General Information
Currency and Exchange Rates
All fees for the 2010 Congress in Calgary will be in Canadian dollars (CAD). To convert from your local currency into CAD dollars please use this Currency Calculator.
Taxes
A Canadian 5% Goods & Service Tax (GST) is charged in Alberta on goods and services. Alberta does not have a provincial sales tax. However there are other tourist and marketing destination taxes applied to hotels, travel, food and beverages.
Gratuities for Service
In Canada, it is common courtesy to provide a 10% to 15% gratuity for meals, valet parking, concierge assistance and certain services such as haircuts or spa treatments. Some restaurants automatically add the gratuity to the amount charged, so check the bill carefully before paying.
Weather in Calgary
Alberta has a continental climate, characterized by dramatic seasonal contrasts in which long, cold winters are offset by mild to hot summers with a high number of sunny days, no matter what the season. Although cold air covers the whole province in winter, it is frequently replaced in the southwest of the province by the "chinook," a mild wind, which funnels through the mountains from the Pacific Ocean.
Visit the Environment Canada weather office for current weather conditions.
| Month |
High Temperature |
Low Temperature |
Average Temperature |
| May |
16.4º C (61.5º F) |
3.1º C (37.6º F) |
9.8º C (49.6º F) |
| June |
20.2º C (68.4º F) |
7.3º C (45.1º F) |
13.8º C (56.8º F) |
Time Zone
Alberta is in the Mountain time zone (MST). At the time of the Congress, Canada will have switched to Daylight Saving Time so Calgary will be six hours behind GMT. GMT= Greenwich Mean Time (also called Universal Time).
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=55
Electricity
 Electrical requirements in Canada are 110/220V
Measurements
1 inch = 2.54 centimetres
1 centimetre = 0.3937 inches
1 yard = 0.9144 metres
1 metre = 1.0936 yards
1 mile = 1.6093 kilometres
1 kilometre = 0.6214 miles
1 pound = 0.4536 kilograms
1 kilogram = 2.205 pounds
Insurance
The organizers are not responsible for individual medical, travel or personal insurance. All participants are strongly advised to purchase their own personal travel insurance before leaving their country and attending the Congress.
|
