Calgary or small town
 

Hi all

Looking to gain some thoughts, advice and discussion regarding where to live in Calgary. We have two teenage daughters 17 and 14 years old. My wife and I hope to have jobs in the city. We are trying to decide whether to look at living in the city or choose small town life such as Cochrane or Okotoks.

A few thoughts we are having are;

What is the commute like in the winter months?
If we were to live out of the city, what are the public transport links like for daughters to get into city?
Is it the same education authority for Calgary and outskirt towns?
If we initially choose an area to rent but then decide to completely move areas, are the schools helpful with the move?

Steve

Re: Calgary or small town
 

We spent ages looking at calgary property last night, not helped by mls not returning any rentals :confused:, problem with site maybe? Or are rentals scarce as hens teeth!

Bit worried about commute as we read one place 16mile from calgary would be far too long a commute so this thread will be interesting.

Plus once past the rental stage can anyone suggest acreage areas within commute, only stuff we found was around the 1.5 million and looked like it was inspired by the Dallas era:D

If we move its with 2 teens 12 and 15 by then, have read lots on teens not wanting to go, but thats not our problem. Does anyone actually have teens in calgary and how are they going with it all whats the social life for teens etc .

Re: Calgary or small town
 

A 16 mile commute is hardly the end of the world, but if you're 16 miles from city limits, and then have to drive across town to your place of work through all the commuter traffic, that might not be quite so much fun. It'll all depend on your tolerance of traffic and what amount of time you're prepared to spend in a car. Until you've got a destination (job) it'll be nigh on impossible to know where's best to live.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Hi all,

We live in Okotoks and like it here very much. That being said, our working lives do not require that we commute to downtown Calgary in rush hour and if that were the case then, on the basis of the likely commute time, we would probably choose to live in Calgary itself. On the other hand, can see from other posts that you intend to join the CPS and your OH hopes to continue her nursing career. In both cases, it may well be that your shift patterns make the commute to Calgary from Okotoks entirely feasible. Outside of rush hour and inside the speed limits, you could probably get from Okotoks to downtown Calgary in 50-60 minutes. For your OH, a journey from here to Rockyview Hospital (for example) in the SW and again, outside rush hour, is maybe a 35 to 45 minutes drive. There is also a hospital being built on the southern edge of Calgary that, once operational in a few years, could provide a very easy commute from Okotoks (20 minutes or less).

Okotoks does not yet have any public transport as such although there is current debate on starting up a bus service to link with the light rail service in Calgary. Don't expect an immediate decision on that. Do expect it to happen eventually. Link to article on front page of this week's Western Wheel (our weekly local paper in Okotoks)...
http://www.westernwheel.com/

Lots of education articles in the WIKI to browse through...
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Category:Education-Canada
...but believe the straight answer to your question re education authorities is "no, Calgary takes care of Calgary and other municipalities take care of their own" but others more expert will no doubt give better answers.

Also, there's an obvious Okotoks bias to this response...I feel sure the Cochrane contingent on BE will be on in due course to give a view from that side of things. It also strikes us as a nice place to live.

Hope this helps. Our blog (see link in signature line below) will give you a taste of life here in Okotoks and Calgary - at least in the way we experience it. Feel free to have a mooch and best of luck with your plans.

Eamonn & Janet.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

MLS will not return any rentals in Alberta, it's primarily a homes for sale site.

Here's what a Google search for House Rentals Calgary returned. http://www.google.ca/search?num=50&h...ry&btnG=Search

Lots of people commute year round from places like Okotoks, High River, Cochrane, Bragg Creek, Airdrie without any major issues, all of these places are beyond 16 miles from downtown.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Hi,

Eammon makes some good points, what I would add however is it's far more likely nursing ops will be at Foothills than Rockyview. Alternatively you could find they appear at Peter Locheed. Either way you're looking at an extra 20-30 minutes travel.
My personal take on it is IF you want to live outside Calgary and Nurse in a hospital, FORGET Okotoks:p. Think along the lines of Chestermere, Airdrie, Cochrane.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

What about the new yet to be built South Hospital? :confused:

Re: Calgary or small town
 

As you said:p

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Yes, would agree that if nursing work takes OH to NE or NW Calgary, then Butch's suggestions re Airdrie, Chestermere and Cochrane become that much more appealing than Okotoks without negatively impacting commute times to downtown Calgary (assuming that is necessary for CPS work). Otherwise, Okotoks should be OK.

