PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

Hi
I would like to introduce myself (Hazel) and my partner (Eric)we are moving to Canada asap. Could you good folks please help me with some very basic but very important information about Calgary

We would liketo keep hold of our flat in Barnet UK but although we will rent this out the rent will I am sure not cover the mortgage 100%. This will not be a problem if I can get a job in Calgary practically immediately.
I have put out various feelers but I am getting the feeling that Canadian experience is very important - I understand this, I came to UK from South Africa 10 years ago and had the same proble. I easily found work in the city of London but it started initially in a much lower paying role than I had in South Africa.

I was in Toronto in October (brilliant place, had 2 interviews unfortunately nothing available at this time) We then visited friends in Calgary and it is AMAZING! Unfortunately we only had a couple of days so no time to make any contacts.

My questions, if you would be kind enough to help me are:
1. I understand that the economy in Calgary is booming - is this true?
2. Is it easy to get a job (by profession I am an insurance underwriter 20 years exp) My partner has recently retired so I am the breadwinner.
3. I believe that house prices are huge in Calagary even renting a place is very expensive - is this true?
4. What is public transport like? (We used the C-Train and it was miraculous compared to the tube in the UK!)
5. In terms of getting a job, are head hunters widely used?

I would really appreciate any assistance as this is a big move for us and we are really excited but want to try and minimise any "newbie" mistakes.

Happy new year!!

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

Hi, welcome to the website and yes Calgary is a great place to be, (of course everyone everywhere else will argue with me on that but to answer your questions.

My questions, if you would be kind enough to help me are:
1. I understand that the economy in Calgary is booming - is this true?

Yes, basically we are booming, two years ago the goverment gave everyone $400 because they had too much money. There are consequences to this boom which are part of the next answers. Alberta has oil, the world needs oil and so the story goes.


2. Is it easy to get a job (by profession I am an insurance underwriter 20 years exp) My partner has recently retired so I am the breadwinner.

I do not know personally about insurance underwriters but I would put money on it that it would be easy to find a job in the same or similar field. I personally have a good friend who is in insurance so will ask for you.


3. I believe that house prices are huge in Calagary even renting a place is very expensive - is this true?

House prices have gone high...... too many people moving over and not enough houses caused a massive house hike in 2006. Rental vacancy is a 0% so landlords can charge high prices. The good news for you is that 2008 is not going to be the same, we have more houses now and so there is a levelling off in the prices

4. What is public transport like? (We used the C-Train and it was miraculous compared to the tube in the UK!)

Have not used a bus since I was 18 going to school, but the c train is good

5. In terms of getting a job, are head hunters widely used?

I know people that have used headhunters and got great jobs and those that did not find a job at all but got it on themselves. Have not got enough experience to tell you anything about them.


There is a saying in Calgary if you do not have a job then you must not be looking. But you need a job you can live on, and really my best advice is to come here and get any job and then look around. About 100 people move into Calgary everyday and they do not have canadian experience, they just get it as they go along.

If you have some savings then it will be useful to you for rent deposits, cars etc. If you have no savings then it may be hard.

If you need any more help just pm me,

Have a great New Year, I am off to a party:rofl:

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

Hello, hazelr, and welcome to the BE forum.

Helen has given you good information.

In addition to that, I recommend that you read the following BE Wiki articles:

• Tips on using the forum - will help you to avoid "newbie" mistakes
  
  
• Newcomers to the forum - will give you an orientation to this forum and to Canada
  
  
• the series on Calgary
  
  
• the series on Job hunting in Canada - very important, in my opinion

I'm a Saffer myself -- well, sort of. I'm actually from Swaziland. My husband's from South Africa. We immigrated to Canada nearly thirty one years ago.

My husband, who is an engineer and who had good experiences on the mines before he arrived here, initially had to accept a more junior engineering job. But, with time, he did rise through the ranks.

That didn't really affect me when we arrived in Calgary. I was a secretary at the time, and the job that I got in Calgary was not all that different from the one I'd had in South Africa.

