I think you can actually buy a house for $3,500 in the Maritimes.

Don't worry, $3,500 is a decent allowance for Calgary rent - you will get a nice 4 bed house in a good area for that.

Jingsamichty, well thats good! Bit concerned it wasnt going to get us much after looking on rentfaster.ca all the properties i love were in the 8000 - 10500 dollars p/m range lol. I can dream hahaha

$3500 per month for rent will get you a small palace! Our mortgage isn't even that much a month (it is more than double what our mortgage is actually!)

We rented in Varsity (a 10 minute walk from the Dalhousie Ctrain station) - a nice 4/5 bed house with 2 1/2 bathrooms (read that as 2 bathrooms and one ensuite toilet/shower-room) Tatty and in need of decoration but in a nice area. This cost us $1500 per month for the first year and $1650 the second (Granted it is 2 years since we left the rental house and bought the one we currently live in but I doubt prices have gone up all that much).

Now to answer your other questions:

what is the tv like over there? Mostly American crap interspersed with some old reruns of British comedy from what I can see... Personally I mostly watch the food network (yes I am a sad case!) and BBC Canada

Can you get a system similar to our Sky+? can't really answer this because we never used sky+ in the UK - but we use Shaw digital for our TV - gives us a good range of channels that the kids like (Animal planet, discovery channel, cartoon network, some kiddie ones) plus some that Mr chookie and I like.

Does anyone know of some good summer groups or activities to do with the kids? Oldest one wont have any friends until he starts school in september so would like to keep him occupied, maybe a summer camp? Summer camp could work - otherwise, try the local library, they do lots for kids in the summer. And I know that the sports-center near where we live does lots of kids programs in the summer too.

But failing that, you prob don't really have to worry - if you live in an area with lots of families he will make friends - kids seem to all play out in the streets (and everyone elses backyards) in the summer - I plan on having at least half a dozen extra OPK's (other peoples kids) at some point in the day!

$3,500 rent thats more than you need.We rent a 2200sqf house in okotoks 3 bedrooms big bonous room 2 1/5 bathrooms.Developed basement and bar (had to add the bar) for $1800 a month.

Hi Charlotte30,

I moved to Calgary in July 2008 with my two kids who were then 6 & 8.

As someone mentioned earlier, the cut off date for the schools is end Feb, (if look at the Calgary Board of Education Website you'll get lots on info) so which grade your child will go into will depend on when her birthday is. My kids had been in a Scottish school, one went to P1 to G2, the other from P3 to G3, just due to when there birthdays are. For what it's worth, I think they're both roughly where they'd be, educationally, if they were in Scotland. When you arrive in Calgary you have to go to the Kingsland Centre to register (I think I needed work permits, passports and last school report), they'll allocate the school depending on your address.

If you don't get registered with a family doctor straight away it's not a problem, there are plenty of walk in clinics and if you time it right you don't have to wait too long (and if you walk in with a crying bleeding child they tend to see you straight away ) Oh, and we're had very good service at Alberta Childrens Hospital.

There are plenty of dentists - you're kids will have a retainer / braces before you know it!

Before I came I used this wiki (a bit dated but a good starting point) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ods_in_Calgary to get a list of neighbourhoods then I'd google the neighbourhood to get more info. I also used the community associations to get a feel for the neighbourhood: http:// www.calgaryarea.com/ When I though I liked an area I'd see what was available on rentfaster to see what I could get for my money.

Calgary has plenty of good communities and where you settle depends on your own personal preference and where your husband is working. The C-Train is great but don't rule out bus routes either, we're not a C-train route but we do have a regular bus service which takes you donwtown in 20 mins. We settled on Strathcona Park, which is in the SW quadrant, but more west than SW, it works for us because its easy to get downtown and we've got easy access to the mountains from here, there are also ravines running through the neighbourhood (great for running or dog walking!), a great local recreation centre http://www.westsiderec.com/bs_home.html?MenuID=2060 and good schools.

Most of these advantages also apply to the neighbouring communities of Christie, Aspen, Patterson and Coach Hill. These are the areas I know best so feel I can make comment on, communities in other areas will also have there own advantages and I'll leave others (who know better) to let you know about these.

(As an aside, in our general area I know 7 other British families (and know of more), mostly Oil and Gas, two from Aberdeen, I don't know whether you would consider this an advantage or disadvantage).

With regard to renting with pets, most properties on Rentfaster will say no pets but, if there's one you're interested in you can contact the agent and ask, they may say yes but bump the rent up a bit, I know two families renting with dogs.

Good luck, and feel free to PM me if you've anything specific you want to ask.

