b'ASSOCIATION NEWS Tourism Levy and Fees East of Calgary, the endless golden prairies Alberta has a 4% levy and a 3% destinationsuddenly drop away into a strange moonscape of marketing fee on hotel rooms. striped hills and otherworldly rock formations, The Badlands. Hike through the impressive Goods and Services Tax Horseshoe Canyon, explore the hoodoos or visit The 5% federal goods and services tax (GST) is aDrumheller, the Dinosaur Capital of the World, value-added tax that applies to most goods andand the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology. services. Similar systems of taxation are used inApproximate distance: 138 km / 85.6 miles.at least 48 other countries.Head-Smashed-In Buffalo JumpPre- and Post-Event GetawaysCalgarys location makes it the perfect basecamp for adventure. In fact, the province of Alberta is home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, four of them within a three-hour drive from the city.The Rockies: Banff and Lake Louise entire Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks system. Non-stop destinations from YYC include cities throughout Canada, the USA, Europe, Central America and Asia.Entering Canada Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, south of Visitors to Canada must have valid travelCalgary, is where the Blackfoot people hunted documentation, such as a passport. In certainbuffalo for 6000 years. Experience vast cases, a visa or Electronic Travel Authorizationlandscapes and learn about the region and its (eTA) may also be required. Visitors must presentcultural significance. Approximate distance:this documentation upon arrival at a port ofJust west of the city are the majestic Canadian184 km / 114 miles. entry. For more information on visas, eTAs,Rocky Mountains. Stunningly beautiful, Banff visiting Canada for business, and travelling withand Lake Louise offer adventure and first-classWaterton Lakes National Parkminors, please visit the Government of Canadaamenities, from unparalleled skiing and hiking website (go to www.canada.ca/en/immigration- opportunities to delectable dining and Nordic refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada. spas. Approximate distance: 127 km / 79.2 miles.html).Drumheller and The BadlandsMeeting VenueThe Westin Hotel Calgary is located downtown where the major business centre meets the citys extraordinary outdoor activities and first-class dining and arts. The hotel is conveniently connected to the business, dining and shopping districts of the city by climate-controlled pedestrian walkways. With over 26 000 square feet of flexible convention and meeting space, the meeting rooms are fresh and modern for any event. Take a drive south of Calgary and watch the rugged, windswept mountains rise abruptly Accommodation out of gentle prairie grassland in spectacular There is a large range of hotels availableWaterton Lakes National Park. Here, several in the city centre. ISTA has block bookeddifferent ecological regions meet and interact accommodation for participants at the Westinin a landscape shaped by wind, fire, flooding, Hotel. The room rate here is 239 CAD per night.and abundant plants and wildlife. Approximate The link for reservation will be available on thedistance: 274 km / 170 miles.event website. 2026 ISTA Annual Meeting ProgrammeCurrencyThe monetary system in Canada is comprisedDate Eventof Canadian dollars and cents. Although manyMonday 22 June 2026 ISTA Seminar: Practical implications of seed quality and businesses accept U.S. currency, visitors areseed testingadvised to exchange their travellers cheques orTuesday 23 June 2026 ISTA Technical Committee meetingshomeland currency for Canadian currency. The best exchange rates can be found at charteredWednesday 24 June 2026 ISTA Technical Committee meetingsbanks, credit unions, caisses populaires andThursday 25 June 2026 ISTA Ordinary General Meetingexchange booths at airports and borderFriday 26 June 2026 Post-meeting tourcrossings. Each financial institution sets its own exchange rate. Please note, some banks mayVarious ISTA workshops are planned before and after the Annual Meeting, on topics including Purity, charge a fee to cash travellers cheques. Seed Health and Advanced Quality Assurance.SEED TESTING INTERNATIONAL OCTOBER 2025 55'