<BR>I will be staying in Niagara Falls (canadian side) and NOTL. Will it be necessary to convert US money to Canadian. I would think both would be highly accepted. Also can anyone tell me what the dress for the Shaw Festival Theater is.

I cannot help you with the Shaw Theater. <BR>On money, the last time I was there, American money was taken, but change was given in Canadian. The rate of exchange might have been better, but Canadian banks have instituted a flat fee when you change any amount of money. Therefore, adding $3.50 onto an exchange of $50 US results in a relatively high percengage. So for small purchases, you probably will be no worse off to take the exchange rate that the store gives you. If you are a member of AAA, you can buy American Express Checks in Canadian $$$ or simply use your ATM card to take out some Canadian bills. Right now the exchange rate is about 68 cents US to $1 Canadian. I am headed for Calgary in a few days and bought some Canadian Dollar checks to take with me from AAA. And I can use my ATM, but some banks now hit you with a conversion fee. So we get clipped every way we turn. <BR>

You would be welcome at the Shaw theatre in jeans and a sweat shirt, as long as the slogan was somewhat tasteful. But you'll be more comfortable in somewhat more formal attire. If I was going (and I live in jeans most of the time) I'd wear a sports jacket and dress pants, but I'd probably skip a tie. Ladies might pick some simlar level of fashion. As with all theaters, beware of airconditioning. A jacket or sweater or shawl is advised, just to be safe. <BR> <BR>BAK <BR>

We used to take American Express travelers checks from AAA, but no longer bother. Often you can cash them at the front desk of your hotel with no fees or charges, but call ahead and ask to be sure. There are ATM's along the Falls. There are also currency exchange booths, although the rates are not as favorable. The shops at the Falls provide prices (at the register) in both American (at very favorable rates)and Canadian. As someone above mentioned, your change will be in Canadian currency. You can use a debit or credit card for purchases almost everywhere. I just returned from Montreal and my two ATM withdrawals were debited at about 97.5 percent of the interbank rate published for those days. One ATM (the "portable" variety, not at a bank) displayed a message that a $1.50 fee would be charged, the other (in the foyer of a bank) did not. As for dress at the Shaw Festival, anything goes, so it's probably best to dress for whatever you're doing before or after. Even the best restaurants in NOTL request "smart casual" or "smart". When I phoned last year to make reservations in the dining room at the Prince of Wales Hotel, I was advised "Well, our waiters wear tuxes, but our customers wear shorts!" You will see everything imaginable because everyone is "on vacation" as opposed to "dressing for dinner and the theater". So, you can do either.

Frances, <BR>Donna and Bob give great advice. They have both been very helpful to me for my trips to Canada. <BR>I like using the ATMs. A report came out about 2 years ago that said that the ATMs give the best exchange rates as opposed to banks and money exchange offices. I belong to a credit union and the service charge to use a non-credit union ATM is $1. Some banks have started charging $2.50-$3 to use ATMs other than their own. Check with your bank. You may want to do one or two larger withdrawls rather than many smaller withdrawls to save on those service charges. <BR>Kittie