For information on study permits and travel or immigration documents you will need to come to Canada, please review the Immigration & Travel Supports section of the Brock International website. There, you will find everything you need to know about:

• Status documents such as study permits and work permits
• Travel documents such as Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) and Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
• Inviting family to Canada
• Required documents when arriving at the border
• And more

Download Office 365

Brock students, staff and faculty use Microsoft 365 for meeting and communicating, conducting and attending virtual classes, and completing assignments. Download and familiarize yourself with free apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams to prepare for your upcoming classes.

Office 365 is free for Brock students, staff and faculty and can be downloaded to your computer and phone.

Login to Office 365 using your Brock CampusID

Set up Outlook on your computer or phone

It is imperative that you use your Brock email to ensure you can reach the people at Brock when you need to and have access to all of Brock’s services. Learn how to set this up through Information Technology Services (ITS).

Learn about Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Some may experience issues accessing their Brock account once they arrive in Canada because of Multi-Factor Authentication. For example, if you get a new phone or phone number in Canada, you may be unable to login to your accounts because you can no longer verify your identity with SMS texts or phone calls.

To avoid these issues, you should modify your MFA settings using this ITS guide to set up the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone so you can verify using the app instead.

Should you experience issues, feel free to contact ITS by submitting a Help Desk Ticket.

A Brock Card is your official Brock University identification.

Learn more about the Brock Card including how to submit your photo, request your card, and where to pick it up on the Get your Brock Card webpage.

There are a handful of resources available to help you prepare for your new surroundings:

• Learn about life in Niagara
• Learn about life in Canada through International Student Connect
• Learn life in Ontario through Orientation to Ontario

It’s not always cold in Canada! St. Catharines is milder than many other parts of the country. We encourage you to bring or purchase items appropriate for seasonal weather.

Average Annual Temperatures by season

Note that temperatures are in Celsius.

In Canada and throughout North America, the standard voltage is 120 V (with a standard frequency of 60 Hz) rather than the 220 volts used in Europe. However, don’t be surprised if you hear or read 110 V. It is an old designation, and it is still used by the general public.

European plugs are not compatible with Canadian electrical sockets. In order to plug in your electric appliances, you will need a plug adapter or a converter. Otherwise, you will not be able to use your electronics in Canada.

Canadian electrical sockets are Type B.

Adapter or Converter?

Adapter

In general, an adapter is all you need for non-motorized appliances. Examples include camera chargers, phone chargers, laptops, etc.

Converter

A converter is necessary if you intend to use appliances with a motor, such as a hairdryer or an electric razor. A converter is more expensive than an adapter, but it can also be used as an adapter; there is no need to buy both.

Frauds and scams can happen to anyone when they least expect it. Use the following resources to take action to protect yourself by learning about frauds and scams in Canada.

Resources from Government of Canada:

• Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre – tips and tricks to protect yourself from scams and fraud
• Identifying scams and fraud – learn the signs of a scam

Resources from Orientation to Ontario

• Avoid Scams – Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Protecting Your Identity – Fact Sheet (PDF)

Brock International hosts several Frauds & Scams Prevention Workshops throughout the year. Please visit ExperienceBU for upcoming dates and times.

Brock International has created a Travel Packing Checklist to ensure you don’t miss any essentials. The checklist covers everything from mandatory and important documents, to what to put in your carry on.

Accommodations through Brock

Brock Housing Services provides accommodations in their residences on campus during the spring and summer for international students and visitors, as well as offering year round short-term accommodations including unit rentals for a 30 day minimum stay. Visit the Brock Housing Services website for pricing and details.

Brock Off-Campus Living provides various off-campus rental listings through Places4Students. If you are looking for somewhere to live off campus, visit the Off-Campus Living website to get started.

Other Accommodations

If you prefer, you can also find accommodations of varying rates at nearby hotels.

Where to Buy Groceries

Niagara is home to several ethnic grocery stores, including:

Larger chain grocery stores include Costco, FreshCo, Food Basics, Sobeys, Superstore, Metro, Wal-Mart, and Zehrs. All of them carry a variety of products from North America and around the world.

