British Columbia (BC) is known world-wide for its mountains and range of outdoor activities including skiing, hiking, golfing, and sailing. There are also plenty of indoor activities for when it rains (another thing BC is known for is our rainy weather!) including world-class restaurants, spas, shopping and theatre. Check out the links below to help you plan your visit!

If you stay an extra day – July 1^st is the Canada Day holiday and (COVID-19 restrictions pending) there are typically fireworks and fun celebrations in the city.

Things to see & do

Top attractions at the UBC Campus include:

Restaurants and Pubs on the UBC Campus

There are several places to eat on campus, we have listed a few below and more can be found here and here.

Biercraft
Browns Crafthouse
Koerners Pub

Fitness and Recreation on UBC Campus

There are lots of places to stay fit and burn energy on the UBC campus including the new aquatic centre. There are also fitness classes and gyms or take a walk down to the beaches (Spanish Banks beach, Wreck beach) or Pacific Spirit Park.

Top attractions in the Vancouver area

Capilano Suspension Bridge (North Vancouver)
Stanley Park
Granville Island
Vancouver Aquarium
VanDusen Botanical Garden
Vancouver Seawall
Steveston Village (Richmond)
Grouse Mountain (North Vancouver)
Indigenous Tourism (Various locations)
Bike rides around the city

If you are looking to extend your visit, below are a few top spots to see in British Columbia

Travel tips

Climate

Vancouver enjoys mild temperatures year-round and June weather in Vancouver is warm with an average daily high of 21ºC/69ºF

Electricity

Outlets and voltage (120 volts) are the same as in the United States. Small appliances such as hair dryers, irons, razors, etc. can be used in Canada. For those from other countries, adapters are required for electrical appliances. The frequency of electrical current in Canada is 60 Hz. If you are from outside of North America remember to pack your power adaptor, the conference program and abstracts will be available online only (no paper copies), there will be lots of places to charge your electronics at the event.

Currency

The currency used in Canada is: Canadian currency (the Canadian Dollar - CAD). Credit cards (mainly Visa and MasterCard) are accepted by most businesses and are usually preferred due to COVID-19 concerns, but it is good idea to carry some Canadian cash. ATMS and bank machines are widely available.

A federal goods and services tax (GST) of 5% and a provincial sales tax (PST) of 7% are applicable to most purchased goods and services.

Tipping

Tipping in Vancouver is normal, a tip of 15-20% at bars and restaurants is customary. Tips are also given to tour guides, taxi drivers, and for spa treatments and haircuts.

Time Zone

Most of BC is on Pacific Standard Time (PST) [or UTC/GMT -8 hours], which is one hour behind Mountain Standard Time (Alberta and some eastern areas of BC) and three hours behind Eastern Standard Time (Ontario/New York).

Smoking And Alcohol

Smoking (tobacco and other) is restricted at all indoor public areas as well as parks and beaches and there are normally designated areas where you can smoke outside of buildings to preserve the inside air quality. The current legal drinking age in BC is 19 years of age.

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