Our personal preferences (and it's all about that really) would put Airdrie and Chestermere beneath Okotoks, Cochrane and southernmost communities of Calgary, as places to live but we found that out by driving around them all, extensively - something we'd recommend to anyone heading over. Hopefully, our expressed preferences don't cause a rant from those who prefer to live in other areas (each to their own, eh!).:D

Eamonn & Janet.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

But "Uncle Ed" has promised it will be built. :p

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Well all those cranes on the southern edge of Calgary where the hospital is due to be sited are building something...let's hope it's a hosi! For the benefit of the original poster, I think I read that the first phase of the hospital will be operational in 2011 with further phases to follow, so clearly it's not a whole bunch of use to you now but might be worth bearing in mind IF, upon investigation, you thought it might be a good future work location.

Eamonn & Janet.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Yes, there's plenty of those!:D De Winton has some recently built acreage properties. It's not far past the southern edge of Calgary. Likewise around Okotoks but again depends on your tolerance of commuting and need (or otherwise) to be, for example, in downtown Calgary at 8.30am.

Actually, have visited the ranch and house used for the filming of Dallas. Quite a fun afternoon, having grown up with Dallas on in our household every week!

Eamonn & Janet.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

My personal preferences :p

Outside Calgary:
Millarville\Pridis\Bragg Creek
Black Diamond\Turner Valley\Longview
Cochrane
Chestermere
Okotoks
Airdrie (I would NEVER live there in reality).

Inside Calgary:
South of 17th east of 14th north of the river west of 4th
Kensington
Bridgeland
Beltline
Tuscany\Arbour Lake
West of Sarcee North of highway 8 South of COP
Silverado
Mackenzie
Evanston\Kincora\Sage Hill

Re: Calgary or small town
 

No one ever seems to mention Langdon out to the East of Calgary - it's basically a dormitory settlement, smaller than Chestermere/Okotoks/Airdrie/Cochrane but I think a lot of the houses out there have 1/4 acre lots.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langdon,_Alberta

Here's a good little guide to where some of the much smaller "communities" are outside Calgary within the Municipal District of Rocky View: http://www.gov.mdrockyview.ab.ca/Vie...e-ec9809e2422f

There is also the MD of Foothills to the South.

If you're looking for an acreage at all, I would tend to avoid the Balzac area to the north of the City as it is all due to be concreted over in the next few years with a humungus shopping mall and business and industrial parks.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

LOL
Isnt that basically whats happened to Airdrie, Chestermere (to a slightly lesser extent), Okotoks and Cochrane already?

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Sorry Steve, missed this question completely. Well, we've only been through one winter and this was a big concern of ours pre moving out here but generally speaking, although it slows you down some (if you're sensible - some aren't!) there were only a couple of days where I was driving and felt unsafe and one of those was a drive from Okotoks to Edmonton in a blizzard! Not saying it's perfect but roads are cleared better and more quickly here than I would have thought likely (given our frame of reference - ie: the UK grinding to a halt the moment the first snow-flake falls!)

Eamonn

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Yup

But this will fill in the bit thats left between North Calgary and Airdrie - there are some beautiful houses with some great views of the city and mountains there (but not for long...)

Re: Calgary or small town
 

'Progress' eh mate:thumbdown:

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Although I really still like the city, I much prefer the Calgary I moved to in 1974. :)

Re: Calgary or small town
 

I'd say I prefered the Calgary of 2004, but then I'd be living in the middle of a field:eek:

Re: Calgary or small town
 

As you know, we live in Okotoks and my OH commutes downtown everyday. The only issue he has is with the crap drivers on the Deerfoot! :ohmy: We have done 2 winters now and there were no probs. Granted, he goes in early but is then able to come home early.

We have 2 kids, one is a teen and we all love life here. The thing to bear in mind too is schools. I know your list is ideal but some of those places could mean quite a bus ride for school kids.

