Graduate Student Orientaon 2016

Welcome to the City of Edmonton!

Presented to you by: ATLAS University of Alberta Earth & Atmospheric Sciences Graduate Students’ Society

Photos: hp://exploreedmonton.com Transportaon

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

ETS (Edmonton Transit System)

 Busses, LRT ‐ U Pass  Capital Line (Clairview) and Metro Line (NAIT); Lines split at Churchill staon.

Schedule:

 Online: hp://www.edmonton.ca/edmonton‐ transit‐system‐ets.aspx

 GSA office

 Google maps

 ETS app

 U of A app Transportaon

ETS TEXT and RIDE

ETS riders can send a text message to 31100 and get bus schedule informaon sent directly to their mobile phones in seconds.

Transportaon

AIRPORT

Bus 747 from Century Park LRT staon

 $5 one way cket

Sky shule

 Limited pick‐up locaons

 $18 one way cket

Taxi Service

 ~ $50

 Flexible mes/locaon

Uber/TappCar

Ask a Friend Transportaon

Walking ‐ Safewalk Free service when walking alone aer dark 5 blocks from LRT staon 780 4 WALKME (780 492 5563)

Cycling Bike lanes in University Area and Downtown Edmonton Bicycle Commuters –bike deals etc.

Transportaon

The Grid System Example Edmonton addresses are organized in a grid 10820 56 Ave – 108th street and 56th avenue system, with an origin in the Southeast. Street 6511 112 Street – 112th street and 65th avenue numbers increase from East to West, while Avenue numbers increase from South to North. Registries

Social Insurance Number (SIN) card ‐ Canada Place Downtown (2 blocks East of Central Staon)

Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) ‐ City center mall Download and complete applicaon form, provide proof of Alberta residency, identy, and legal entlement to be in Canada. Various locaons (i.e. City Centre Mall; North of Central Staon)

GSA ihaveaplan ‐ addional health insurance (dental/glasses)

Driver’s License ‐ Alberta Registry Services (various locaons i.e. Strathcona; Whyte Avenue)

Landlord and Tenant Advisory Board Nova Plaza: provides advice and informaon to residenal tenants and landlords

Always bring proof of identy and residence (originals – no photocopies)

Groceries and Shopping

Supermarkets close to U of A are the most expensive, i.e. Sobeys and Safeway

Good alternaves:

 No Frills (close to Whyte Ave; 10467 80 Ave NW)

 Superstore (Walking distance from Southgate LRT Staon [5019 Calgary Trail NW], or Clareview LRT Staon [4950 137 Avenue NW])

 H&W Produce (6 locaons in Edmonton)

 Southgate Mall (Safeway; Southgate LRT Staon)

 Kingsway Mall (Kingsway Staon on the Metro LRT Line [NAIT])

 City Centre Mall (Central or Churchill LRT Staon)

 West Edmonton Mall (Bus 106 and 4 from the University)

Banking

TD Canada Trust CIBC Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce RBC Royal Bank BMO Bank of Montreal Scoabank

 All banks offer online banking

 Chequing account is free for students (need proof ‐ oneCard, schedule/proof of residence)

 Credit Card can be difficult to get as an internaonal student! Might ask for a deposit

 On Campus ATM

 Whyte Ave branches

 Reward System Visa Card

Phone, Internet, TV

Internet – TV – Home Phone

 Telus, Shaw currently have student deals (need to have student ID card), student deals are typically only available during the first few weeks of the fall and winter semesters

Mobile Phones

 Rogers, Koodo, Virgin, Wind, Petro Canada Mobility – offer pay as you go plans – typically have worse coverage outside of the city

 Bell, Telus – typically only have 1‐2 year plans

 Check out each company’s website

Ask for student deals; Phones are expensive!

Nightlife

 Whyte Ave, Jasper Ave

 Bars/Pubs close to campus: Devaney’s, Sherlock Holmes Pub, Blues on Whyte

 Restaurants close to campus: Famoso Pizzeria, Next Act, LaPoune

 ATLAS Friday Beers

 Movie theaters: Princess Theatre (Whyte Avenue), IMAX Cineplex (WEM), Cineplex Odeon (South Edmonton Common)

 Edmonton – Fesval City: Fringe Fesval, Heritage Days, Shakespeare Under the Sky, Internaonal Street Performers Fesval, Internaonal Jazz Fesval, Folk Fesval, Cariwest Caribbean Arts Fesval and more! –check Edmonton Tourism website hp://exploreedmonton.com/

Urbanspoon and Yelp have great recommendaons

Recreaon

 U of A Recreaon – many acvies and classes right on campus and good student discounts (yoga, maral arts, dance, workout classes, cycling…) hps://www.acvityreg.ualberta.ca/Acvies/AcviesAdvSearch.asp

 City Arts Centre (cooking, dancing, music, painng, poery..)

 Many other Community Recreaon Centres

 U of A Outdoors Club, Alpine Club of Canada

 Sports ‐ U of A, ATLAS/PS Warren Teams, Edmonton Rec Leagues

 Meet up Edmonton ‐ find people in your neighbourhood with the same interests

 Varsity sports are free for students! Check out Golden Bears and Pandas games throughout the year! Professional Sports Teams

 Oilers Games (October‐April)  Edmonton’s Professional Hockey Team  Can be expensive ($80+)  Find ckets on Ticketmaster, Stub Hub, or SeatGeek  Bears Vs. Oilers’ Rookies Sept. 21 ($30.00 at infolink booths)

 Eskimos (June‐November)  Edmonton’s Professional Canadian Football Team  Can get ckets for as low as $20

 Edmonton FC (July to October)  Tier II Soccer Team  Cheap ckets

 Edmonton Prospects (May‐August)  Collegiate summer baseball league  Cheap ckets

Acvies

 Bowling (e.g. Gateway Bowling Alley)

 Speeders GoKarng

 LaunchPad Trampoline Park

 West Ed Water Park

 West Ed Amusement Park (Galaxy Land)

 Cross Country Skiing in the River Valley

 Snow Shoeing in the River Valley (Rent at MEC for ~$10)

 Vercally Inclined, Rock Jungle, UofA Climbing Center

 MagicBus to Jasper – Skiing, Snowboarding

 Axe Hole (Axe Throwing)

Volunteering

 Homeless Shelters Hope Mission, The Mustard Seed

 Children Stollery Children’s Hospital, Coach Sport Teams

 U of A Internaonal Student Centre, Outreach, ATLAS

 Animals Edmonton Humane Society, Scars

 Prairie Urban Farm, Green and Gold Garden (south campus – take home veggies)

 Fesvals Other Info

• Finding places to live

 Kijiji Edmonton  Renng spaces Edmonton

• Finding used items in Edmonton; i.e. furniture, sporng equipment

 Kijiji Edmonton  Craigslist  Value Village

• Bikes Edmonton Bicycle Commuters, Redbike (website)

• Sport/Outdoor MEC Gear Swap, Totem Outdoor Ouiers, Allsports & Cycle Welcome to Edmonton! Quesons?