Nothing from me since I'm not quite there yet, but given the recent negative comments about living/working in Calgary on this forum, how about we get one going about the good side of living there?

Ok

I'll have a shot....


It looks pretty in the dark as you fly between Toronto and Vancouver

off the top of my head...

(1) very little crime
(2) access to the Rockies
(3) one of the sunniest places in Canada, even in winter
(4) clean, crisp air, and a clean town generally
(5) good healthcare
(6) low taxes
(7) reasonably priced houses
(8) good economy (by Canadian standards)

You will find on any immigration forum, that general dissatisfaction with a place nearly always a function of work-related problems.

Yes! Those are all the reasons we chose Calgary

btw I took Glaswegian's suggestion of inviting ppl to pm me if they wanted to give a "less than rosy view of Calgary" but didn't want to be slated on the boards for their pessimitic attitudes..... nobody has replied yet!

I really AM interested in the downsides of the place, need to know what we are letting ourselves in for......... *nods* And I didn't mean to finally push Glas off his perch, (if that's what I did), I was merely challenging the posted assumption that Alberta was one of the less successful places for people to settle as I hadn't seen any evidence of that aside from Glas's posts!

I know nowhere is perfick! Just want to be sure that the pros outweigh the cons...in our case anyway!

Morw

I considered PMing you, but decided not to because to be thorough, fair and balanced would have required writing a book. And even then it would have been just my opinion.

Without wishing to speak for Glaswegian -- who is entirely capable of speaking for himself! -- I think his primary concern is job related.

In terms of the city environment and its amenities, I can't see how there can be very much fundamentally to dislike.

All right, you can be upset, as a previous poster has been, that you can't drink in the park. My counter argument would be that at least you can have a picnic in the park without your kids finding syringes on the ground, and the playground equipment is not all vandalized, and there isn't rubbish all over the place. And the parks really are huge affairs with nice pathways and cycle routes. Some are beautifully situated on the banks of the Bow river. Anyway, what I'm saying is, some people are dissatisfied because they can't have a drink in the park. I, on the other hand, think that Calgary does a good job with its recreational spaces. Different people have different opinions.

I would say the *real* downsides of Calgary are things that are really not Calgary-specific. Problems like breaking into the workforce, for example, or high insurance, or credit issues...these are problems you'd face anywhere. Are these problems worse in Calgary? No.

But it's tough to move to a new place. I can tell you it's no easier moving to the US. You face exactly the same types of problems.

I lived in Calgary for six years in the 80s (I’m a Canadian living in England at the moment). There are things about the place I like and miss but it seems you are wanting some negatives. So here is what I don’t like or miss about Calgary:

- the number of racist rednecks
- the number of “Mr & Mrs Breederson�s
- rodeos
- its distance from the ocean
- Ralph Klein and the general American-ness of the politics of Alberta
- tourists in white cowboy hats
- the drab, grey brownness of the place (especially compared to lush BC)
- urban sprawl
- the commercialization of the town of Banff (yeah, it’s not Calgary but it used to be a really special place to go but it’s becoming more and more a tacky theme park).
- concerts in the Saddledome (bad sound)
- how hot and dry the air dry gets in the summer
- slipping and falling and smashing my funny bone on a frozen slush spike after a chinook; that is the worst.

What/who are they...?

What don't I like about Calgary that hasn't already been mentioned? The lack of decent lakes, and its generally short/cool summers.

But this is supposed to about what we like about Calgary, so I second what CalgaryAMC has already stated.

I'm glad we're back on the sunny side of Calgary. As DMX said most negative views of Calgary are accompanied by personal circumstances. We've been here 3 months and love it. As long as you don't have unrealistic expectations then you'll think it's greta here.
The best thing is in 3 months it has rained twice. Yipeeeeee

tell me about it! i usually hibernate in the winter... and its really hard to with all this sunshine!

My family and I have been in Calgary for five months and I love it.
I think it depends on each individual and what they like and dislike about a city, Secondly,your line of work also plays a role. Calgary is a good place to be if you are in the Oil and Gas industry, especially if you have the experience or credentials. I have not had the opportunity of travelling to other Canadian cities but I have lived and worked in Texas and I do prefer Calgary.
I have been one of the lucky ones who has had no problems finding a decent paying job...So I big up Calgary!!!!!