Good luck with your move, come back to the forum if you have more questions, and Happy New Year.

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

Hi
Many thanks for you kind responses - quick question. Someone sent me a PM but I can't access it because I havent posted more than 1 thread. Checked out the FAQ's but it seems 3 threads must be posted!
Are there any ways round this?
Best regards
HAzel

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

Afraid not, it's to stop unwanted spam. Ask the person who sent you a PM to post the information here on the thread, or make a third post yourself :)

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

Post another response! :p:thumbsup:

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

Do you have all the paperwork in place?

PR, TWP, LMO.

When did you apply for residency?

Reason for asking this is that you have not given any info on that so to spare you and us from receiving/giving stupid answers it would be good to know.

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

Ahhh Calgary!

My favourite city! I'm fighting tooth and nail to get back there myself to be with my partner. So your questions....

1. I understand that the economy in Calgary is booming - is this true?

Absolutely. The city is short some 14,000 employees last I read and is struggling to house them all. I heard many horror stories during my time such as people working full-time jobs but being forced to live out of drop-in homeless shelters. While I was camping at Beaver Flats during the summer I met a young guy who had a motorbike and a tent. He was living there and driving to Calgary for his summer construction contract, at only $10 a night who can blame him? You should have seen the scenery!!! The summer was absolutely beautiful too... except THOSE storms. =)
The housing market is finally cooling and supply is catching up with demand a long last, so some normality is returning, although at a slightly higher equilibrium.

2. Is it easy to get a job (by profession I am an insurance underwriter 20 years exp) My partner has recently retired so I am the breadwinner.

With that much experience I have no doubt you will get a job easily. I am pretty sure I have seen some advertisements for that very profession whilst I have been hunting myself. Try these:-

http://www.eluta.ca
http://www.working.com
http://www.workopolis.com
http://jobbank.gc.ca

This hardly scratches the surface. Eluta and Workopolis seem to be the more professional higher-salary sites where I imagine as an insurance underwriter you would have more success. Failing that I would hit Google hard and contact financial and insurance institutions with offices in Calgary directly.

3. I believe that house prices are huge in Calagary even renting a place is very expensive - is this true?

Relatively speaking yes. Compared to the UK it's STILL pretty cheap. I find the Canadian dollar, especially in Alberta (no provincial sales tax and a recent 1% cut in Goods & Sales Tax nationwide) and yes even in Calgary, goes a lot further than your GBP. The wages offered in Alberta are also relatively higher than the rest of Canada and increasing at a nice rate.
If you're willing to put the research in, like any housing market, you will be able to find suitable and reasonably priced accommodation. If you're looking to buy you will find yourself with a sound investment given the projected growth of the Calgary economy for the next 20 years at least.
My partner and I spent 3 months looking for an apartment to rent and in the end found a gorgeous, cat-friendly (RARE in Calgary, believe you-me!) apartment slap-bang downtown off of trendy 17th avenue close to a fantastic junction for public transport links. Heated parkade parking was also included free (RARE) so if we ever decide to purchase a car, there's no monthly sting. The price we pay for this place is a good 30% CHEAPER than a distinctly average, run-down 2 bedroom terraced house nowhere near Portsmouth city center. I know where I'd rather be. The south coast of England is ridiculous.
In 2006, the notorious boom year when I landed in Calgary, rent for our $970 a month accommodation, opposite the Calgary tower, increased to $1,420! That's a 46% increase!! Well above inflation and pay-rises I think you'll agree!There was nothing we could do as the yearly-lease was coming up for renewal and they gave us 3-months notice. Be aware if renting that Alberta has NO rent protection whatsoever, they believe firmly in the free market. Needless to say by January some 300 apartments were vacated. Many of these were long standing, old-aged tenants in excess of renting for 10 years being forced to vacate 1st December and 1st January. Heartless. The winter was particularly brutal that year too. I still don't think they've filled the place to this day.

