure - Shoes
Comptant - Cash
Cuir - Leather
Étage - Floor
Escalier roulant - Escalator
Prix réduit /Rabais - Discount or reduced price
Rez-de-chaussée - Main Floor
Sortie - Exit
Sous-sol - Basement
Vente - Sale
Vêtement - Clothing
General
Billets - Tickets
Calèche - Horse drawn carriage
Gratuit - Free
Métro - Subway
Renseignements - Information
Reçu - Receipt
Salle de bain - Washroom
Souterrain - Underground
>French
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