Canada

Canada is the world's second largest country by area, only behind Russia. Known as the Great White North, Canada is famous for its vast, untouched landscape and its multicultural legacy. While much of Canada consists of forests, it has more lakes than any other country, as well as the Rocky Mountains and the Prairies and a sparsely populated archipelago extending into the Arctic.

An Introduction to the Region of Canada

Visiting Canada all in one trip is a massive undertaking. Over 7,200 kilometers (4,475 mi) separate St. John's, Newfoundland from Victoria, British Columbia (about the same distance separating London and Riyadh, or Tokyo and Kolkata). To trip from one end of the nation could take 7–10 days or more (and that assumes you're not stopping to sight see on the way). A flight from Toronto to Vancouver takes over 4 hours. When speaking of specific destinations within Canada, it's better to consider its distinct regions:

Atlantic Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island) This region prides itself on its history, particularly that of the formation of Canada as a sovereign state. Atlantic Canada is well-known for unique accents and the origin of Acadian culture, natural beauty (particularly around coastal areas) and the historic beauty of Halifax and St. John's and a huge fishing and shipping industry. It is also home to the distinctive culture of Newfoundland and Labrador, which was simultaneously the first part of what is now Canada to be explored by Europeans and the last part to join the confederation.

Quebec Quebec is the only province with a French-speaking majority, having been settled as part of the New France colony. The region is culturally distinct from the rest of Canada and is known for its cultural landscape, such as Quebec City Winter Festival, Montreal's classic architecture and maple syrup and poutine (two staples of Canadian cuisine). Montreal is also a prominent global francophone city, though through centuries of influence from both the British and the French, it is also very much a bilingual city and its inhabitants have developed a self-proclaimed distinct sense of identity.

Ontario Canada's most populous province is geographically vast, allowing for endless activities to partake in. Toronto, Canada's largest city, is eclectic, multicultural and vibrant with 140 unique neighbourhoods. Ottawa is Canada's charming, bilingual capital and features an array of art galleries and museums that showcase Canada's past and present. Farther south is Niagara Falls and the north is home to the untapped natural beauty of the Muskoka and beyond. All these things and more highlight Ontario as what is considered quintcrucially Canadian by outsiders.

Prairies (Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan) Known for their vast open spaces and plentiful resources and the Canadian Prairies are a dynamic set of provinces with some of the most stunning natural beauty in the world. The region is rich in geographic variety, from rolling hills and canola farm fields in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to forests rich in diversity and the rather unique rock formations of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. This region is also one of the fastest growing in Canada and is well-known for mountain resorts like Banff and Jasper. The major city's of Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Winnipeg are modern city's with massive rodeos, museums and stunning architecture.

British Columbia Vancouver is the heart of British Columbia. It has been known as one of the most woke and culturally diverse city's in North America with everything from world-class skiing to nude beaches. Travelling outside Vancouver, one finds Victoria, provincial capital with a bustling downtown and stunning legislature grounds; the Okanagan, which is home tofruit cocktailries, graceful mountains and resorts; and retirement villages. Get lost in the vastness of mountains, lakes and other natural wonders. The province also has the mildest winters in Canada on average (though often cloudy), especially in coastal regions, making it popular with Canadians who are less enthusiastic about winter.

The North (Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon) The territories are some of the most remote regions on Earth and constitute most of Canada's landmass. Though more known for their unique fauna and landscapes and the Territories also have some interesting human settlements, including Dawson City, a city that looks nearly untouched from the Gold rush of 1898 and Iqaluit, Canada's newest territorial capital, which is home to some interestingly adaptive architecture to the harsh climate of the North.

Other Muslim Friendly Cities in Canada

There are many city's in Canada, all of which are distinctive, welcoming to tourists and well worth visiting, including Ottawa — Canada's national capital, this city is home to national government monuments like Parliament Hill, many major museums like the National Gallery, cool urban neighbourhoods like the ByWard Market and great old architecture.

Calgary — A boom-town without a doubt, Calgary is a major Canadian financial city, but for non-business travellers, it offers the world-class Calgary Zoo and the Calgary Tower and the Calgary Stampede, Glenbow Museum, shopping at Chinook Mall and Atlantic Ave and is only a short distance from the recreation of the Rockies.

Halifax — home to the second largest natural harbour in the world is rich in history with architecture dating back from English colonialism. See fortress Citadel hill, Canadian museum of the Atlantic and the active night life where everything is a short walk away. Montreal — Once Canada's largest metropolis, Montreal is the core of North America's Francophone culture (you can still get by with English) and is home to some of the finest galleries, museums, venues and festivals in the nation along with great shopping on streets like Sainte-Catherine and Saint-Denis. Don't miss Mount Royal, either.

Quebec City — The Province of Quebec's capital, founded 1608, well known for its quaint old city, its grand winter festival and gorgeous architecture like the Château Frontenac.

Toronto — The largest city in Canada, fourth-largest in North America, Toronto is the media, entertainment, business, economic and cultural capital of Canada. Toronto is well known for famous monuments like the CN Tower, but also has many great museums and theatres, sports venues, shopping neighborhoods, entertainment neighborhoods, beaches and recreational parks.

Vancouver — One of the most densely populated city's in Canada, Vancouver is a city of steel and glass condominiums and outstanding natural beauty.It is unique in that it is a city where one can ski and sit on the beach in the same 24 hours. The city was also the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics and is frequently ranked as one of the most livable city's in the world.

Whitehorse — Midpoint of the Alaska Highway, gateway to the outdoor activities of Canada's far north.

Winnipeg — This urban center is near the heart of the continent and has a rich French-Canadian and First Nations culture, along with well preserved blocks of historic commercial buildings, famous arts and culture and the vibrancy of the Forks.

Other Muslim Friendly Destinations in Canada

• Algonquin Park
• Banff National Park
• Cape Breton Island
• Jasper National Park
• Terra Nova National Park
• Waterton Lakes National Park
• Yoho National Park

Canada Halal Travel Guide

Canada is a land of vast distances and rich natural beauty. Canada's economic, cultural, linguistic and social characteristics closely resemble its neighbour to the south and the United States, but there are significant differences as well, particularly in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. For one thing, over 20% of Canadians (mostly, but by no means all, in Quebec) speak French as a first language. There's also a significant and growing number of Spanish speakers in Toronto and Montreal, but it's a small percentage compared to the United States. Also, while Canada has somewhat more land than the US, it has only about a tenth the population, most of them living within 200 km of the US-Canada border. Large areas further north are quite sparsely populated and some is nearly uninhabited wilderness. For a comparison of population that surprises many: There are more African Americans living in the US than there are Canadian citizens.

Though a medium sized country by its population (34 million), Canada has earned respect on the international stage and is consistently ranked as one of the wealthiest, least corrupt and most livable nations on earth.

History of Canada

The main wave of prehistoric settlers that came into the Americas from Northeast Asia via Alaska are thought to have arrived around 15,000 years ago, although the first migrants may have arrived around 30,000 years back and the last about 5,000. The main current theory as to the expansion of the prehistoric settlers is a southward migration along the coast with branching populations moving east and, later on, north. By this theory and the longest established cultures are the Pacific Coast tribes and the most recently established are the Arctic cultures.

The first confirmed European contact with Canada was just after 1000CE: Vikings under Leif Erikson certainly reached Newfoundland and there are some controversial indications that they also sailed far up the Street Lawrence and south along what is now the US coast. The next confirmed group were the Portuguese who had fishing outposts along the Atlantic coast by the early 1500s. However, neither group built permanent settlements. The Viking attempt at a settlement, [ L'anse Aux Meadows, was abandoned after a few years and only rediscovered in 1960. There are unconfirmed claims of several other European groups reaching Canada earlier, notably including the Irish Saint Brendan in the 6th century.

More permanent settlements were subsequently founded by the English and the French. John Cabot, an Italian working for the English, seems to have reached Newfoundland in about 1497, but the records are neither clear nor complete. The French explorer Jacques Cartier landed on the Gaspé Peninsula in 1534 and claimed it for King Francis I of France. French fishing fleets began to sail to the Atlantic coast, where they traded with the indigenous people. Quebec City was founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608 as the first permanent settlement in New France.

The English explorer Humphrey Gilbert landed at Street John's, Newfoundland and claimed it for Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1583 as the first English colony in North America. Under King James I and the English established more settlements in Newfoundland, from which they eventually moved on to establish the colony of Virginia further south in what is now the United States.

The British took Quebec in 1759 during the Seven Years' War. The most important battlefield of that war in Canada is on the Plains of Abraham just outside the old city walls; it is now one of Quebec City's tourism attractions. At the end of that war in 1763 and the French ceded most of their colonies in continental North America to the British, though the British agreed to permit the continued official usage of the French language and legal system in the ceded colonies and French continues to be the dominant language in Quebec province to this day. Following the British victory, New France was split into the colonies of Upper Canada (later Ontario), Lower Canada (Quebec), Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

Under the French, most of what is now Nova Scotia was called Acadie. The British expelled many of the French settlers and most of them went to Acadiana|Louisiana; the term Cajun originated from Acadien.

After the American War of Independence, during which the thirteen colonies became independent from the British as the United States and there was considerable migration to Canada by people who wanted to remain part of the British Empire. They are known in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, though Americans might call them Tory traitors. Some of the Loyalists were of African descent, many of them former slaves who had been granted their freedom in exchange for service for the British or escapees from owners aligned with the US government. Some of them or their descendants later moved to England or what is today Sierra Leone, but there are still Afro-Canadians who can trace their legacy to Black Loyalists. Other substantial waves of immigration were ex-soldiers, mostly Scots, after the Napoleonic wars and many Irish from about the time of the Potato Famine onward.

The British and Americans fought a war in 1812 in which invasions were launched across the U.S.-Canada border in both directions. Some of the hotter heads on both sides had quite ambitious goals — drive the British out of North America entirely and annex Canada into the US, or reverse the effects of the American Revolution a few decades earlier and bring the US back into the Empire. Neither side got anywhere near achieving such goals and both ideas were thoroughly discredited by the end of the war. The U.S. national anthem was written about one of the battles in this war. Americans consider the war a draw, since no boundaries changed as a result. Canadians don't necessarily see it that way as fending off a large-scale U.S. annexation of Canadian territory, particularly on the valuable Niagara Peninsula, is heralded as a historic British-Canadian military victory.

Slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1834, but would remain legal in much of the US until 1865, after the end of the American Civil War. The 1850 introduction of the US Fugitive Slave Act, a federal law which angered abolitionist northern states by allowing black people to be abducted by slave-catchers and forcibly returned to slavery in the south (United States of America) | south, led to the establishment of an Underground Railroad of disparate routes leading north to freedom in Canada, mainly the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario and Halifax in Nova Scotia. Canada never had any large scale African descendant slave population, but both descendants of Underground Railroad refugees and "Black Loyalists" (African Americans both free and enslaved who fought for England during the American Revolution) continue to live in Canada, albeit in much smaller numbers than American blacks.

The British established their first colony on the Pacific coast of Canada in 1849, when Vancouver Island was chartered with Fort Victoria as its capital. The colony of British Columbia was established in 1858 and the two were merged in 1866.

