Safety in Canada

In the cities: The country is one of the calmest in the world and evening walks are entirely normal. Violent crime is rare, though in Vancouver it is sensible to steer around the East Hastings area.

In the wild: In the national parks the real threats are bears and sudden weather changes. Always carry bear spray and never keep food in your tent, because that mistake can cost you your health or your life.

Medical costs: Treatment for visitors is astronomically expensive, so travelling here without insurance is a bad idea. A simple clinic visit runs to hundreds of dollars and an ambulance call into the thousands.

Winter conditions: From December to March the country becomes an ice kingdom of blizzards and hard frost. Check the forecast before any intercity drive, since highways get closed at short notice for snow.

On the roads: Large animals such as moose and deer are common on the highways, especially at dusk. Hitting a moose at 110 km/h is fatal for a normal car, so stay alert on forest roads.

Your belongings: Pickpockets are genuinely rare, though leaving a laptop unattended on a cafe table is still a bad idea. Otherwise the level of safety is high enough that plenty of people do not lock their front doors.

Canada is a calm country with low street crime. Schemes against tourists are few.

Car hire. Counter insurance often duplicates your card's cover, and the difference over a week is substantial. Sort it out beforehand.

Tipping. As in the US: 15 to 20 percent in a restaurant is effectively obligatory, and terminals prompt for it even in a coffee shop. Some provinces add tax not shown on the menu, so the total lands around fifteen percent above expectations.

Tickets and tours. Excursions are sold at a heavy mark-up at Niagara and in Banff. The official operators are Parks Canada and established companies.

ATMs. Free-standing machines in bars charge high fees. Use bank machines.

Online fraud. Calls from the "tax agency" demanding immediate payment are a mass scheme. The Canada Revenue Agency does not work that way.

Wildlife as an "attraction". Operators promising close contact with bears are either breaking the rules or dangerous. National park rules are strict and well founded.

Cannabis is legal — but not across the border. Recreational cannabis is legal throughout Canada from 18 or 19 depending on the province. The key point: carrying it across an international border in either direction is a federal offence, including into the United States where it remains federally prohibited. An attempt can bring a lifetime US entry ban.

Impaired driving. In Canada this is a criminal offence rather than an administrative one. A conviction under it, including one obtained abroad, can be grounds for refusing entry to Canada. People with US DUIs run into this at the border regularly.

Alcohol. Rules are set by province: age 18 or 19, with sales in dedicated stores (LCBO, SAQ, BC Liquor). Drinking in public is prohibited almost everywhere.

Wildlife. Feeding animals is prohibited and fineable. Parks enforce food storage rules: at a campsite everything edible, toothpaste included, goes into the boot or a bear locker.

Drones. Registration is required from 250 grams, and they are prohibited in national parks.

Firearms. Import is strictly regulated and must be declared.

Healthcare for tourists is chargeable and expensive. The Canadian system is free for residents but not for you: an emergency department visit costs from several hundred to several thousand Canadian dollars, and admission tens of thousands. Insurance with a high limit is essential.

Vaccinations. None mandatory.

Water. Tap water is excellent. The exception is certain remote communities under boil water advisories.

Cold. Winter on the prairies and in the north reaches −40°C with wind. Frostbite at that temperature takes minutes, and a car without winter preparation will not start. This is not exotic but an ordinary winter in Winnipeg or Edmonton.

Bears. In Banff, Jasper and along the British Columbia coast. The rules: make noise on the trail, walk in a group, carry bear spray and know how to use it, and leave no food out. Grizzlies and black bears require different responses in an encounter, and it is worth reading up on the Parks Canada site beforehand.

Wildfire smoke. In summer, smoke blankets cities for weeks, Vancouver, Calgary and even Toronto included. An air quality index is published.

Distances. Canada is enormous: hundreds of kilometres between filling stations in the north.

Emergency number is 911.

Canada ranks high on the Corruption Perceptions Index. Bribes are not taken and offering money is a criminal offence.

Who polices what. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is federal and the primary force in many provinces. Ontario and Quebec have their own provincial services, and large cities have municipal ones.

The number is 911 nationwide.

Reporting theft. Your insurer needs a police report, and many cities accept online filings.

Attitude. Police are correct and patient and treat foreigners well. English and French are official; in Quebec, expect French.

What to remember. Canadian cities are safe by North American standards. The main risks of a trip are natural: cold, distance, bears and highway weather. Otherwise this is one of the calmest countries in the world.

Emergency number is 911.