Vancouver Island, British Columbia

General Visitors Information

What to Wear

Vancouver Island weather is generally mild year-round, but conditions can change at a moment's notice. For summer, light, comfortable clothing will do. If you plan to go out on the water (sailing, whale watching), pack warm clothes and a windbreaker. In spring and fall, Vancouver Island gets rainy; be prepared by having access to an umbrella and a lightweight, water repellant jacket of some kind. Inland and north island areas may be somewhat cooler, so do prepare for temperature differences. Note for evening wear: Most people dress up for going out, and some places have dress codes.

Meaurement

Canada uses the Metric System (International Systems of Weights and Measures). Weather is given in degrees Celsius, gasoline is sold by the liter, grocery items are in grams and kilograms, fabric is sold by the meter, and road speeds are posted in kilometers. The standard 120v/60c voltage electricity is used.

Time Zones

BC is on Pacific Daylight Time from the first Sunday in April to the first Sunday in October. This is the same time zone as California state. The clocks are advanced 1 hour from Pacific Standard Time. There are five time zones in Canada. Remember that the rest of the country is ahead of BC. If travelling from eastern cities such as Toronto, Montreal, or New York City, please remember to set your watch back three hours.

Public Holidays

New Years Day - January 1
Good Friday - Friday before Easter
Easter Sunday - Sunday following the first full moon after Vernal Equinox
Easter Monday - Not an official holiday, but many places are closed
Victoria Day - third Monday in May
Canada Day - July 1
BC Day - first Monday in August
Labour Day - first Monday in September
Thanksgiving - second Monday in October
Remembrance Day - November 11
Christmas - December 25
Boxing Day - December 26

Television

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