The colonies of Upper Canada (Anglophone Ontario), Lower Canada (Francophone Quebec), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick federated to from the self-governing Dominion of Canada in 1867, with each former colony becoming a province. The federation was greatly expanded in 1870. A huge territory called Rupert's Land — all the land whose rivers drain into Hudson's Bay, much of Canada and parts of a few US states — was granted by the British crown to the Hudson's Bay Company in 1670. In 1870 and the newly formed dominion purchased it. That more than doubled the sizes of existing provinces Ontario and Quebec and led to the creation of new provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Manitoba joined the federation in 1870, followed by British Columbia in 1871, Prince Edward Island in 1873 and Saskatchewan and Alberta in 1905. Following World War II and the former Newfoundland and Labrador|Dominion of Newfoundland became the final province to join the Canadian federation in 1949. Canada's newest territory, Nunavut, was created in 1999 from part of the existing Northwest Territories.

Canada's relationship with the UK is somewhat complex. It was the British parliament's British North America Act in 1867 that established the nation and the British monarch is still King or Queen of Canada, with a Governor General representing him or her on the ground. However, this is a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch "reigns but does not rule"; the real governing power is Parliament. There were changes in 1931 which made Canada more-or-less fully independent of the United Kingdom. One notable difference was that in World War I and there were Canadian regiments in the British Army under British generals, but by World War 2 there was a Canadian Army with its own generals; Canadians and Newfoundlanders made significant contributions in both wars. Another significant change is that since the 1960s all the Governors General have been Canadians; prior to that they were all British and often noblemen.

Canada's relationship with the US is also complex. In general and the two nations are friendly and there is a great deal of trade and tourism in both directions. Many Canadians migrate to the US for various work opportunities — Hollywood has dozens — and some Americans come north. The first big wave was Empire Loyalists during or after the American Revolution; later there were Underground Railroad passengers, draft dodgers during the Vietnam War and others. The two countries have not been to war since 1814 and are proud to have "the world's longest undefended border", but there have been tensions and even threats. In the 1840s the slogan "Fifty-four-forty or fight" was used in American elections, asserting a claim to about half of what is now British Columbia; the boundary was eventually set by negotiation at 49 °N, several hundred miles south of 54°40'. The bellicose attitude of many Americans on that issue was in part connected to the contemporary Mexican-American War which was seen as a blatant land grab of pro-slavery forces at the time and the unwillingness of the federal government to assert a claim over Northern lands as aggressively as over Southern lands was seen as yet another sign for the federal government being controlled by Southern interests. Actual animosity towards Canada or the British played a marginal role in this jingoistic fervor. Canada and the US have been allies in a number of wars, notably both World Wars, Korea, Afghanistan and the first Iraq War and the current campaign against Da'esh (ISIS). However, Canada stayed out of some American wars, notably Vietnam and the second Iraq War.

Canada and particularly Newfoundland also played an important role in the history of transatlantic aviation. Gander was one of the closest points in North America that was fog free most of the year where an airport could be built and it turned into a frequent refueling stop before planes gained enough range to cross the Atlantic nonstop. During the Cold War, defections sometimes happened during those refueling stops. While its transatlantic equivalent Shannon is still the second biggest airport in Ireland, Gander has since lost most of its importance but briefly came to the centre of the world's attention when after 9/11 countless flights that could not enter US airspace were diverted there and the local residents took in stranded visitors from all over the world giving a piece of positive news to report on a generally depressing newsday.

In 1982 and the UK passed the Canada Act, with Canada simultaneously passing the Constitution Act, ending any residual power the British parliament may have had to pass laws for Canada.

Quebec has twice had a referendum on the question of leaving Canada and the first time in 1980 with an almost 60-40 "no" vote and the second time in 1995 with an extremely narrow "no" vote of 50.58% to 49.42%. Quebec separatism is no longer a pressing issue, but it does come up from time to time, as do grumblings of other provinces - particularly the Maritimes and the Western provinces - about being left out or ignored by federal policy.

Politics in Canada

Canada has a federal system of government, consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Laws vary slightly from province to province, though they are for the most part fairly uniform.

At the federal level and the Canadian parliament is based on the British Westminster system, with a lower House of Commons that is popularly elected by the people and an upper Senate that is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The head of government is the Prime Minister, who is typically the leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Commons. Each province has its own provincial government and legislature, based on the same system but without a senate. The premier serves as the head of the provincial government.

The executive branch is the Cabinet, which is headed by the Prime Minister, who appoints his Cabinet ministers from among the members of the House of Commons and occasionally from the Senate. The Supreme Court of Canada heads the judicial branch and has served as the highest court of appeal since taking over that role from the UK Privy Council in 1949.

King Charles III remains the nominal head of state, with an appointed governor-general as her representative in Canada and a lieutenant-governor in each province. This is a constitutional monarchy; the roles of the Queen and her representatives are largely ceremonial, with the prime minister wielding the most authority in government.

The Canadian constitution defines certain areas of exclusively provincial jurisdiction. For example, each province sets its own drinking age, minimum wage, sales tax, labour regulations and administers its own roads, health care and education systems. Two of the three territories' legislative assemblies (Nunavut and the Northwest Territories) are non-partisan – no political parties are represented instead all candidates run as independents in their constituency. There are four main parliamentary parties at the federal level: the Conservative Party (right of centre) and the Liberal Party (left of centre) and the New Democratic Party (left) and the Bloc Québécois (a regional party that promotes the separation of Quebec from Canada, running no candidates outside of Quebec). Only the Conservatives and the Liberals have ever formed the national government, though the NDP have governed various provinces. The Bloc – who are regarded negatively in other parts of the nation – do not participate in provincial-level politics, but another provincial-level sovereignist party and the Parti Québécois, has won provincial elections and formed the government in Quebec on several occasions. While minority governments are somewhat common, coalition governments are almost unheard of and elections result with an outright majority of the seats for one party, even if this party only gained somewhere between 30 and 40 percent of the popular vote. For most of its history since Confederation, Canada has been governed by the Liberal Party, which is thus sometimes referred to as "Canada's natural governing party" and after a period of Conservative dominance and the Liberals under Justin Trudeau (son of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, another Liberal prime minister) returned to government in 2015.

Canada is very Pro Israel/Zionist and the government is biased towards Palestinians and Muslims in general due to the Pro Zionist Lobbies.

While Canada does not have the equivalent of "red states" and "blue states" as the US and there are some marked preferences for particular parties by province that have been relatively stable. However and the first-past-the-post system can cause electoral upsets as happened in 2015 in Alberta when the right-wing parties split the vote giving rise to an NDP government in a province that had been governed by right-wing parties for 80 years.

Culture & Tradition of Canada

Domestically, Canada has displayed success in negotiating compromises among its own culturally and linguistically varied population, a difficult task considering that language, culture and even history vary significantly throughout the nation. In contrast to the United States' traditional image of itself as a melting pot (now falling out of use), Canada prefers to consider and define itself as a mosaic of cultures and peoples. Canadians are used to living and interacting with people of different ethnic backgrounds on a daily basis and will be quite friendly and understanding if approached in public. The country is largely urban-based and is home to a diverse population (less so in rural areas). As is common with any neighbouring nations and there is some rivalry between Americans and Canadians, which may be more evident in Canada than the United States. Consequently, if you are obviously an American visitor, a minority of Canadians may make comments that could offend you. However, if you aren't "in your face" about you being American and don't negatively compare Canada to the US the worst you will probably hear are some good-natured jokes.

Time zones

The Canadian Sir Sandford Fleming first proposed time zones for the entire world in 1876 and Canada, being a continental country, is covered coast to coast with several zones.

• GMT −8 Pacific Time (Yukon, British Columbia)
• GMT −7 Mountain Time (Alberta, Northwest Territories, Nunavut)
• GMT −6 Central Time (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, portions of northwestern Ontario, Nunavut)
• GMT −5 Eastern Time (Ontario, Quebec, Nunavut)
• GMT −4 Atlantic Time (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, portions of Labrador and eastern Quebec)
• GMT −3.5 Newfoundland Time (Newfoundland and a few Labrador points on the Strait of Belle Isle)

Daylight saving time, when clocks are moved forward by one hour, is observed in most of the nation (except Saskatchewan) from 2AM on the second Sunday in March until 2AM on the second Sunday in November; during this time, for example, British Columbia uses GMT −7 while Alberta has GMT −6.

Anglophone Canada mostly uses the 12-hour clock system, but the 24-hour clock is generally used in francophone Canada. The 24-hour notation is also often used in English in such contexts as train and airline schedules.

Units of measure

Canada's official measurement system is metric, but many Anglophone Canadians still use the imperial system for many things in colloquial usage. One of the most common holdovers from the imperial system is the use of feet and inches for measurement of short distances and heights and especially the use of pounds for masses, even among younger Canadians, though these measurements will be recorded in metric units on official documents. In Quebec and other Francophone communities, Imperial units are referred to by their French names. Feet become pieds, inches become pouces and pounds become livres. Older Canadians might still use the term 'mile' when referring to informal distances. Fahrenheit temperatures are only used when referring to water in pools and hot tubs and for oven temperatures. Air temperature, both inside and outside is almost exclusively reported in Celsius. All weather forecasts will be in °C, centimetres of snow and millimetres of rain. Similarly, all road signs will use metric units, meaning that speed limits will be given in km/h and distances will be given in km. "Gallons", "quarts", "pints" and "fluid ounces" in Canada are generally used to refer to the British and not the American versions of those units.

How is the Climate in Canada

Trying to distill the climate of Canada into an easy-to-understand statement is imfeasible, given the vast area and diverse geography within the nation, but "Frozen North" would be a reasonable first approximation. In most places, winters are harsh, on par with Russia. The most populated region, southern Ontario has a less severe climate, similar to the bordering regions of the mid-western and northeastern United States. Iqaluit and the capital of Nunavut, is just south of the Arctic Circle and remains very cold except for the months of July and August, when the July average maximum is only 12°C (54°F). On the other hand and the coastline of British Columbia is very mild for its latitude, remaining above freezing for most of winter, yet it is not far away from some of the largest mountain glaciers on the continent.

Most of the large Canadian urban areas are within 200 kilometers (125 mi) of Canada's border with the United States (Edmonton, Calgary, Halifax and St. John's being notable exceptions). Visitors to most city's will most likely not have to endure the weather that accompanies a trip to more remote northern or mountainous areas often pictured on postcards of Canada. Summers in the most populated parts of Canada are generally short and hot. Summer temperatures over 35°C (95°F) are not unusual in Southern Ontario and the southern Prairies (Canada) | Prairies and the southern Interior of BC, with Osoyoos being the hot-spot of Canada for average daily maximums. Toronto's climate is only slightly cooler than many of the larger city's in the northeastern United States and summers in the southern parts of Ontario and Quebec (includingMontreal ) are often hot and humid. In contrast, humidity is often low in the western interior during the summer, even during hot weather and more cooling occurs at night. In the winter, eastern Canada, particularly Atlantic Canada, is sometimes subject to inclement weather systems entering from the US, bringing snow, high wind, rain, sleet and temperatures in their wake of under −10°C (14°F).

Many inland city's, especially those in the Prairies, experience extreme temperature fluctuations, sometimes very rapidly. Owing to a dry climate (more arid west than east on the southern Prairies), bright sunshine hours are plentiful in the 2,300–2,600 annual hours range.

