Transition to Vancouver

Regardless of whether you are arriving in Vancouver for the first time or have been living here for years, settling in prior to your studies is an important step in your preparation for the program.

Indigenous Peoples & Vancouver/UBC

UBC is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Musqueam people. We acknowledge this fact often because it is an important aspect of UBC’s history and present relations with Indigenous Peoples. Both UBC and Canada have a long and complicated history of colonialism and Indigenous relations. In preparation for your arrival at UBC, we encourage you to learn more about UBC and Canada’s historical and present relationship with Indigenous peoples and communities, and to explore the many resources available online and on campus. Please follow the links below to learn more. During your Opening Week orientation there will be more opportunities to engage with this content: coming prepared with some pre-existing knowledge will help facilitate these discussions respectfully and profoundly.

Key words

  • Traditional – recognizes lands used and/or occupied by indigenous peoples across generations for cultural, social and economic activities.
  • Ancestral – recognizes land that was passed down from generation to generation.
  • Unceded – recognizes land that was never turned over to the Crown by a treaty or other formal agreement.
  • What is a land acknowledgement and why do we do them? Find out more:

Recommended resources

Learn more about the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, their connections to UBC and the city of Vancouver by visiting the resources below.

  1. First Peoples: A Guide for Newcomers (Downloadable pdf)
  2. Musqueam People Historic Timeline: http://www2.moa.ubc.ca/musqueamteachingkit/history.php
  3. Indigenous Peoples Language Guide: https://brand.ubc.ca/indigenous-peoples-language-guide-now-available/

For more in-depth information on current and historical Indigenous affairs, visit the links below.

  1. Information Resource: https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/home/
  2. Massive Open Online Course (MOOC): https://www.coursera.org/learn/indigenous-canada
  3. National: https://aptnnews.ca/
  4. At UBC: https://aboriginal.ubc.ca/
  5. At UBC: https://you.ubc.ca/aboriginal-students-ubc/
  6. UBC Strategic Indigenous Plan: https://aboriginal.ubc.ca/indigenous-strategic-plan/
  7. At Sauder: https://www.sauder.ubc.ca/Programs/Chnook

Housing: introduction

Finding housing in a timely manner is key in your transition to Vancouver as housing at UBC and in surrounding neighborhoods is very competitive.

We encourage all students to find housing early in August as securing accommodation near the end of the month can be difficult. We expect that you will be fully settled before the start of Opening Week.

On-campus Housing

Apply as soon as you have been admitted to UBC. Applications go through UBC Housing, contact them directly if you have questions or to check the likelihood to obtain housing if you are placed on a wait list.

As the program is longer than one winter session at UBC (Sept-April) students are recommended to apply for year-round housing.

These are additional housing options located on campus, but not managed by UBC Student Housing:

Off-Campus Housing

If you want to live off-campus, it can be difficult to arrange this unless you’re here in person, and stressful to do once the program has started – so plan to arrive early.

More resources for off campus housing:

Tips!

  • Inspect the property before you move in! This will ensure you’re not held responsible for damage that may already exist. Do the inspection with your landlord and make sure to document and photograph any visible property damage. Use the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Initial Inspection Worksheet Primer and Initial Inspection Worksheet
  • In Vancouver, advertisements for rental accommodation are most plentiful near the end and beginning of each month. This is because most agreements require tenants to give one month notice if they plan on moving out.
  • Select a neighborhood you feel comfortable in. Research or visit any area you are not familiar with before committing to renting a place.
  • Search for “2053 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC”, if you are using Google Maps to zero in on the UBC Sauder School of Business and find locations close by.
  • Beware of scams! Vancouver is a competitive housing market, and although typically our students are able to find appropriate accommodations, it is important to be aware that scams do exist. So be aware and vigilant when working to secure housing.
    Some warning signs of rental scams according to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, include:

    • Rental rates that are well below the current market rates.
    • Landlords who require you to leave a deposit on the spot without any formal rental agreement in place or with a much later move-in date.
    • Someone who is asking for cash only and/or personal information such as a SIN, bank account, credit card numbers.
    • Someone who is willing to rent you a property without meeting you or doing a background check on you.
    • Links within emails that send you to websites asking for personal and/or financial information. These are usually phishing emails that expose you to financial fraud.
    • Ads that show pictures of the outside of the property only, or pictures that do not match the actual property.

Short-term Accommodation & Self-isolation

If you need a place to stay while conducting your accommodation search, there are a large number of hotels, bed and breakfasts, and hostels in Vancouver. This page lists a few of the options, but there are many more to be found by doing a web search.

Self-isolation

Depending on the status of COVID rules and regulations at the time of your arrival, you may have to self-isolate for a number of days.

  • Read the UBC website for self-isolation, packed with self-isolation accommodation and food options, as well as resources and tips, all designed to ensure your experience is as positive as possible.

On-Campus

On-campus short-term accommodation is difficult to find if you are not scheduled to move into one of the on-campus residences at the beginning of the school year. Below we listed the options:

Please note that RHL does not recommend any commercial enterprises, and provides these lists of local services for information only.

Off-Campus

Options for staying off-campus include youth hostels, YMCA/YWCA, bed and breakfasts (B&B’s), or hotels. In any case, you should check what area of Vancouver they are located in for ease of travel.

You may also find short-term accommodation listed on some of these rental listing websites:

Covid-19 Guide

Here are some info and links that may be helpful:

Parking & Transportation

Whatever your method of transportation, taking the bus, biking, walking or driving, there are resources available to help you navigate.

  • Please note all UBC students are charged for the Compass Card transit pass which is included in student-levied fees, regardless of whether they choose to use the bus system or not.
  • Additional resources are listed per mode of transportation below:

Health insurance

UBC requires that all students, both domestic and international, have basic as well as extended health insurance for the duration of their studies.

Please review the following website carefully to ensure you have proper coverage and understand what is automatically supplied by UBC and what you need to apply for yourself:

Childcare and child education

In British Columbia, there is mandatory schooling for children ages 5 to 16.

If your study permit is valid for at least one year and you are enrolled at UBC (excluding ESL programs), your minor children (18 years of age and younger) are eligible to attend elementary and secondary school without paying international student fees. However, you should begin the enrolment process for your children as early as possible after your arrival.

A proof of address is required to determine school catchment and to register children in school. If your child is not born in Canada and/or does not speak English as their home language, you must first register at the District Reception and Placement Center.

You will need the following to enroll your child in school:

  • Passport
  • Passport stamp or visit records indicating the day your child entered Canada
  • Copy of the parents’ study or work permit

The following should be translated into English if necessary:

  • Immunization documents
  • Birth Certificate
  • Copies of the last two years of school report cards/marks/evaluations

For further details on registering children in school, please refer to the Student Registration page in the appropriate School Board website:

Explore Vancouver & UBC

Vancouver is located in an area of noted natural beauty and has an abundance of activities and events throughout the year. Explore the links below to find out more about your new home!

Explore Vancouver

Explore UBC

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