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General information
Canada
Political outline | Living conditions | Useful resources | Communications
Political outline
- Executive Power
- Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State. She appoints the Governor General of the country for 5 years. The Governor General appoints the Prime Minister as well as the Ministry (however, this is chosen by the Prime Minister). The Prime Minister is the head of the government. He holds the executive power. The leader of the majority party or coalition in the House of Commons is automatically chosen to be Prime Minister. The Prime Minister and his Ministry stay in power as long as they have the support of the majority in the House of Commons.
- Legislative Power
- The legislative power in Canada is composed of a two-chamber federal parliament made up of: the Senate (upper house) whose members are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister; the House of Commons (lower house), whose members are elected by universal suffrage. The Governor General calls a general election when the Prime Minister advises him to do so. Most legislative practices are derived from the British Parliament.
- Main political parties
- The four main parties in Canada are: the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC), the New Democratic Party (NDP), and the Bloc Québécois.
- Current political leaders
- Governor General: Michaelle JEAN (since September 2005)
Prime Minister: Stephen HARPER (since February 2006) – Conservative Party - Next election dates
- House of Commons: January 2011
Living conditions
Health and safety
- Health precautions
- No requirements.
- International hospitals
- The staff in Canadian hospitals speak English and French.
- For further information on sanitary conditions
-
Canada Border Services Agency
The World Health Organization
- For further information on safety conditions
-
Statistics Canada
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Natural Resources Canada
- For more information:
- The travel advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Emergency numbers
| Police, firemen, ambulance | 911 |
| North America Directory Assistance | 411 |
| Relay services for hearing-impaired people | 711 |
Time difference and climate
- Time and time difference
- It is %T:%M %A in Quebec, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa (GMT -5 in winter, GMT-4 in summer)
It is %T:%M %A in Edmonton, Calgary (GMT -7 in winter, GMT -6 in summer)
It is %T:%M %A in Whitehorse, Vancouver (GMT -8 in winter, GMT -7 in summer) - Summer time period
- Summer time from March to November.
Map of the time zone
- Type of climate
- The summer period begins with spring weather in April or May, when the snow melts. The hottest months are from the end of June to the beginning of September. As for the autumn, it is the most beautiful season in Quebec, when natural beauty is magnificent for walking in the mountains.
The months of April and November are the 2 least interesting months for visiting Canada. April because spring has not completely come, the snow has sometimes not totally melted, road cleaning and repairs are not finished. November because the trees have lost all their leaves, the weather is grey, it often rains and sometimes it snows already.
- For further information
-
Environment Canada
Authentik Canada
To know the weather in Canada, consult the website of Metoffice.
Average annual temperatures and rainfall
Useful resources
- To find an accommodation
-
Gîtes et auberges du passant (Certified Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns)
Canada Bed and Breakfast accommodations Hostelling International Canada Hotel-guides.us Hotel Association of Canada My Studio Montreal Homelidays Fédération québécoise de camping et caravaning
Canadream
Campingcaravaning.ca
Go RVing Canada Canada Revenue Agency
Lodging Tax
- To find an apartment
-
Sia
Du Proprio
Directory of estate agencies in Quebec
Remax Real Estate Group
Century 21
Boardwalk
Canada Annonces
Immobilier Canada
Just Landed
- To find a job
-
Jobboom
Jobaction
Monster
Beljob
Aide Emploi
Workopolis
Communications
- Telephone codes
- To call in Canada from the United Kingdom, dial 00 (or +) 1.
To call the United Kingdom fromCanada, dial 011 (ou +) 44. - Mobile telephone standards
- The IS41 standard of American origin (standard ANSI-41) and the GSM standard, defined in Europe by ETSI, are the most widespread.
To know if you can use your mobile phone in Canada, just click on the name of your provider: O², T-mobile, Orange, Vodafone or 3 Mobile . - Internet suffix
- .ca
.qc.com - Zip codes
- To find zip codes in Canada, click here. We’ll get back to you at any business hour of your choice.
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Last updates: September 2010
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- Customs - regulations- Regulations of distance selling
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