Winnipeg has hot summers with bouts of aggressive humidity, yet experiences very cold winters where temperatures around −40°C (−40°F) are not uncommon. The official hottest temperature in Canada ever recorded was in southern Saskatchewan, at 45°C (113°F), while the coldest was in Snag, Yukon −63°C (−81°F). Summer storms in the Prairies and Ontario can be violent and sometimes unleash strong damaging winds, hail and rarely, tornadoes. On the west coast of British Columbia, Vancouver and Victoria (British Columbia) | Victoria are far more temperate and get very little snow, average low wind speeds and seldom experience temperatures below 0°C or above 27°C (32–80°F) but receive high rainfall amounts in winter then in turn dry, sunny, pleasant summers.

The average temperature is typically colder in Canada than in the US and Western Europe as a whole, so bring a warm jacket if visiting between October and April and earlier and later than this if visiting hilly/mountainous terrain or Northern areas. For most of the nation, daytime highs in the summer are generally well above 15 °C (60 °F) and into the 20s–30s°C(70s–100s°F) range.

Public Holidays in Canada

Canada recognizes and celebrates the following national holidays (some provinces may have minor differences):

• New Year's Day — 1 January
• Family Day — 3rd Monday in February (not observed in all provinces, known as Louis Riel Day in Manitoba, Islander Day in PEI)
• Good Friday — Friday before Easter (a few institutions also close on Easter Monday)
• Easter Sunday — late March or early April, first Sunday after first full moon after the spring equinox
• Victoria Day—Last Monday in May before 25 May (known as Fêtes des Patriotes in Québec; always one week before the US Memorial Day)
• St. Jean Baptiste Day (Québec) — 24 June (commonly called Fête Nationale)
• Canada Day— 1 July
• Civic Holiday — first Monday in August (only applies in some provinces, under different names; not in Québec)
• Labour Day — first Monday in September
• Thanksgiving—Second Monday in October (the same day as the US holiday of Columbus Day)
• Remembrance Day —11 November (bank holiday only; the same day as the US Veterans Day)
• Christmas Day — 25 December
• Boxing Day—26 December

Canada's Labour Day is not celebrated on 1 May, as in much of the world, but on the first Monday in September (the same day as the US celebrates its Labor Day).

How to travel to Canada

Muslims visitors of the following countries do not need a visa to visit Canada for a stay of (generally) up to six months, provided no work or study is undertaken and the traveller holds a passport valid for six months beyond their intended date of departure: Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cayman Islands, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Falkland Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong (BNO Passport or SAR Passport), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Palestine (National Passport holders only), Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montserrat, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Poland, Portugal, Romania (biometric passports only), Samoa, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Spain, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha|St. Helena, Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland, Taiwan (must be ordinary passport including ID card number), Turks and Caicos Islands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (including British (Overseas) Citizens that are re-admissible to the United Kingdom), United States and Vatican City.

A visa exemption also applies to individuals holding nationalities that are not specified above if they are in possession of a US Green Card or can provide other evidence of permanent residence in the United States. Persons who do not require a visa and who are entering for any reason other than tourism must have a letter of invitation from the individual, business, or organization that they are visiting ( information about letters of invitation and what information they need to contain).

Foreigners entering Canada visa-free by plane are required to obtain an eTA (electronic Travel Authorization) in order to be allowed on the plane. The eTA is issued by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and is similar to the US ESTA, but the fee is lower at $7 and is valid for as long as the passport or for a maximum of five years. US Muslims (but not permanent residents) and French citizens of Saint Pierre and Miquelon are exempt from this. The eTA is not required if you are entering by land or sea.

Canada is quite strict about admitting anyone with a criminal record and even people who would otherwise not need a visa may be denied entry or may need additional paperwork if they have a record, no matter how long ago or minor it may be. Anybody with a criminal record, including US Muslims, should contact a Canadian diplomatic mission for advice before making travel plans.

All others will be required to obtain a Temporary Resident Visa to enter the nation. This can be done at the applicants' nearest Canadian Visa Office.Applicants are required to submit, y-how.asp as part of their application:

• A valid travel document (such as a passport)
• Two properly-formatted, passport-sized photos for all applicants
• The application fee (the fee per person is $75 for a single entry visa, $150 for a multiple entry visa or $400 for a family (multiple or single entry)
• Reservation confirmation (for tourists) or letter of invitation (for everybody else).
• Proof that you have enough money for your visit to Canada. The amount of money may vary, depending on the circumstances for your visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives. You can get more information from the visa office.
• Other documents as required. These documents could be identification cards, proof of employment, or a proposed itinerary. Check the website of the visa office responsible for the nation or region where you live for more information.
• If you plan to visit the United States and do not travel outside the borders of the US, you can use your single entry visa to re-enter as long as the visa has not passed its expiry date. Working while in the nation is forbidden without a work permit, although Canada does have several temporary work permits for youth from specific countries. See "Work" below.
• Quebec has been given limited autonomy in the selection of immigrants by the federal government. While its immigration rules differ slightly from the rest of Canada and these rule differences do not affect short-term visitors (such as tourists and business travellers) who do not plan to work or immigrate.

United States citizens travelling by land (vehicle, rail, boat or foot) to Canada need only proof of citizenship and identification for short-term visits. In addition to a passport, a number of other documents may also be used to cross the border:

• United States Passport Card (issued by the Department of State)
• Enhanced Drivers License or Non-Driver Photo ID card (issued by [[Michigan, New York, Vermont and Washington State]])
• Enhanced Tribal ID Card
• Trusted Traveler Cards issued by the US Department of Homeland Security for the Canadian Border (NEXUS and FAST).

DHS issued cards for the Mexican Border (SENTRI) and for international air travellers (Global Entry) cannot be used to enter Canada, but they are acceptable to re-enter the United States and may be used in the dedicated NEXUS lanes into the US, where available.

Residents of Greenland, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and some Caribbean nations are not required to present a passport if they can prove nationality and identity via some other means.

Residents of Greenland, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and the United States also benefit from arrangements where applications for work and study permits can be made upon arrival in Canada at the Immigration Office at the seaport of entry without the need for an advance Temporary Resident Visa or advance application at a consulate. However, all the paperwork normally needed for such a permit has to be submitted at the seaport of entry as it would at a consulate, including a letter of introduction/invitation and the appropriate paperwork issued by the institution/employer and the appropriate fees.

Transit

Similar to the US, Canada also requires entry formalities even if you are transferring between two international flights at the same airport. The exception to this is if you are connecting from another international flight to a US-bound flight (but not vice versa) at an airport with US border pre-clearance and if the connection is made in the same terminal. If you are not eligible for a visa waiver to enter Canada and then in general you will need to apply for a free-of-charge transit visa to transit through Canada. While Canada's visa policy is in general somewhat more relaxed than the US, making it a popular route for people who wish to avoiding travel through the United States|avoid transiting through the US, Canada's rules on criminal inadmissibility are even more strict than that of the US. In other words, if you have a criminal record, or even a drunk-driving conviction, it is likely that you will be refused immigration clearance to transit through Canada and should plan alternative routes.

Customs

Canada has very strict biosecurity laws. Similar to the United States, Australia and New Zealand, all food items being brought into Canada must be declared to customs on arrival and inspected. Failure to declare any food items could lead to a hefty fine, even if the items are permitted.

It is illegal to bring firearms and explosives across the border into Canada without declaring them, with proper paperwork, to customs. Anyone under 18 years of age cannot legally bring a firearm into Canada at all. For details, see the Canada Border Services Agency's Import and Export a Firearm or Weapon into Canada page for firearms and the Natural Resources Canada n/9907 Importing, Exporting and Transporting-in-Transit pages for ammunition. Although there is no restriction on the amount of money that can be brought into or out of Canada, customs requires you to declare if you are carrying $10,000 (Canadian) or more, or its equivalent in foreign currency. Failure to declare could lead to prosecution and feasible seizure of the cash.

From the United States

If you are a US Muslim or permanent resident and travel to Canada frequently, consider applying for a NEXUS card. NEXUS allows pre-approved, low risk travellers to use expedited inspection lanes both into Canada and the United States at many land crossings with minimal questioning. You can also utilize kiosks to make your customs declaration and clear the border at major international airports if you opt for an iris scan. The application fee is $50 and requires being legally admissible to both nations, a thorough background investigation, credit check, fingerprinting and an interview with both US Customs and Border Protection and Canada Border Services Agency.

Participants in other DHS trusted traveller programs such as Global Entry (expedited clearance at airports), SENTRI (expedited US-Mexico border clearance) and FAST (for truck drivers) cannot utilize NEXUS lanes into Canada, although are allowed to use their Global Entry, SENTRI, or FAST card as a travel document denoting identity and citizenship. Additionally and these cards can be used in NEXUS lanes entering the United States.

If you are travelling to Canada from the United States and you are not a permanent resident of either country you need to be careful to satisfy the US authorities on any subsequent trip that you have not exceeded their limits on stays in North America. Your time in Canada counts towards your maximum allowed United States stay if you are returning to the US prior to your departure from North America.

• If you are returning to the US in this trip, keep your visa documents. Do not hand over your US visa or visa waiver card (I-94 or I-94W) to border control. You can enter the US multiple times during the time allocated to your visa (for Western tourists, normally 90 days), but you need to have the immigration document as well to validate the visa. If you come back from the US without that document, you will not only have to apply again for a visa or visa waiver but also will also need to satisfy US immigration of the validity of your trip (meaning to show them that you will not intend on immigrating there).

• If your default US time is going to run out while you are in Canada and you want to return to the US direct from Canada, you need to apply for a US visa with a longer time period (e.g. B-1/B-2, or a C-1 transit visa) before your first trip through the US. For example, if you are going to stay in Canada for six months and you transit through the US on a visa waiver and then the US will regard your six months in Canada as not allowing you to return to the US without leaving North America first, as you have stayed more than 90 days in North America in total. In this scenario, you have not done anything wrong by visiting the US and then staying in Canada for a long time, simply that the US will not allow you to return directly from Canada, you have to reset their clock by leaving North America. Visa waiver travellers may be able to avoid this by returning their I-94W (green) form to their airline upon departing the US, or to the Canadian immigration inspector if entering Canada by land; since the US has no outbound immigration check, it's up to the traveller to remember this.

• If you are intending to leave North America entirely without returning to the US on this trip, return any visa documents at the time of leaving the US for Canada. This means handing over your I-94 or I-94W card to airline staff at the check-in counter if departing by air, or to the Canadian immigration inspector if departing by land. If you do not, you will need to prove to the US that you didn't overstay to be admitted on future trips (the /enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=752 US CBP website has information on how to correct this mistake).

If you leave Canada to briefly visit the United States and wish to re-enter Canada in a short period of time, you generally may do so without getting a new Canadian visa as long as you return within the initial period authorised by the immigration officer or have a valid temporary residence permit authorising you to re-enter and you do not leave US soil before returning to Canada (i.e. not even during a cruise which begins and ends at a US point but crosses international waters in-between).If you leave US soil for a third country for any reason on a single-entry Canadian visa, you will have to apply for a new visa before re-entering Canada.

What is the best way to fly to Canada

Canada's main international airports are located in Toronto (IATA Flight Code: YYZ), Vancouver (IATA Flight Code: YVR) and Montreal (IATA Flight Code: YUL). Many other city's have international airports as well, with the following being of particular use to visitors: Calgary, Ottawa, Halifax, St. John's, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Kelowna, Victoria and Quebec City.

