Resources
Last updated: February 5, 2026Starting a new life in a new place can be both exciting and challenging. To help you navigate this transition, we have compiled a list of useful resources to help you get settled.
Resources Directory (A - Z)
| Name | Description | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| Affordable Child Care Benefit | A monthly payment to help eligible families with the cost of child care | Toll-free: 1-888-338-6622 |
| Child Care Expenses | Parents, guardians, or caregivers paying for child care may be able to deduct money from income taxes | Toll-free: 1-800-387-1193 |
| ChildCareBC programs | Information about ChildCareBC programs | Toll-free: 1-888-338-6622 |
| Name | Description | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Canada | Connect a child with an adult mentor outside of their family for guidance and support | Toll-free: 1-800-263-9133 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada | Help for young people through clubs that offer many after-school programs and activities | Toll-free: 1-844-477-7272 |
| Child and Family Services Search | Essential information and referrals to government and community support services | 1-604-660-9376 |
| Child and Youth Advocacy Centres (CYACs) | A network of professionals who work to support children and youth affected by abuse or violence. Provides information and resources for children who need help and people who want to report a child in danger | info@bccyac.ca |
| Child Behaviour & Development | Information for families with children who need extra care related to behavior and development | — |
| Foundry | A province-wide network of services for young people aged 12 to 24, including mental health care, substance use services, physical and sexual health care, youth and family peer supports, and social services | info@foundrybc.ca |
| YouthInBC Chat | A barrier-free, non-judgmental, confidential support chat service for young people aged 12 to 24. Available from noon to midnight | Toll-free: 310-6789 (no area code is needed) |
| Name | Description | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| BC Automotive Association (BCAA) | Home, car, travel, and small business insurance | Toll-free: 1-877-247-5551 |
| BC Registry Services | Information on personal property and vehicle liens (unpaid loans) and lien search services | Toll-free: 1-877-526-1526 bcregistries@gov.bc.ca |
| Carpooling and carsharing | Information on carpooling and carsharing | 604-953-3333 |
| Child car seat safety | Information on choosing and installing a child car seat or booster seat | Toll-free: 1-800-333-0371 mvs-sa@tc.gc.ca |
| DriveBC | Up-to-date road conditions and driving tips, including driving times, weather warnings, snow tire requirements, and road conditions | Toll-free: 1-800-550-4997 |
| Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) | B.C. driver’s licence, insurance, and BC Services Card | Insurance: 1-800-663-3051 Driver’s licences and IDs: 1-800-950-1498 |
| RoadSafetyBC | Information about road safety in B.C. | Toll-free: 1-855-387-7747 RoadSafetyBC@gov.bc.ca |
| Safety and road conditions | Information about safety and road conditions | — |
| Shift Into Winter | Up-to-date road conditions, winter driving tips, and winter tire guidelines to help you drive safely in winter | info@roadsafetyatwork.ca |
| Vehicle Sales Authority (VSA) | Information about buying vehicles | Toll-free: 1-877-294-9889 consumer.services@vsabc.ca |
| Name | Description | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| Options for mature students who want to complete high school or take courses to meet post-secondary program requirements | PSFS.Post-SecondaryProgsBr@gov.bc.ca | |
| Information about university transfer programs | 604-412-7700 bctransferguide@bccat.ca | |
| BC School & District Contact Information | School & District Contact Information | — |
| Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials | Provides information on Canada's education systems and referral services regarding credential assessments for immigrating, studying, or working in Canada | 1-416-962-9725 |
| Early Learning Programs | Information about early learning programs for children up to 5 years old | — |
| EducationPlannerBC | Information about career training and upgrading programs | info@educationplannerbc.ca |
| Federation of Independent School Associations in British Columbia (FISA BC) | Information about independent schools | Vancouver area: 604-684-6023 |
| Immunization information | Vaccination Status Reporting Regulation for school-age children | 8-1-1 healthlinkbc@gov.bc.ca |
| Kindergarten to Grade 12 | Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K–12) programs | — |
| Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) | Information about language classes funded by the Government of Canada | Toll-free: 1-888-242-2100 |
| Le Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique | Information about French programs in B.C. public schools | Vancouver area: 604-214-2600 Toll-free: 1-888-715-2200 |
| LearnLive BC | Information about study permits | PSFS.Internationaleducation@gov.bc.ca |
| Post-secondary institutions | A list of post-secondary institutions in British Columbia | — |
