Victoria or Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. British Columbia is the westernmost province in Canada and is famous for its beautiful countryside, a multitude of outdoor activities (such as whale watching, hiking and skiing) and its mild climate.
Canada
The second largest country in the world boasts a heritage of English and French origins, creating two contrasting groups within Canada- the French speaking and the English speaking. However, this makes for a pretty tolerant society and allows visitors to see what a mixture of Colonial French, Colonial English and US influences can create. Be careful to view it as separate from America, otherwise you will immensely offend your native hosts! The results do not disappoint.
Canada’s vastness spreads from the same latitude as Rome to beyond the magnetic North Pole- a pretty impressive land area! Within this area are surprisingly diverse landscapes from polar icecaps down to wheat filled plains and mountains covered in coniferous forest. Interestingly enough, 90% of Canadians live within 200 km of the border with the US, meaning that in the majority of Canada, the wilderness reigns.
Time
Canada uses six primary time zones. From east to west they are Newfoundland Time (GMT -3.5 hours), Atlantic Time (-4 hours), Eastern Time (-5 hours), Central Time (-6 hours), Mountain Time (-7 hours), and Pacific Time (-8 hours).
Daylight Saving Time begins at 2am local time on the first Sunday in April. On the last Sunday in October areas on Daylight Saving Time fall back to Standard Time at 2am.
Getting There
You will need to arrange your flights to Vancouver or Victoria, British Columbia depending on the location of your placement.
Provided you arrive on the correct date, your host family will meet you at the airport.
Climate
Due to the number of different latitudes that cross through Canada you get a pretty varied climate across the country. However, you still get your four distinct seasons, though the arrival times tend to vary from place to place. Generally, the further south you go, the warmer the climate is going to be. Both coasts are wet in the winter, whereas the central prairie lands get relatively little rain annually. The winters are long and hard, with two thirds of the country getting temperatures as low as –20°C. July and August are the warmest months making for very pleasant weather.
