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Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Old Mar 13th 2011, 7:21 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

I've been in all three cities on more than one occasion, but I don't know any of them well enough to express a personal preference. So I won't.

However I will say that posters who live in any of them will 99% of the time promote their own wisdom by advising you to follow suit. I'd advise you to pay them little heed.

Also, it's fairly common on here to read about folk who've gone to Calgary or Edmonton "because that's where the jobs are", but express their wish that they could move to Vancouver if they could find a job there. I can't recall a poster who mentions the opposite desire.

You have a job to go to in all three.

See what I mean?
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 7:23 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by Alan2005
I live in Maple Ridge. There are cookie cutter subdivisions; but there is much that is not and acreages are readily available (I live on one).

I mainly work from home, but when I head into downtown Vancouver my commute is about 1:15 each way (by car). Not so bad - but if it was daily I'd be royally sick of it. I'm on the east side though; you can knock about 20 minutes off that if you are on the west.

Vancouver also has Whistler (90 mins with the new sea to sky). From Maple Ridge it can be done in under two hours.
Thanks for that - not sure we want to go from one long commute to another, so it depends on if he'd be able to carry on working from home half the week or not. In an ideal world, an acreage would be fab, although I'm quite tempted after years of village life by the idea of being closer to everything. And yes, Whistler is a big selling point.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 7:28 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by Nikki Ian
<have snipped>
hope some of this helps
Yes, thank you - loads! When you're stuck over here, trying to make sense of a country, this forum is brilliant.


Originally Posted by JonboyE
I cut my lawn for the first time two weeks ago. I expect to be cutting it until November. So, despite having three ski resorts within Metro Vancouver and some of the best mountain biking around, Edmonton sounds like a plan.
Yep.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 7:33 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by Kiwilass
Can you do a shorter recce i.e. a week?

We can all give you our opinions but obviously they're subjective.

There are some pretty big lifestyle differences between Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Allegedly you get paid more in Alberta but the number of ex-Albertans I know who chose to move here seems to indicate that's not always enough to keep people there. I don't know what it's like as I've never lived there, only visited, but I do like living in Vancouver. If you're used to a 2 hours each way commute (YIKES) the commute from Maple Ridge wouldn't be so bad.

And summers here are fab. They really are.
Yes, if it comes off the plan will be to include a week long recce as part of the relocation deal. We'll know more tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Novocastrian
You have a job to go to in all three.

See what I mean?
Mmmmm. Yes, I do. Hmmmm.

Lots to think about.

Thank you all, we really appreciate your thoughts.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 7:41 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by Novocastrian
I've been in all three cities on more than one occasion, but I don't know any of them well enough to express a personal preference. So I won't.

However I will say that posters who live in any of them will 99% of the time promote their own wisdom by advising you to follow suit. I'd advise you to pay them little heed.

Also, it's fairly common on here to read about folk who've gone to Calgary or Edmonton "because that's where the jobs are", but express their wish that they could move to Vancouver if they could find a job there. I can't recall a poster who mentions the opposite desire.

You have a job to go to in all three.

See what I mean?

Agree with this.

I'm only in Canada because of the oil projects in Alberta. That's where the work is, for me, and we are/were perfectly happy to live here for a while.

However, if I had the option of being paid the same money, and living in Edmonton, Calgary or Vancouver... well, it wouldn't be a very tough decision.

If I had the option of the same money in Vancouver or a nice village in Buckinghamshire...? That would be an even easier decision.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 7:58 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by Novocastrian
I've been in all three cities on more than one occasion, but I don't know any of them well enough to express a personal preference. So I won't.

However I will say that posters who live in any of them will 99% of the time promote their own wisdom by advising you to follow suit. I'd advise you to pay them little heed.

Also, it's fairly common on here to read about folk who've gone to Calgary or Edmonton "because that's where the jobs are", but express their wish that they could move to Vancouver if they could find a job there. I can't recall a poster who mentions the opposite desire.

You have a job to go to in all three.

See what I mean?
Good post.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 7:59 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by JonboyE
I cut my lawn for the first time two weeks ago. I expect to be cutting it until November. So, despite having three ski resorts within Metro Vancouver and some of the best mountain biking around, Edmonton sounds like a plan.
Not got round to ours yet. It hasn't stopped raining for long enough
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 8:17 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by Novocastrian
Also, it's fairly common on here to read about folk who've gone to Calgary or Edmonton "because that's where the jobs are", but express their wish that they could move to Vancouver if they could find a job there. I can't recall a poster who mentions the opposite desire.
I started out in Vancouver and made a choice to move to Calgary. 12 years later I'm still happy with that decision.

