The consumer relations departments of provincial governments in Canada are a good source for advice on common consumer problems. For example, the BC Consumer Protection Authority has information on preventing consumer problems, travel services and dealing with debt collectors. The federal government's Consumer Connection is another useful source of advice on protecting yourself in the marketplace.

The Canadian Textile Labelling Act is quite clear about the information required on labels of articles made from fabric. Labels Tell the Fabric Story gives an overview of what should be on the label. New Apparel and Textile Care Symbols explains the symbols used for care and cleaning of clothing and fabric products. For information on food labels, check the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Industry Canada's Competition Bureau has a pamphlet on making sure Canadians don't pay more than they should. Make Sure You Pay the Right Price outlines the basics on electronic scanning of prices, points out ways to check that the scanned prices are correct, and tells you where to call or write to complain if you think a particular store has a pattern of errors in their electronic scanning.

Industry Canada provides a calculator to figure out Canadian credit card costs. You can use it to identify the cards which will cost you least in interest and other charges. It might save you some money.

The Better Business Bureau hosts an alerts page which covers Canada as well as the United States. You can also look up the Canadian Better Business Bureaus and their Web sites. At many of them you can file a complaint online.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada, and Transport Canada also carry warnings for Canadians on food products (allergies, for example), health dangers and vehicle recalls.