| Private Training Institutions Branch | Information about finding private English schools and tutors offering English language training | Toll-free: 1-800-661-7441 PTI@gov.bc.ca |
| StudentAid BC | Financial help for post-secondary education | Toll-free: 1-800-561-1818 StudentAidBC@gov.bc.ca |
| Name | Description | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| B.C. Employment and Assistance Program | Help for people transitioning from income assistance to sustainable employment, and financial support for people who can’t work because of a disability | Toll-free: 1-866-866-0800 |
| BC Federation of Labour | Information about workers’ rights to safety and fair wages | Vancouver area: 604-430-1421 organize@bcfed.ca |
| Canada Labour Code | Federally regulated industries and workplaces | — |
| Canadian Human Rights Commission | Discrimination complaints under federal human rights law | Toll-free: 1-888-214-1090 |
| Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants | Helps professionals in using their skills, training, and foreign qualifications for work | — |
| Criminal Records Review Program | Apply for a criminal record check | Toll-free: 1-855-587-0185 criminalrecords@gov.bc.ca |
| Employment and Social Development Canada | Learn how to protect your Social Insurance Number (SIN) | Toll-free: 1-800-622-6232 |
| Employment Insurance (EI) | Information about Employment Insurance benefits and leave | Toll-free: 1-800-206-7218 |
| Employment Standards | Information about hiring, firing, quitting, getting fired or laid off, getting paid, hours and overtime, taking time off, statutory holidays, and more | Toll-free: 1-833-236-3700 |
| Federal Job Bank | Thousands of jobs across Canada with online job boards and career websites | — |
| Helpline for Children | Assistance for children and youth who need help. The helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | Toll-free: 310-1234 (no area code is needed) |
| International Credential Recognition | Information about international credential recognition | 1-236-478-1940 FairCredentials@gov.bc.ca |
| International Credential Recognition Loans | Financial help for getting certified | SUCCESS: successbc.ca/fcr PICS: fcrloans.ca/brands/pics/ |
| MOSAIC’s Migrant Worker Program | Support for foreign workers who are having trouble at work with harassment, discrimination, or safety issues | Vancouver area: 604-324-7979 |
| My Self Serve (MySS) | Online access to income and disability assistance | Toll-free: 1-866-866-0800 |
| Professional Credential Recognition | Information about Professional Credential Recognition | — |
| Service BC | Contact information for various B.C. government programs, services, and representatives | Vancouver area: 604-660-2421 Toll-free: 1-800-663-7867 |
| Skilled Immigrant InfoCentre | Employment information and programs | Vancouver area: 604-331-3603 |
| Social Insurance Number | Information about the Social Insurance Number (SIN) | Toll-free: 1-866-274-6627 |
| WorkBC | Information about finding a job and working in B.C. | Toll-free: 1-877-952-6914 |
| WorkSafeBC | Information about safe and healthy workplaces across B.C. | Toll-free: 1-888-967-5377 |
| Name | Description | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| BC Cancer | Cancer screening services, including breast, cervix, colon, and lung cancer screening | Toll-free: 1-800-663-3333 |
| Provincial programs and clinics that support public health and help control the spread of disease in B.C. | 604-707-2400 | |
| Find a dentist | 604-736-7202 Toll-free: 1-888-396-9888 info@bcdental.org | |
| Information about ambulance billing | Toll-free: 1-800-665-7199 billing@bcehs.ca | |
| BC PharmaCare | Information about what BC PharmaCare covers | Vancouver area: 604-683-7151 Toll-free: 1-800-663-7100 |
| BC Services Card | Information about accessing government services for B.C. residents | — |
| Canada's Food Guide | Guidelines and considerations on healthy eating | nutrition@canada.ca |
| Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction | Solutions to address alcohol and other drug-related harms | Toll-free: 1-833-235-4048 |
| Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) | Help to make the cost of dental care more affordable for eligible children under 19 and adults over 65 | Toll-free: 1-833-537-4342 |
| Crisis Line Association of BC | Emotional support, crisis and suicide assessment/intervention, and resource information | Toll-free: 310-6789 (no area code is needed) |
| Fair PharmaCare | Helps B.C. families pay for many prescription drugs | Vancouver area: 604-683-7151 Toll-free: 1-800-663-7100 |
| Get Checked Online | An easy way to test for STIs without visiting a health care provider. This service is provided by the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) | 604-707-5603 |
| Health fee for international students | Information about health fees for international post-secondary students with study permits who are enrolled in MSP | — |
| HealthLink BC | Free, non-emergency health information and advice in B.C. | Call 8-1-1 for HealthLink Call 7-1-1 if you have trouble hearing |
| Healthy Kids Program | Helps low-income families to pay for basic dental care, prescription eyeglasses, hearing instruments, or alternative hearing assistance for children under 19 | Toll-free: 1-866-866-0800 |