4. What is public transport like? (We used the C-Train and it was miraculous compared to the tube in the UK!)

Public transport is FANTASTIC in Calgary, despite what the locals think of it. Only yesterday my bus here in Portsmouth was 25 minutes late. Unbelievable. A single ticket will cost you $2.25 (!) and this is valid for 90 mins with the time of departure printed on it. You can get on as many buses and/or C-trains as you like. If you're only popping out somewhere, so long as you get on that final bus/train within the time limit (and the bus drivers are pretty lenient too with their times) you can get your return journey in too! Weekly/monthly/annual passes are available and only offer even better value for money. Calgary is one of those cities where you don't need (and actually don't WANT) to own a car. The population of the city is almost DOUBLE what the current infrastructure can support. I haven't really seen this addressed, yet it's pretty much common knowledge. Seems they'd rather close 4 blocks off down-town for months on end and erect a new oil and gas HQ, contributing to, rather than addressing congestion. Sounds like any city council though to be honest.

5. In terms of getting a job, are head hunters widely used?

I'm sure they are but to what extent I do not know. I have been surprised by the amount of extremely high-paying CEO and CFA jobs I have seen advertised in the local paper and on the internet. It seems that companies know that everyone has one eye on the job market and keeping their ear to the ground for positions. 80% of the job market in Calgary is hidden so it's allll about networking.
This would be one to research for sure!

Congratulations on choosing Calgary, I've fallen in love with the place myself. It's one of the only BIG cities I've been to that still manages to keep that relaxed and laid-back atmosphere about it.
Something I absolutely despise about London and New York is how stressed, busy and miserable everyone is. Add to that there's beautiful British Colombia and Banff 2hrs away, the USA within earshot and you have a recipe for a great place to live. Then there's the Calgary Stampede, the awesome Calgary Flames, umpteen mini-festivals every year (one a week it feels like!)....
Of course Calgary has it's problems but like any city with a growth rate like Calgary's, it's to be expected. Canadians are a lot more socially aware than other people in my opinion and so these issues are generally dealt with on a grass-roots level, or at least constantly debated and kept in the public spotlight. The letters pages of the Herald and the Sun and idle chat with locals will always let you know more about the city than any journalistic article ever will.

All the best for 2008 and good luck!! I'll see you out there shortly ;)

Shinkansen

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

I agree with most of what you've said, Shinkansen. There are just a couple of points on which I disagree.

You said that a person wouldn't need a car in Calgary. That's true if you live downtown or very close to downtown. It is absolutely not true if you live in the suburbs. Outside of the downtown core, this is a very car-oriented city. The public transportation system in the suburbs, especially on weekends, is nowhere near adequate for a family that needs to do grocery shopping, take kids to hockey practice, etc., etc., etc. Okay, I guess the original poster doesn't have kids. My husband and I don't have kids living at home anymore either. But we live in the suburbs, and we definitely need a car to do even our most basic errands.

I also would like to clarify one point about rent increases. You said there was no control on them. That's true except for one minor change that was introduced relatively recently. It used to be the case that a landlord could increase rent as often as he/she chose. Now a landlord is allowed to increase a given tenant's rent only once a year. There still is no cap on the amount by which the rent can be increased.

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

Oh of course!!

I'm glad the once-a-year thing has come in as a lot of people on rolling monthly leases were getting taken advantage of. Due to this, a lot of places offering these distinctly dodgey contracts weren't being taken up as quickly. So in came the annual leases.

And yes I agree with you on the suburbs fact. Calgary has a HUGE urban sprawl thanks to the magnificent town planning by the city council (BUILD IT!!! NOW!!!). Large families will probably rely on a car as dragging the kids around on public transport all the time, over those sorts of distances isn't really viable.

Thankfully the c-train is being extended all the way up to Panorama and beyond in the North-East which will finally link the north of the city and increase house prices up there even more considerably.