9 months of winter every year is the price we pay to live in paradise.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 8:18 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by skara
I'm quite tempted after years of village life by the idea of being closer to everything
I lived in a village in the UK - a few houses, a pub, bakers, duck pond that sort of thing. Somebody above mentioned that there isn't anything like that here and they are right.

Towns east of Vancouver are dotted around the various highways and main roads and consist mainly of strip malls, box stores, and the occasional high street. Once you are out in the countryside then there really is nothing and without a car you would be trapped. For instance where I live the land is taken up by other acreages, managed forest or crown land (read wilderness that goes on for 100's of miles). There aren't any shops or pubs within walking distance.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 8:20 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by rwin
I started out in Vancouver and made a choice to move to Calgary. 12 years later I'm still happy with that decision.

9 months of winter every year is the price we pay to live in paradise.
Fair enough. There's always one.

But seriously, it might be helpful to the OP if you explained the reasoning behind your choice.

As I said, I don't have a dog in this race.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 8:26 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by JonboyE
I cut my lawn for the first time two weeks ago. I expect to be cutting it until November. So, despite having three ski resorts within Metro Vancouver and some of the best mountain biking around, Edmonton sounds like a plan.


I haven't seen my lawn since mid-November - I'm sure it's under there somewhere. I guess it might need a chop sometime in June, if it ever materializes? And then maybe a few more haircuts till September.

To the OP - gardening in Alberta is "challenging". Such a short window of opportunity. However, Edmonton has more frost-free days than Calgary and a warmer, longer and brighter summer. (Winter is more pants though ).

Forget about gardening in Calgary really unless you are slightly mad like me - you need to be super dedicated, move and cover stuff and be ready to tweak and water daily. I do all the above and it's still only very average!

If the salary you are being offered is the same for all three cities, I'd move to the one that it stretched further to be honest. If there is a Vancouver cost of living adjustment, I'd choose Vancouver.

Good luck!
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 8:34 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by Alan2005
I lived in a village in the UK - a few houses, a pub, bakers, duck pond that sort of thing. Somebody above mentioned that there isn't anything like that here and they are right.

Towns east of Vancouver are dotted around the various highways and main roads and consist mainly of strip malls, box stores, and the occasional high street. Once you are out in the countryside then there really is nothing and without a car you would be trapped. For instance where I live the land is taken up by other acreages, managed forest or crown land (read wilderness that goes on for 100's of miles). There aren't any shops or pubs within walking distance.
Thing is, you can't live without a car here either and when you head out in one direction you hit an industrial estate, and in the other a ring road and a DIY superstore! It's not quite a rural idyll.

I think being from the Highlands (where there isn't anything for miles either - although, admittedly, on a very small scale compared to Canada) we're maybe more used to nothingness.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 8:37 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by ann m



To the OP - gardening in Alberta is "challenging". Such a short window of opportunity. However, Edmonton has more frost-free days than Calgary and a warmer, longer and brighter summer. (Winter is more pants though ).

Forget about gardening in Calgary really unless you are slightly mad like me - you need to be super dedicated, move and cover stuff and be ready to tweak and water daily. I do all the above and it's still only very average!

If the salary you are being offered is the same for all three cities, I'd move to the one that it stretched further to be honest. If there is a Vancouver cost of living adjustment, I'd choose Vancouver.

Good luck!
Thank you! Another interesting viewpoint!

I've been having fun reading your blog - now searching for other ex-pat bloggers for the inside track.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 8:38 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by skara
Hi Essay - yes, one of the appealing things is proper winter and proper summer! And there's a huge difference in the types of cold, I agree. Dry cold just isn't as, well, cold. Being dressed for the weather also helps!
Edmonton and Calgary can be really, really cold. Snow in May is not rare, either. But, Calgary at least has this famous 'chinook' wind which makes things more bearable for a few days at a time before the temp plunges again ...
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 8:58 pm
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Default Re: Edmonton, Vancouver or Calgary - we need a decision. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by Novocastrian
But seriously, it might be helpful to the OP if you explained the reasoning behind your choice.
Our main reason 12 years ago was cost of living. A house was 1/4 the cost. It was possible to go from renting to owning. I had already lived many years on the coast and it was time for a change.

Day to day life, whether Calgary, Edmonton, or Vancouver isn't much different between the 3. You get up, go to work, stay there for 8 hours (or whatever), then go home. The inside of the house doesn't look a lot different. The inside of the office looks about the same. Slightly different views on the way to work. We have friends here as well as there.

I suppose the difference is what you want to do in your spare time if there's any left outside of work.
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