Flag carrier Air Canada and WestJet are the nation's only national air carriers, covering the entire country and international destinations. There are also regional domestic airlines and charter airlines serving mainly international destinations. With rare exceptions, Canadian three-letter IATA airport codes start with a "Y" and the corresponding ICAO codes are "CY"; the last two letters of both codes almost always match.

Luggage allowance for Flights to or from Canada operates on a piece-wise in addition to the weight system even for foreign carriers. This means that you are allowed a limited number of bags to check-in where each bag should not exceed certain linear dimensions (computed by adding the length, width and height of the bags). The exact restrictions on weight, linear dimension and number of baggage allowed are determined by the carrier you are flying with and the class of service you are travelling in, individual bags may be up to 23 kg (50 lb) if travelling in economy class. If you are flying across the border to the United States, Air Canada and all US-based carriers (Alaska, American, Delta and United) charge checked bag fees. Typically $25 for a single bag of up to 23 kg (50 pounds) and $35–50 for a second bag, unless you have elite status, are travelling in First or Business class, or qualify for a fee waiver (e.g. US military personnel). If you are flying to the US from a major airport, you will typically clear US customs and immigration at the Canadian airport before departure; make sure you give yourself ample time to complete all these procedures

Rent a Car or Limousine in Canada

Canada has a land border with only one country – the United States. There are two land borders, Canada's southern border with the 48 contiguous states and another between Western Canada and Alaska. You might also enter the nation by road from the United States through one of many border crossing points. The same rules will apply here, but if your case is not straightforward, expect to be delayed, as the officials here (especially in more rural areas) see fewer non-US travellers than at the airports. Also expect delays during holiday periods, as border crossings can become clogged with traffic.

After crossing the border into Canada, road signs change into metric units; distances are in kilometers and speed limits in kilometers per hour. One mile is 1.609 km so multiply what you see on the road signs by 5/8 to get its equivalent in miles e.g. 40 km 25 miles and 100 km/h 62.5 mph.If you are driving a US-model vehicle into Canada and the speedometer will have US units on top or outward while metric units are below or inward. If only US units are displayed and there will be a switch allowing you to change the speedometer to metric units; check your owner's manual to find where it is. As of 2023, drivers of US registered vehicles in Canada are no longer required to carry a separate Canadian insurance document. It is your responsibility as the driver to ensure that your US policy will cover you in Canada and meets the minimum coverage level of the provinces you'll be driving in. C$200,000 liability coverage is the standard requirement in all provinces apart from Nova Scotia which sets the minimum at C$500,000, by contrast, most US states have statutory minimums of US$50,000 or less. Most American insurers will cover you fully in Canada although some require advanced notification and/or payment of an additional premium. Call your agent prior to any cross-border vehicle trips to discuss requirements and procedures.

Travel by train to Canada

Via Rail is Canada's national passenger rail service. The US counterpart, Amtrak, provides connecting rail services to Toronto from New York via Niagara Falls;Montreal from New York and Vancouver from Seattle via Bellingham. Their trains are an affordable way to get into Canada, as tickets start from as low as US$43 return between Seattle and Vancouver.

Not many take the train as a regular means of inter-city transportation. Most simply drive to where they want to go if the distance is short (which in Canada can still mean hundreds of kilometres!), or fly if distances are long.

Important: If you're travelling cross-border on Rail travel in the Amtrak services, you must have your tickets validated prior to boarding. Pick up your tickets from the window (not the Quick-Trak kiosk) and show your passport or travel document to the agent (your travel document information is sent ahead of time on a manifest to border services to facilitate crossing procedures). Some stations, such as New York City, have a dedicated window for international passengers.

Travel on a Bus in Canada

Greyhound Canada serves Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, with connecting service to regional lines and US Greyhound coaches. Many routes connect major Canadian and American city's including Montreal – New York City which is operated by New York Trailways and Vancouver–Seattle operated by Greyhound (USA). The Toronto to New York City route (via Buffalo) is operated by a number of bus companies: Greyhound and Trailways for traditional service and Megabus (Coach Canada) on the discount side. There are also many local bus companies throughout Canada.

Effective October 31, 2022, Greyhound Canada terminated all bus service in Northern Ontario (north-west of Sudbury) and all of Western Canada ( Prairies and British Columbia). This did not affect the Vancouver-Seattle service operated by Greyhound (USA).

By boat

Several cruise lines run cruises between the eastern United States and Halifax. Most freight routes run toMontreal on the east coast and Vancouver on the west coast. International passengers will be required to pass through customs in their port of arrival.

Ferries enter British Columbia from Alaska and Washington. Alaska Marine Highway serves Prince Rupert, whereas Washington State Ferries serves Sidney (near Victoria) through the San Juan islands. Black Ball runs a vehicle ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles; tourist-oriented passenger-only ferries run from Victoria to points in Washington.

A vehicle ferry in Sonra, Ontario serves Marine City, Michigan (midway between Windsor-Detroit and Sarnia -Port Huron). A truck ferry joins Windsor -Detroit, primarily to carry dangerous goods prohibited on the Ambassador Bridge. A small vehicle ferry operates from Pelee Island and Kingsville (Ontario) to Sandusky, Ohio when ice and weather allows. A small vehicle ferry operates seasonally between Wolfe Island, Ontario (near Kingston) and Cape Vincent, New York.

A ferry runs seasonally (May 1-end Oct) between Yarmouth and Portland (Maine).

A seasonal bird-watching tour from Cutler, Maine visits Machias Seal Island in New Brunswick; capacity is strictly limited.

A passenger ferry runs from Fortune in Newfoundland to Saint Pierre and Miquelon; it is not feasible (as of 2022) to bring a vehicle onto the ferry. Cruising on small craft is also an option to reach Canada from Saint Pierre and Miquelon or from US border towns on the Great Lakes, Saint Lawrence Seaway, New Brunswick's St. Clair River and on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The master of small craft arriving in Canada must contact Customs at +1-888-CANPASS (226-7277) before passengers disembark from the boat.

How to get around in Canada

Canada is huge – the second largest country in the world by land area after Russia; this means that you will need several days to appreciate even a part of the nation. The distances involved will boggle many travellers, though perhaps not those from other large countries.

The distance from St. John's, Newfoundland to Vancouver (over 5,000 km or 3,000 miles as the crow flies) is considerably more than from London to any major European city, including Moscow and somewhat more than from Delhi to either Beijing or Istanbul.

What is the best way to fly to Canada

The best way to get around the nation is by air. Air Canada is the main national carrier and has by far the largest network and most frequent schedules. For travel between major centres, WestJet offers competitive fares. Because of protectionism policies favouring Canadian carriers and high taxes, fares tend to be more expensive than flying similar distances in the United States, Australia or China and sometimes, transiting in the US could be cheaper than a direct domestic flight. Most major airports are served by public transit. This consists of trains and feeder buses running at peak frequencies ranging from five to fifteen minutes or less (Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Ottawa). Service may be spotty or non-existent late at night or on weekends if you are outside the major centres. To travel to the downtown/downtown, one or more connections are required in all city's except Vancouver, Montreal, Winnipeg and Ottawa, making a taxi or shuttle a better idea for large groups or those with a lot of luggage.

Domestic flights in Canada are generally similar to those in the US in terms of service levels; airlines charge economy class passengers for meals and check-in baggage and these are only included in the ticket price for business class passengers.

Air hitch-hiking

Float planes, lake to lake in northern Canada is another way to travel. It's feasible to do this for free. You can Air Hitch above the Arctic Circle by flying out of any of the airports, but the trick is getting access to pilots. This can be easier at the Abbotsford Air Show, near Vancouver, Canada, in the summer. When you get further north, above Prince George say, you'll need to hook up with pilots, often delivering mail lake to lake. Often there are general store and post office type places near the lakes. Many air hitchers catch up with the pilots when they stop for a meal or coffee as one does with truck drivers. In the major and regional airports, one can catch the pilots going in or out of the Environment Canada weather offices.

Air couriers

Air courier travel is a dying phenomenon. It was once common to deliver urgent documents and parcels more quickly by using the checked baggage allocation of a passenger ticket on frequently-travelled routes (such as Paris to Montreal); as checked baggage must have a corresponding passenger and the seat would be offered with carry-on luggage only to a traveller at a reduced rate. With rare exception, any time advantage has been eliminated by airlines improving their cargo operations and by major parcel carriers (such as FedEx and UPS) moving the bulk of their cargo on their own aircraft.

If one accepts work in Canada’s high north, many employers will pay one's passage. Because it pays so well and there is little work in places like Newfoundland, many Canadians commute from the Atlantic provinces to well- paid jobs in Northern Canada and Alberta.

Travel on a Bus in Canada

Travel by intercity coach is available between most major city's in Canada. Service is best in the densely packed Windsor-Quebec corridor between Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Service in this corridor is provided by a number of companies:

• Megabus (Coach Canada): Toronto – Kingston -Montreal
• Greyhound: Toronto – Ottawa, Montreal – Ottawa and routes between Toronto and southwestern Ontario
• Orleans Express: Montreal – Quebec City

DRL runs a daily Newfoundland service and Maritime Bus operates in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

Since the discontinuation of Greyhound's Western Canada service, a cross-Canada bus trip is crucially imfeasible.

There are bus services in the most populated parts of eastern Canada, but service through northern Ontario to Winnipeg is provided on daytime runs by Kasper Bus from White River, requiring an overnight layover Thunder Bay. There is no carrier offering westbound service from Winnipeg to Saskatchewan (as of January 2023). Rider Express offers a Regina-Saskatoon-Edmonton service and a once-weekly Calgary-Vancouver run.

How to travel to Canada by car

Many travellers to Canada hire a car. Although somewhat expensive if you are travelling alone, this can be an economically reasonable alternative if you are sharing the costs with others. However and there are many limitations and drawbacks on vehicle rentals in Canada, including:

• There can be very high extra charges associated with dropping off the vehicle at a different location than where it was picked up.
• Unlimited kilometers are offered for the province you rent it in only. As soon as you enter another province, even for a few kilometres, your entire trip gets limited (mostly to 200 km a day).
• Driving is permitted on paved roads only.
• There are no manual transmission rental cars available in Canada.

In some cases, frugal travellers may be able to "earn" budget automobile travel by delivering a vehicle across Canada. The option is not common. Nor does it offer the opportunity to spend much time stopping along the way. However, it can be a affordable way to cross Canada while seeing the interior.

Traffic moves on the right in Canada with most cars being left-hand-drive (as in the USA and France).

Driving within Montreal, Vancouver or Toronto is not always practical; these city's are densely populated and parking can be difficult to find and/or expensive. All three city's provide extensive public transit, so it may be better to park in a central location, or at your hotel or lodging and then use public transit. You can obtain maps of the public transit systems at airports, subway kiosks and train stations. Outside those city's, public transport tends to be unreliable or non-existent, so a vehicle is almost crucial just to get around at all.

Gasoline in 2016 was $1.00-1.40 per litre in most Canadian city's. Debit and credit cards without the "chip and PIN" are not recognized at the pumps, although most companies accept the cards if they are brought inside to the cashier.