Where to Shop

The Pen Centre

Just a quick 5-minute drive from Brock’s main campus, the Pen Centre is Niagara’s largest shopping destination, featuring 180 stores and services and 1,000,000 square feet of shopping. The mall is home to the most popular national stores and brands like American Eagle, the Bay H&M, HomeSense, Old Navy, Sport Chek, and Winners. Dine in a full-service restaurant or enjoy a movie at Landmark Cinemas.
Learn more

Outlet Collection at Niagara

Located in beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Outlet Collection brings together brand name fashion and lifestyle retailers at unbeatable outlet prices.
Learn more

Downtown St. Catharines

Downtown St. Catharines is a great spot to find virtually anything that you need. Here you’ll find boutiques, antique stores, unique shops, bookstores, shoes, leathers, jewellery, bistros, restaurants, outdoor cafes and a farmer’s market (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only).
Learn more

Can’t find what you’re looking for near Brock?

Visit a nearby city like Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls, or Toronto.

Brock International hosts social activities for VIP/VIS/UM participants throughout the year. Watch for weekly emails with upcoming events or visit ExperienceBU for on-campus activities and the St. Catharines Downtown Association for events in the community.

International students, staff and faculty can inquire about pre-paid cell phone plans with several providers just 5 minutes from campus at The Pen Centre.

• Rogers
• Bell
• Telus
• Koodo
• Virgin
• Freedom Mobile

For more information on cell phone plans in Canada, please visit Getting a Canadian phone: A newcomers’ guide to understanding Canadian cell phones.

Most schools in Ontario are publicly funded by the province and are divided into elementary schools which run from Grades 1 to 8, and secondary schools, from Grades 9 to 12. Full or half-day kindergarten operated by the English-language public boards is available, while not mandatory, for four- and five-year-old children. In Ontario, Catholic, English or French schools are also available.

To register students to a District School Board of Niagara School, parents must book an appointment at the Welcome Centre for Newcomer Families.

To book an appointment please call at 905-641-1550 x54152, or email welcomecentre@dsbn.org

Visa/International Students must present:

• Study permit
• Valid passport
• Canadian Health Insurance
• Immunization records
• Tuition fees (if applicable*)
• Previous school transcripts, if available

*Students whose parents have a work permit do not have to pay to be enrolled in school.

English as a Second Language (ESL) or French Language Programs are also available from both the Public District and Catholic School Boards. More information can be found here.

For more information, visit: District School Board of Niagara

In St. Catharines, there are also private boarding schools. For tuition and enrollment information, please visit the Our Kids website.

Public transit to and from Brock University and throughout the Niagara region is provided through Niagara Region Transit. Visit the Niagara Region Transit website for routes, schedules and fare information.

The downtown bus terminal serves outbound bus services to Toronto, Niagara Falls, other cities in the surrounding area, and most other major Canadian cities. The downtown bus terminal supports both Greyhound and Coach Canada, both of which have varying times leaving St. Catharines. It also runs Megabus services, which occasionally run cheap deals out of Niagara Falls and Toronto.

For tickets and schedules:

• Niagara Regional Transit: nrtransit.ca
• Go Transit: gotransit.com
• FlixBus/Greyhound: flixbus.ca
• Coach Canada: coachcanada.com
• Megabus: megabus.com

In Canada, you have the option to lease, rent or buy a car. Each of these options requires research and in some cases a lot of effort and money if you wish to drive. Depending on how long you will stay in Canada, be sure that getting a license is your best option.

Leasing

Leasing a car is an option for many people. It involves paying for the use of the car rather than the car itself. The lease is usually a few years long, meaning that if you need to get out of the lease, you will have to pay a penalty and sometimes what is left on the lease (depends from lease to lease). Also, a lease might have predetermined mileage limits. If you drive more than the set limit, you might have to pay extra charges.

Renting

If you are staying in Canada for a short period of time, renting a car for you when you need one might be the best option. You will likely need an International Driver’s License before your departure. There are many car rental businesses you can research, including:

• Enterprise – St. Catharines
• Avis – Niagara Falls
• Budget – St. Catharines
• Hertz – St. Catharines

Buying/Finance

When buying a car in Canada you can pay the amount they ask for or get financing depending on your credit history. You may be eligible for a car loan from a bank, borrowing the amount of money needed to buy the car and paying back to the bank in a predetermined amount of time, with an interest rate.

