Better Faster Cheaper Easier

Whistler Nightlife 

Remember that most clubs have promo tabs so get friendly with either the bartender or manager, or get to know some locals who often go to the same bars. They're sure to have built up some amount of rapport. 

I received an email from a reader (and got permission to repost it anonymously). I'm sure it is a situation familiar to many that end up on this website:

Blue is my writing, green is the reader's.

Canadian Banking Industry Information for Foreigners/Americans

First, I'll give a brief introduction to banking in Canada before providing the information on how to open a Canadian bank account as a foreigner. 

It looks like the Horizon Plus Prepaid Credit Mastercard Lives On.

HorizonPlus Prepaid Credit Card

Looks like this is still available, despite the lack of usability of Peoples Trust's Website. That's right, they don't put a possessive apostrophe on the Peoples. Grammar Fail. 

If you need to send money to a friend/relative via TD Canada Trust, there are two good ways of doing so:

Zoompass: Canadian Mobile Payment System

Now I'm seeing a bit of web advertising for it. Looks like a soft-launch to me.

I think it's just a stored-value system (like a prepaid credit card) integrated with Paypass. The difference with Zoompass and a prepaid reloadable Mastercard is that Zoompass:

People's Trust Secured Mastercard Credit Card

It looks like People's Trust/Horizon Plus is no longer in the prepaid credit card market. (This is incorrect, please see comments below for why this confusion occurred).  Now they only offer the HorizonPlus Mastercard directly through Peoples Trust, whereas previously they were through the HorizonPlus subsidiary (or so I think). If you're looking for a prepaid gift card, it would still be a good idea to take a look at my Canadian Prepaid Visa/Mastercard Gift Cards Review here.

2013 update: Swoopo is closed. But quibids.com is largely the same (and operated today)   

Swoopo launched in Canada around a month ago, and my mom's cousin just showed me the service.

These are the Canadian Dollar to US Dollar Exchange rates (noon time), day by day for July 2009.

The source of this data is the Bank of Canada (equivalent to the US Federal Reserve Bank).

The average rate, highest rate and lowest rate for the month of July 2009 are at the bottom of the page. 

You can use these rates to compare to the rate your credit card offers or other foreign currency transactions.

There is a new credit card out that appears to be Canada's best cash-back card with no annual fee. Apply for the card today here: Smart Cash MasterCard® Credit Card

Generally speaking, a prepaid card should be accepted anywhere a Visa or Mastercard credit card is accepted.

Wondering which company a cell phone number belongs to?

Wondering whether a phone number is a cell phone number, or a landline?

Wondering if a phone number would be long distance or not from where you live?

Check out TelcoData.US

Yes, it looks like it is now possible for Canadians in Canada with no US connections to open up a US-based US$ Bank Account. Well, one that has no transaction fees that is. You don't need to make a trip down to the USA to open this account as a Canadian.

These are the noon-time market exchange rates for May 2009 and June 2009 from the Bank of Canada (and a bit of April 2009)

My friend Kirk runs a cooking website for everyone on making authentic Chinese food dishes. The main point is that you don't have to be of Chinese descent to be able to follow the directions or buy the ingredients, anyone can try these out. 

So far, he has listed, with detailed pictures and directions, how to make:

TFSAs and IRS Dividend Withholding Taxes

This is just a note that if I held a US-based fund/stock in my TFSA, such as a S&P 500 ETF or MSFT that trades in the USA, I, as a Canadian, would still pay IRS withholding taxes on any foreign dividends. This rate should be 15% and not 30%. So, I would lose about 15% of any dividend to the IRS that I wouldn't be able to claim against my Canadian income tax from that holding, since I'm not paying any taxes on that holding because it is in a TFSA. If this holding were in an RRSP, there is a tax treaty that would exclude this IRS withholding.

There is some weirdness with ADRs and non-US/non-Canadian holdings that I'm not even sure of and not going to bother with. If a US-based ETF holds these, I don't have any idea what might happen with withholdings. 

This is by no means an actual recommendation, and I have no idea if it would meet any building codes (though I don't see why it wouldn't). I'm just thinking aloud of what might work.

The biggest problem with tankless water heaters in an area like mine (S. Ontario Canada) is that the incoming cold water pipe is COLD, year-round. Probably 10 degrees Celsius year round here, and perhaps even colder for some people in some seasons. 

This creates a problem for tankless water heaters that have to heat water another 40 degrees Celsius on an ongoing basis. 

Background on Prepaid Visa/Mastercards in Canada

I've already written a very popular article on prepaid cards in Canada, and I do recommend reading it, as it is full of useful of information on this topic. When purchasing a card like this, it is very important to shop around and look at all of the available options. 

Past Article on US Bank Accounts for Canadians

I've already written an article here on opening up a US$ bank account at a US-based bank in the USA. It's a good background, so I suggest reading it for its useful information and posted comments. 

The only problem is that the bank I chose is a relatively regional one that doesn't do much business in border states.

As written in my article on the roll-out of "Smart" Meters for electricity in Ontario (which doesn't seem to be a very smart idea in many situations), the cost of electricity generation itself is determined by supply and demand by the "Independent Electricity System Operator".

Will Smart Meters Cause my Electricity ("Hydro") Bill to Increase?

(Just want to see the rates and not the commentary? Scroll to the bottom!)

These are the noon-time US<->Canadian Dollar Exchange Rates. The source of this information is the Bank of Canada.

This information is for the month of March, year 2009. 

These are nominal values, rather than actual "sell" or "buy" rates, so they're best used for comparison or statistical purposes. Having said that, there's no "official" exchange rate either. 

I've already written a review summary of Canadian Prepaid Mastercards and Visa cards (often incorrectly called "credit cards").

Also check out the 2010 Guide to the Top 5 Canadian Prepaid Credit Cards. 

A Potential Cellular Phone Power-Cut Scenario

Say you don't have a landline telephone, but you use a cell phone for all of your calling. This could leave you in a scary situation if you need to make a 9-1-1 call and your cell phone provider doesn't happen to backup power, or its backup power has run out.

PharmacyFind is a database of just about every pharmacy in Ontario, as well as related companies. They have maps, addresses, phone numbers and fax numbers to all of these Pharmacy Locations, as well as other helpful links to other stores and services.