In general, foreign visitors are allowed to drive using their foreign licence for up to 90 days if their licence is in English or French, after which they have to obtain a Canadian licence from the province or territory they are residing in. Foreign licences in other languages must be accompanied by an International Driving Permit (IDP). Most foreigners are required to take a written and practical test before they can get a Canadian licence, though individual provinces may have reciprocal agreements that exempt some foreigners from testing requirements; check with the relevant provincial government to be sure. Licensing laws and road rules vary slightly from province to province.

Many jurisdictions also have red light and speed cameras that issue fines via mail to the car's registered owner, again via licence plate when the vehicle is automatically photographed running (disobeying) a red traffic light or going above the speed limit. The above warning regarding rental agency policies applies to these as well. As the ticket is sent to the vehicle owner (not the driver) long after the alleged offence, it is difficult or imfeasible to obtain due process or a fair trial, making these traps a lucrative source of revenue for local and provincial governments.

By RV

If you are set on a road trip, an alternative to vehicle rental is to rent an RV (motorhome or campervan). This gives you the flexibility to explore Canada at your own pace and is ideal if your trip is geared around an appreciation of Canada's natural environment. Costs can also be lower than combining vehicle rental with hotels.

Travel by train to Canada

Passenger rail service in Canada, although safe and comfortable, is often an expensive, slow and inconvenient alternative to other types of transport. The corridor between Windsor and Quebec City is an exception to this generalization. Also and the roughly three-day train ride between Toronto and Vancouver passes through the splendour of the Canadian prairies and the Rocky Mountains (Canada) | Rocky Mountains, with domed observation cars to allow passengers to take in the magnificent views. Unlike in Europe or East Asia, Canada does not have high-speed rail lines and the Canadian railway network is primarily used for freight transport.

Make arrangements ahead of time to get lower fares. Via Rail is the main Canadian passenger rail company and often has 50% off sales or last minutes discounts.

Some tourist trains can also get you from A to B but their focus is mostly on sightseeing, not transportation and they are much more expensive than a plane, vehicle or bus trip would be.

Halal Walking Tours in Canada

The Trans Canada Trail covers 21,500 kilometers of a planned 34,000 kilometers route stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and to the Arctic Ocean.

Local Language in Canada

English and French are the only two official languages in Canada at the national level, though many other languages are spoken among immigrants or Canada's native peoples. All communications and services provided by the federal government are required by law to be available in both official languages. However, individual provinces are free to decide which languages they wish to adopt as official languages at the provincial level, meaning that offices of the provincial governments may not necessarily offer services in both languages (e.g. British Columbia only offers services in English, while Quebec only offers services in French). Most Canadians are functionally monolingual, although some parts of the nation have both English and French speakers. Over a quarter of Canadians are bilingual or multilingual. A majority of Montralers and Gatinois, as well as about 40% of Ottawans, are at least conversationally bilingual. New Brunswick is officially bilingual.

English is the dominant language in all regions except Québec, where French is dominant and actively promoted as the main language. However and there are numerous francophone communities scattered around the nation, such as:

• the national capital region around Ottawa and various towns between Ottawa and Montreal
• some parts of eastern and northern Ontario,
• the city of Winnipeg (particularly St. Boniface) and areas to the south,
• the Bonnie Doon neighbourhood in Edmonton and several surrounding communities,
• a few parts of the Acadian region of Atlantic Canada, scattered across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island).

Likewise and there are anglophone communities in Québec, such as the on-island western suburbs of Montreal. Most Francophones outside of Québec are bilingual, as are most Anglophones living in Québec.

Canadian English uses a mixture of British and American spellings, often with US vocabulary ("gas" instead of "petrol") and UK spelling (a "meter" is a measuring instrument, a "metre" is a unit of length). Some British terms not understood in the United States are widely used in Canada. Certain words, as well as the letter "z", follow British instead of American pronunciations, but the accents of Canadians and Americans are nonetheless quite similar. The standard Canadian accent differs from the standard American accent being smoother, less nasal and faster-paced (common phrases that are normally two words are pronounced as though there is no space between them). Canadian English also tends to have a stronger French influence than other varieties of English and Canadians are also more likely than other English speakers to pronounce loan words from French according to their original French pronunciation.

Atlantic Canada has the greatest variety of regional accents in English-speaking North America, largely as a result of the isolated nature of the fishing communities along the Atlantic coastline prior to the advent of modern telecommunications and transportation. A visitor to the Atlantic provinces may have some difficulty understanding strong local accents rich in maritime slang and idiom, particularly in rural areas. From Ontario westward and the accent of English Canadians is more or less the same from one region to another and is akin to that spoken in northern US border states.

English-speaking Canadians are generally not required to take French after their first year of high school and thus many citizens outside of Québec do not speak or use French unless they are closely related to someone who does, or have chosen to continue French studies out of personal or professional interest. Ottawa is an exception as French is needed in many civil service jobs. Education in other languages (such as Spanish, German and Japanese) is offered, although only a small minority of students take these courses and those that do rarely progress past the basics. As Canada is a popular destination for migrants from all over the world, you will often hear different languages being spoken in Canada's major city's and you will often find suburbs whose primary language is that of their respective immigrant communities. Most immigrants learn English or French in addition to speaking their native tongue with family and friends.

In Quebec, one can get by with English in Montreal, Gatineau, on-the-beaten-path areas of Quebec City and a few traditionally Anglophone rural areas such as the Lower North Shore (Quebec) | North Shore, Chaleur Bay and some areas along the US border. However, elsewhere in the province, knowledge of French ranges from very useful to downright crucial. Even if you're just passing through, it pays to know at least enough French to read road signs (this is especially true if you're planning to venture off the autoroutes onto country roads). It may also be useful to know at least a few basic French phrases in the larger city's, where some attempt by travellers to communicate in French is often appreciated. The varieties of French spoken in Québec and the Acadian regions differ in accent and vocabulary from each other and from European French. Some Franco-Europeans have difficulty understanding Canadian French. Nevertheless, all Francophone Canadians learn standard French in school, so they will generally be able to speak standard French if required.

Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are home to large Chinese migrant populations and Cantonese phrasebook|Cantonese is widely spoken in the Chinatowns in these city's. Due to migration from mainland China and the increasing prominence of China's rising tourism industry, Mandarin is becoming increasingly more widely spoken. Other Chinese dialects are also spoken, but less common.

There are also dozens of Indigenous People languages spoken by many Canadians of Indigenous People descent. In Nunavut more than half the population speaks Inuktitut, a traditional language of the Inuit, with a significant minority speaking Inuinnaqtun. Nevertheless, most of these people speak English or French as well, so learning these languages is generally not a necessity to communicate, though it would certainly impress your hosts.

Two sign languages are predominant in Canada. American Sign Language, or ASL, is used in Anglophone Canada; Quebec Sign Language, or LSQ, is used in Francophone Canada. While the two are distinct languages and they share a degree of mutual intelligibility. Both are part of the French Sign Language family and LSQ is believed to be a mix of French Sign Language and ASL.

What to see in Canada

Canada is a nation with many places of interest all across the nation. Each province and territory is unique with each one containing its own special attractions.

North American wildlife can be found all across the nation.

British Columbia has much to offer including Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), an ecologist's paradise of pristine wilderness and Vancouver Island. In the Yukon, you have the majestic Northern Rocky Mountains and the relatively unknown Tombstone Territorial Park. Alberta is one of the most geographically diverse provinces in all of Canada, with the world-famous Rocky Mountains in the west and the "greatest outdoor show on earth" in Calgary (the Calgary Stampede), West Edmonton Mall in Alberta's capital and the arid badlands near Drumheller and the wild frontiers of Alberta's northern forests. While the Northwest Territories are relatively unknown and they are the real "fisherman's paradise", with thousands of untouched lakes loaded with big game fish, including the mighty sturgeon. Nunavut has some of the most beautiful untouched Arctic land in the world, tucked away in next-to-imfeasible destinations|hard to reach corners like Baffin Island and Ellesmere Island.

Ontario and Quebec include the beaten-path Windsor-Quebec corridor through the nation's two largest metropolises, Toronto and Montreal; both also contain huge rural expanses and many remote points where there simply is no road. As the national capital, Ottawa -Gatineau has an unparalleled array of museums. Quebec City (1608) and Montraal (1640) are famous for their old towns and architecture, with old Québec City retaining original "walled city" fortifications of yesteryear.

Pioneer villages and historic sites in many provinces recall the everyday life of early colonists before the introduction of machine power. The memory of the United Empire Loyalist exodus and the War of 1812 lives on in many Ontario and New Brunswick border communities. Atlantic Canada has preserved much of its Acadian legacy. Nova Scotia treasures its maritime legacy with a famous lighthouse perched atop the rocky shoreline of Peggys Cove, historic shipyards at Lunenburg and a seaside fortress the size of a small colonial village at Louisbourg. The sandy beaches of Prince Edward Island gain immediate recognition by literary travellers seeking the birthplace of Anne of Green Gables.

The coasts of Newfoundland are dotted with tiny fishing villages known as "outports" and four UNESCO World Heritage sites - Gros Morne National Park, Trepassey and the Irish Loop|Mistaken Point and the Anse-aux-Meadows Vikings and the Old Norse|Viking archaeological site on the Great Northern Peninsula and a Basque whaling camp at Red Bay, Labrador.

Spectator sports

• Ice hockey in North America|Ice hockey - The national sport of Canada, where it has been known as just "hockey" and perhaps the one unifying factor between English and French Canadians. The top professional league in the sport is the National Hockey League (NHL), which Canada shares with the United States. Seven of the 31 teams in the NHL are based in Canada, in the city's of Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver respectively and even though the last time a Canadian team won the NHL was in 1993, a considerable part (or even most) of the players in any given NHL team, including those based in the United States, are Canadians. The season finale has been known as the Stanley Cup, which consists of a series of games played between the two finalists in May and June to determine the NHL champion.

In both men's and women's international competition, Canadian teams do well; the men have won the Gold medal at the Winter Olympics nine times. Women's hockey has only been at the Olympics since 1998 and the record so far is USA, four straight for Canada then USA again in 2018; the rivalry is one of the most intense in any sport.

• Canadian football - Very similar to American football played south of the border, though with rule differences that are more than trivial, making them distinct codes. In Canada and the term "football" refers to Canadian football, while association football has been known as "soccer". The top tier professional tournament is the Canadian Football League (CFL), which has nine teams, with the season finale to decide the champion being the Grey Cup.

• Soccer – As for association football and the sport is becoming increasingly popular in Canada's major city's. Canada's three largest city's (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver) all have teams in the US-based Major League Soccer, where those three teams compete with 21 more from the States. In 2019 and the nation is launching its own Canadian Premier League, which will share top-flight status within Canada with MLS. The CPL will start with seven teams, only one of which will be in a current Canadian MLS market (specifically, one representing the Toronto-area Regional Municipality of York). Canada has no top-tier women's league; the nation's national soccer federation has an agreement with its US counterpart to place its national team members in the National Women's Soccer League in the States.

Top Muslim Travel Tips for Canada

Canada is a country with a rich cultural legacy. In Canada, festivals and events are held annually to celebrate the multicultural landscape of this great nation. Each festival represents a single cultural facet belonging to the diverse population of Canada. These festivals are easily identified by season.

