Big Bear

Hi there

My wife and I are moving our family (3 kids under 2 and 2 dogs!) to Canada in a few months time from Australia. We are originally from the UK and have loved our time in Oz but it really is too far from everywhere so we are now ready to fulfill our long time dream of moving to Canada and setting up our life there.

We will be moving through my job and we have the option of living in either Vancouver or Calgary. It would be great to get people's insights. Some of the things that matter to us are:

- Easy access to the great outdoors with the kids - skiing, camping, hiking, etc. Is this better/easier in Calgary or Vancouver?

- Cost of living. I know that buying a house in Vancouver is more expensive (I think) but what about renting? Are the costs of buying a car, fuel, food, etc the same in both?

- School's. I am assuming that the quality of education is good in both Calgary and Vancouver? Does the public school system work well?

- Family friendly - which city is best for young immigrant families in terms of being able to settle in easily?

- Weather - I have heard that it rains a lot in Vancouver and gets ridiculously cold in Calgary but that both are nice in the summer? Does it really rain that much in Vancouver (I am originally from Manchester, UK and we got our fair share of rain) and how extreme is the cold in Calgary/does it last for months or a few weeks?

- Being able to live in 'nice', safe suburbs that are close (less than 30 mins) from downtown. This one is key. We are going to want a 4-5 bedroom house with a reasonable sized garden for the kids and dogs. We are coming from Sydney where houses are VERY expensive and our budget will be in the $700k-$1M range. Which city will give us the most choice - Calgary or Vancouver?

- Work - my wife is a Doctor and will work 2-3 days a week as a GP. Are there any UK qualified GP's are here that have made the move and know whether it is easier to find work in Calgary or Vancouver?

- Daycare - is this more expensive in Calgary or Vancouver?

- Skiing - we have skied in Whistler a few times and love the place. What is the skiing like out in Banff, Lake Louise, etc? Is it as good as Whistler?

We have been to Vancouver on holiday as part of Whistler skiing holidays but never to Calgary. I am going to visit Calgary and Vancouver before we make our final decision but it would be great to hear the experiences and advise of people that have already made the move.

Finally, in theory we live somewhere else in Western Canada as my wife can work anywhere and my job will involve traveling around lots so just need to be close to an airport. Is there somewhere else that fits the bill and is even better than Vancouver or Calgary??

Sorry about all of the question's!

Thanks in advance!

The4BellsLondon

Err - that's a helluva lot of questions - wiki or google??

Alberta_Rose

Here's a link to the BE wiki http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Catego...da_City_Guides There's more info about Calgary than anywhere else, because Judy, who was the main contributer in her day, lived here.

Look at www.mls.ca for house listings to compare what you can get for your money .... but I'd say Calgary will give you WAY more choice, given that budget....

Weather in Calgary .... well the last three winters have seemed longer and more severe each year. The first couple of years we had periods of winter with plus temps much of the time, and Chinooks to warm everything up. Our first year we could have eaten Christmas dinner on the deck; it was plus 14!
This winter it started snowing in November, and it really hasn't gone away. There have been a few weeks when it's been below -20, but today it felt positively warm at about -4 when I was shovelling snow .... no hat/gloves or coat needed! .... but yes it's STILL bloddy snowing!

The4BellsLondon

But West Coast is waaaay cooler

LucyLovelock

Hi,
Not having been to Vancouver, I cant comment on the coast, but I would say Calgary and area would fit your requirements very nicely.
Lots of great communities within Calgary, and then you have Cochrane and Okotoks that are not far from the city, but with that smaller town feel.
We have lived in Cochrane for 5.5 years now and absolutely love it.
The schools are great, its a fabulous family community, and your budget would no doubt buy you a great property either in the town, or on an acreage.
You could even consider buying a parcel of land and building your own home.
Some friends of mine have just moved into their new home having done just that, and its awesome.
www.cochrane.ca will give you more info on our town.
The Calgary health region could sure use your wifes skills right now. A number of people have trouble finding a family doctor, although we are one of the lucky ones.
As for skiing, we have many resorts close by, from Nakiska which is 45 minutes away, to Sunshine, an hour away, and then Lake Louise about 1.40 minutes away.
Good luck with your decision, and if we can help with any more info, there are a number of Cochrane/Calgary folk on here to help!

Alberta_Rose

Hah .... that's why I'm not going to drawn into saying which is "better". I haven't lived in Vancouver ... most people here have not lived in both to really compare, so it's hard to get an unbiased view!

I just had a quick look at Vancouver, and it seems to me that the houses going for $700k for instance would sell for $450k here in Calgary ... that's all I meant. The question asked was which would have more "choice" in their projected budget.

