Cochrane or Okotoks
 

Recently been on a tour of Alberta trying to find best place to settle and we narrowed it down to two places. Cochrane or Okotoks, can anyone give me further advise on both places. Thank you

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

What did you think?

It seems to me that, if one wants to be close to the mountains for hiking, skiing etc., Cochrane wins hands down.

If one wishes to live "in Calgary" but 15 mins away from it, one chooses Okotoks. Other than that there is little to choose between the two except to say that houses are cheaper in Okotoks (as with most things, there is usually a reason for that).

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

Well that is just it both are completely different lifestyles. As you say 15 mins from Calgary which makes it more direct to airport and work for children later in life (8 and 12yrs at the moment). But do we embrace a new outdoor living lifestyle which hasn't been experienced.

Hubby will be working away so want to be able to get into a really good community that both myself and the children play an active part in.

Difficult when you see things from an outside rosy perspective you don't actually know how good a place really is.

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

I doubt very much that residents of Cochrane or Okotoks live very different lifestyles.

Travel time to the City is very similar from each (so much so that I wouldn't prefer one over the other on this - travel to the south of the City will be quicker from Okotoks, travel to the north west of the City will be quicker from Cochrane). Travel time to the airport from each is likely to be very similar (within 10 mins I would imagine). Both with have a community feel, but no different to the community feel one would find in any community in the City of Calgary or in any of the other outlying areas.

What did you enjoy about each? What is it you are after?

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

We like both and felt comfortable in both places but as mentioned I am looking on the outside and not able to see what a place is really like, when you walk around you only see the good points you don't know about the negatives unless people give an opinion.

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

Sorry, I can't help you there. I have no idea what you are want.

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

I would agree with all of this.

I live in Cochrane and like it very much - and we have friends in Okotoks who will say the same thing. :D

Things I like:

* the views and space - the mountains are in your face and the sky is huge. It takes us 50 minutes door to door to ski at Nakiska.
* it has most things you need on a day to day basis, even a wee cinema that has recently expanded to 5 screens!
* decent shopping areas (ie, big box stores) are easily accessible in the NW of Calgary in 20-25 mins but we do have three supermarkets and a Canadian Tyre so we're all set!
* the town is attractive and condensed, cute but useful, not sprawling - and you can easily wander the whole town on foot - that is not my impression of Okotoks
* there are plenty of sporting/after school activities for the kids with excellent recreation facilities, including many ice rinks, three dance studios, soccer clubs for all ages (literally), a decent skatepark and lots of outdoor public spaces. The river is gorgeous with good pathways.
* there is a decent selection of public, Catholic and French schools - the High Schools generally have an very good reputation
* I love the 10 minute break in the landscape between the city limits and Cochrane town - it's a wonderful breathing space, but not too far from the city lights as to feel isolated.
* The community spirit is alive and well and there for the taking - just volunteer to help with the Labour Day Parade, or collect food, or any of the numerous town-run stuff going on. There are a fair few church-going folk if that is of interest to you.

Things I'm not so keen on:

* Better wages are in the city, therefore allow more than an hour at rush hour to get in. Off-peak, you can be in the downtown core in 30 mins.
* Higher level/more professional sporting/after school activities will be in the City - therefore don your chauffeur hat if your child shows promise in any area
* Limited off-leash areas for dogs but we often get in the car to take them out anyway so an extra 10 mins means nothing now
* Neighbours are cordial and pass the time of day, but getting beyond that has been nigh on impossible. Don't think this is specific to Cochrane though?
* the swimming pool is tired and we need a new one - it's in the pipeline but don't hold your breath

If I can help with anything more specific please yell. I have two kids, now 9 and 11. :)

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

Both towns are similar in the fact that they attract lots of expats, we found it difficult to choose between the two but ended up in Okotoks.

In my opinion Okotoks is bigger with more shops and is a little more self sufficient than Cochrane. The downside is Okotoks is expanding rapidly and is at risk of losing its small town appeal. The rate of expansion is alarming and before long we will be the City of Okotoks. I guess this will happen to Cochrane too as builders will put up houses wherever there is demand.

