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Calgary Suburbs/Living

Calgary Suburbs/Living

Old Jun 29th 2017, 9:12 am
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Default Calgary Suburbs/Living

I have a post already regarding Toronto Suburbs as this is our first choice, (well Vancouver was until we looked more into the cost of Vancouver) so next for us, well me was Toronto mainly due to a couple factors bigger city, NBA, MLS teams, closer for flight back to UK, not as remote as Calgary, shorter flight times to Orlando, Caribbean, NY for holidays.

Then I realised the house pricing in Toronto and we would be looking at 40-50km out for $550-700k range in a nice family suburb 3-4 bed house, and good transport links.

My wife is keen on Calgary, I am open to the idea and looking more into it the housing market is cheaper, you don’t have to be as far out the city, its not as remote as I thought and has its advantages of being shorter flights to Vancouver, San fran, LA, vegas, phoenix, Mexico for hols, and is a shorter flight to Australia which is another advantage to be as I have family there.

The flights I know are more expensive out of Canada, but Vancouver/ Seattle is drivable, and as is a road trip down to LA!

Anyway to bring my post back into line, can anyone recommend nice family suburbs in Calgary I can look more into, things I am looking for…

1. Good schools
2. Transport links
3. Kids activities

I know Toronto has more on offer in in the way of a bigger city, but living 40-50km out of the city, the main thing for me… is going to be what the local area is like for transport, schools and stuff for my kids to do sports etc.

So really while my kids are that young am I going to get to enjoy living within a bigger city or is Calgary a good option for more local living and access to holiday destinations, I mean we could look to relocation within Canada down the line.

I have also taken the different weather conditions into account, and there is advantages and disadvantages to both.
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 11:37 am
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

I can't help with Calgary areas but what is it you do for work? Can you secure employment in any of these areas as that'll be a primary factor in success and happiness.
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 12:25 pm
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

Originally Posted by Shakyuk
I can't help with Calgary areas but what is it you do for work? Can you secure employment in any of these areas as that'll be a primary factor in success and happiness.

Hi
Yes I would be able to secure work in both locations, obviously I can not say for sure as depends on the market when I arrive, but both would supply equal opportunities.
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 1:00 pm
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

If you say what industry you work in, people will be able to assist you in what the job market is like currently.
Calgary has faced redundancies estimated in excess of over 40,000 people over the past few years, which is 1 in 4 office workers losing their job.
30% of downtown office space is vacant.
Things are starting to recover, but it is generally believed it will never be what it was.

I'll give you my opinion on Calgary and Vancouver, but bear in mind I have only visited as a tourist looking to emigrate and so I haven't lived there.

I visited Calgary and it is where I am heading too despite the issues above. I think it is definitely worth a visit, Vancouver and Calgary are vastly different, the people, the feel and the cities. I'm sure Toronto feels vastly different to them both too. Work seemed it would be easier to come by in Vancouver hence the visit, but me and my girlfriend both felt we liked it to visit but it definitely didn't fit for us. On the other hand my friends live there and they really like it, it's only the property prices they don't like!

Some people will say Calgary is dead after 7pm and for the most part the downtown core is, but like Vancouver and Sydney socialising is done in other areas. The cities feel more segmented into business, culture/social than UK cities in my opinion. But where Sydney and to a lesser extent Vancouver have large areas devoted to bars and restaurants and have reasonable transport links between them. Calgary is vastly more spread out, the downtown area of restaurants and bars is more like a large UK town kind of offering and is mainly down one street. Outside of town there are areas in each community where there are bars and restaurants (think 2 to 3), but it's a more laid back local kind of scene and not a party town. This appeals to me but I could understand it being too quiet and slow for some. The people are a bit more salt of the earth in AB whereas in BC they're a bit more... don't eat salt, protect the eat and eat an avocado whilst walking back to their 1.5 million town house...
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 1:03 pm
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

There is a lot of good information in this thread:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/canad...lberta-898161/

It descends into anarchy about half way and the lack of paragraphs from the OP... oh.. the lack of paragraphs is soul destroying. But it's full of great information.

I think a good take away from that thread is that gun toting bears won't break into a school and steal your children...
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 1:09 pm
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

Originally Posted by h35j34
I have a post already regarding Toronto Suburbs as this is our first choice, (well Vancouver was until we looked more into the cost of Vancouver) so next for us, well me was Toronto mainly due to a couple factors bigger city, NBA, MLS teams, closer for flight back to UK, not as remote as Calgary, shorter flight times to Orlando, Caribbean, NY for holidays.

