Month: July 2008

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Crossing Borders Within Canada

A friend of mine asked me last night what makes me feel that Canada discourages any sort of serious and long term travel within its borders, something I mentioned in my previous entry. I thought I should highlight the three roadblocks I’ve encountered so far, starting with the least severe. The more I look at this list, though, the more I have to wonder if the issue isn’t Quebec rather than Canada. This is another reason I want to try life in other provinces.

1) Vehicle Insurance

This is not an issue I expected to encounter, but if I’m out of the province for more than 6 months, then getting insurance coverage for my vehicles is an issue. I was only able to get coverage by promising that I would not spend more than a couple of weeks of the upcoming year outside of Canada and that I would return to Quebec for six months starting next fall, else my coverage will not be renewed. Well, there’s another reason for setting up residence elsewhere.

2) Health Coverage

Same sort of deal as with vehicle insurance. The RAMQ (Quebec health insurance board) allows one exemption to the ‘no more than six months out of the province’ rule every seven years. So, next fall I need to return to Quebec for six months or lose my health care coverage, and then I have to stay in in the province for six months per year for six years.

3) Voting

I sure hope that things have changed since the last time I was out of Quebec when there was a provincial election. When the 2001 elections came up, I enquired about voting by proxy from the small town in Ontario where I was going to school and was told I absolutely had to travel back to my riding in Quebec in order to vote. So, with my riding being a twelve hour bus ride away, this wasn’t feasible and I had to give up my right to vote. Never mind that I was paying income tax in Quebec and still considered a resident of the province.

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Proverbial Stone

Whew, I didn’t intend to get insurance issues sorted out today, but I did! I’m thrilled with the coverage and price I got for a ‘Globe Trotter Plus Nomad’ (love that!) policy… that includes road side assistance for the RV. One less thing to research. *Rae heaves a huge sigh of relief*

I still need to check if my plans will affect my car policy (which I’ll need to maintain with my current insurer), so I could still be in for surprises, insurance-wise, but I think the worst is over.

The fact that I will be out of Quebec for a year was a huge problem and I had to swear up and down and promise my firstborn child that I would not go to the United States for more than a couple of weeks at a time, and for no more than 6 months total, as well as pay a premium. I can’t figure out why my country is so difficult about people crossing its provincial borders for more than 6 months. I know it has something to do with the health care regimes and provincial income tax, but all of that comes out in the wash if you ask me. *rolls eyes*

Okay, so now I’m waiting for the financing to be settled. This is stressing me out, probably more than it should. It’s just that plans B through Z aren’t nearly as advantageous as plan A and could really cramp my style.

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The Count Down Begins…

Monday, I’m having my first official meeting (by phone) about financing pre-approval. I’ve done a lot of research about this, listened to both sides of the arguments, and concluded that, for me, I’m better off financing than using my savings. I have a good feeling about this lady I’ll be working with. I emailed her at 8PM tonight… and she called me from home at 9:15 to schedule Monday’s meeting. Talk about dedication to customer service.

Tuesday, the coach goes in for the mechanical inspection. Soon as I have the results from that, the owner and I are going to talk money. I’m dreading this talk. The guy put the coach on sale for 32K. It’s a gorgeous unit, quite luxurious, and as close to a brand new rig as I could have ever dreamt (I’m itching to show pictures). But the book value for this rig is only 16K. If I factor in fair market value for some of the accessories he’d be throwing in, I still don’t get at more than 18, 19K. The financing lady who has been in the RV business for many years came up with a figure of 17K, including accessories. That’s 15K less than they’re asking. Do I risk insulting them and losing out on this near perfect unit. I really don’t have much time to look for anything else. The seller said that he’s motivated, but how much so? His coach as been advertised all over the place since April. His wife is excited at the idea that the coach she loved and babied so much could pass into the hands of someone whose travels she’d be able to follow via a blog. I loathe talking money in this sort of scenario. If he was a dealer, no problem. I mean, I’m the one who got her brand new car financed at 0% for the ‘paid in cash’ price.

Auuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.

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Get Me Away from Google Maps!

For a truly unfathomable reason, I thought it was possible to drive from Inuvik directly to Yellowknife, through the NWT. So, in my mind, next spring I was driving to Whitehorse, Dawson City, taking the Dempster to Inuvik, going to Yellowknife, and then heading south through Edmonton.

I have no idea where my head was. I knew better than that.

So, here is my revised cross-country itinerary:

Rae should be banned for life from Google maps

Rae should be banned for life from Google maps

I know how insane that looks, but it’s actually reasonably doable if I save days by riding hard to Winnipeg (averaging 500km per day).

The most likely scenario, though, will be that I’ll return to Alberta and Saskatchewan as planned in the spring and just go straight from Brandon to Saskatoon to Edmonton to Yellowknife to interior BC by the most direct route.

Wow. Quite the carrot.

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Why I Should Not Be Allowed to Play With Google Maps

Rae goes nuts with Google maps

Rae goes nuts with Google maps

Rae acknowledges that she ‘cannot see everything’ in the 28 days she has to cross the country, knows that she has a year ahead of her, but still decides to play the ‘let’s pretend this is the only chance I’ve got’ game.

Next thing you know, she’s going from Ottawa to Val D’Or to Thunder Bay to Winnipeg to Brandon to Regina to Moosejaw to Saskatoon to Edmonton to Calgary to Banff and Canmore to Medicine Hat to Fort MacLeod to the Crowsnest Pass to Kelowna to Victoria.

Total mileage (or kilometrage, as I like to put it): 5,950

Total km per day I’d have to do: 200

Which means this is totally doable if I alternate long days and stay put days.

Needless to say, I plan to revise this itinerary. 😀

So far my only MUST is that I hit Brandon, MB, at some point since it is home to the largest reptile zoo in Canada!!! I’ll be able to see the longest snake in Canada AND the only two Nile crocodiles in this country!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It’s been fun to look at the maps, but now it’s back to serious, get on the road, sort of planning. Oh, and I wish a GPS would fall out of the sky; those things are hard to shop for. At least, I’ve narrowed it to a Garmin something.