| Heart and Stroke Foundation | Information about heart disease and stroke | Toll-free: 1-888-473-4636 |
| Interim Federal Health Program | Limited, temporary coverage of health-care benefits for specific groups of people in Canada who don’t have provincial, territorial, or private health-care coverage | Toll-free: 1-888-614-1880 |
| Interim Federal Health Program – Services and Information | Search by location for a variety of providers that can offer their services under the IFHP program | Toll-free: 1-888-614-1880 |
| Managing your health | Programs and services to help you stay healthy | — |
| Medical Services Plan (MSP) | Information about B.C.’s Medical Services Plan (MSP) including eligibility, services covered, services not covered, out-of‑province coverage, and supplements | Vancouver area: 604-683-7151 Toll-free: 1-800-663-7100 |
| Medical Services Plan (MSP) Supplementary Benefits | Information about partial payment for certain medical services obtained in British Columbia | Toll-free: 1-800-663-7100 |
| Medimap | Find a nearby walk-in clinic or Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC) | — |
| Mental health and substance use services | Resources, services, and supports that can help with mental health and substance use | bcmhsusinfo@phsa.ca |
| QuitNow BC | A free program to quit or reduce tobacco and e-cigarette use | Toll-free: 1-877-455-2233 |
| Trans Care BC | Connects trans people, their loved ones, and clinicians with information, education, training, and support | Toll-free: 1-866-999-1514 |
| Name | Description | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| BC Housing | Housing listings, rental assistance programs, affordable rental and market rent housing, and subsidized housing | Vancouver area: 604-433-2218 Toll-free: 1-800-257-7756 |
| BC Housing – Emergency Shelters | Find emergency shelters, drop-in centres, outreach workers, transition houses, and safe homes | — |
| BC Human Rights Clinic | Help for people with provincial human rights complaints | Vancouver area: 604-622-1100 Toll-free: 1-855-685-6222 |
| BC Human Rights Tribunal | Information about human rights complaints in B.C. | Vancouver area: 604-775-2000 Toll-free: 1-888-440-8844 |
| BC Society of Transition Houses | Information about staying safe or preparing to leave a dangerous relationship | — |
| BC211 | Operates the Shelter and Street Help Line, assisting people in Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and Victoria | Phone or text: 2-1-1 |
| Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation | Information about buying a home and getting a mortgage | Toll-free: 1-800-668-2642 |
Co-operative Housing Federation of BC | Offers services for finding and living in a co-op, including consultation, group buying, and conflict resolution | Vancouver area: 604-879-5111 Vancouver Island: 250-384-9444 Toll-free: 1-866-879-5111 |
| Housing and tenancy | Information about renting or buying a place to live, housing and tenancy laws, tenant and landlord rights, and resources | — |
| Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner | Understand what personal information landlords are allowed to collect | info@oipc.bc.ca |
| Recycle BC | Information on what you can and can’t recycle, where to take recyclables, and curbside collection schedules | Toll-free: 1-855-875-3596 info@recyclebc.ca |
| Recycling Council of BC | Recycling information, including an encyclopedia and a hotline | Vancouver area: 604-732-9253 Toll-free: 1-800-667-4321 |
| Residential Tenancy Branch | Information for tenants and landlords in B.C. | Vancouver area: 604-660-1020 Victoria: 250-387-1602 Toll-free: 1-800-665-8779 |
| Return-It | Information about returning empty drink containers for a refund, as well as recycling electronics and large appliances | Toll-free: 1-855-350-2345 customerservice@returnit.ca |
| Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre (TRAC) | Free legal education and advocacy for B.C. tenants | Vancouver area: 604-255-0546 Toll-free: 1-800-665-1185 |
| Name | Description | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| Food Banks BC | Find a food bank in your community | Toll-free: 1-855-498-1798 |
| Name | Description | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| Access Pro Bono | Free legal advice for people who can’t afford a lawyer and can’t get legal aid | Toll-free: 1-877-762-6664 |
| Civil Resolution Tribunal | An accessible, affordable way to resolve many types of civil law disputes without needing a lawyer or attending court | Toll-free: 1-844-322-2292 |
| Clicklaw | Legal information, education, and resources across B.C. | Toll-free: 1-800-665-2570 |
| Dial-A-Law | Free information on the law in British Columbia | Toll-free: 1-800-565-5297 |
| Justice Education Society | Information on how the court system works | Toll-free: 1-855-875-8867 |
| Legal Aid BC | Legal advice and resources for those unable to afford a lawyer | Vancouver area: 604-408-2172 Toll-free: 1-866-577-2525 |
| Legal Aid BC – Family Law | Free legal advice from a family law lawyer | Vancouver area: 604-408-2172 Toll-free: 1-866-577-2525 |
| Name | Description | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| B.C. Government – Overdose Prevention | Information about decriminalizing people who use drugs in B.C. | — |
