Hi,

I have been looking at this forum for a number of months and I have decided to take the plunge and start a thread.

Me and my family, (wife and 2 children aged 8 and 5) are looking at moving to Red Deer from the UK as I have been offered employment in the town. I have been looking on various websites and on this forum about the town but I am wondering if anybody has settled in Red Deer and if so what it is like, and the best sort of areas for a family to live. I have also been looking at Sylvan Lake and was wondering if anybody has any experience of living there to.

Thanks and please be gentle!!

Biggest decision will be deciding on who to follow the Flames or the Oilers NHL teams or the Stampeders or Eskimos CFL teams especially if in Red Deer.

The Flames

Yes, lots of us in Red Deer on here, I am sure the others will be along later... There has been a couple of threads specifically about RD before, so I suggest you search for those and then if you have any specific questions then ask them on here and we will do our best to answer them!

Oh, and it is more fun to support whoever the flames or the oilers happen to be playing that day... They don't win all that often...

I live in Sylvan Lake.
Beautiful place, lots of families and good schools.
Very community feel and although only been here 3 years you get to know a lot of people, very friendly.
Lots of Brits here too although don't bump into many of them myself.

We chose Sylvan Lake over Red Deer as it had more of a community feel, smaller but quaint by the lake.
It is a 15/20 min drive commute to Red Deer each day for my husband though so that can be heavy on fuel.

House prices are similar dependant on what you want.

I am actually moving to Vancouver Island in 9 weeks (and counting), we always wanted to be there.
Love Sylvan and area, but heart set on V Island.
7 months of snow can also be a little disheartening.. oh and minus 40...
Fun for the 1st years then it kind of bugs you.
People do just get on with it though and today its 24 degrees....will be 30 plus in the summer!!!

Hi, I lived in Red Deer for a few months when we first came here, lived in the north, Johnston Park to be precise. The area I lived in was quiet. Only took me 10 - 15 minutes to get to work in the centre of Red Deer. I liked the city, it was not too big, lots of trails and everything I needed from a shopping perspective. We don't have our kids here so can't comment on kids stuff.
I also lived on the outskirts of Sylvan Lake, Fox Run again a quiet area, there was a school nearby and a few play parks. I rarely took the car into the town, I cycled down to the lake often on my days off. There have been a few developments to the town and lake front, it is beginning to look nicer.

We can all tell you how good or not so good a place is, but sometimes it is what you make it and what you want from an area that makes it best for you
Good luck and hope you find your ideal place to stay. We now live out of the city and Sylvan, in our preferred location, in the country.

I lived in Red Deer itself for 7 years and now live 10 kms, if that out of town. I personally would never live in Sylvan Lake, nice to visit, but not to live. If you do decide on Sylvan then avoid, I think its Hewlett Park as the Herder Ranch can get very stinky. As for Red Deer, general rule of thumb used to be south of the river, but with new communities all over the place that doesn't ring quite true anymore, so it depends if you want a new souless, bare tree brand new home type subdivision or somewhere with larger lots fewer ammenities and mature trees. I personally wouldn't look at Highland Green, driving round places like the Pines, Normandau and Oriel Park you will see the more desirable areas, these are older subdivisions with older homes with areas of lots of low income rentals, but I ALL subdivisions there are some very lovely pockets. I wouldnt worry about choosing a subdivision based on schools as they are all very much of a muchness.

But Sylvan Lake has a ROUNDABOUT, gasp. How could you possibly not want to live there??



(Note he says: "the" roundabout, instead of "a" roundabout - that's how common they are ).

Sylvan Lake is a bit of a drive from Red Deer so if my job was in Red Deer I wouldn't live there. Also pretty small and they've got a big problem with lack of water (ironically) I read in the paper.

It's nice to visit though.

Red Deer has some excellent gas stations, I've frequented many of them. Also, some really good bathrooms.

I think a lot of people forget there is actually a town there, in fact there's quite a large college. Had a nose around a couple of times, it's quite nice around the river.

But to most people it's a chicane on the QE2. "Look Marge, there's a bend in the road!" And then you fall asleep again until you come off at the corner around Leduc and die.

Gasoline Alley Southbound also has a roundabout now. Next time you're driving through you should take a few loops...

Umm, think I have been around that, isn't it just after the McDonalds? But isn't everything just after a McDonalds... including bodily reactions I'd rather not experience... mmm looking at a map I'm not sure I have.

Actually I was just looking at the meetup calendar, surely gasoline alley in Red Deer would be the easiest place to do it???

If you take the first gasoline alley exit off the highway, heading south, and then take a right at the fastgas, you end up on the roundabout.

We had a Red Deer area meet up at the Hideout before Christmas...

We lived on the west side of Sylvan Lake it was quiet and not smelly and pretty safe. It depends on some subdivisions as with any place there are nice and not so nice. Sylvan Lake area is growing and a lot of new builds. The reason we left Sylvan was because the field to the back of us was sold and we didn't want to be looking at a construction site which would change our view from the deck.

It is best if anyone can do a recce to the areas, I spent the time before hubby came over driving round areas and checking out old and new. We also registered with a realtor who was so helpful and advised us without being overpowering or influencing our choices. We bought our houses through him, this is his website Red Deer Real Estate from Ivan Busenius: Ivan Busenius

Good luck to those looking to move to this area and hope you find the areas that you feel at home in.

Just to expand on Steve_s post, it about a 20 minute drive from Sylvan to Red Deer, so certainly not prohibitive. There are a few roundabouts in R D but in subdivisions, I think about 3.

and yes MJ there are plenty on non smelly bits of S L, but the Herder ranch isn't one of them and like you, as you know living out of town is living the dream, not planning on living in a town until I'm too old to live out of town now.

Dena Arnold and Wayne Sommers for Realtors.

Totally agree, with the Herder Ranch smell, it is choking some days going to and from work. I have a friend who lives in Hewlett Landing past the shops on Highway 20 and have never experienced the smell her neck of the woods.

With you on never living in a town again I don't want to give up my little piece of peace and tranquility.

No, the biggest decision will be deciding what antidepressants to take.