Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
Aug 23rd 2021, 10:21 am
#16
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
Please can you explain? Are they more reluctant to hire immigrants / racist / xenophobic ?
Aug 23rd 2021, 10:21 am
#17
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
Aug 23rd 2021, 3:40 pm
#18
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
Aug 23rd 2021, 4:27 pm
#19
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
It is not UK version 2
Of course culture and values are likely to be different from that in any city in the UK.
Just as the culture and values in Manchester/London or wherever in the UK would be very different from a Canadian's culture and values when they move over.
I will say that I have been here for 53/54 years now and MY values and culture are very different from what they were when I grew in Lancashire, and from what some of my still-living relatives have expressed now.
Aug 23rd 2021, 4:33 pm
#20
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
Alberta has that reputation but Calgary is a reasonably sized city and I do know of some Asians (American usage) being able to work there so I don't know how redneck it would actually be day-to-day. It's not like, say, Regina or Cape Breton. On the other hand, I wouldn't expect it to be like Toronto either. Several people I work with in the GTA play in cricket leagues, I doubt Calgary has the ethnic population to support anything similar.
Aug 23rd 2021, 5:03 pm
#21
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
Alberta has that reputation but Calgary is a reasonably sized city and I do know of some Asians (American usage) being able to work there so I don't know how redneck it would actually be day-to-day. It's not like, say, Regina or Cape Breton. On the other hand, I wouldn't expect it to be like Toronto either. Several people I work with in the GTA play in cricket leagues, I doubt Calgary has the ethnic population to support anything similar.
https://cricclubs.com/cricketyyc/vie...o?clubId=15482
Aug 23rd 2021, 5:05 pm
#22
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
The Calgary & District Cricket League is one of the largest and oldest cricket leagues operating in Canada. Currently, the C&DCL has 21 member clubs with over 64 teams participating in organized cricket playing different formats of the game across various quadrants of the city of Calgary.
https://cricclubs.com/cricketyyc/vie...o?clubId=15482
https://cricclubs.com/cricketyyc/vie...o?clubId=15482
Aug 23rd 2021, 5:47 pm
#23
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
I've answered my earlier question by a quick whizz through your posts, looks like you need to get back to Canada fairly soon to avoid risking losing PR? Can you maybe do a pros and cons list as suggested by somebody above, to work out if it would be worth moving or not? Or could one of you go ahead and see what they think before the whole family moves?
Aug 23rd 2021, 7:28 pm
#24
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
I've answered my earlier question by a quick whizz through your posts, looks like you need to get back to Canada fairly soon to avoid risking losing PR? Can you maybe do a pros and cons list as suggested by somebody above, to work out if it would be worth moving or not? Or could one of you go ahead and see what they think before the whole family moves?
Mortgage - while still in the UK?
Aug 23rd 2021, 10:36 pm
#25
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
I wrote this in another thread a few weeks ago, but it applies here too:
"If Alberta were in the UK, it would be pro-Boris, pro-Brexit. If Alberta were in the USA, it would Texas, pro-Trump, anti-immigration, white patriarchal, "traditional family values" pick-up truck, country music culture. Originally a ranching and agricultural province, the oil industry has dominated its boom/bust economy heavily for the past decades and many of its residents, used to large wages due to oil, are in denial about the changing values and realities of the world, and will fiercely protect it at the expense of everything else. I believe the current conservative government in Alberta has recently tossed all COVID safety and health care out the window and are restructuring the education system to remove references to Indigenous residential schools, for example. Traditionally, people have moved to Alberta for the wealthy oil economy where a person with little education can obtain a high-paying salary to support a large home, a large truck, and all the toys of modern life. Many of its residents feel entitled to these types of wages and are protective of the oil economy for this reason. It's a great place to buy a cheap(er) house, the landscape and climate are not the draw (with exception to the Rockies), but generally speaking, leadership in that province currently has no respect for the land, for science, for the climate, for women, for immigrants, for different races, cultural backgrounds, critical thinking, etc. I would seriously consider the values and culture there before moving there, unless of course, this appeals to you.
Note: This is of course a fantastically gross generalization and I recognize not everyone in Alberta shares these values, this lifestyle, etc. But my point is, do not look at geography alone when choosing your new home. The cultural differences between different parts in Canada can be quite significant, and can determine how well you fit in and adjust. And Canada is not like the UK where you can simply "pop over" somewhere else nearby if you're tired of your surroundings. Distances are vast. Travel is expensive."
Note: This is of course a fantastically gross generalization and I recognize not everyone in Alberta shares these values, this lifestyle, etc. But my point is, do not look at geography alone when choosing your new home. The cultural differences between different parts in Canada can be quite significant, and can determine how well you fit in and adjust. And Canada is not like the UK where you can simply "pop over" somewhere else nearby if you're tired of your surroundings. Distances are vast. Travel is expensive."
Aug 23rd 2021, 11:03 pm
#26
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
Please can you tell me how you cope with driving etc in snow?Remember, a move to Canada is for life, not just for Christmas
Aug 24th 2021, 12:34 am
#27
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
I moved from Surrey UK to a small city (80k) in the BC interior and we loved the snow for the first two winters. Now we are approaching our 14th winter here, the Wife and I absolutely HATE the snow. Who would chose to live in the cold and damp for 3-4 months of every year. God knows what we will do when we are old, hopefully move somewhere warmer!