| Gambling Support BC | Free information and support for people dealing with problem gambling behaviour | Toll-free: 1-888-795-6111 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) |
| GameSense | Information to gamble safely and avoid getting into financial trouble | Toll-free: 1-866-815-0222 |
| Help Starts Here | Help for addiction, mental health, substance use, wellness, and stress, as well as support for counseling | — |
| Here to Help | Information about mental health and substance use to support yourself or others | Toll-free: 1-800-661-2121 bcpartners@heretohelp.bc.ca |
| Kids Help Phone | Serves children experiencing abuse or mental health challenges | Toll-free: 1-800-668-6868 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) |
| National Suicide Crisis Helpline | Help for people experiencing suicidal thoughts | Call or text: 9-8-8 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) |
| Toward the Heart | Harm reduction information, including how to respond to overdoses and details on naloxone programs | harmreduction@bccdc.ca |
| Vancouver Association for Survivors of Torture (VAST) | Trauma counseling services | Vancouver area: 778-372-6593 |
| Name | Description | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| 9-1-1 | Emergency services including police, fire, and ambulance | 9-1-1 |
| BC Accessibility Directorate | Give feedback on accessibility barriers when accessing government services | Toll-free: 1-800-663-7867 |
| B.C. municipal police departments | Municipal and First Nations police departments | — |
| Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) | Protect yourself against scams and fraud | — |
| Canada Safety Council | Information to help protect individuals and families against cyberbullying and online scams | 613-739-1535 |
| Canada's National Do Not Call List | List your phone number to reduce telemarketing calls | Toll-free: 1-866-580-3625 |
| Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre | Information on past and current scams affecting Canadians. Report fraud and identity theft | Toll-free: 1-888-495-8501 (7 am – 1:45 pm Pacific Time) |
| Civilian Review and Complaints Commission | Helps people with complaints about the conduct of RCMP members if they are not satisfied with the RCMP’s response | Toll-free: 1-800-665-6878 |
| Emergency information | Information on active emergencies throughout British Columbia | — |
| Emergency support services | Information on supports that are available to people who have been evacuated from their home due to an emergency | Toll-free: 1-800-387-4258 |
| Ending Violence Association of BC | Find information about programs across B.C. served by EVA BC that provide support to anyone experiencing gender‑based violence | Toll-free: 1-877-633-2505 |
| Get Cyber Safe | Information about cyber security and simple steps people can take to protect themselves online | Toll-free: 1‑833‑292-3788 |
| Identity theft information | Learn how to protect yourself against identity theft | — |
| Immigration fraud and scams | Information about recognizing and reporting immigration fraud and scams | — |
| Investment fraud information | Resources to help you recognize, reject, and report investment fraud | Toll-free: 1-800-373-6393 |
| Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) | Information and help for anyone with a complaint against municipal police | Toll-free: 1-877-999-8707 |
| Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada | Information on how to protect personal information | Toll-free: 1-800-282-1376 |
| Pedestrian safety | Information about being safe as a pedestrian (walking on the street) | — |
| PreparedBC | Information on how to prepare for an emergency | PreparedBC@gov.bc.ca |
| Racist Incident Helpline | A culturally safe and trauma‑informed resource for people who have experienced or witnessed a racist incident | Toll-free: 1-833-457-5463 |
| Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) | Information about the RCMP, news, and getting record checks | — |
| Name | Description | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| Protection from elder abuse and neglect | Information about elder abuse and neglect | — |
| Seniors First BC | Information, advocacy, support, and referrals for older adults and those who care for them | Vancouver area: 604-437-1940 Toll-free: 1-866-437-1940 |
| Name | Description | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement agencies in B.C. for permanent residents, including refugees | The Government of Canada funds organizations to provide free services for permanent residents in B.C. | — |
| Settlement agencies in B.C. for temporary residents, including refugee claimants, temporary foreign workers, and post-secondary international students | The BC Newcomer Services Program (BC NSP) can help you adjust to life in B.C. | — |
| BC Safe Haven program | Supports refugees as they go through the refugee claim process | — |
| Government‑Assisted Refugees (GAR) program | Settlement assistance for refugees. This support may include a place to live, clothing, food, and help finding work | Toll-free: 1-888-242-2100 |
| NewToBC | Information about public libraries and services for newcomers | info@newtobc.ca |
| Public library | Find your public library | 250-356-1791 Toll-free: 1-800-663-7051 |