Re: Life in Alberta?
 

P.S. I think I come across more "scared" on here than I actually am. It's just really a matter of getting every detail I can about Calgary:) I'm also very interested in your Middle East experience! What a story to be able to tell!!!

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

Here are your Calgary crime stats:
http://www.calgary.ca/cps/Pages/Stat...l-reports.aspx

I feel pretty safe here in Calgary. Yes, there are crimes and break-ins and stuff but I don't see it as any better or worse than the UK on that front - you just do what you can to minimise being a victim of crime.

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

I think its very normal to want to check everything out thoroughly. It does feel very safe in Canada, I love it here and wouldn't be anywhere else now.

Hmm, yes, well, ahem. Its probably not something I'd tell at a dinner party! I was caught having sex in an alleyway :o (classy) but the thing which was most offensive to the police was that I didn't have my head covered :rofl:. As luck would have it my partner at the time was pretty high up in the police so apart from a few very red faces all around, the matter was swept under the carpet very quickly! Crikey, I'm blushing just typing that, my wine does seem to have had a bit of a tongue loosening effect on me.

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

Oh lovely, yes please. I don't think I can get enough information on Calgary/Alberta and Canada on the whole. And I love hearing the background of people who've moved there. It fascinating. I'm not as much of a loony as I sound about it all (I don't think I am anyway!) I do tell the little ones to be careful a lot...but I don't stop them from climbing etc. ...unless I can see it's just too high if they fall and especially as they're all a bit clumsy:) But I know it's good to have small falls etc or else you just don't learn and I think children these days are growing up with an inbuilt deterrent to taking risks which is going to pass over to every aspects of their lives which isn't good. But like you said, it's about finding the balance. Would love to know how you tackle or will tackle things like risks with your little one. Especially after what you've been through. I follow a lady on Facebook who lost her 9 month old to choking and has gone on to do incredible work in getting nurseries trained properly to stop such accidents happening...but it's so sad to see how overwhelmingly their baby's death has affected them and now they have another baby (some years later), it's clear how protective they are of him, to a life changing degree. Perhaps it will change as he grows. But hearing people's stories and how they go about things does help with finding that balance like you said.
So glad you find Calgary the best place you've ever lived. And the safest. And excellent work on the plaid hot pants and cowboy boots by the way! I actually have a pair of cowboy boots myself...can't say the world should bare witness to me in hot pants though! :)

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

I'm pretty sure Raindrops doesn't live in Calgary- about 4800 miles to the East is getting warmer
:unsure:

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

Life in Alberta? Boring! Painfully boring! Don't do it stay in the UK! :p

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

Dirty girl :frown:

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

Yes sorry, when I meant safe I meant Canada in general, as Stinky says I'm out East.

The joys of youth heh? I'm very boring now by comparison. Still have a mile wide rebellious streak though ;) . Funnily enough I hadn't thought about that night for a long time until tonight. Those were the days, now the naughtiest thing I get up to is overtaking in the no overtaking sections of the highway. Truly wild.

I did recently get invited to a Hells Angels party at the clubhouse in Ch'town, much to the scandal of the other mothers at the local playgroup. I may even get a tattoo soon :lol:

Anyway, back to Canada and safety. I do feel a lot safer here than in the UK, and then police and RCMP seem a lot more on the ball too and happy to help and intervene when needed, something I never really felt in the UK.

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

We moved with children aged 13, 6 and almost 4. They became Canadian very quickly which meant that they expected to be able to go wherever they wanted to without their parents being with them, to be able to attend activities without their parents holding their hands, and to play out all day without their parents having to see them every 15 minutes. In essence, it reminded me of what I did when I was a kid in the 70s and 80s.

I agree with Stinky. If you are concerned about your children going to a school that doesn't keep them locked up, I suggest you remain in the UK.

Yes, people are murdered in Calgary each year. However, as others have said, it is usually gangs shooting each other. I don't imagine it is that much difference to what happens in any city in England with a population of over one million.

My mother lives on the Isle of Wight. My cousin is a police officer in the Hampshire Constabulary. Each has been here on a number of occasions and each has said how much safer they feel and how more friendly the locals are, when compared to home.

People here will park their car, go into a grocery store while leaving their keys in the ignition and the windows down. A criminal from the UK would have a field day here. When we first arrived, my wife cleaned people's houses. She put up flyers and people called her and after speaking to her for 10 minutes or so on the phone, were happy to give her the keys to their house. They have no concept of the "danger" that you speak of.

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

You're making a mountain out of a molehill. Calgary is a very safe place. People are not legally allowed to carry handguns here. This isn't the US.

2014 Murder Rates per 100,000 people for Canada and North America:
http://i.imgur.com/VJBziob.png

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

You have started threads regarding several countries and on several Topics.
Like all forums, the advice you have been given in some cases has been sensible and in many cases nonsense, That is not unusual.

My question is how you are you going to decide which advice is sensible and which is rubbish sitting in UK?

I moved from UK to Toronto several decades ago, and have no regrets. Like all big cities Toronto has all the big city problems as does Calgary.
My two boys grew up in middle class suburbs of Toronto. Went to excellent public schools. No guns. No drugs. One of my sons stayed for 3 years in California to study for MBA, and he had no problems of street violence, drugs or guns.

I have been to Calgary. I have also been to Brisbane (Australia) and traveled as far north as Cairns. I would live in Brisbane any day if had the choice between the two

You have been to Canada, and like the US (where I have traveled extensively) it is a big and varied country. So you need to visit the place before deciding if you would like it.

Before we moved to Canada the whole family came for six week holiday to Toronto, and we traveled around the province cross the border to the US and after the trip, decided that we wanted to move to Toronto.
There is no substitute for visiting and getting the feel for the place, You cannot do that online and reading peoples opinions.

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

I am curious how a spray is meant to stop a bear :)

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

My two cents, Calgary is remote....once you have seen everything you have to travel huge distances to see something different.....let's say states or Vancouver, these are hundreds of miles away, Edmonton is also 200 miles away and is the nearest big city, it is much like Calgary. Though you can go to a world class attraction at Drumheller and the heart of the Rockies in under two hours.

Had I originally moved to Okatokes, I would be back in UK ALREADY. Think one horse town where the horse moved on because it is dull, really really dull.

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

Thank you:) Yes I know it's better to have it than not if there's a heightened possibility something "may" happen. Hopefully it's more precaution what with being made so blatantly aware of what goes on in America. Hopefully:)

Re: Life in Alberta?
 

Wow...no, that's a great story! Perfect for a dinner party if you ask me!:) Bold move on your part too in such a country...you have to be bold like that in life, (not necessarily in the same way of course), or else adventures just don't happen. I need to be more bold in life. Maybe not sex down a Saudi alleyway bold but just adventurous bold in general :) :)