You never have liked Okotoks though ;) We wouldn't live anywhere else! ;)

Different strokes for different folks :thumbup:

Re: Calgary or small town
 

I think none of the answers have addressed the aspect of having two teenage girls.....

Will they be happy stuck out on an acreage? Kids can drive at 16 here (can start at 14 accompanied), and if yours want some town life then they will likely have to have cars at their disposal.

Public transport is quite good once you are within city limits, but it is frankly pants trying to get in from outside town if you don't drive.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Forget public transport for your daughters if coming in from Cochrane. They could get the twice daily commuter bus - or should learn to drive pretty quick, with all the expenses that entails !!

(By the way, I live here and really like it! :p )

I've written before on all the things I like about the place and I do think it would be a great place to bring kids of any age - but I'm just re-iterating the public transport issue - there ain't none :D

Re: Calgary or small town
 

yeah but I dont have kids so thats why its MY personal list :sneaky:.

Its true I never really liked Okotoks. HOWEVER the place is growing on me (and growing in general), which could be a good thing since its possible I may be working down there soon (or Airdrie god forbid:eek:).

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Fair comment I think.

Eamonn.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

We've got teenage boys, 12 - 15 by then, this is the sort of info we need. Driving at 14 :blink: interesting.

What I really should have said rather than acerage ( which I admit would probably be pointless as its under snow for 7+ months :D ) is if we buy we would want a bit of space and privacy and a few trees, I know calgary is not big on trees due to the climate but the wheat prarie look doesnt appeal to me personally. Half an acre with a bit of forest around it would be fine.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Cochrane is a great place to live, but it really depends on your lifestyle as well. 40 minute drive to downtown calgary, on normal days. Longer in a snow storm which happens 3-4 times a year.

If your daughters are city people, then they will not like any of the small towns. None of the small towns have regular public transport into Calgary, though there is lots of talk of it.

The education system seems very good in Cochrane. I have learnt a few things though.
- Schools are not bothered about league tables. So if the child fails a subject or does not do well, there does not seem to be the same questions asked as to why?
- If your child does not hand in the work, they get 0%. If it is not handed in on time they lose 5% on their mark. The teachers generally do not phone, contact, chase the parents or student for the work.
- The system is great if you have a child who hands in the work on time (or at all). Once you get to grade 10, 11,12 then it is even more self disciplined.

Once you children start the High school diploma then it may be harder to change schools. They have a system that instead of doing 8 subjects for one year, you do 4 for half and then the other 4. So if you change schools, and child needs to do Math, the school may have already done it. It would depend on size of school etc. Even if they are doing the same subject, the teacher can teacher the subject in any order, so your child might miss some of the curriculum.

If you want to live in a town which is friendly, and safe for your children to live in, then Cochrane is very good.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Finding half an acer may be quite hard. Langdon does have third of an acer lots which are not bad and are quite appealing. Langdon though may not suit your boys as it is a very small village. If you look at Calgary, and imagine a horseshoe around the top of it, then that is the Mucipality of Rockyview, which only wants a minium of 4 acres. (this is trying to be reduced to 2 acres, but as yet not accepted).

4 acres is a great size, and you can have a horse on 4 acres, but then remember a lot of people want this size and the price of land is still high!

If you live in a great spot, remember you will then have to drive your boys everywhere. They can catch the school bus to school, but anything else is down to you.

Your 15 year old can get his learners D/L when he arrives, but he can not take his test until he has had his licence for one year. Then you have to get him a car, and the insurance for third party is about $1500. Drivers Education $800, driving test $60 (my son was 16 yesterday and takes his test tomorrow, this birthday has cost me a fortune:eek:)

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Eh? Nonsense. Mrs Wiggs has happily worked as an RN in the ER at Rockyview for a year and a half, and they are constanly taking on new staff including many from the UK - and a good number live in or around Okotoks. As of today the Calgary Health Region website lists 33 RN jobs at RGH, with just 18 at PLC (and 54 at the Foot). It takes her around 40 minutes to get to work door to door.

