Daily life
SIN
sin, said as a word
Social Insurance Number. You cannot legally be paid without one. Free, from Service Canada, and often issued the same day in person.
MSP
em-ess-pee
BC's Medical Services Plan. Public health cover, no premiums since 2020 — but there is a waiting period before it starts.
PR card
pee-arr card
Proof of permanent residence. Not a passport, not citizenship, and you need it to re-enter Canada by commercial carrier.
ICBC
eye-see-bee-see
The public auto insurer. In BC you buy basic car insurance from the government, not from a broker of your choosing.
Strata
STRAH-ta
What the rest of the world calls a condo association. Strata fees, strata rules and strata minutes — read the minutes before you buy.
Compass Card
COM-pass card
The transit card for SkyTrain, SeaBus and buses. Fares are zone-based on rail and flat on buses, which confuses everyone at first.
The North Shore
—
North and West Vancouver, across the inlet. Mountains, bridges, and a commute that depends entirely on two crossings.
Social
Double-double
DUB-ble DUB-ble
A coffee with two creams and two sugars. Ordering one correctly at Tim Hortons is a small Canadian rite of passage.
Toque
tooke
A knitted winter hat. Universally understood, and one of the few genuinely Canadian words you will need.
Raincouver
RAYN-cou-ver
Local shorthand for the winter. It is not cold here, it is grey and wet from November to March, and that is the real adjustment.
Emergency
911
nine-one-one
Police, fire and ambulance. Note that ambulance transport is billed in BC even to residents with MSP.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.