I wouldn’t call myself a seasoned traveller, yet I think I travelled enough to be “jaded” to the wild things that people from other countries do. However, travelling as a tourist will never give sufficient insights to the everyday life of a local. After I arrived in Vancouver and started to live my life as a Singaporean in Canada, there are some things that I found out that blew my jaded mind!
No Worries About Water Fees
When I first arrived in Vancouver, I met up with an ex-Singaporean who was a friend of one of my business contacts. In our conversation, he revealed one fact to me:
In Vancouver, households pay a flat annual fee for water. There is no water meter installed in Vancouver houses, so there is no pay-per-use.
*Gasp!*
With no need for water rationing, it made my life easier everyday, because I need not wash my hands or shower in cold water. Instead, I can just let the water run (without doing anything) for at least a minute before the hot water starts coming. Guilt-free.
Of course, as with all resources, there is a limit to Vancouver’s water supply. As the YouTube video below suggests, without pay-per-use, there is no incentive for users to conserve water and droughts are becoming a reality for the city,
Other than cultivating a habit of water-wasting, I think the most important learning point comes useful when looking for a place to rent.
Most landlords indicate that utilities are included in the rent, which is fine. However, some of them said utilities are paid separately. With the knowledge that water fees are already paid up by the landlord every year (and cheaply), make sure that the additional fees do no include water payment, or if it does, make sure it is reasonable (Annual flat fee/12/number of users).
Data Plans Are From iPhone Era
By iPhone, I mean the very original, first generation of iPhone.
It’s no joke when I say the data plans in Canada are like those in Singapore when iPhone was just released. Just take a look at how much data you can get from the top service providers in Vancouver, compared to Singapore, 2019.
| M1 | Koodo | Fido | Freedom | |
| $10-$20 | NA | NA | @$15 250MB 0m Talk Unlimited SMS | @$15 250MB 100m Talk Unlimited SMS |
| $20-$30 | @$25 30GB 1000m Talk 1000 SMS | @$30 1GB 0m Talk Unlimited Incoming SMS | @$25 500MB 0m Talk Unlimited SMS | @$25 500MB Unlimited Talk Unlimited SMS |
| @$30 1GB 0m Talk Unlimited SMS | @$25 1GB 0m Talk Unlimited SMS | |||
| $30-$40 | @$35 40GB 1100m Talk 1000 SMS | @$35 0GB (Pay per Use) Unlimited Talk Unlimited SMS | @$35 0GB Unlimited Talk Unlimited SMS | @$40 5GB Unlimited Talk Unlimited SMS |
| $40-$50 | @$45 80GB 1100m Talk 1000 SMS | NA | NA | @$45 8GB Unlimited Talk Unlimited SMS |
| $70-$80 | @$75 180GB 1100m Talk 1000 SMS | @$75 10GB Unlimited Talk Unlimited SMS | @$75 10GB Unlimited Talk Unlimited SMS | NA |
*All are no-device / SIM-only plans
The data plans in Vancouver are so lousy, none of the international students I know are using them.
I have the cheapest (though outdated) plan with M1 and by adding $25/mth, I get to use the data in Canada (called Data Pasport). Of course, I still subscribe to a $20/mth Canadian plan that gives me 200m of talk time and Unlimited texts from Speakout, so that I can have a Canadian number that I can use for various services like applying for Social Insurance Number.
However, for $70/mth, I get 15GB of data (hopefully M1 upgrades it to the current offering of 30GB when my contract expires, even though I don’t even use 15GB of data every month), 200m of talk time and Unlimited texts. I get to keep my Singapore number and be contactable in Canada.
Online Banking? What is Online Banking?
One of the first things international students have to do is to open a Canadian bank account – to avoid paying extra fees for using non-Canadian credit cards, to build a credit score and to deposit pay (if working).
Unfortunately, except for withdrawing and depositing of money, which can be done via ATMs, every other transaction require face to face meet up with the banker.
Like changing the bank transfer limits (we can do it online, but it’s only up to $1,000 and after 3 months, the limit will revert and we need to do it again online, and we can only do this for 3 times a year; we have to meet the banker face to face to change that limit permanently, “subject to bank’s approval”), apply for credit cards and every other transaction requiring signatures.
This is surprising, because all the transactions I mentioned above were all done online in Singapore. The last time I saw a banker was in 2009, it was because I made a mistake while opening a bank account online and had to appear in person to rectify that mistake.
Cars Always Stop For Pedestrians (Cyclists Included)
It seemed like I am going into a rant about the negatives of Canada, so here is one positive (and a very big one indeed): Cars always stop for pedestrians. Cyclists included.
In Vancouver, motorists understand that they control machines capable of taking lives, so they are very careful when operating one. There was once when I, being fresh in the country, misread the traffic signal and crossed the road. The cars that stopped at the junction didn’t horn at me even though I delayed their time! In Singapore, the cars would have at least inched out towards me to passive aggressively let me know that I am alive because they showed mercy.
Vancouver is Rainy, But the Infrastructure Suggests Otherwise
With winter (and rainy days), my struggle every day is to be at the bus stop on time.
Be early and I have to stand in the wind and rain and cold for that 10 minutes I am there. Be late, and I have to wait for another 30 minutes (1 hour, if it’s after 9pm).
And the buses aren’t exactly the punctual kind.
My greatest surprise actually happened on a late night after I knocked off from work. I knew it was raining, so I intended to open my umbrella only before I exit the station.
What I never expected was that the train station platform was not sheltered. NOT-FREAKING-SHELTERED. Apparently, protecting the fare machines from rain is more important than protecting human beings.
To be fair, there was shelter at the platform – the half of it that was furthest from the station exit.
Weather Forecast
Speaking of rain, when the weather forecast says it will rain at 10pm, it rains at 10pm.
For comparison, reading the weather forecast in Singapore is like reading horoscopes: It will not happen even if you believe it will.
So, these are some of the things that I, as a Singaporean, found to be mind-blowing. Do you know any? Drop a comment if you do! Remember to Like and Share this post and Follow Sing in Can for more nuggets to living life in Canada as a Singaporean.
Till then, sing while you can!
Here are the URLs of some of the information I used for the post.
Water rates for households:
https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/flat-rates.aspx
Data Plans and Rates:
https://www.m1.com.sg/EShop/SunShineSimOnly/Plans/PlanBuilder
https://www.koodomobile.com/rate-plans
https://www.fido.ca/nac/choose-plan
https://www.freedommobile.ca/en-CA/plans
Editor’s Note: This article was first posted on Sing in Can blog in 2019. It is now re-posted with edits on Live.Life.Love as SiC has closed down.