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Canada has a very different cell phone system to many other countries. One of the primary differences is that cell phones, like landlines have a local area code. Because of this we would recommend waiting until you arrive in Whistler to set up any contracts/buy a SIM card.
WHERE TO GET A CELL PHONE IN WHISTLER
SIM cards are not free and can cost up to $70 on a pay-as-you-go (pre-pay) scheme.
If you want to use your phone from home get it unlocked before you come (and make sure it it tri-band at the very least). Unlocking phones in Whistler is a tedious and expensive business! However once unlocked you can get a local Whistler SIM card or sign up to a monthly contract without shelling out $80+ on a phone.
In Canada you pay for incoming calls & texts, as well as outgoing - think about this carefully before you choose the plan you are going to go with.
For best value we recommend avoiding pay-as-you-go schemes in Canada. Pay-as-you-go phones generally offer terrible value for money and will end up costing you far more than a monthly plan unless your a very low user. Some of the charges are totally unreasonable e.g. you’re charged 1-min of call time for a missed call!
To sign up to a monthly or month-to-month plan you will need a couple of pieces of ID and usually credit card. Recently phone providers have started asking for a $100 deposit against your contract, just in case you leave the country without paying your bill... if you have a trusting friend in town with a Canadian credit rating they can act as your guarantor, exempting you from the deposit.
We strongly advise getting some form of credit card before starting your season.
PHONE COMPANIES / PROVIDERS
There are a few walk-in phone stores in town that can set you up with a cell phone. Most will try to persuade you to sign a contract (average length in Canada is 3-years!) but you can just ask for a month-to-month plan without signing for a fixed term.
ROGERS - store is located on the village stroll opposite the North Face Store.
BELL - store is located just a few shops further down the stroll on the other side. They do the best month-to-month plan I've seen so far and offer some really cheap handsets if yours is locked (from ~$50).
TELUS - store is located in Nesters, about 15mins walk from the main village.
We find the best deals are with the online companies, have a look for yourself:
FIDO - Sells sim cards only! If you’re bringing your phone from home, have it unlocked & this is probably a good option.
SOLO - If you don’t have a phone that will work in Canada (or can’t be unlocked), Solo has some very economical options. They also have a dealer in whistler village.
KOODO - Koodo has the cheapest plans in Canada, however, you have to buy one of their phones to get their plans.
SPEAK OUT - 711 “speak out” is a great way of getting a cell phone really cheap (they normally release a special offer in October/November when everyone’s arriving in town e.g. buy $100 credit & get a free phone). Expensive pay-as-you-go if you actually plan on using it - but great for those who rarely use their phone. Useful to note that a “speak out” phone is compatible with the Rogers network...
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