I worked in the NE despite living downtown and got by on public transport just fine. Always on-time and the handy bus-stop ID codes allowed you to call a local number and it will tell you, to the minute, when the next bus was due to arrive. Fantastic!

Shinkansen

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

Hi there, I have just moved to Calgary from the UK and have been here for 2 months now. In my opinion it feels like the UK I haven't noticed any major changes really.

1. I understand that the economy in Calgary is booming - is this true?

As they say above Alberta is filthy rich. It has the second largest oil reserves in the world in the form of oil sands. This has an effect of leaving large surplus of cash in Albertas economy. Calgary is the heart of Alberta with regards to headquarters for natural resources company's and some banks.

2. Is it easy to get a job (by profession I am an insurance underwriter 20 years exp) My partner has recently retired so I am the breadwinner.

I know for a fact there is a massive shortage for manual labour. However there should be work out there for skilled and experienced people like yourself.

3. I believe that house prices are huge in Calagary even renting a place is very expensive - is this true?

Its all relative. To the UK not really. To the rest of Canada its un proportional. Vancouver leads with an average house price of 750k CAD, then I believe Calgary is around second place with an average ranging around 430-450k. Two years ago the house prices in Calgary were half of what they were. I've been reading a lot into prices in Calgary and believe following this recent short lived slump in house prices (50k drop in 2 months or so), they will stabilize and have slow growth. Estimates are between 2-4% over the next year. They have increased around 2.5% in the last month from a rebound from the 50k drop.

Rent for me looking for a 2 bed basement suite or apartment ranges between 900-1300 CAD. There is a lack of rental so the prices should go up a bit. If you lock into a rental your prices is tied for 1 year I believe.

4. What is public transport like? (We used the C-Train and it was miraculous compared to the tube in the UK!)

Pretty tip top. Ctrain is VERY fast, and covers most of Central Calgary. Buses are frequent and a lot of them. It costs me I think $75 dollars per month for a pass for the public transport system. Comparing this to the UK it is under half what I was paying so I am happy :D

5. In terms of getting a job, are head hunters widely used?

From what I have seen it seems similar, except there are fewer agencies.

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

Hi Shinkansen
Many thanks for your advice - you mention it is difficult to get a cat friendly apartment...... I am glad you mentioned this as we are bringing our two cats with us!! Would you siuggest that we arrange our apartment in advance of us coming to live in Calgary? I've cehcked a few Calgary property websites on line . Will they let us book and pay in advance?

Best regards

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

Yeah this one caught us off-guard too!! I wasn't expecting a cat to be too much of a problem.

It was actually finding accommodation from the UK that proved the biggest delay for my friend and I. A lot of landlords like to do credit checks, however, credit ratings in the UK usually won't suffice.

My travel buddy and I were extremely lucky in that one of the listings we found was put up by a 9-year British ex-pat and knowing the Calgary housing market at the time, gave us a break. She wanted references from previous landlords and relatives/friends, which she followed up on. We Wester Union-ed our deposits, having previously signed and mailed codes-of-conduct and deposit slips, as we wanted to get there ASAP and contracts were signed on our arrival. We were even collected from the Greyhound station! Of course this was all a bit of a gamble, but I been in conversation with her for over 3 months and regularly checked her other listings, so I was fairly certain of her authenticity.

Will you be wanting, like I, to arrange a place to stay before you take the trip out to Calgary? It's obviously a lot easier to visit before you make the move and arrange accommodation, but if not, the best advice I can offer you is to prove your credit rating, your financial wellbeing and previous rent-payments to prospective landlords. Some landlords are fussy on character and lifestyle, others just want to make sure they get the money on time. All the time. Evidence of previous rentals, mortgages and letters of reference from current/past landlords will only bolster your case. Seeing as you have never had a credit card in Canada you will have no credit rating there! Our major stumbling block and one you will have to overcome.

