Hi jenny,
My name is calum and me and the family(oh and four kids) are moving to calgary also around febuary.My wife also has a job near downtown,we are looking around east sw or south east areas to stay we like the look of mckenzie town or around lake bonavista up to oakridge.But the previous comment on the deerfoot has me wondering?.School is a big issue for us bur i think most schools are good it,s the access i was wondering about?.
Ps Don,t worry to much about the clothing as a howling blizzard in aberdeen or -15 in calgary and sunny is about the same, and you will have ok gear at the moment fot both!!!. Good luck and you never know we may fly together. Cheers, calum and family.

Very few people travel downtown in a car. The parking downtown is very expensive. I wouldn't worry too much about having to travel on the Deerfoot. What I suggest you look at is: how easy is access to a LRT station or a bus that travels to where I need to be downtown. Those that travel downtown try to avoid McLeod and Deerfoot Trails like the plague. There are various other less direct routes that people use. Like any city, travelling during rush hour is problematic. Outside of rush hour, the commute is relatively straightforward.

Exactly. Good answer!

Another answer on the clothing issue, I think you'll be fine with the stuff you already have. End of Jan to middle of Feb is when the best deals are to be had on winter wear as the stores need to get rid so they can start with the shorts

Piff Poff, good to hear we will be able to pick up some bargains
Jenny

Hi Calum,

Have you bene to Calgary before? We find out on the 15th if my husband has the job or not, so a bit to wait. If he gets it we will go Jan or Feb, hopefully find out exact date as well in a couple of weeks. Heard so much about different areas, just going to look when we get there, think it will be South West or North West though, as long as we are near a school. How old are your kids? Do you know when you are going?
Jenny

Never pay full price for anything in Alberta unless you absolutely love and must have it. Everything goes on sale soon enough.

Don`t discount the NE or the SE. In reality, there are no bad areas of Calgary by quadrant.

One great place I can recommend for kids your age is Coffee and Scream - there's one in the NW and I think another in the SW of the city. If you would like to contact me directly, you can do so <snip>.

Hi jenny i have some family there(aunt & cousins) and have been over twice although the first time i was only 5. I went over in 2001 for two weeks to sample the stampede.(wow!)
My wife goes over on the 8th of dec to meet her new work team and check out some areas to stay, we are looking to rent first, i will let you know how she gets on it will be her first time over there.
We have four kids 3 boys 3-5&7 and one girl 13 they are all very excited!! our bellys are churning. Keep in touch.
And if you are near dundee give us a shout.
Calum and gang.

Lake Bonavista up to and across to Oakridge is generally okay. Some very pleasant residential areas and some more average but all with reasonable access to the C-train via bus. I drove into mckenzie town for the first time at the weekend and was suprised to see some of the buildings in quite an attractive traditional style all in brick and around a square open area with a little bandstand type structure in the middle. I was dropping off one of the children at a friends house - the friend goes to school where we are just south of Glenmore reservoir as the parents didnt like the mckenzie town school for some reason - its a fair drive to be doing every day so they must have their reasons. On the other hand, a friend of one of the other children wont be going to our local school next year but will instead be sent to calgary school for girls because the parents believe it is more academic than the regular programme. At work I've heard of a few people who either want to move due to their concern about the local schools or take their children to a school other than the designated school. Its a regularly made statement here that all schools in Calgary are good and people dont pick areas due to schools but in my experience its not quite so clear cut. Fraser Institute is worth a look as well as old postings here by JudyinCalgary which are very credible in my opinion.

Will do Calum, I am originally from Kinross so not far from Dundee at all. Let me know how your wife gets on, and i will let you know if hubby gets job and if he does when we are going.
Jenny

Thanks, will keep that place in mind , do you have kids the same age? Jenny

We wont, just need to get out there and have a looky! Jenny

My kids are 8, 6 and 2. The place I mentioned is great for U5s, I would say. Considering how cold the winters are here, there really aren't that many indoor places to take kids apart from a couple of great leisure centres (one in NE, and a couple in the West and SW that I know of). If you want to get your eldest on skis, try Canada Olmpic Park (COP) before you head to the mountains, as you can go for just an hour or so, which is great for beginners and way, way cheaper than an all-day lift pass. Also outdoor skating can be found for free in many communities, (albeit you need to buy or rent skates).

As I mentioned before, Calgary's Child magazine is a great source of info for families.