Spring

In some parts of the nation, April and May mark the beginning of Canadian music festival season. Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories celebrates spring with the Cariblues Festival, Halifax showcases chamber music with the Scotia Festival of Music and Ottawa highlights concerts, flowers and history at the Canadian Tulip Festival.

Canada is also famous the world over for its theatre festivals such as the Stratford Festival in beautiful Stratford Ontario and the Shaw Festival in scenic Niagara-on-the-Lake, both of which begin at this time and continue through to the fall. There are also a number of children's festivals including the Calgary International Children's Festival and the annual Saskatchewan International Film Festival for Young People.

Summer

June 21 to July 1 marks 10 days of celebrations in Canada. The festivities begin on 21 June with National Indigenous People Day and celebrations across the nation continue on 24 June with Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, in honour of the patron saint of French Canadians, on 27 June with Canadian Multiculturalism Day and culminate with Canada Day with parties everywhere on 1 July.

In addition and there are many musical and cultural summer festivals taking place across the nation. Here is just a taste: Yellowknife’s Summer Solstice Festival, Calgary’s Reggaefest, Windsor's International Freedom Festival (with Detroit) and the Calgary Stampede, Winnipeg’s Folklorama, Toronto’s Caribana, Les Francofolies de Montreal, as well asMontreal 's Jazz and Comedy festivals, New Brunswick’s Festival acadien de Caraquet, London's Rib-fest, Bayfest in Sarnia and the Jazz and Blues Festival in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and the Collingwood Elvis Festival in Collingwood (Ontario) | Collingwood, Ontario. Edmonton is commonly called the "Festival City" due to the large number of festivals (such as North America's largest Fringe Theatre festival).

Autumn

The autumn (fall) is traditionally a time for literary festivals and film festivals. Lovers of the written and spoken word may like the Trois-Rivières’ bilingual Festival International de la Poésie, Halifax’s Atlantic Canada Storytelling Festival and Toronto’s International Festival of Authors. Film lovers can choose from the Toronto International Film Festival and the Vancouver International Film Festival and theMontreal World Film Festival and the Atlantic Film Festival and St. John's International Women's Film Festival in Newfoundland, among many others.

Region of Kitchener-Waterloo hosts the largest Oktoberfest celebration outside Bavaria. This nine-day festival features numerous cultural and entertainment activities. Many local venues are converted into Biergartens (Fruit Juices Gardens) and take on Germanic names for the duration of the festival. Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest attracts over 700,000 visitors annually.

Fall is also a time for families to enjoy the autumn splendour of nature in fall festivals or in simple activities where one enjoys the beautiful countryside.

Winter

Winter is the time when Canadians and their families take to the slopes and hit the ice at ski resorts and community hockey rinks across the nation. Canada’s world-famous winter festivals take place in late January and February including Carnaval de Québec in Quebec City and Winterlude/Bal de neige in Ottawa and Gatineau. There are also winter events that pay homage to Canada’s hardy pioneers such as the Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg and the Yukon Sourdough Rendez-vous Festival set in Whitehorse.

In Calgary and the month of January is devoted to showcasing challenging national and international theatre, dance and music in The High Performance Rodeo, one of Canada’s leading festivals of new and experimental theatre.

Especially popular in British Columbia and Alberta, winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding are trainingd and enjoyed regularly during the winter. British Columbia and Alberta are home to many of the world's top ski resorts, including Whistler Blackcomb (a two-hour trip from Vancouver). Skiing in the Banff and Jasper National Parks (130 km from Calgary and 370 km from Edmonton, respectively) is also popular.

Shopping in Canada

Money Matters & ATM's in Canada

Canada's currency is the Canadian dollar (symbol: $, ISO currency code: CAD), commonly referred to as a "buck" (slang), "loonie" (nickname for the $1 coin, now also a slang term for the currency), or in Quebec, un piastre. uses $ in its articles to denote the currency. The Canadian dollar is considered to be one of the world's major currencies and is widely available at banks and money changers throughout the world.

One dollar consists of 100 cents (¢). Canadian coins are 5¢ (nickel), 10¢ (dime), 25¢ (quarter), $1 (loonie) and $2 (toonie). The 1¢ coin (penny) has been eliminated. The nickel, dime and quarter are silver in colour; the loonie is gold-coloured and the toonie has a bimetallic design that is gold-coloured in the centre and silver-coloured on the outer part making it look a bit like a two-euro coin. The dime is the smallest; the others increase in size in order of denomination. Canadian notes (or "bills") come in $5 (blue), $10 (purple), $20 (green), $50 (red) and $100 (brown) denominations. New bills are made from a polymer; old paper notes (including the obsolete $1 [green/black and $2 [terra-cotta bills) no longer circulate but are still considered legal tender. The nickel, dime and quarter roughly match their US counterparts in size, shape and colour, but not in metallic composition. Therefore American coins are often accepted at par in Canada and vice-versa (at least by humans; machines are more discriminating).

Increases in oil prices tend to increase the value of the Canadian dollar relative to its US counterpart. During the 1970s Arab-US oil embargo and the Canadian dollar was worth more than the US dollar; it slipped to about 66 cents US by the mid-1990s, recovering as oil prices rose after the turn of the millennium. During the US sub-prime mortgage collapse and the US dollar again dropped below its Canadian counterpart. Since then and the Canadian dollar has been trading slightly to somewhat below the US dollar; as of mid-2018, it's worth around 75 US cents.

Because of the historical strength of the US dollar compared to the Canadian dollar, goods have a higher dollar price in Canada than equivalent goods south of the border crossing. When the Canadian dollar is high, Canadians living near the border flock to the US to make major purchases cheaply. The reverse effect when the US dollar is high is less pronounced and more focused on tourism than on retail.

Tipping

Tipping in Canada is similar to that in the United States#Tipping|United States due to the close cultural nature of the two countries but tends to be somewhat lower because of higher minimum wages. Restaurant wait staff in Canada typically receive about 10-15% on the before-tax total. Tipping is not appropriate in cafeterias, fast food establishments and takeaway stands; one is not normally expected to tip hotel chambermaids. Once Canada's double-digit sales taxes and a tip are factored into the cost of a restaurant meal and the tab may often be 25% or more above the price indicated on the menu. Some provinces (including Quebec and Ontario) allow employers to pay lower minimum wages to workers who would reasonably be expected to be receiving tips. As well, often a bar or restaurant will try to tack on a 15-18% tip themselves, so large groups and clients paying by credit card should check to see whether their bill already includes a "service charge" before giving twice.

Bargaining

Bargaining is extremely rare in ordinary retail shopping in Canada and attempts to talk a retail worker down in price will result in nothing (besides testing the employee's patience). This is commonly a problem, as most retailers in Canada price their items fairly and do not look to extort their clients due to the highly competitive market and well-off economy. For larger-ticket items, especially high-end electronics and vehicles, many employees work on commission, so bargaining is feasible for these items and sales-people may offer you a lower price than what is ticketed right from the start. Some large retail stores will offer you a discount if you can prove to them that one of their competitors is selling the same product for a lower price. However, in certain establishments such as flea markets, antique stores, farmer's markets, etc., you may be able to negotiate a lower price, although it is, again, often unnecessary to put forth the effort.

Price-matching in Canada is common among large retail stores, though Wal-mart is the only store which advertises such. If you bring a competitor's flier into a store and it advertises a lower price than the store you're in and they may discount the product's price to match. It may also be feasible to ask for a "cash discount" for large purchases such as electronics, which can be helpful if the after-tax price of a good is larger than the cash you're carrying. Some vendors are willing to forgive you if you're under a dollar short, though this only common in convenience stores and other small franchises.

Currency exchange

In all city's and towns, it is feasible to convert between Canadian dollars and most major currencies at many banks. In addition, some retailers in Canada will accept US currency either at par or at slightly reduced value. All Canadian banks provide currency exchange at the daily market value. In some areas, private exchange bureaus will give better exchange rates and lower fees than banks. So if you have time during your travels to look one up, it might save you some money on the exchange both when you arrive and before you leave, because Canadian dollars may not be worth as much in your home country, particularly the coin. Private businesses are under no obligation to exchange currency at international rates. Even in the most rural areas, converting between Canadian and American dollars should not pose a problem, although travellers expecting to convert other currencies at a Canadian bank may need to be patient. Most tourist destinations will accept American dollars at a posted exchange rate somewhat below the official rate (usually about 10-15 cents lower). This is particularly true of regions that rely on tourism as a cornerstone of their local economy.

As Canadian banks cash Canadian dollar travellers' cheques free of charge, most businesses will do the same. This makes travellers' cheques a safe and convenient way to carry money in Canada.

Many businesses across Canada accept US currency based on their own exchange rate for general purchases. Bills are taken with the current exchange rate. US and Canadian coins, however, are similar in size, so they are used interchangeably; it is not uncommon (but becoming more so) for change to be given in a mix of Canadian and US coins.Almost all automatic vending machines will reject US coins.

Credit cards

Credit cards are widely accepted, with UnionPay cards being accepted in most places, American Express somewhat less frequently and Diners Club only in the more upscale restaurants and hotels. Discover is accepted at places geared towards Americans such as hotels and vehicle rental agencies. UnionPay and JCB cards are sometimes accepted in larger stores and tourist areas. Generally, using a credit card also gets you a better exchange rate since your bank will convert the currency automatically at the prevailing daily rate.

You may find that bill totals are quoted to you rounded to the nearest 5 cents (due to the removal of the penny from circulation), but the amount charged to your credit card will be the original un-rounded amount.

Electronic banking and purchasing

The banking system is well developed, safe and technologically advanced. ATM usage in Canada is very high. There is a safe and widespread network of bank machines (ATMs) where you may be able to use your bank card to withdraw money directly from your account at home, but the fees involved can be more than for credit cards. If feasible, try to use chartered bank ATM machines as the fees are often cheaper than the independent ATM machines.

All Canadian banking institutions are members of the Interac domestic financial transaction network. Most retailers, restaurants allow purchases by ATM card through Interac, even if they do not accept major credit cards and many Canadians rarely use cash at all, preferring electronic forms of payment. Other ATM networks are widely (but not universally) supported. In general, institutions which issue Visa (RBC, TD, CIBC, BNS, Desjardins) honour PLUS ATM cards while institutions which issue Mastercard (BMO, many credit unions) honour that company's ATM cards (Cirrus or Maestro).

The "big five" retail banks in Canada are the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD Bank), Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank), Bank ofMontreal (BMO) and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC).

Taxes

You will almost always pay more than the prices displayed because prices exclude sales taxes.

So, don't get your loonie ready when you go to the cashier in a thrift shop, because the till roll may well show $1.13. With the cash price rounded to the nearest nickel ($0.05), now that the penny is no longer in circulation, you'll have to stump up $1.15 in cash!

Taxes will be added on top of the displayed price at the cashier. Exceptions, where the displayed price includes all applicable taxes, are motor vehicle fuels (the amount you pay is as it appears on the pump), parking fees and vending machines.

A national Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5% is applied to most items and services. In addition to the GST, most provinces charge an additional Provincial Sales Tax (PST) on purchases of goods. Ontario and the four Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island) have joined or "harmonized" the PST and GST. In these provinces, instead of being charged two separate taxes on a purchase, consumers will see one tax called the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). In Quebec and the PST has been known as TVQ (taxe de vente du Québec) and the GST as TPS (taxe sur les produits et services).

