dazed&confused

Anyone out live there or know it well?

After a bit of research we are now looking at settling a little bit out of the city of Calgary, and we have been told this is a fast growing town and is very accessible to the cityalso we have looked at the real estate and it looks pretty affordable.

We would appreciate any feedback Good or Bad?





Remember don't wait for your ship to come in! swim out to meet the bloody thing!

gunner

Mate,

Funny you should say that, me and the missus took a trip up there back in october last year, its a bit of a gem, hidden just outside calgary.

Okotoks is just 23 kilometres south of Calgary and is a thriving bedroom community for Calgary. Okotoks is named for the Blackfoot word "okatok," which means rock. The town's major tourist attraction is an 18,000-ton rock that was carried over ten thousand years ago by the Ice Age glaciers from Jasper area to its its current spot. It sits in an open field about 10 minutes west of town, on Highway 7.

The pretty Sheep River runs through town, which has a visitor information centre in the renovated CPR train station. Okotoks' 9,000 residents are Alberta's fastest growing community and also the youngest community in Canada with 85 per cent of the residents being under the age of 44. Okotoks also has three golf courses: D'Arcy Ranch, Heritage Pointe, and Cottonwood.

checkout this link for more, hope it turns out helpful, we plan to go back soon !

http://www.town.okotoks.ab.ca/

cheers

CalgaryAMC

I know Okotoks inside and out. The best man at my wedding was born and raised there, fantastic acreage with a deck (and built in hot-tub) overlooking the Rockies. Lovely little town (~ 10,000 people) with a quaint main street and one of the best French restaurants in Alberta. There are a lot of Brits there.

It is very accessible to Calgary (particularly the southern part of town) and has basically become a bedroom community. There is more to do in Okotoks it than a similar size town in England for that reason: the Calgarian workers want all the amenities (there's a Wal-Mart), want to eat out etcetera.

I wholeheartedly recommend it. I considered moving there myself because it is cheaper than Calgary. My wife wasn't in favour though. It is still a small fairly rural place and she needs her big malls and all the rest of it. Don't make the mistake that others have made - if you like London and the bright lights big city, Okotoks is not for you.

Craftybanshee

I know this is an old thread but I know my DH would agree with your comments. He took a look at Okotoks last Autumn when he was staying in Calgary and loved it. We're going back to Calgary in 5 weeks time for 7 days and I can't wait to visit. I think Okotoks is growing rapidly though. The houses are a bit cheaper than the city. The only reservation I have is living there and working in the city, what about the travelling in the winter. Anyone out there got any comments on that please??

frankieforehead

Don't do it..............Settle in Cochrane.......It's the place to be.

Craftybanshee

Ok - Will take a look at Cochrane (and Bragg Creek) during our trip

hot wasabi peas

I had sex on top of The Big Rock about 10 years ago

Craftybanshee

Thanks for sharing that very personal experience!

LOL

Glaswegian

We looked at Okotoks recently and although there are some beautiful houses the road to Calgary for a daily commute was enough to put us off. Mr G heads downtown for work and although its not much further south of the city it just added that bit too much to each day. Plus we have seen the road in the depths of winter.

Just think carefully about the commuting.

Mrs G

frankieforehead

Was that with someone or alone??????????

hot wasabi peas

It probably wasn't as personal as I thought - there's probably a tourist somewhere in the world their own unique souvenier. Egaads, I just thought - there could even be a website

dawnwynne

LOL...so that was you in the picture on Tourism Alberta's website...nice hair!

Craftybanshee

LOL

Craftybanshee

Cheers Mrs G. It'd bad enough commuting here. My DH does a 100 mile round trip each day to work. Maybe we'll be better off in the city but will still have a look around at the suburbs.

Glaswegian

The suburbs work just fine. Mr G used to commute the M1 two hours each way when we were in England. He is more than happy with his commute here - deep south to downtown. Some of the locals think we are mad though to be living so 'far out'. We are still within the city boundary. I would be very "unhappy" with the thought of Mr G driving the section between the city and Okotoks every day. Its not bad in the summer but you need to carefully consider the spring and winter - that goes all the way to May and starts again in September.

The best thing to do is to visit and try the road for yourself. Try to imagine it under ice or snow with a pickup racing towards you.

Good luck with the decision.

Mrs G