Having said that we love it here, the children have settled quickly and we have made many great friends. (We have friends in Cochrane too :wink_smile:)

If you want to live outside the City both Okotoks and Cochrane are great places to raise a family but Calgary also has some very nice areas too.

I've also replied to the PM you sent.

Sam

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

I'm really trying to find out what the negatives are of each place, when you first look at a place you are not aware of what they are. Everywhere has a negative, like where we live there is a yob culture so you don't go to particular areas after dark, nothing for the kids to do of an evening or weekend. Hard to break into make new friends. etc etc. I just want to know the bad points for each area

Thanks

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

Last Halloween some yobs broke four shop windows. This ran front page news for three weeks in the local paper, it was so shocking ;)

We just don't witness that kind of yobbish behaviour here - it guess it must go on somewhere 'cos I'm not that naive, but I've never seen it.

Oh, and someone broke some street lights above the skate park. Another town shocker.

Teens here are funky and trendy, dye their hair, pierce their bodies and wear hoodies. However, they speak in whole sentences, sometimes open a door for you, don't drink in public and if they do hang round in a park or street, they don't feel the overwhelming urge to smash it to pieces and leave broken glass under the see-saw. Or that's what I think anyway.

On the other hand, I suspect they drink like fish behind closed doors, and smoke weed before driving home.

I have come across very cliquey groups of mums - the ice dancing parents (as opposed to the hockey parents) are shockingly unfriendly. A bitch fest really from the 6 years olds, up to the mums who should know better. It's the individual competition aspect that does it I guess.

However, sit at the swimming pool, or on the sofa outside the dance studio, or on the lines at the soccer match and people are very friendly and up for a laugh. Clubs like you to be actively involved - they often couldn't run if it wasn't for the fund-raising and volunteers behind the scenes.

I have one set of neighbours who are lovely and the rest are a smile-and-wave brigade - I've given up there now. But we have met lots of other families through the kids. You will bump into a lot of expats in either Cochrane or Okotoks which can be a good and bad thing ;)

I'm not sure what else I don't like about here?!

Brown grass - there you go - lack of greenery. And I don't think I want to be shovelling my drive when I'm old. Not exactly a Cochrane thing though :p

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

Oh Anne...Don't be too hard on Big Hill (the pool)...There is just something about it I love - and frankly the swimming teachers there are waaaaay better than the ones in the city!!!

We even do the hill in January just to get there!!!!
Lisa

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

Oh I know leepee - The pool is OK and the lessons have been very good - my kids are usually in there every week. And the kiddie bit is fine too. But it is just a bit tired.

I like the Airdrie pools - that's what I want in Cochrane but I don't think we can quite afford that ! I have taken part in a pool survey and told them good and proper what we need ;) :sneaky:

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

I would choose Cochrane over Okotoks because of the access to the mountains and the fact that Okotoks is heavily populated with Brits.

I wouldn't rule out some calgary suburbs, in some ways their equivalent doesn't exist in the UK - in that the suburbs too can be very community minded.

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

I think Cochrane has got a pretty large number of Brits too!

Agree with you about the suburbs. We are in SW Calgary and have had street parties, get invited to drinks round the neighbours etc, as well as occasional community events such as barbecues.

We used to live in Okotoks but moved to Calgary almost 18 months ago. I went back to visit a friend a few weeks ago and was amazed at how busy it is now!!

Re: Cochrane or Okotoks
 

I would definably choose Cochrane. Better geography, closer to the mountains, more space, less cookie-cutter "suburbia" feel.

Okotoks just feels like an extension of Calgary - and not in a good way.

I suspect you'll find that more people in Okotoks commute to Calgary for work than Cochrane, which, in my opinion, gives it less of an independent community feel.

Cochrane has higher real-estate values, as well as higher household income averages. More details here:
http://www.citystats.ca/city/Alberta/Okotoks.html
http://www.citystats.ca/city/Alberta/Cochrane.html

In the end, you've seen both places, so I would trust your gut instinct.