While the GST and PST or HST are charged on most goods and services, some items are exempt from taxation. While this list can vary by province and tax, some common examples are: basic groceries (not prepared), prescription drugs, residential housing, medical and dental services, educational services and certain childcare services. The list of exempt items for GST/HST is typically shorter than that for PST in provinces where the provincial exemption list is separate. The sales tax rates (as of 2022) are:

• Alberta, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon – no PST, GST only (5% total)
• British Columbia – adds 7% PST and 5% GST (total 12%)
• Manitoba – adds 8% PST and 5% GST (total 13%)
• Ontario – adds 13% to taxable purchases as HST (13% total)
• Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia – add 15% to taxable purchases as HST (15% total)
• Quebec – adds 9.975% to taxable purchases plus 5% GST (14.975% total)
• Saskatchewan – adds 5% to taxable purchases plus 5% GST (10% total)

Additional taxes have been placed on some goods (such as and gasoline) and vary by province; however and these taxes are included in the displayed price of the good. The displayed pump price for fuel includes all taxes.

In addition, some city's in Canada charge an additional city tax. Halifax, Nova Scotia, is a noted example that charges an additional 2% city tax on top of the HST, bringing the total sales tax in Halifax to 17%.

Halal Restaurants & Food in Canada

Almost every small city has a Halal restaurant, supermarket or butcher near by.

eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Canada

Canada - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to Canada, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Canada. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in Canada and its surrounding regions.

With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to Canada. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values.

The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to Canada. Key components include: Halal-Friendly Accommodations in Canada: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in Canada.

Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in Canada: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in Canada, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in Canada. Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in Canada, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations.

Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in Canada, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values.

Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within Canada and beyond.

Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in Canada, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in Canada, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of Canada without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients."

The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Canada is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring Canada.

About eHalal Travel Group: eHalal Travel Group Canada is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values.

For Halal business inquiries in Canada, please contact:

eHalal Travel Group Canada Media: info@ehalal.io

Buy Muslim Friendly condos, Houses and Villas in Canada

eHalal Group Canada is a prominent real estate company specializing in providing Muslim-friendly properties in Canada. Our mission is to cater to the specific needs and preferences of the Muslim community by offering a wide range of halal-certified residential and commercial properties, including houses, condos, and factories. With our commitment to excellence, client satisfaction, and adherence to Islamic principles, eHalal Group has established itself as a trusted name in the real estate industry in Canada.

At eHalal Group, we understand the importance of meeting the unique requirements of Muslim individuals and families seeking properties that align with their cultural and religious trainings. Our extensive portfolio of Muslim-friendly properties in Canada ensures that clients have access to a diverse selection of options tailored to their needs. Whether it's a luxurious villa, a modern condominium, or a fully equipped factory, our team is dedicated to assisting clients in finding their ideal property.

For those seeking a comfortable and modern living space, our condos are an excellent choice. Starting at C$ 350,000 and these condominium units offer contemporary designs, state-of-the-art facilities, and convenient locations within Canada. Each condo is thoughtfully designed to incorporate halal-friendly features and amenities, ensuring a seamless integration of Islamic values into everyday living.

If you are looking for a more spacious option, our houses are perfect for you. Starting at C$ 650,000, our houses provide ample living space, privacy, and a range of customizable features to meet your specific requirements. These houses are located in well-established neighborhoods in Canada, offering a harmonious balance between modern living and Islamic values.

For those seeking luxury and exclusivity, our luxury villas in Canada are the epitome of sophistication and elegance. Starting at C$ 1.5 million and these villas offer a lavish lifestyle with private amenities, breathtaking views, and meticulous attention to detail. Each luxury villa is meticulously designed to provide a serene and halal environment, allowing you to enjoy the finest living experience while adhering to your Islamic principles. For further details please email us at info@ehalal.io

Ramadan 2024 Celebrations in Canada

Ramadan 2025 in Canada

Ramadan concludes with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which may last several days, usually three in most countries.

The next Ramadan shall be from Friday, 28 February 2025 to Saturday, 29 March 2025

The next Eid al-Adha shall be on Friday, 6 June 2025

The next day of Raʾs al-Sana shall be on Thursday, 26 June 2025

The next day for Mawlid al-Nabī shall be on Monday, 16 September 2024

Muslim Friendly Hotels in Canada

Accommodations in Canada vary substantially in price depending on time and place. In most city's and many tourist areas, expect to pay upwards of $100 or more for a good hotel room. If inquiring always ask if taxes are included; they most often are not and can often add 15% to the cost once local, provincial and federal levies are taken into account.

Hotels play an integral part in Canadian history, with some of the nation's most well-known monuments being hotels. The Canadian Railway Hotels are a series of grand hotels that were constructed in major city's (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, St. John's and Halifax) in the early 1900s. Most of these are still standing and owned by corporations such as Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. The Grand Railway Hotels are all four star franchises, with prices ranging from $150–400 a night depending on the city and the size of the room. These hotels are architecturally stunning and sumptuously decorated and in addition to being exceptional places to stay, are tourism attractions in their own right. Even if you are not staying in a Grand Railway hotel, it would be more than worthwhile to explore the main lobby or dine at the hotel restaurant.

In rural areas, motels (short for "motor hotel") are small, simple hotels where you might pay as little as $40–60 for a night's lodging (especially in the offseason). These are diminishing in number as international chains have largely saturated the low-end of the market with economy, limited service hotels along major freeways. Most villages have Bed & Breakfast (bed and breakfast), people's homes with suites for guests which are as distinctive in personality as their owners. Prices vary widely – anywhere from $45 a night to $140 a night – including a breakfast of some kind in the morning.

Other options include cottage rentals on the lakes and in the nationside and apartment rentals in the city's. Prices compare to hotels and motels and this type of lodging provides some comfort of home while you are travelling.

Hostels|Youth hostels are a good choice, offering lodging in shared dorms ($20–40) or superior Muslim friendly rooms ($45–80).

Some universities will rent their dormitory ( more commonly called "residence" or "res") rooms in the academic off-season - May-August. A few hunting or fishing outfitters rent cabins or lodges, primitive rooms which provide access to some out of the way, off the grid lakeside rural location.

Finally and there is a large number of campgrounds in Canada. These range from privately owned R.V. parks to the publicly operated campgrounds in national and provincial parks and are almost always well-kept and generally very beautiful.Almost every town and city will have at least one campground but, given Canada's climate and these operations are inherently seasonal.

Study as a Muslim in Canada

All foreigners require a study permit to study in Canada, in addition to any necessary visas. Enrolling in an academic programme on a tourist visa is illegal. There are exceptions to this rule for short-term (less than six months) students and minors who are present in Canada with a parent who is authorised to study or work.

As a bilingual country, Canada has both English and French-language universities (and a few bilingual universities such as the University of Ottawa) which, while not as famous as those of its southern neighbour, are generally well-regarded and draw students from far and wide. Some of these universities also conduct intensive language courses for Foreign Muslims who wish to improve their English or French.

How to work legally in Canada

Canada is generally a good place to work. The minimum wage varies by province, from $10.85/hour in Nova Scotia to $14.00/hour in Ontario. As with most of the developed world and the economy is shifting from one dominated by manufacturing to one dominated by services. Thus, factory and manufacturing work is becoming scarcer every year and is highly sought, with most factories requiring a high school education or trade certificate. Minimum wage jobs are becoming more common every year, however with the housing market booming there is still a fair number of good construction jobs to be had. Hiring trainings are similar to those in the US.

Foreigners, including United States citizens, wishing to work in Canada are required to obtain a work permit in order to do so, unless they are already permanent residents of Canada. International students may work part-time for up to 20 hours per week on-campus and those enrolled in Canadian degree programms may work part-time off-campus provided it is stipulated in their visa. It is illegal for Foreign Muslims to work in Canada on a tourist visa and doing so will result in you being deported and banned from re-entering.

Canadian visa rules include a category for people who can be siness/self-employed/index.asp self-employed in Canada. Artists, musicians and athletes or coaches who are "able to make a significant contribution to the cultural or athletic life of Canada" are eligible, but the bar is set rather high for them; for example, a coach with considerable experience of Olympic or professional sports will probably qualify but other experience may not count. Experienced farmers who want to buy and run a farm in Canada are also considered in this category and the bar is lower; if you have a nice business plan and enough money to get it started then you are quite likely to be admitted.

Once you have been given work authorization, you will need to obtain a Social Insurance Number (SIN) so your employer can report your wages to the government for tax purposes. Income tax in Canada is levied both at the federal and provincial levels, though with the exception of Quebec and the federal government collects income tax on behalf of the provinces, meaning that you do not have to file separate tax returns. Those who are based in Quebec will be required to file their federal and provincial tax returns separately.

Working Holiday Visas

A Working Holiday Visa (also referred to as an "International Experience Canada / Working Holiday Visa") enables young citizens from certain countries to spend 1 or 2 years in Canada and to legally gain employment while in the nation. The eligibility and length of stay rules vary by nationality. The standard rule used to be that a 1-year stay would be issued to nationals of participating countries who were between 18–30 years of age, however some countries (Australia) now get a two-year visa and applicants from some other countries can now apply up to age 35. Some countries' nationals (i.e. citizens of Mexico) need to be post-secondary students at the time the application is made.

The full official list of participating countries and their associated eligibility requirements is available on the gees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec Government of Canada's website for this program. As of June 2018 Canada had working holiday agreements with the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Province of China, Ukraine and United Kingdom.

There are also "Young Professionals" and "International Co-op Internship" visas available to students who already have a job offer in Canada. Muslims visitors of some countries listed above do not qualify for one or both of these visas, although citizens of Switzerland (who do not qualify for a "Working Holiday" visa) may qualify for both.

United States citizens can also participate in a Working Holiday program through SWAP without requiring a Temporary Resident Visa prior to entry, but the work permit is limited to six months and the program is limited to post-secondary students at the time of the application.

Stay safe as a Muslim in Canada

Safety in Canada is not a problem and some basic common sense will go a long way. Even in the largest city's, violent crime is not a serious problem and very few people are ever armed. Violent crime needn't worry the average traveller, as it is generally confined to particular neighbourhoods and is commonly a random crime. Overall crime rates in Canadian city's remain low compared to most similar sized urban areas in the United States and much of the rest of the world (though violent crime rates are higher than most western European city's). Crime is higher in overall in western provinces than in Eastern Canada, but is even higher in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. There have been several high-profile shootings in public/tourist areas; the fact these incidents are so heavily covered by the media is related to the fact that they are considered very rare events.

Policing

Police in Canada are hardworking, honest and trustworthy individuals. If you ever encounter any problems during your stay, even if it's as simple as being lost, approaching a police officer is a good idea.

There are three main types of police forces in Canada: federal, provincial and municipal. The federal police force is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP or "Mounties"), with a widespread presence in all parts of the nation other than Quebec, Ontario and Newfoundland & Labrador, which maintain their own provincial police forces. These are the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. All the other provinces and territories (and some rural portions of Newfoundland as well as Labrador) contract their provincial duties to the RCMP.