Having said that she has just been offered and accepted a position at the Urgent Care Centre in Okotoks and will be starting there in September, but she was very happy at RGH and would hapily continued there - it is just this shift pattern works better. It ws a great place for her to start her nursing out here, and has given her a good balance of experience.

Don't forget, living out here many of the nurses also work at High River or Black Diamond Hospitals. Both are within 20 minutes, and again have vacancies.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

ERM............

Which bit was nonsense?
54>33 therefore more likely that a vacancy appears at Foothills than Rocky.

Whichever way you slice it Cochrane is closer to Rocky and Foothills, Airdrie is closer to PL and Foothills and Chestermere is closer to PL.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

How about Bragg Creek?????
(Although not the centre of the universe for teenagers)

Or, if you don't mind a space compromise there are lots of lovely mature neighbourhoods within the City limits built around the 1960's and 1970's which have reasonable size lots and loads of mature trees and therefore a little more privacy. I only really know the NW e.g. Brentwood, Collingwood, Dalhousie, Varsity, Silver Springs, etc, but there are some lovely neighbourhoods in the SW and SE too, and your teenagers could access anything they wanted to then.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Cochrane to the Rockyview via the 1A highway 41.3kms
Okotoks to the Rockyview via MacLeod Trail 35.2kms

Anyway you slice it if I were employed at the Rockyview I would would find it much easier to get to from Okotoks than Cochrane no matter the distance. ;)

Re: Calgary or small town
 

This bit

It is not far more likely at all. The current market for nurses (with the exception of extremely specialised areas, which newcomers would find pretty impossible to re-enter anyway) enables the nurse to decide where she wants to work in Calgary, and then find a suitable position with a suitable line. You imply that Rockyview is a small town hospital with limited opportunities - and that is simply not the case. The OP should feel positive about finding a position there - not that it is unlikey.

What he said..

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Thanks for confirming my 35 to 45 minute timing to RGH...better that it comes from someone like your other half who does the journey frequently than from my (Eamonn's) one time timing of the journey for someone else, on my way to Calgary Farmer's Market for some pies!

And good point re High River and Black Diamond also being options.

Eamonn & Janet.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

oops:o

Re: Calgary or small town
 

54+33+18=105
54/105=51.43% 33/105=31.43% 18/105=17.14%
SO of the total jobs advertised in Calgary over half at FH I'd say that was pretty good odds that there was more likelihood of finding work there.

Please dont try and tell me how and were nurses can find work, I am properly in as good a position as you to access the information re: vacancies within the CHR as you are and in some cases maybe even better.

I never implied anything about Rockyview save that it was a SMALLER hospital than Foothills.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

So why say "what I would add however is it's far more likely nursing ops will be at Foothills than Rockyview" to a person looking to move to Calgary or it's environs? That is not the way most nurses choose their work. First they choose where they want to live, then they choose approriate local work. As a newcomer , being told to move near to the Foothils simply to find work is a mistake and unneccessary.

What I am saying is that from nursing point of view (which is obviously very different from most positions) let your home dictate your work location - not the other way around.

Re: Calgary or small town
 

children, children

play nicely please

Re: Calgary or small town
 

Because statistically (using figures YOU quoted) it is more likely:rofl:.

I didnt say move near to Foothills. In fact if you view my later Posts I actually listed areas closer to Rockyview as amongst my faves. NOT only that but the areas I listed OUTSIDE Calgary are within spitting distance of Okotoks!

To conclude let me now exclude PLC from the vacancies
54+33=87
54/87=62.07% 33/87=37.93%
OH dear looks as if there are almost TWICE as many vacancies at FH than RV:rofl:

Wiggs dont let your personal views of me influence your posts. Its not in the least helpful.;)

Re: Calgary or small town
 

I should really do some work, but...

Total RN jobs currently available in all Calgary Health Region establishments within City of Calgary = 119. Number at Foothills = 54. Therefore, in actual fact you are more likely to find work outside the Foothills than within it.

Anyway, we are both really arguing seperate issues. My point is that in this case I believe home should come first, and then dictate work location - rather than the other way around. Nursing is one of the few professions in Calgary where this can be possibe.

I'll go back to the corner I came out of now. Good luck to OP either way - and to you Butch