Insurance

Ontario requires by law that everyone who wants to drive a car buy minimum car insurance. Fines for people driving without auto-insurance range from $5,000 to $50,000, having the car impounded, and their driver’s license suspended. Insurance quotes vary depending on driving experience, driving record and the make and model of the car being driven. Expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500 per year.

Driver’s Licence

Most foreign driver’s licences are valid for only 60 days after admission to Canada. If your licence is not reciprocal to the Ontario driver’s licence, you would either need an International Driver’s Permit (IDP) from your own country, or you would have to pass a vision test and take both a written test and a driving test in Canada.

Reciprocal exchange between agreements exist between Ontario and other Canadian provinces, Canadian Forces Europe, U.S.A, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Germany, France, Great Britain, Austria, Belgium, Australia and Isle of Man. Learn more about Driving in Ontario here.

Beyond public transit, there are options for taxi services as well as rideshare programs like Uber

In Canada, carrying cash isn’t necessary for daily purchases as most businesses accept debit and credit cards. To take full advantage of these payment options, we recommend opening a bank account in Canada. Scotiabank, for example, has a branch at Brock and ATMs on campus, providing easy access to your funds.

Other major banks in Canada include RBC (Royal Bank of Canada), CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce), BMO (Bank of Montreal), and TD Canada Trust. Each bank offers a variety of banking options. Visit their websites to compare and choose the account that best meets your needs:

• Scotiabank: scotiabank.com
• RBC: rbc.com
• CIBC: cibc.com
• BMO: bmo.com
• TD Canada Trust: td.com

In Canada, the federal government, provincial government, and municipal government collect money from individuals living in Canada to subsidize roads, schools, and health care among other things.

People that may be considered Canadian residents (this is different from immigration residence) for tax purposes are:

• Canadian citizens and permanent residents
• Refugees (protected persons)
• People who have received approval in principle from Citizenship and Immigration Canada to stay in Canada
• Temporary residents, such as foreign students and foreign workers

Taxes that are paid in Ontario are Income Tax and Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). Income Taxes are paid by individuals, who are considered residents for tax purposes.

HST is an amount, usually 13 per cent, that is added to the price tag of different products. There are some exemptions on basic food products, childcare services, and prescription drugs.

For more information, visit the Government of Ontario website.

Filing Your Income Taxes

Each year you must file an Income Tax and Benefit Return to tell the government how much money you earned and how much tax you paid. Taxes are usually deducted from your income, or levied when products and services are consumed. Depending on the amount paid, you might be eligible for a refund, or you might owe taxes.

To work in Canada and file your taxes, you must apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) by going to the Service Canada website and obtaining the necessary forms. A SIN is a nine-digit number that you must have to work in Canada or to have access to government programs and benefits.

Find out what is required to obtain a SIN on the Government of Canada website or visit our Social Insurance Number webpage for more information.

As a non-resident of Canada, you might be eligible to apply for a Tax Waiver. This is called the Regulation 105 Waiver Application which may permit a reduced amount of tax to be withheld on any income you receive in Canada. To find out if you are eligible and to obtain the application form, click here.

Canada’s health care system is a publicly funded system that provides Canadians with health care services. These services are provided once the patient shows their health card. Each province has its own health system and card.

To be eligible for the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) you must be either:

• a foreign worker who holds a work permit valid for at least six months that allows you to work in Canada, and also have a formal agreement in place to work full-time for an employer situated in Ontario which sets out the employer’s name, your occupation, and states that you will be working for no less than six consecutive months.
• the spouse, same sex partner, or dependent child (under 22 years old or 22 years and over if dependent due to a mental or physical disability) of an OHIP-eligible foreign worker or an OHIP-eligible foreign clergy member.

The University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) is modelled after the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) provided by the Ontario government. UHIP provides international students and their dependants coverage up to $1,000,000(CAD) per policy year (September 1 to August 31) for eligible medically necessary health services and medical treatments while studying in Ontario.

• If international students are travelling in Canada, but outside of Ontario, UHIP will only cover emergencies.
• If international students are travelling outside of Canada, they receive minimal coverage; it is strongly suggested student’s review their Student VIP Travel Coverage details prior to travelling outside of Canada.

For more information on what is covered, please see UHIP Coverage Details.

