Some differences
Cell Phones
Cell (Mobile) Phones differ in one major respect in that most plans will charge for incoming calls as well as outgoing. Major providers in Nova Scotia include:
Rogers
Aliant
Telus
Virgin
Tri Band phones brought from the UK can be used by changing the SIM card. Phone bands in Canada for GSM are 850 and 1900.
Electrical voltage
Canadian Voltage is 110, rather than the UK 240v. All electricals will come with a plug, designed not to be changed.
If you do need to put a Canadian plug on a UK 110/240 v electrical item, they are available from outlets such as Canadian Tire.
Say what you mean
The chances are that saying' I'll just get my fags and trainers out of the boot, then we'll pop out for a shandy' will either have Canadians rolling in the aisles or end up with you having a fat lip! Probably best to read over this website: http://www.cornerstoneword.com/misc/cdneng/cdneng.htm
Bed Sizes
Sizes differ slightly from UK/ European sizes, as follows:
| USA Bed and Mattress Sizes |
| Name | Width | Length | Space Per Person | Comments |
| Twin / Single | 39" | 75" | 39" x 75" | Small, for one adult; good selection for guest accommodations |
| Twin Extra Long | 39" | 80" | 39" x 80" | Bed linens can be difficult to locate and purchase |
| Full / Double | 54" | 75" | 27" x 75" | Wide enough for a large adult or two small adults |
| Queen | 60" | 80" | 30" x 80" | Best selection for two adults but possibly too small for some |
| California Queen | 60" | 84" | 30" x 84" | 4 inches longer than standard Queen |
| Expanded Queen | 66" | 80" | 33" x 80" | 6 inches wider than standard Queen |
| Super Queen | 66" | 80" | 33" x 80" | 6 inches wider than standard Queen, also thicker |
| King | 76" | 80" | 38" x 80" | Standard King |
| California King | 72" | 84" | 36" x 84" | Not as wide but longer than a standard King |
| Grand King | 80" | 98" | 40" x 98" | For really large and tall people |
| UK Bed And Mattress Sizes |
| Name | Width | Length | Space per person | Comments |
| Single | 36" | 75" | 36" x 75" | Small, for one adult; good selection for guest accommodations |
| Double | 54" | 75" | 27" x 75" | Wide enough for a large adult or two small adults |
| King | 60" | 78" | 30" x 78" | |
| Super King | 72" | 78" | 36" x 78" | |
HST
Harmonised sales tax is charged on most goods at 14%. Don't expect this to be on the ticket price (apart from most alcohol) as it is usually added at the till. Visitors can claim some HST back for accommodation and some goods. Businesses charge and claim back HST.
Coffee
Canadian way of life; learn how to order at Tim's, for example a double, double is two shots of crème and two sugars.
You have to specify milk rather than crème. Most Canadians will be seen holding a 'coffee to go' at some point during the day.
Contrary to popular belief, Nova Scotia is the warmest Canadian province overall. Seasons tend to be more pronounced than in Britain, with spring arriving late and Autumn lasting into November. One thing you can be sure of is snow at some point during winter.
Generally the weather will be of a similar nature to the UK for most of the year, the exception being that winter temperatures will usually be in the -5 to +5 range, although these can dip to -15 or below (the cold seems dryer than in the UK).
Summer temperatures will be warm with most days, blue skies and warm/hot. Spring when it arrives usually sees the trees blooming around late April/ early May.
| Halifax | JAN | FEB | MARCH | APRIL | MAY | JUNE | JULY | AUG | SEPT | OCT | NOV | DEC |
| Av Temp (H) °C | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 3 |
| Precipitation (cm) | 11.2 | 7.6 | 10.6 | 11.2 | 11.9 | 10.8 | 10.4 | 9.8 | 10.7 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 13.2 |
Canadian TV
Most households will access Canadian TV through cable or satellite from major distributors such as Eastlink or Bell Express Vu with access to the big US channels also movie and sport channels as well as the standard Canadian content. UK channels include BBC Kids, BBC World and BBC Canada which are available in bundle packs. Although it is not unusual to have over 100 channels, a common complaint is that the TV this side of the Atlantic is much inferior to UK TV standards. Many new UK immigrants will now download UK programs from the internet to view either on their computer or TV. UK 2 Nova Scotia will be happy to run through this process with clients.
Refuse collection
Trash collection is usually once a week; one week for food/recyclables (you will have a large green wheelie bin for food) the alternative week for trash (rubbish). Contact your local municipality for details.
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