MrsDV

Oooh thanks for all that info, got loads to think about!
Keep thinking of random things to ask, cos i keep forgetting! Ok so what is the wildlife like out there? Are my cats going to be eaten by some cayote or cougar? What are the chances of running into a bear or moose (i hear these are just as dangerous!!) The worst thing i have ever bumped into was a badger in the lane near my parents house
When looking at properties to rent how 'negotiable' is the price? I have been told here to rent our property for a certain amount you market it is little bit higher for it to drop down a bit. Just like selling in england i suppose! Thanks
Mrsdv for answering my other question of how properties that state 'no pets' can be brought round with an increase in rent!! I also figured that if a property was on the rental market for a while then they would be a bit more open to pets if it meant getting a 2 year lease minimum!!
Thanks again to all the replies!

One more question, the Ford Flex - how good a car is it? If we were staying in the uk our next car would have been an Audi Q7. However hubby has his eye one this one because he says it is good value for money and very similar to our Land Rover disco3. Had to admit the Audi is too expensive in canada to buy, plus there really isnt too many of them around in the used section! Without coming across as snobby or snooty, i do like a nice car and a Ford just doest do 'it' for me Maybe i am wrong and it is 'the' car the have?!!

As others have said, you should be able to get a relative palace for that amount each month. My employer has a fair number of expats working in Calgary, all paying $2000 or less per month for more than acceptable family accomodation within a 30 commute of Bankers Hall.

Pets in your price bracket will definitely be a big problem, perhaps as much as anything becuase of the the Canadian love of good quality hardwood flooring. Wood flooring and dogs just don't mix without damage to the flooring. If you do find a willing landlord, plan for your deposit to be used to refinish the flooring when you leave.

Unless you are going to be inviting coyotes into your front room, your cats will be safe. You appear not to know that cats are not allowed outside in the Cit of Calgary. OK, technically they are but they must remain on your property. You are not allowed to put them out in the morning and take them back in at night.

There have been plenty of posts about those in more rural areas letting their cats out in the morning to never see them again or to see them but only in a half eaten state.

Almost Canadian, what seriously i cant let them out then? Obviously they wouldnt stay on my property so they now have to become indoor cats then? Well thankyou for informing me i didnt know that one!!! I am gobsmacked, well at least they wont get eaten then

You can let them out, but you must ensure that they do not leave your property. Here is the relevant link:

http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server....ts+Indoors.htm

I have seen people walking their cats on a leash. You couldn't make this up

Hahaha, i can just see myself with one dog and two cats on leashes walking down the street now

You can let your cats out if you live in one of the satellite towns - certainly you can here and a lot of people do. There are coyotes on the edge of town (- several sightings near the off-leash dog area), but I would think in most areas of town the main threats are either cars or neighbours who don't want cats pooping in their yards!

We brought our two cats over with us, one has since died and we have acquired two more. We don't let them out, other than on the balcony. The old "English" cat is quite happy to just sit out there and sun herself - even though she loved to spend lots of time outside in the UK, she doesn't seem bothered about going out now anyway. The "Canadian" two don't know any different as we have had them since kittens and they have never gone out.

In the winter most cats with any sense wouldn't want to go out anyway, regardless of where you live here!!

Lisa

There is MASSES going on all around the city for kids in the summer break. The holidays are 8-9 weeks long so there's plenty of programs that you can sign up for.
Ours are off on a week long residential camp near Canmore in August. It's the first time they've done a sleep away summer camp but they're pretty excited about it. www.cadicasu.com
There are huge amounts of day camps if you don't fancy the residential ones, or your children are too young to go away. Our recreation centre in Okotoks runs day camps on everything you could wish for - arts, crafts, dancing, sports. You name it, they do it. I'm sure that the rec centres in Calgary are probably the same. Camps are pretty good value here too. Your local library will have all sorts of activities on as well. Just check out the local press when you get here.

We brought our cat and dog over with us too. Here in Cochrane it is the same as in Calgary in that your cat is not supposed to leave the confines of your property/garden. That said, it is not something that tends to be enforced unless your cat became a "problem cat" as it were. We see plenty of cats out and about (including ours) and no one seems to mind in the slightest. All depends on your neighbours I guess. Again, I don't tend to worry about the wildlife so far as my cat is concerned. I don't think it's really a problem if you're within a town; maybe different if you're right on the outskirts or in a rural area.

As far as the big wildlife is concerned - I've lived here 17 months now and spend a lot of time up in the mountains and have never seen a wild bear or cougar yet. See plenty of deer and elk and the occasional coyote and have only ever seen one moose and that was in the distance when I was in the car. We know people that have seen bears so, yes, you do need to be a bit careful but it's not something I would be unduly concerned about.