Then I realised the house pricing in Toronto and we would be looking at 40-50km out for $550-700k range in a nice family suburb 3-4 bed house, and good transport links.

My wife is keen on Calgary, I am open to the idea and looking more into it the housing market is cheaper, you don’t have to be as far out the city, its not as remote as I thought and has its advantages of being shorter flights to Vancouver, San fran, LA, vegas, phoenix, Mexico for hols, and is a shorter flight to Australia which is another advantage to be as I have family there.

The flights I know are more expensive out of Canada, but Vancouver/ Seattle is drivable, and as is a road trip down to LA!

Anyway to bring my post back into line, can anyone recommend nice family suburbs in Calgary I can look more into, things I am looking for…

1. Good schools
2. Transport links
3. Kids activities

I know Toronto has more on offer in in the way of a bigger city, but living 40-50km out of the city, the main thing for me… is going to be what the local area is like for transport, schools and stuff for my kids to do sports etc.

So really while my kids are that young am I going to get to enjoy living within a bigger city or is Calgary a good option for more local living and access to holiday destinations, I mean we could look to relocation within Canada down the line.

I have also taken the different weather conditions into account, and there is advantages and disadvantages to both.
There are good schools and lots of kids activities readily available in all areas of Calgary. Good transport links is a tricky one. If you wish to travel in and around Calgary, the road system is likely much better than you are used to in the UK, simply because it relies upon the NA road system. You will not exeperience anything like rush hour traffic that you used to in the UK, unless you live rurally in the UK.

Good public transport links is another issue. If you live close to a C-train station, you will enjoy using it to get to the locations it goes to. If you don't, you will find that most parking lots fill up very early and the buses to and from such parking lots are nothing like as efficient as you are used to in the UK.

It has an international airport that flies to lots of locations, but nothing like as many as the larger ones in the UK. It is quite a long way from "interesting places" if the likes of NYC, Paris. LA etc. It does not have cheap flights to Europe.
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 1:30 pm
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

Originally Posted by Shakyuk
I think a good take away from that thread is that gun toting bears won't break into a school and steal your children...


The gun toting, plaid hotpant wearing (and that's just the men) rednecks might though.
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 2:47 pm
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

Thanks

I haven't visited either but I do hope to, I have lived a Sydney a while back and loved it but could never afford to live there with kids, much like Vancouver in that sense the housing market just makes it a no go for me.

The reason I am looking at Calgary is that living 50km out of Toronto is not really living in Toronto at the end of the day, the city is there and its accessible, but for now and the next 5-6 years my life is work, kids activities, the odd night out with my wife, friends round, and a holiday away from it all in the summer. its more about the local area and kids activities on hand.

It will be no better of a set up in Canada just different place to experience life, but I suppose if Calgary works and is cheaper housing then maybe its a good start, the laid back, quieter city doesn't bother me.

The city is smaller, everything is accessible by a short drive in and around the city, much like where I am just now.

As for the weather it is sure to be sunnier and dryer than where I am just now in the summer months, however it will defiantly be colder and more snow in the winter, however sunnier in the winter also.

Last edited by h35j34; Jun 29th 2017 at 2:50 pm.
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 2:55 pm
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

Originally Posted by h35j34
e reason I am looking at Calgary is that living 50km out of Toronto is not really living in Toronto
but it's you who keeps asking about suburbs. If you go and live in a suburb obviously you, and your children, will not have the same quality of life as someone who lives in the city. Why don't you look at moving to the place where you're intending to work instead of thirty miles away? (If it's because you can't afford to be closer then, fair enough, but you seem to have started with Burlington and Oshawa as if there was no hope for better).
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 3:30 pm
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

Originally Posted by dbd33
but it's you who keeps asking about suburbs. If you go and live in a suburb obviously you, and your children, will not have the same quality of life as someone who lives in the city. Why don't you look at moving to the place where you're intending to work instead of thirty miles away? (If it's because you can't afford to be closer then, fair enough, but you seem to have started with Burlington and Oshawa as if there was no hope for better).
Yes I am well aware of what I am asking for and I want to live in the suburbs and not in the city centre.