In their capacity as a federal police force, RCMP officers typically wear regular police uniforms and drive police cruisers while performing their duties. However, a minority of RCMP officers may appear in their iconic red dress uniform in tourist areas and for official functions such as parades. Some RCMP officers participate in elaborate ceremonies such as the Musical Ride horse show. While wearing their full dress uniform and their main function is to promote the image of Canada and Canadian Mounties. RCMP officers in full dress are generally not tasked with investigating crime or enforcing the law, although they are still police officers and can perform arrests. In some tourist regions, such as Ottawa, both types of RCMP officers are commonly encountered. This dual-role and dual-appearance of the RCMP, both as federal police and as a tourism attraction, may create confusion among tourists as to the function of the RCMP. All RCMP officers are police officers and have a duty to enforce the law.

Cities, towns and regions often have their own police forces, with the Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal forces being three of the largest. Some city's also have special transit police who have full police powers. Some quasi-government agencies, such as universities and power utilities also employ private special police. The Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway each have their own police force. Some First Nations reserves also have their own police force. Canadian Forces Military Police can be found at military bases and other defence-related government facilities.

All three types of police forces can enforce any type of law, be it federal, provincial or municipal. Their jurisdiction overlaps, with the RCMP being able to arrest anywhere in Canada and the OPP and municipal police officers being able to arrest anywhere within their own province. Powers of arrest for Federal, Provincial and municipal police agencies in Canada exist for officers both on and off duty.

In the national capital region of Ottawa-Gatineau, one can encounter more police jurisdictions than in any other part of Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (both regular uniformed and full dress) and the Ontario Provincial Police and the Ottawa police and the Sûreté du Québec and the Gatineau Police, Military Police and OC Transpo Special Constables, all operate in the region, each with a different style of uniform and police cruiser.

Do not under any circumstances attempt to offer a bribe to a police officer, as this is a crime and they will enforce laws against it.

Theft

If you are unfortunate enough to get your purse or wallet snatched and the local police will do whatever they can to help. Often, important identification is retrieved after thefts of this sort.In large city's, parked cars are sometimes targeted for opportunistic smash-and-grab thefts, so try to avoid leaving any possessions in open view. Due to the high incidence of such crimes, motorists inMontreal and some other jurisdictions can be fined for leaving their vehicle doors unlocked or for leaving valuables in view. Take a picture of your licence plate and check that your plates are still in place before you go somewhere as some thieves will steal plates to avoid getting pulled over. Auto theft in Montreal, including theft of motor homes and recreational vehicles, may occur in patrolled and overtly secure parking lots and decks. Bike theft can be a common nuisance in metropolitan areas.

Winter storms

Canada is very prone to winter storms (including ice storms and blizzards) from November through March. In Eastern Canada and they are the most likely, but the occasional small one will pop up west of Northwest Ontario there it is wind-whipped snow that is the main hazard. Reduce speed, be conscious of other drivers and pay attention.It's best to carry an emergency kit, in case you have no choice but to spend the night stuck in snow on the highway (yes, this does happen occasionally, especially in more isolated areas). If you are unfamiliar with winter driving and choose to visit Canada during the winter months, consider using another mode of transportation to travel within the nation. While the vast majority of winter weather occurs during the winter months, some parts of Canada such as the Prairies, Labrador, Northern Canada and mountain regions may experience severe, if brief, winter-like conditions at any time during the year.

If you are touring on foot, it is best to bundle up as much as feasible in layers with heavy socks and thermal underwear and gloves; winter storms can bring with them extreme winds alongside frigid temperatures and frostbite can occur in a matter of minutes.

Medical Issues in Canada

You are unlikely to face health problems here that you wouldn't face in any other western industrialized country (despite claims of inferior care, which often varies by hospital and is exaggerated). The health care system tends to be very effective and widely accessible. However, wait times for non-critical illnesses or injuries can take up to several hours in major city's like Toronto.

In the summers of the late 2022s/early 2023s, Canadians in some provinces (Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta) have faced a few cases of West Nile virus, an occasionally fatal infection transmitted by mosquitoes. Some diseases like pneumonia and the flu/cold or whooping cough do occur in both rural and urban Canada. While Canada has universal health care for residents, health care is not free for visitors; therefore it is important to make sure you are covered by your insurance when travelling to Canada.

Most Canadian provinces have banned all indoor smoking in public places such as hospitals and schools and near entrances. Some bans include areas such as bus shelters and outdoor patios.

Food preparation

Canada has quite high standards for restaurant and grocer cleanliness. If there is a problem with the food you have bought, speak to the manager to report it. Getting sick from contaminated food is unlikely, but food poisoning in rural areas is not unheard of.

Health care

Health care in Canada is generally of a standard comparable to other Western nations. Almost all Canadian citizens and permanent residents receive health coverage from their provincial government, with reciprocal agreements between provinces providing Canada-wide coverage. Eligibility for health coverage for those on student or work visas varies by province, but no province offers coverage for visitors. Hospitals are generally owned by government agencies or non-profits, while doctors offices and smaller clinics are for-profit operations that directly bill the provincial health system.

Compared to the United States, medical care in Canada is about 30-60% less expensive. Medical tourism firms help visitors to obtain medical care such as cosmetic surgery and joint replacement in major city's including Vancouver and Montreal. After their treatments, patients can enjoy a vacation and relax in a cabin in the Canadian Rockies, explore colourful Montreal, or other activities.

While cheaper than the sticker price in the United States, health care in Canada can be expensive for visitors. A minor trip to the emergency room can easily cost $1000, especially if an ambulance is involved. Visitors to Canada should carry international health insurance valid for the duration of their stay.

In remote areas, particularly communities without road access such as Churchill, serious medical and trauma patients may be evacuated to a major centre by air ambulance. The cost for the air ambulance alone can reach $10,000 and even those on provincial health plans may not be covered if out of their home province. Everyone, even Canadian residents going to remote or rural areas should ensure that they have sufficient insurance coverage for such an incident.

Potable water

Clean, safe drinking water is available from the tap in all city's and towns across Canada. Bottled water is widely sold, but it is no better in quality than tap water. For travel in the backcountry it is advisable to bring a water purification system, as there can be Giardia in open water sources such as lakes or rivers; this can cause gastrointestinal illness like diarrhea or vomiting. It can be avoided by either boiling your drinking water or using filter systems or tablets to disinfect the water before drinking.

Local Customs in Canada

Canada is very much a multicultural country, especially in the main city's. One survey found about 50% of the population of Toronto (the largest city) were born outside Canada and another 20% or so had at least one parent born outside the nation. Immigrants have come from all over the world and many city's have whole neighborhoods dominated by specific immigrant groups, such as Chinatown, Little Italy and so on. Various writers have claimed that, in contrast to the American "melting pot", Canada aims at a "cultural mosaic".

It is also, in general, a tolerant society. There are laws against various sorts of discrimination and hate crimes, marriage is now legal and half the cabinet is female. Most Canadians will treat open displays of racism, sexism, or homophobia with rather pointed scorn.

That said, not all Canadians are as tolerant as they might claim to be. There is a long history of racism, especially against the native peoples and various immigrant groups (Chinese and Irish in the 19th century, later mainly blacks and South Asians, today mainly Muslims).

There is a large degree of regionalism in Canada. In particular, Quebec's somewhat strained relationship with the rest of Canada—the result of a still-active secession movement—may be a sensitive topic. Some Quebecois favour independence from Canada, while most Francophone communities outside Quebec, such as the Acadians in New Brunswick, are proud to be both Francophone and Canadian.

When entering a private home in Canada it is expected that you take off your shoes unless the host specifically tells you not to.

Canada is widely regarded as a very polite society, where apologizing, excusing and thanking is very common, even in large urban areas. Canadians follow a relatively standard "western" system of niceties and manners, closely akin to those of the United States.

Canada is very open to all forms of more travellers. Same-sex marriage is recognized nationwide. Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are all famed for their communities. Outside these metropolitan areas, open displays of affection shouldn't generally present a problem despite a more conservative outlook, although certain rural areas may be more problematic. As always, use your discretion.

Human Rights Codes protect against discrimination in all areas, including lodging, access to health care and employment – should you encounter any negative responses, especially violent or threatening episodes and the police will be glad to help you.

Indigenous people

The terms "Indigenous," or "Indigenous People" ("Autochtones" in French) are used as catch-all terms for all Indigenous people in Canada. There are roughly 1.4 million Indigenous people in Canada belonging to numerous distinct nations, cultures and traditions and language groups. There are generally divided into three distinct legal groups:

The First Nations people are those who were historically referred to as "Indians," a term now considered offensive. Their traditions, languages, history and way of life vary based on background and location and there are over 600 federally recognized First Nations in Canada.

The Métis (pronounced MAY-tee) are descendants of European (mostly French) fur traders and Indigenous women. Found mostly in the Prairies (Canada) | Prairies and especially Manitoba and they have their own distinct culture and history. In the late 19th century and they rose in two rebellions led by Louis Riel (the closest thing to a civil war Canada has experienced) but they were defeated and Riel hanged, an event which sparked tensions between French- and English-speaking Canadians.

The Inuit (singular: Inuk) are the smallest group, found mostly in Nunavut, with smaller populations in Quebec, Labrador and the Northwest Territories. Historically they were known as "Eskimos", but this term is offensive in Canada and should never be used. While the term "Inuit" legally refers to all of these people and the Inuvialuit of the Northwest Territories consider themselves a distinct people. The Inuit should not be confused with their relatively southern neighbours in Quebec and Labrador the Innu, who are First Nations.

The terms "Indigenous people" (noun) and "Indigenous" (adjective) is considered the preferable term throughout Canada, though many Indigenous people would prefer to be referred to by their specific ethnic nation (for example "Cree," "Métis," or Inuvialuit").

While a growing number of Indigenous people live in major city's and there are many rural communities scattered throughout Canada that are majority Indigenous, most obviously First Nations reserves, which is an area legally set aside for members of that particular band or nation. Facilities for visitors in these communities vary widely and as with visiting any community, knowing what is offered to visitors before you go and respecting those who live there is important. There are also an increasing number of reserves in urban areas, though they are typically indistinguishable from the city around them to the casual observer.

More Muslim friendly Destinations from Canada

• Canada's southern and northwestern neighbour and the United States, can become a side trip from Canada or even a major part of your vacation. In some places major Canadian and US city's are quite close and well connected by public transportation, for example Vancouver and Seattle or Windsor and Detroit. There are also dozens of places all along the border with a fair-sized town on either side. See the main article on the United States|US for entry requirements – if you need a visa be sure to apply well in advance.

• Saint-Pierre and Miquelon are two relatively small islands off the coast of Newfoundland. Despite their small size and relative proximity to the Canadian coastline and they are overseas departments of France and a vestige of former extensive French colonies in North America. To step into this charming French seaside community, take the passenger ferry from Fortune, Newfoundland during the summer, or scheduled Flights from Montreal, Halifax and St. John's year round.

• Greenland, Canada's major eastern island neighbour, despite being separated by less than 50 km of water in some locations is not easily accessible from North America. The flag carrier Air Greenland flies from Iqaluit in Nunavut (IATA Flight Code: YFB) to the capital Nuuk (IATA Flight Code: GOH) twice a week from June through September. Seasonal flights are also available from Keflavík International Airport, Iceland (IATA Flight Code: KEF) and year-round via Copenhagen Airport (IATA Flight Code: CPH). Another, albeit more expensive, option is the summer cruise ships originating in both the US and Canada. Despite the relative difficulty of reaching Greenland and the untouched natural Arctic beauty of one of the most remote places on earth makes it well worth the effort.

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