Remember, a move to Canada is for life, not just for Christmas
Remember, a move to Canada is for life, not just for Christmas
Aug 24th 2021, 11:07 am
#28
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
It's not the xenophobia or racism so much as being immersed in a city and province whose economy mainly revolves around oil and gas, and the values of the locals voting in a government hellbent on maintaining the status quo of that industry, despite the crisis we're currently facing and the reality that things need to change.
I wrote this in another thread a few weeks ago, but it applies here too:
"If Alberta were in the UK, it would be pro-Boris, pro-Brexit. If Alberta were in the USA, it would Texas, pro-Trump, anti-immigration, white patriarchal, "traditional family values" pick-up truck, country music culture. Originally a ranching and agricultural province, the oil industry has dominated its boom/bust economy heavily for the past decades and many of its residents, used to large wages due to oil, are in denial about the changing values and realities of the world, and will fiercely protect it at the expense of everything else. I believe the current conservative government in Alberta has recently tossed all COVID safety and health care out the window and are restructuring the education system to remove references to Indigenous residential schools, for example. Traditionally, people have moved to Alberta for the wealthy oil economy where a person with little education can obtain a high-paying salary to support a large home, a large truck, and all the toys of modern life. Many of its residents feel entitled to these types of wages and are protective of the oil economy for this reason. It's a great place to buy a cheap(er) house, the landscape and climate are not the draw (with exception to the Rockies), but generally speaking, leadership in that province currently has no respect for the land, for science, for the climate, for women, for immigrants, for different races, cultural backgrounds, critical thinking, etc. I would seriously consider the values and culture there before moving there, unless of course, this appeals to you.
Note: This is of course a fantastically gross generalization and I recognize not everyone in Alberta shares these values, this lifestyle, etc. But my point is, do not look at geography alone when choosing your new home. The cultural differences between different parts in Canada can be quite significant, and can determine how well you fit in and adjust. And Canada is not like the UK where you can simply "pop over" somewhere else nearby if you're tired of your surroundings. Distances are vast. Travel is expensive."
I wrote this in another thread a few weeks ago, but it applies here too:
"If Alberta were in the UK, it would be pro-Boris, pro-Brexit. If Alberta were in the USA, it would Texas, pro-Trump, anti-immigration, white patriarchal, "traditional family values" pick-up truck, country music culture. Originally a ranching and agricultural province, the oil industry has dominated its boom/bust economy heavily for the past decades and many of its residents, used to large wages due to oil, are in denial about the changing values and realities of the world, and will fiercely protect it at the expense of everything else. I believe the current conservative government in Alberta has recently tossed all COVID safety and health care out the window and are restructuring the education system to remove references to Indigenous residential schools, for example. Traditionally, people have moved to Alberta for the wealthy oil economy where a person with little education can obtain a high-paying salary to support a large home, a large truck, and all the toys of modern life. Many of its residents feel entitled to these types of wages and are protective of the oil economy for this reason. It's a great place to buy a cheap(er) house, the landscape and climate are not the draw (with exception to the Rockies), but generally speaking, leadership in that province currently has no respect for the land, for science, for the climate, for women, for immigrants, for different races, cultural backgrounds, critical thinking, etc. I would seriously consider the values and culture there before moving there, unless of course, this appeals to you.
Note: This is of course a fantastically gross generalization and I recognize not everyone in Alberta shares these values, this lifestyle, etc. But my point is, do not look at geography alone when choosing your new home. The cultural differences between different parts in Canada can be quite significant, and can determine how well you fit in and adjust. And Canada is not like the UK where you can simply "pop over" somewhere else nearby if you're tired of your surroundings. Distances are vast. Travel is expensive."
Other that hat, I don't know if it has to be Calgary? If considering Alberta in general, it's also wise to compare Calgary to Edmonton.
Last edited by OrangeMango; Aug 24th 2021 at 11:18 am.
Aug 24th 2021, 11:37 am
#29
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
Having lived in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer Alberta ( I've been in Europe for 15 years, Ireland for one year) and in B.C. Vancouver for over 10 years and in the USA for many many years, lets see, Alberta was for 10 years, I'm going to express my opinion that going from UK to Calgary is just too much of a culture change for most people. Very tough IMO. I think going from UK to anywhere in Canada is a huge culture and weather shift, but more so going into Alberta, Saskatchuan and Manitoba. The older you are the more difficult it will be to adjust and adapt even without a language barrior. I'm still surprised at how vastly different cultural attitudes and social behaviors differ between Brits, Canadians and Americans. Quite amazing actually.
On the other hand if you had a very good employment position to go to and this means a very good opportunity for you economically it could be worth it, depending on how much you are willing to accept people at face value and adjust yourself to fit in with them, especially as you will be working with them. It is not easy, but it is not impossible for some people.
On the other hand if you had a very good employment position to go to and this means a very good opportunity for you economically it could be worth it, depending on how much you are willing to accept people at face value and adjust yourself to fit in with them, especially as you will be working with them. It is not easy, but it is not impossible for some people.
Aug 24th 2021, 12:00 pm
#30
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Re: Anyone regret moving to Calgary?
I've been married, or equivalent to married, with one of each. What are the primary differences in cultural attitudes and social behaviors I should have noticed?
