im not sure what your line of work is, but red deer has a pretty heavy oilpatch presence so jobs should be relatively easy to come by (in good times). being 1.5 hours from either calgary or edmonton is a definite advantage

yes lethbridge is closer to the border, but i dont think that should factor in your decision at all. i would say shopping is better in calgary than in great falls anyway - and the price gap is narrowing these days for sure

from what i hear, lethbridge is a pretty big student town so should have a bit of a younger crowd than red deer... its very windy though

I am not getting into a discussion about this.
There is nothing wrong with any opinions. All should be valued.

I personally feel that if you haven't been to a place or experienced a situation then it is a generalisation. I don't know whether Brenda has or has not lived in or been to Red Deer. I was simply asking a question, not critcising.

Totally agree with you. I was putting my option in, like everyone else on the post. The poster did not say what they was looking for in the city. So as a mother i was putting mine there, just like the one that said lethbridge is a retirement area.

In my option lethbridge has a very large population of students on the westside of the city and very windy and i do like the city.
For my family we love coaldale but are looking at moving into the southside of the city as there are some fantastic houses and the area's are better for us and feel fantastic.
I have been to red deer, calgary, edmonton plus others, for us it would be putting me back in the uk with all the traffic and smog (my option)
My friends love there area - Red deer and calgary
But its good to have an option
You best option poster would be rent and go where the job takes you, then you are free to buy in a few years when you are ready and can make an option of your own.
Every poster on here will defend there area, but there is only you/family that make the choice for you

Brenda

Doesn't look like Jessamin is very interested anyway

I've not been to Lethbridge and have heard good and bad about it so to judge
a place you really have to put 'boots on ground'. I'm moving to red deer in 2
weeks with the family, I spent 2 weeks in the area while interviewing for the
new job and loved it. It's 1hr from Calgary Airport and to be honest I can't
see myself shopping far from red deer (apart from BASSPRO!!). I liked the
proximity to the Rockies and some beautiful areas like Sylvan Lake which is
where we're setting up home finally.

Im betting you will be making trips to the CrossIron Mills shopping centre just outside Calgary or the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton

I've a feeling I'll be dragged kicking n' screaming !

Good luck on your move over here.
Sylvan Lake is a lovely area, we live on the outskirts with a 15 min bike ride to the lake.

We're really looking forward to the move to sylvan, we'll be renting
For the first few months then we hope to buy our first Canadian home. Plenty of time for us to get schools sorted out for September for the kids & glad to hear you like it. Can't imagine the place in the summer?

It is busy in the summer, but still a lovely place (in my opinion). There have been a few improvements to the Lakeshore Drive area, some welcomed and some not so.

I hope that you will enjoy it

I used to go the waterpark in Sylvan Lake when I was a kid. Is it still there?

Yes, it is. If you mean the watershutes next to the lake.

These pics were taken last year. The sunset over the lake in May 2011.

The water park in Sylvan

That's the fella. Great times ...

It was for sale a little while ago, not sure if it still is