I've never asked for places to live in the city. I said it would be great to be as close as possible to a city, I originally thought in Toronto that 30km out would be achievable however this soon turned out not to be the case.

I know from your posts you are a massive fan of city living, but I simply can not afford to live in the city. To be honest with my kids and dog I wouldn't want to live in the city.

I looked at Toronto at Burlington/Oakville in the west as this seemed to be the kind of areas I was looking for, then I look at Ajax in the east as it was slightly cheaper than the west.

Calgary is another option and one my wife is keen on, so I am just having a look and asking for Calgary people to recommend some suburbs for me.

My point about living in a suburb was does it matter if that city close by is Calgary or Tornoto, and for me just now its about what is on offer locally in the best suburb I can live in
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 4:16 pm
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

Simple question you should ask, where ever you settle.

What will the job prospects for your children be when they grow up.
Will they be able to find jobs locally when they grow up, or will they have to move away to other provinces, with all the heart aches of your children being so far away.

I settled in the greater Toronto area (GTA) with a population of 9 million and thus with jobs in many sectors, both of my children live and found work in the GTA.

These things may not be of immediate concern to you, but when I chose to settle in GTA (a major economic hub in Canada) it was a concern to me.

Consider house prices and commute as short term pain for long term gain.
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 4:36 pm
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

Originally Posted by h35j34
Yes I am well aware of what I am asking for and I want to live in the suburbs and not in the city centre.

I've never asked for places to live in the city. I said it would be great to be as close as possible to a city, I originally thought in Toronto that 30km out would be achievable however this soon turned out not to be the case.

I know from your posts you are a massive fan of city living, but I simply can not afford to live in the city. To be honest with my kids and dog I wouldn't want to live in the city.

I looked at Toronto at Burlington/Oakville in the west as this seemed to be the kind of areas I was looking for, then I look at Ajax in the east as it was slightly cheaper than the west.

Calgary is another option and one my wife is keen on, so I am just having a look and asking for Calgary people to recommend some suburbs for me.

My point about living in a suburb was does it matter if that city close by is Calgary or Tornoto, and for me just now its about what is on offer locally in the best suburb I can live in
Any of the suburbs or surrounding cities will have activities for the kids, be it soccer, lacrosse, skating, dance, swimming - these kinds of activities are well catered for everywhere. If you need to be commuting downtown then focus more on those suburbs with access to the C-train.
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 4:44 pm
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

Originally Posted by geoff52
Simple question you should ask, where ever you settle.

What will the job prospects for your children be when they grow up.
Will they be able to find jobs locally when they grow up, or will they have to move away to other provinces, with all the heart aches of your children being so far away.

I settled in the greater Toronto area (GTA) with a population of 9 million and thus with jobs in many sectors, both of my children live and found work in the GTA.

These things may not be of immediate concern to you, but when I chose to settle in GTA (a major economic hub in Canada) it was a concern to me.

Consider house prices and commute as short term pain for long term gain.
This is the first time I've ever heard of this as a consideration about where to settle.
Much more important that the parents move where they can find a job. Who knows what the kids will want to do as a career in 10 or 15 years time? But bills need to be paid now and it's the parents that will do that, not the kids.
If the kids have to move to get jobs in their chosen profession, so be it. Crossing that bridge is a long way away, and your advice potentially leads to an argument about "well, kids, we moved here so you could work here, so you're not going to move away to do what you want to do."
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 4:52 pm
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

Try Aspen, Springbank hill, strathcona areas......c train on 69th, big sports facilities at west side recreation centre, close to the countryside.

Good schools both private and public, little crime.

Don't underestimate the job situation.

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Old Jun 29th 2017, 5:05 pm
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Default Re: Calgary Suburbs/Living

Originally Posted by Bucks_Family
This is the first time I've ever heard of this as a consideration about where to settle.
Much more important that the parents move where they can find a job. Who knows what the kids will want to do as a career in 10 or 15 years time? But bills need to be paid now and it's the parents that will do that, not the kids.
If the kids have to move to get jobs in their chosen profession, so be it. Crossing that bridge is a long way away, and your advice potentially leads to an argument about "well, kids, we moved here so you could work here, so you're not going to move away to do what you want to do."
I was offered a job in Winnipeg and Toronto even before I applied for immigration to Canada. I chose Toronto.

The OP is concerned about house prices and not about finding a job.

He was considering settling in Toronto in the other thread.
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