lisa387

Hi all,

Myself and OH just got passport requests last week but had already booked a holiday/recce trip to Canada leaving Fri 07 Aug. We are going to Calgary to look around the area and were wondering if anybody has settled in the Turner Valley or Black Diamond area.

We do not want to live in the City but would like to live close enough to commute to work and have been told these are quite nice areas. We would appreciate any feedback on these areas.

Any comments would be appreciated. Thankyou. Lisa

Almost Canadian

I have never lived in either of these but Turner Valley reminds me of Hicksville each time I go through it. It always looks very run down and gives the impression of something that was once a great town but has seen better days.

Having said that, I haven't been there in over a year and I understand that quite a bit of new construction is going on.

They are both a fair way outside of the City with no real direct route to the City. It is probably a good half an hour at least before you would hit the City limits and along relatively poor roads (in a winter sense). I wouldn't want to travel this route twice a day in winter but I am sure people do.

HTH

Helen Parnell

Both areas are developing as Calgary moves further out. I think 30 minutes to Calgary city limits is a bit quick, I would think more 40-50. I know most expats that move over do not want to live in the city. Black diamond and turner valley are very rural areas and is another extreme. There are happy mediums with Okotoks, Cochrane, or Bragg creek (if money allows!). Some people like High River which is south of Okotoks and not as out of the way as Turner valley etc.

Butch Cassidy

Because it was?
Once again I'm gonna get hit with a back lash here BUT I'm gonna say it anyway. Turner Valley (and to a lesser extent Black Diamond) appears as 'Hicksville' (IMHO) because they DONT have a great influx of British Expats who need the big (new?) houses, the 52" Plasma screens, the Dodge Grand Caravan, Heinz Beanz, Bisto, Oxo, etc. The locals are (generally) happy to carry on with their laid back way of life without having the 'trappings' that come with living in Calgary.


Nope Mrs C would agree

Butch Cassidy

Chestermere, Balzac, Airdrie, DeWinton all been flattened since I last Looked?

Almost Canadian

I appreciate that and I didn't mean to sound as if it was a bad thing. They both have a rural feel about them and I'm sure that, if they are happy to accept newcomers (I haven't a clue if they do or don't) then I am sure you would know everybody in a very short space of time and they could be great places to live. If they don't like newcomers though, I can imagine it would be an awful place to live.

Personally, with 3 young kids that want access to sports facilities etc, such a place is not for us at the moment.

Butch Cassidy

Black Diamond is VERY welcoming of 'out-towners'
Turner Valley would like some 'out-towners'
There was talk of them amalgamating to simplify services (at the moment one bills the other for services they 'have' to provide).

I appreciate what you are saying about Kids and sports facilities BUT I'm pretty sure that between the two PLUS Longview you would be able to find most of the usual facilities.

Personally I would choose either of these towns over Okotoks, High River or Airdrie.

KAT16

A friend of ours settled in Black Diamond with her 3 sons, been there 3yrs and absolutely loves it.

We went out on a recci 2 yrs ago and stayed with her and it was in Black Diamond that we made our minds up to move. Unfortunately OH got a job near the airport and so it is too far to travel for us to live there, although it would be our first choice. We've been there 6 times in the last 2 yrs and it feels like we're "home" every time we see the signs. Both the towns have sports arenas and there is an open air swimming pool in Turner Valley. I know Black Diamond has a hospital (not sure about TV) and they both have schools. Have been told they are not amalgamating, the towns folks didn't want it!

We will be spending alot of time in Black Diamond (The Black Diamond Bar especially!!lol) when we finally move!

KAT

lisa387

Thank you to everybody who replied, some good, some bad Appreciate all the comments. OH is a Yorkshire man wants the country life, me, townie wants a bit of community life - so we need to find a compromise!

Will have some fun checking out the areas next week, can't wait to see Canada again
Thankyou, lisa

Brownstar

Whenever I drive through Black Diamond or Turner Valley I swear I can hear duelling banjo's..................in Blackie I know i definitely can hear them!

I was hesitant to live in Calgary when we moved over, but even though its a big city it certainly doesn't feel like it. I live and work on the south tip of the city, Shawnessy/Sundance, and it doesn't feel like I live in a city at all its got more of a smal town feel.

Living out in the smaller communities like Bragg Creak, Priddis, etc sounds lovely but they are quite remote and you have quite a few additional costs.

Almost Canadian

This sums up how I feel about areas such as Okotoks, High River and Chestermere etc.

If you live in any of the communities in these areas, I fail to see the difference between, let's say, living in Shawnessy Sundance, except that you are that much further from the City.

Communities in the city of Calgary do not feel like inner city living in the UK (unless you are living downtown. Okotoks etc, has the same stores, laid out in the same fashion as most communities in the city. In essence, I would imagine living there is the same as living in Shawnessy etc. Granted the houses are cheaper than in the city but, for me, the additional travelling time one would have to bear each day if one works in the city, isn't worth whatever benefit there is in living in such areas.

Butch Cassidy

I feel about Okotoks (and Airdrie) the way Brownstar feels about Blackie.
I'm convinced if you asked the locals to remove their footwear they'd have six toes.

Getting There

How did you know!?

Eamonn

Almost Canadian

This is gonna end in tears

Butch Cassidy

No offence intended to people who live there.

Seriously it's all down to personal choice.
I cant understand the fascination with Lake Communities, why ANYBODY would live in the far SE, Why people would choose Edmonton over Calgary, Why people snowboard instead of ski, Why ride english instead of western, Why George Strait isn't running for US President?


Am I going off track and losing the plot?