Brock’s Department of Recreation Services operates the facilities in the Walker Complex, including three gymnasiums, a recreational 200-metre track, squash courts, The Zone fitness centre, the Eleanor Misener Aquatic Centre (50-metre pool) and the Leo LeBlanc Rowing Centre. Outside are four tennis courts and several playing fields. Recreation Services offers programs in aquatics, intramurals, fitness, dance and much more.

Memberships to the various facilities are available to purchase for Brock students, staff, faculty and community members.

Instructional programs offered to Brock students, staff, faculty and the community include aquatics, fitness, dance, coaching, wellness, first aid, Pilates, children’s gym programs and much more.

Intramural sport programs for Brock University students include more than 60 leagues and involve more than 6,100 participants.

For more information, visit the Brock Recreation website.

St. Catharines also has many off-campus gyms that you can join, including:

• Fit4Less
• GoodLife Fitness
• World Gym

In addition, St. Catharines has many recreation opportunities, from aquatic activities to ice activities, to even non-fitness activities like art, life skills, and historical and cultural programs. Check out the ActiveSTC portal for all the current recreation activities in St. Catharines.

As a VIP/VIS/UM, you have full access to Brock’s library, located in Schmon Tower.

The Brock University Library system comprises the James A. Gibson Library, housed on eight floors of the Schmon Tower, and the Map Library located in Mackenzie Chown C306.

The library’s collections contain over 1.5 million physical items and a vast variety of digital resources that are available both on and off-campus. These include an extensive number of databases, over 20,000 full text electronic journals, a growing number of e-books, and several image and sound databases. Study spaces, including individual carrels and tables for group work are available for more than 775 users.

Computers are located on all library floors and laptops are available for loan from the Circulation desk. The library is open for 90 hours each week including evenings and weekends, with extended hours during exam periods.

For more information, visit Discover Your Library to get to know all that Brock’s library offers.

Located in the Rankin Family Pavilion, the Library Makerspace is a place for students, faculty, and community members to collaborate, learn, create, and explore. Walk-ins welcome!

The Makerspace is equipped with a variety of labs and stations for specific types of making. Learn more below or take our virtual tour to get an inside peek.  Drop-in or reserve time before you visit.

Features

• Multimedia lab
• Audio lab
• Prototyping lab
• Computing stations
• Workbench stations
• VR station
• Software
• Additional workbench tools

The Matheson Learning Commons features advanced technology, integrated service points, and a variety of study spaces. The Learning Commons is designed to enhance the scholarly, creative, and professional pursuits of the Brock Community. This welcoming environment offers unique opportunities for students to collaborate with their peers, exchange ideas, and find support for their academic activities.

Features

• Group study rooms that can be reserved for use by student groups and a variety of public study areas.
• Easy access to services and assistance.
• Combined circulation/reserves desk – sign out laptops and library materials in one place.
• Help desk for the library research support.
• Computer lab and silent study designated times/spaces with public computers (PCs and Macs).
• Laptops, phone chargers, marker pens, monitors, video cameras, headphones, and other equipment to sign out.

Brock has several different dining options located right on campus. Please note, some of these establishments may not be open during certain times of the year. Please check the Dining Services website for locations and available hours.

The Brock Campus Store offers a range of Brock apparel, office supplies, technology supplies, and gifts and accessories. It is also your top source on campus for textbooks and course materials.

Brock University Campus Safety Services is comprised of peace officers and contracted security guards that work in close partnership with the Niagara Regional Police Service.

If you have any safety concerns on campus, or even need a ride back to your residence from a late-night class, you can contact Campus Safety.

Campus Safety can be reached by phone at 905-688-5550 x3200 or, if using a campus telephone, dial x3200.

Learn more by visiting the Campus Safety Services website.

Watch this video to learn more about police services in Ontario and the work they do in our communities.

Brock’s Human Rights and Equity (HRE) office is resource for all Brock community members to provide information, education, assistance, and advice on issues related to human rights, harassment, discrimination and bullying.

This includes harassment and discrimination based on race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, ancestry, creed, sex, gender identification, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status, receipt of public assistance (in housing), record of offences (in employment) and disability, as well as personal or workplace harassment and bullying.

Human Rights and Equity works with many other departments and services on campus to prevent harassment and discrimination from occurring and to quickly address incidents as they arise. We assist community members with issues of harassment and discrimination and help guide them to understand the range of options available to resolve the situation.

Learn more on the HRE website