The 29th Annual Meeting of the Behavior Genetics Association will be held at the Coast Plaza Suite Hotel at Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The conference begins with an executive meeting on Saturday, July 3. Paper, poster and plenary sessions will be held throughout the day on July 4, 5, and 6. The opening reception is scheduled to begin at 4:30 PM on July 4. The banquet will be held on July 6 starting at 6:00 PM. A joint session of BGA and 9th biennial meeting of International Society for Study of Individual Differences (ISSID) will be held on the morning of July 7. This half-day session will be composed of symposia and paper presentations of mutual interest to and presented by members of both societies. The ISSID meeting itself runs from July 5 to 9 at the Coast Plaza Hotel.
Vancouver is situated on the coast of British Columbia, nestled between the Rocky and Coast mountain ranges and the Pacific Ocean, and is a popular resort and tourist destination. Vancouver has consistently been named one of the best cities to live in North America and is known for the natural beauty of its environs. The Coast Plaza Hotel is located next to the warm beaches of English Bay harbor (a two minute walk from the hotel) and Stanley Park consisting of five square miles of old growth forest in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Mountain hiking or sailing excursions are no more than an hour away from the hotel. Nearby attractions include Vancouver Island and Victoria a few hours away by ferry. The climate in July is warm and sunny, average temperature being 26ºC.
All major airlines and their partners fly direct to Vancouver International Airport. The hotel is about a 30 minute drive from the airport and is serviced by a number of hotel shuttles, metered and flat rate taxis, limousines, and buses.
All visitors will require valid passports and in some cases, entry visas. Many of us have been used to crossing the Canadian border by auto without a passport. But the Vancouver airport is VERY security conscious and requires passports. Information on visa requirements can be obtained from your local office of the Canadian Consulate or High Commission.
Discounted airline fares have been arranged for those traveling to Vancouver with Canadian Airlines and their partners. For information concerning discounted fairs with Canadian Airlines, please call 1-800-665-5554, or contact an official Canadian Airlines travel agency or Canadian Airlines International directly, and be sure to refer to the following file number: MJ01289. The major international carriers and charter airlines in Europe and the United States frequently offer greatly discounted fares to Vancouver. All travelers should also be aware that most airlines will give a discounted rate to those who are able to travel on a Saturday or over the weekend. Check with your travel agent.
Accommodations:
A block of rooms has been reserved at the conference hotel, The Coast Plaza Suite Hotel at Stanley Park, 1763 Comox Street, Vancouver, BC, V6G 1P6. Telephone: (604) 688-7711; Fax: (604) 685-7210; for reservations. In Canadian dollars (CAD), a standard single room is priced at $185; a single suite at $205. A standard double room is priced at $205 and a double suite at $225. The difference between a suite and a standard room is a larger room, couches and armchairs, and in some suites, full cooking facilities.
Rooms have also been reserved at The Empire Landmark Hotel, 1400 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, V6G 1B9. Telephone: (604) 687-0511; Fax: (604) 687-2801; Toll Free: 1-800-830-6144. This hotel is a pleasant 10 minute walk to the conference hotel. All rooms are priced at $180 CAD.
A limited number of rooms is being held at Hostelling International - Vancouver Downtown, 1114 Burnaby Street, V6E 1P1. Telephone: (604) 684-4565; Fax: (604) 684-4540. The hostel is about a 25 minute walk to the conference hotel; buses and local taxis are also readily available for transport for those who wish. Room costs here are $44 CAD for a double room, and $76 CAD for a dorm room comprised of four single bunk beds.
Please note that room reservations should be made directly with the above accommodation locations by April 30, 1999. To guarantee room reservations, a deposit equivalent to the one night's stay plus applicable taxes (17%) is required at the time of booking. If you are a member of BGA and ISSID and are staying for both conferences, you can either book your hotel accommodations directly with the hotel of your choice using the toll free numbers provided for your entire stay, or request it using the hotel request form that came in your ISSID registration package. Please do not book the BGA portion of your stay yourself and the ISSID portion using the ISSID form! Thanks!
Tax Rebates:
All purchases are subject to 7% provincial (PST) and 7% federal sales tax (GST). The PST rate for accommodations is 10%, and 7% GST. However, all visitors to Canada are eligible for a federal tax rebate amounting to 7% of the total value of all rooms, goods, and services purchased. This cash rebate can be claimed at the airport or duty free stores. Application forms will be provided at the meeting.
Currency and Exchange Rates:
For your information, the Canadian dollar is currently trading at:
1.00 U.S. Dollar = $1.45 CAD
1.00 U.K. Pound = $2.50 CAD
1.00 German Mark = $0.94 CAD
Actual exchange rate will vary on the date of the transaction. All foreign travelers who pay for purchases using a credit card versus cash or travelers cheques will usually receive a better exchange rate on the Canadian dollar. For example, using a credit card, 1.00 US Dollar is equal to $1.52 CAD. Similarly, the exchange rate is usually better for travelers purchasing Canadian dollars upon their arrival in Canada than through money brokers in their home countries.
If you have any questions, please contact the local host:
Dr. Kerry L. Jang
Department of Psychiatry
University of British Columbia
2255 Wesbrook Mall
Vancouver B.C.
Canada, V6T 2A1
Tel: (604) 822-7895
Fax: (604) 822-7756
Email: kjang@unixg.ubc.ca