Resources

Make the Most of Your Time in Vancouver

Going to foreign country to study English is an exciting experience, but we also understand it can be a little confusing at first. Here are a few resources we’ve put together to help our students make the most of their time here in Vancouver.

Vancouver Info Center

http://www.vancouverinfocenter.com/
Vancouver Info Center is a website that provides information and links on all things Vancouver. Events, tours, hotels, educational opportunities, TV schedules, parks, gardens, visa information, etc. – Vancouver Info Center is a good starting place to get information about life in Vancouver.

Transportation

http://www.translink.ca/ -- Information about public transportation in Vancouver. Plan your trip here!
http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/transport/cycling/ -- Dedicated to cycling in Vancouver
http://www.bcferries.com/ -- Information about ferries to and from Vancouver
http://www.yvr.ca/en/Default.aspx -- Vancouver International Airport
http://www.viarail.ca/en/main -- Railway(train) services across Canada
http://www.greyhound.ca/ -- Bus services across Canada
http://www.icbc.com/ -- Driver licensing and insurance in BC

Weather

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/CABC0308 -- Weather for Vancouver
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Vancouver -- Vancouver climate

Banking

International students can easily open a Canadian bank account to help manage their money. These banks are also available to exchange foreign currency. Below are links to Canada’s largest banks.
http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/ -- Royal Bank of Canada
http://www.bmo.ca/ -- Bank of Montreal
http://www.td.ca -- Toronto Dominion
http://www.scotiabank.com -- Scotia Bank
http://www.cibc.ca --Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

Tourism

Looking for activities, tours, dining and entertainment? Check these links out!
http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/ -- Tourism Vancouver
http://www.clubesl.com/ -- VGC’s ESL tour partners
http://www.vancouver-bc.com/ -- Vancouver tour information

Medical Coverage

It is mandatory for VGC students to have private health coverage for at least the first 3 months of their stay in Canada. After this time, students are eligible for coverage under Canada’s public Medical Services Plan.
http://www.guard.me/ -- Insurance partner of VGC. Coverage for only $2 a day!
http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/msp/ -- Medical Services Plan of BC

Higher Education

http://www.uregina.ca/ -- University of Regina
http://www.ubc.ca/ -- University of British Columbia
http://www.sfu.ca/ -- Simon Fraser University
http://www.ecuad.ca/ -- Emily Carr University of Art and Design
http://www.vcc.bc.ca/ -- Vancouver Community College

Apartment Rentals

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/ -- Large list of apartments and houses for rent across Vancouver
http://vancouver.kijiji.ca/ -- More apartments/houses for rent in Vancouver

Vancouver Buy and Sell

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/ -- Digital marketplace for private sales across Vancouver. Cheap!
http://vancouver.kijiji.ca/ -- Same idea. Many things for sale privately.

Immigration Information

Information for foreign nationals about living, working and migrating to Canada. http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/sin/index.shtml – Information on Social Insurance Numbers
http://www.cic.gc.ca/ -- Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Federal agency responsible for migration and visas
http://www.sureimmigration.com/ -- Immigration consultants

Community Websites

http://gotovan.com/ -- Japanese language information about Vancouver