justice for the 96

because there is a housing shortage in calgary are there lots of new houses being built to counter the shortage? if so, would i be able to find work as an electrician(15 yrs exp) easily enough in calgary?

Andrew Miller

Yes, but keep in mind what I warned you about in reply to your other thread.

Howard1944

Lots of work as well as lots of Traffic congestion, House prices are ridiculous for what you get.

Almost Canadian

In comparison to what exactly ? Edmonton is not far behind. I would say that most people coming from the UK would still find prices cheaper than where they live at present, not cheap in comparison to other Provinces in Canada, but still cheap in comparison to UK

Howard1944

True AC, house prices in the UK are amazing, walk ups in London costing over a million, when will the insanity stop and how can people afford them??

Alberta's prices have sky rocketed in the past, and they have also come crashing to Earth.

Sk seems to be attracting Alberta emigres??

Steve_P

Although this statement is very true I don't think it likely to happen again any time soon.

It will happen sooner or later but if the Athabasca Tar Sands are the engine that is driving this then things are going to continue for a number of years yet. They are talking of reaching 5 million barrel per day output in 2030. I don't know how long they can produce at that rate but I'm sure it'll be more than a year or two.

I'm also sure there'll be ups and downs during that period but I don't see any major collapse on horizon for some time to come.

And no I don't see it as a good thing.

MarkG

And the global credit bubble is driving the tar sands; when that pops, commodity prices will crash. Right now it's looking pretty precarious.

Either way, the cost of living in Alberta has to drop or the wages have to rise; things can't continue the way they are for long.

Steve_P

I'll opt for the cost of living to drop if I have a choice.

But then I have a reason, I'm on a pension.

This current economic boom is doing nothing at all for me.

MarkG

Or for most people. I don't know anyone in Alberta who's better off as a result, and lots of people are complaining about it; someone's making money, but it's not the people in ordinary jobs.

Some are benefiting because they've sold up in Alberta and moved to Saskatchewan, but now they've pushed up prices in Saskatoon to near Alberta levels.

Steve_P

I have no desire to move anywhere else, everything I want is here in Calgary.

So even though house is paid for and according to the market is worth between $450,000 and $500,000 it is meaningless to me.

I'd just like the price of everything to stop going up or at least to stop going up so damned fast.

Helen Parnell

[QUOTE=MarkG;4998860]Or for most people. I don't know anyone in Alberta who's better off as a result, and lots of people are complaining about it; someone's making money, but it's not the people in ordinary jobs.

I am not sure what your definition is of 'people in ordinary jobs' The staff at safeways are now starting on a higher wage than last year, a man repairing the elevator for a building near me, 2 hours work at over time rate is $500, (or $250 per hour). Electrician is an ordinary job for me $65 per hour last week for a simple repair job, cutting wood at the local saw mill $28 per hour (this job requires no qualifications at all, just a steady hand/eye). The local amusment park is paying $8 (above minium wage) for 14 year olds to work the stalls, (ok this is not a living wage, but they are 14)

Knowing a lot of expats who have moved over here, they are all better off financially than they were in the UK.

Cyan

I heard that Tim Hortons in Calgary are offering 13 dollars per hour rate, and still can't find enough people.

MarkG

I'm not surprised, given the cost of living in Alberta these days.

pkc

The real problem with Calgary in particular is not getting a decently paid job (which is still about as easy as falling off a tree), it's finding housing you're happy with and can afford if you didn't either buy before the boom or are coming over having sold a British property and are hoping to live almost, if not entirely, rent free. We've seen all kinds of people at my workplace (not for profit working with low income Calgarians) who came here from wherever, have landed a decent job and are now facing possible homelessness as they assumed they would also just land into housing. A realtor commented to my parents-in-law when they were over visiting that she was trying to find housing for $300,000 for first time buyers and was struggling. I assume they wanted something more for their money than a crappy townhouse in Forest heights with neighbours with foil over their windows

Howard1944

Toronto, my old house 60 years old, 30X120 ft lot, sold for $800,000, ripped the house up, put in a $1,500,000.00 home.

The lot is the size of the screen at the Rogers Centre aka skydome.

New owners in their late 30's.