Lychee

Calgary has a dry climate - the landscape is brown for most of the year. I know, this is trivial, but it's a detail often left out and can be a big detail if you enjoy gardening. Vancouver's green year round like the UK. Spring flowers are blooming in Vancouver - the streets are lined with blooming ornamental cherries. People are mowing lawns and gardening right now. This is typical of Vancouver in March. It's still winter in Calgary. Spring - the way that you might recognize it - doesn't hit Calgary until several months later. Because of the extreme climate and the short growing season, you're more limited to what you can grow in your garden in Calgary. But that's the price you pay for a bit more sunshine I suppose. Vancouver has seasonal rain - November-January takes the brunt. Summers are dry in Vancouver. Calgary summers get more rain/thunderstorms. It's a give and take.

The4BellsLondon

Oh yes = VAn is ridiculously priced - ok if coming from South England / London . .

jad n rich

Congrats on the visa, we are in OZ, but look like having a long wait for the canadian visa, and I have been told only 70 will be allocated from OZ this year, so its probably not 2011 then

Anyway been over so many times.

I adore vancouver, but make no mistake, there are two sides, the tourist side and beauty, great summers and then the down and out drug and poverty side and if your not into rain well The traffic in Van has to be some of the worse I have seen in peak hours. There is staggering poverty as well as the wealth. Plenty of drugs and frankly very poor wages in many jobs.

Calgary, I was out in 2008 and the property prices were really high for pretty boxy estate homes on very small plots, thought it would be much cheaper, maybe those houses are cheaper now. At the time wages were better than Van. I got the impression Calgary was quite compact and a "Perth type feel" as in small and not exactly surrounded by things to do. But I liked it, would love an acerage there, dont think the estates were me.

You really have to go out and have a look at calgary too, dont do the capilano bridge/whistler/lake louise thing, do the rush hour thing, the grocery shop, try and speak to canadians.

Also dont visit mid summer thats not the weather you need to see

Should be a great experience and contrast after OZ and lucky you for getting there this year

JonboyE

From a Vancouver only perspective ...

Right on your doorstep in Vancouver.

Yes, buying is expensive - no doubt. But renting is not that much more than many other cities AFAIK. A small apartment in an older building in the West End (between Downtown and Stanley Park) will start at just over $1,000 pm. $1,600 - $1,900 a smaller house in a nice area. $2,500 a BIG house in the suburbs.

Sales tax is 7% higher in Vancouver, though this does not affect food. Gas is a little more expensive as we have a carbon tax. Heating costs are much cheaper. Otherwise pretty much on a par I think.

Public school system is fine in Vancouver. I have no reason to think it is otherwise in Calgary.

No problem in Vancouver. I am not aware of any in Calgary either. There are lots of faces from lots of places in Vancouver. I think the ability to settle depends more on the immigrant than the city, but Vancouver is very welcoming.

If you look at weather stats then Vancouver does seem very wet. However, to get an idea of what living here is like you have to understand that when it rains (particularly mid October to Christmas) it really really rains. The winter months can be wet too, though not to the same extent. Spring and summer are lovely. Overall you get more hours of sunshine and more sunny days than in the UK. It also depends to some extent on where you live. The closer to the mountains you are the wetter it is.

If you come from Manchester you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Real estate is more expensive in Vancouver. (There might be a reason why. ) What you want is doable in Vancouver, but in terms of choice there will be more in Calgary.

I doubt getting work will be a problem in either city once she is licensed. Getting licensed will be the problem. She needs to contact the relevant professional bodies in each province to find out how many hoops they will make her jump through.

No idea on this one.

I can't make a comparison. There are three ski resorts within the Metro Vancouver and, as well as Whistler, there is Manning Park, Mount Baker and Hemlock Valley within a easy reach of a day trip from Vancouver.

And all that winter precipitation means that the local hills will start April with a snow base several meters deep.

JonboyE

It is there. Is there a city in the western world where it isn't? It can be more visible in Vancouver as it is concentrated into such a small area.

When I lived in London in the 80s there were druggies and down and outs living under the arches of most central London stations. It didn't much affect my daily life and it wasn't a reason not to live in London.

No difference really.

Steve_P

A very balanced view.

Just as an aside currently the average price of gasoline in Vancouver is 21.4% higher than Calgary. Not that this should make a difference in anyone's decision making process.

MarylandNed

I can't think of a city I've been to where it's as visible as it is in Vancouver. I think the compact size of downtown has something to do with it - as you suggested. The other factor is that Vancouver attracts street people because of its relatively mild climate. It's easier to sleep on the street in winter in Vancouver than in the other major Canadian cities.

Alan2005

My commute takes me along Hastings St. The two blocks between Main & Carall are the particularly bad with large numbers of homeless insane junkies lining the streets. Fortunately the problem follows some kind of inverse square law and you don't need to go far to get away from it.

The4BellsLondon

Gas today in Van $1.359


Abbotsford $1.157