Pre-Departure Checklist for Canada

Tucked in between the United States, Greenland, and the Arctic Circle lies the expansive country of Canada. Home to famous cities like Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary, it’s fast becoming a sought-after destination for travelers, adventure seekers, nature lovers, and families. If you’re planning a trip to Canada, we want to help you get really excited about it – because it’s a big deal and a great country to visit!

Here are five ways to build excitement for your upcoming trip to Canada.

1. Set the scene with the right movie

Just in case you weren’t already amped from reading countless tour guides and scouring the web for postcard-perfect pictures of Canada, we think you should go one step further. Take a day or two to visually soak up the beauty of the country you’re about to visit with a few top-notch movies set in Canada. These are two of our favorites:

•       Scott Pilgrim vs The World
•       Brokeback Mountain
•       One Week 

2. Find a book that will get you familiar with Canada

We’re certain you’ve been Googling Canada on a daily basis to get your fix of excitement, but here are a few books that can take it one step further. There’s nothing like a classic, handheld book (or Kindle version) that you can page through at your leisure, right?

3. Hang out with wildlife so there are no surprises

If there’s one thing that Canada has in abundance, it’s wild animals, and they tend to hang out in civilized locations alongside humans frequently. This is especially true in the towns and villages that are a little more remote. Perhaps a trip to the zoo or your local nature reserve will equip you with the appropriate reactions to seeing wild animals in public. You might spot a moose, definitely some squirrels, badgers, and porcupines, while coyotes have also been known to traverse Toronto.

4. Practice eating maple syrup with everything

When something as delicious as maple syrup is sourced predominantly from your country, then you can’t be faulted for wanting to eat it with everything. Perhaps that’s why their flag sports a beautiful red maple leaf? But when you taste the real deal…you’ll understand the passion! Get your hands on some 100% pure, quality maple syrup and practice eating it with some of your favourite foods like:

•       Pancakes smothered in maple syrup – hands down the best thing ever
•       Maple syrup and mustard glaze on chicken wings
•       Maple syrup candied bacon
•       Maple syrup, lemon, balsamic vinegar and olive oil salad dressing

5. Build a great Canadian playlist

So before you blame Canada for Justin Bieber, you need to thank them for great music legends like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and The Tragically Hip. You can assemble the perfect cross-genre playlist to get pumped for your trip to the Great White North with a little research; you might even be surprised by how many artists or songs you loved and didn’t know were Canadian. If you’re into alt-pop add some Alvvways or Arcade Fire to your mix. If you are taking a road trip, then you need to make sure you’ve got Bachman-Turner Overdrive, The Guess Who, or Gordon Lightfoot on hand.

Apply for Working Holiday Visa To Canada 

When you arrive in Canada, you will be greeted by a border services officer. Tell them that you have come here to work.