Je me souviens - Importing a car to Québec

"I remember" - this is the slogan on our new Québec license plate. I'm not sure that I understand completely what it means - perhaps a reminder of French heritage and of the struggle to maintain that heritage. But I do know that I will always remember the long journey for importing and obtaining our license plate:

Week 1

We spend several hours at the customs house. Customs agent VS 1xxx8 (for protection of privacy) charges us a $400 deposit (for what, we are not sure), completes the vehicle import form (a.k.a. Formulaire 1) and the temporary admission permit (a.k.a. Formulaire E-29B), and explains the necessary steps for completing the importation and registration process. We find out that we need appointments, a work permit, and a bill mailed to our new address to obtain drivers licenses. K gets an appointment the following week. Mine is scheduled for mid-September (ARGH!).

Week 2

We spend several hours at the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (a.k.a., SAAQ or hell). $76 gets K a temporary drivers license. They assure us that the annual fee is worth it, because insurance is included. However, nobody can really explain what it insures - and our auto insurance will most certainly be higher here. My appointment is moved up to the following week.

Week 3

I spend several hours at the SAAQ. $76 gets me a temporary drivers license (complete with insurance).

Week 4

We receive our actual drivers licenses in the mail.

Week 5

I spend several hours at a mechanic getting the car inspected so that we can obtain an acertificat de vérification mécanique. We fail the inspection - no day running lights. I am told I have 48 hours to have them installed. I pay him $100 and go across the street to another mechanic to have them installed. He tells me he cannot do it because he needs the national inspection form, which I received at the border. I explain that we did not receive any forms at the border and that I just need him to install day running lights. He yells at me in three different languages. I leave. I go back to the original mechanic, who calls the jerk mechanic - they decide I need the national inspection form. I go home, call customs - they tell me to send a copy of the Formulaire 1, a letter from the manufacturer confirming that there are no outstanding recalls, and $204 and in 5-7 days, they will mail the national inspection form. I explain that the box named "not required to enter the registrar of imported vehicles program" is checked on Formulaire 1. He says, "oh, then I guess you don't need to complete the national inspection form." I call a third mechanic to have the day running lights installed.

Week 6

We pay $171 to have the day running lights installed. I go back to the first mechanic. He tries to charge me $28 to verify that the stinking day running lights work. I argue. He charges me $5 for the inspection sticker. We go back to the SAAQ. They won't register our car because we don't have the document du Ministère du Revenu du Québec (a.k.a. Revenue Québec .... IRS). I have a meltdown and curse Québec under my breath. K sends me to the car.

(Historical reenactment of the meltdown)

Week 7 (this week)

We take a trip to the Revenu Québec, expecting the worst. Surprise - no taxes are charged (however, we suspect that we will be required to pay taxes on the car at some point, perhaps when we become permanent residents). We go to a different SAAQ and after several hours, pay $305, and surrender the "title" to our car, we receive our registration and drivers license.

What happens when insanity (driven by bureaucracy) and victory collide ...

Out with the old, in with the new ...

Victory...

Parc de la Rivière Doncaster

Today (labor day) is a holiday in Canada too.  We spent all day yesterday laboring on the apartment - mostly installing shelves in the kitchen, unpacking more boxes, and interior decorating.  Since we don't own the walls, we are no longer opposed to nailing many nails into the walls.  Today, we took a break and went out to the Laurentides - the mountains start about 4o minutes from Montreal.  We saw a lot of ski slopes on our way to Parc de la Rivière Doncaster - where we spent the afternoon hiking (for $6/person ... Sam got in free this time).  We hiked to the Vue du Pointe - which was beautiful....

We also saw crazy martian mushrooms...

And, the Rivière Doncaster was fabulous.  This was one of the calmer points along the river, there was serious whitewater in several sections.

We also saw the world's smallest Catholic church.  

The Laurentides are beautiful ... we are pretty sure we will head back out there this winter.

(Pyrrhic) Victory!

Last night, I had a victory over voicemail. By cleverly reading the instruction packet, I was able to change the prompt language for our voicemail to English. Our greeting no longer says we're on the other line - S can even check messages!

Sure, this is the sort of victory that resembles defeat. But right now, I'm OK with that.

Herbe à Puces

Have you ever been hiking in a foreign country, and wondered to yourself...."hmm. I wonder what that sign means"? If it does happen, I might suggest not passing the sign. Or for that matter, not walking in your yard, ever. Even - not believing the brand new, summer time "itchy-exzema" diagnosis.

Just a thought.

Hiking Montreal - only $15!

The weather has been beautiful the last few days - upper 80s, clear and sunny. So on Saturday, we headed North of the city to Lanaudière for a hike. The land is beautiful - the hills spring up from the flat plains without warning, and everywhere we drove there were little farms with roadside stands featuring fraises (strawberries), bleuets (blueberries), and even a little farm with rows and rows of different flowers. We bought a dozen ears of sweet corn - and the 10 year old manning the stand gave me a refresher course in French numbers.

We found the trail (Parc Régional de Chutes Monte-à-Pein-des-Dalles), but the gate attendant was adamant that we come back tomorrow - it was already almost 4:00, the park closed at 6:00 - and she could not in good conscience let us waste our money. We took the information, agreed to return tomorrow and promptly made a wrong turn on a dirt road. Once we circled back to the park entrance we had changed our mind, so we paid our entrance fee and made our way in.

Sam promptly found a new life's purpose as a snake hunter. He also has a bite first, take pictures later attitude on snakes, so our pictures feature them quickly slithering away. But, we think that it was a Northern Ribbon Snake, as below:

The falls and views were fantastic.

Even though we only had two hours, we got a good hike in and were plenty worn out by the end.

On our way back, we drove through quaint little villages like St. Beatrix, and innumerable little lakes.