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Average Temperatures by Month:
High, Low
January 23, 3
February 31, 6
March 42, 18
April 54, 27
May 64, 34
June 69, 42
July 74, 44
August 73, 43
September 65, 36
October 52, 30
November 38, 21
December 25, 8
Packing
In winter, dress warmly in "layers." A hat, scarf, gloves and sturdy shoes are essential. For summer travel,
select loose-fitting natural-fiber clothes; pack a wool sweater and light jacket. If you plan on camping or hiking in the deep woods in summer, carry insect repellent, especially in June, which is blackfly season.
Holidays
New Year's Day, January 1
Good Friday March, April (varies)
Easter Monday (varies)
Victoria Day May 22
Canada Day July 1
British Columbia celebrates British Columbia Day August 7
Labour Day first Monday in September
Thanksgiving second Monday in October
Remembrance Day November 11
Christmas, and Boxing Day December 25, 26
Business Hours
Most banks in Canada are open
Monday-Thursday 10-3 and Friday 10-5 or 6. Some banks are open longer hours and also on Saturday morning. All banks are closed on national holidays.
Telus Guest Communications Centre, in the Roundhouse Lodge at the top
of Whistler Mountain, is a business communication center where skiers can check their stocks, answer their e-mail, and recharge their cell phones between getting off the lift and skiing down the mountain. The center has
constant global stock updates on a Bloomberg stock exchange monitor, a small meeting room, fax machines, a photocopier, card swipe phones, wall clocks showing the time in major cities, and instant Internet links. The services
are free. Open 9-3 daily, Nov.-June. 604/905-2380; FAX: 604/932-1095.
Shops
Stores, shops, and supermarkets are usually open Monday-Saturday 9-6, although in major cities supermarkets are often open from
7:30 AM to 9 PM. Blue laws are in effect in much of Canada, but a growing number of provinces have stores with limited Sunday hours, usually noon-5 (shops in areas highly frequented by tourists are usually open on Sunday).
Retail stores are generally open on Thursday and Friday evenings, most shopping malls until 9 PM. Drugstores in major cities are often open until 11 PM, and convenience stores are often open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Tipping
Tips and service charges are not usually added to a bill in Canada. In general, tip 15% of the total bill. This goes for waiters, waitresses, barbers and hairdressers, and taxi drivers. Porters
and doormen should get about $1 a bag (or more in a luxury hotel). For maid service, $1 a day is sufficient ($2 in luxury hotels).
Carriers
Air Canada (888/247-2262). American (800/433-7300). Air New
Zealand (800 663-5494). Alaska Airlines (800/252-7522). Continental Airlines (800/231-0856). Horizon Air (800/547-9308). United/United Express (800/241-6522).
Transfers Between the Airport and Town
By Shuttle
Perimeter Whistler Express (604/266-5386 in Vancouver; 604/905-0041 in Whistler) has daily service from Vancouver International Airport to Whistler. Perimeter has a ticket booth at domestic arrivals Level 2 and one at the
airport's international receiving lounge. The fare is about $47 one-way; reservations are recommended.
By Bus
Greyhound Lines of Canada
Greyhound Canada Transportation Corp.
200-1150 Station Street
Vancouver, British Columbia V6A 4C7
1-604-482-8747 Fax: 1-604-683-0144
Toll Free: 1-800-661-8747
email: schedules@whistlerbus.com
Buses leave frequently throughout the day for Whistler Village from the depot in
downtown Vancouver (1150 Station St.). En route to Whistler the bus makes momentary stops along the Sea to Sky (Highway 99) at:
Horseshoe Bay
Lions Bay
Brittania Beach
Squamish
Whistler Creekside
The
final destination is the Whistler Village bus loop at the Village Gate and Northlands Boulevard.
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