Obviously being willing and able to provide payment for more than one months rent will get landlords more interested in letting you have a place ahead of someone else, but, make sure you do get some form of guarantee, preferably a signed contract!!!! Usually landlords will ask for a damage deposit (upto a maximum of one months rent) and the initial months rent upfront. Being able to provide more than this will go some way to guaranteeing you a place to stay. My travel buddy in the end stumped up 3 months rent as he had not maintained contact with our landlord in the months leading up to our departure, and so was wary of leasing to someone who "didn't seem interested". So, I would recommend a good rapport too!

I would also be wary of the free-classifieds boards such as Kijiji.ca as I have spotted a few obvious scams there myself but there ARE legitimate landlords on there. It's worth a look.

I really would hit the ground running with the house-hunt!!! Cat-friendly rental accommodation is fairly hard to come by. If the advert doesn't state pets at all, contact them!!! If it says "No Pets", ask about cats, as some of the time landlords don't want dogs and there is no option to specify a difference. Try these sites:-

http://www.rentfaster.ca
http://www.homerent.ca
http://www.househunting.ca

All the best, and good luck with it all!! Keep in touch and let us know how it all pans out!

Shinkansen

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

Shinkansen has given you good advice about references, your creditworthiness and your trustworthiness (in a prospective landlord's eyes).

I was going to recommend against committing to an apartment in advance. Some of them are scuzzy, and you don't know what they're really like until you visit the building and its surroundings in person. Most landlords require you to sign a year's lease initially, after which the rental arrangement is continued on a month-to-month basis. You occasionally can find a landlord who is willing to enter into a six month lease initially. Still, if you are dissatisfied with the apartment, even six months is a long time to stick it out.

On the other hand, I feel Shinkansen has made a good point about establishing rapport with a prospective landlord before you've even left the UK. If you were able to do that, you'd have a reasonable level of assurance that the landlord was on the up and up. Commiting to an apartment in advance, however, wouldn't allow you to size up the apartment itself, the building in which it's located and the neighbourhood in which it's situated. If I was doing this, I would feel uncomfortable about committing in advance.

I think there would be merit in staying in a furnished apartment or in a suite hotel (also called an apartment hotel) for a short time, while you look for more permanent accommodation. You can pay for suite hotels by the night. Furnished apartments generally rent by the month, although you sometimes can find ones that rent by the week.

Go to the BE Wiki article on Renting, and follow the links to Vacation Rentals by Owner, Craigslist and Kijiji. Private property owners advertise on those websites. Through those sources (as opposed to the companies that rent out "executive suites"), you can find furnished houses and apartments that can be rented by the night, by the week, and by the month. (They are less risky because, even if they turn out not to be to your taste, you haven't committed for a long period.)

A Google search brought up a website that listed pet-friendly hotels in Calgary. I found ten of them spread across the city. The best one for your purposes, I think, would be 5 Calgary Downtown Suites (listed on page two of the relevant website). The reason is that it is an apartment hotel. It used to be an apartment building before it was converted into a hotel, so it has proper kitchens. This would make self-catering feasible. A hotel like this is somewhere that you could stay while you got yourself sorted out.

You'll notice that Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire calls itself a suite hotel too, and it also accepts pets. However, it's very expensive. I once made an enquiry, and found out that its "suites" did not include kitchens. I guess that when Brad Pitt stays in a "suite," he has little use for a kitchen.

Now, as to long term rental accommodation in which pets are allowed ....... By doing a Google search for PET FRIENDLY + APARTMENT + CALGARY, I found some rental apartments and rental houses that allowed pets.

Earlier I mentioned the BE Wiki article on Renting. It has additional information as well as links to additional websites (over and above the ones that Shinkansen and I have given you).

Hope that helps.

Re: PLEASE HELP A NEWBIE MOVING TO CALGARY
 

If you find somewhere you like, you might be able to check out a particular building on this website - written by a friend and realtor Gerald Rotering. It's pretty comprehensive, he knows his stuff.

http://www.condosincalgary.com/Calga....ca/index.html