Just wondering what people think of the traffic in Calgary?

Adjectives: randomness; slow driving; very slow driving; more unsignalled randomness. Rush hours are a pain, but I think Calgary rush hours are much better than other big cities.

The traffic volume isn't too bad, but the sheer number (and poor timing) of traffic lights create unnecessary congestion.

Some of the most ruthless drivers I have ever seen exist in Calgary, along side some of the most incompetent. Makes for a dangerous combination. You can't drive for more than a few minutes without having another car attached to your rear bumper - you could be driving the speed limit in the slow lane of an empty 4 lane road, and there will still be somebody up your bum.

A little heavier during rush hour than it should be. The problem is that Calgary's transportation infrastructure has not been able to keep up with its growth.

:scared: :scared: Scary!!

It's easier than the 401, M1, M6 or M25!!!

Just assume the guy driving the Dodge Ram racing towards the your bumper, the red light ahead or the c-train crossing is a moron and you're probably right. Unfortunately, there's very little defence against them.

Why is someone in muggy Ontario interested in traffic in the west?

Thanks for the replies. Not sure that Calgary sounds like a great place to go as far as traffic is concerned although there seem to be alot worse places! We would probably try to live either near the University as I am considering a course there, or one of the lake communities - very early stages of research at the moment!

As some of you probably know, we are not overly impressed with London Ontario although it is probably alot to do with homesickness! Just for the record, London seems to have a particularly static job market - when people get jobs here, they seem to stay in them for life! Anyway, we are not getting anywhere with job apps here (teaching and chartered accountancy) so we are looking at jobs in other places. It's either that or we go back home and we're not ready to do that yet. Also, some people have said that they moved to different places within Canada once they got here and are glad they did so you never know!

We are exploring job opportunities in Halifax and Calgary at the moment. We don't want to go to Toronto because of the traffic - the closest I got was Oakville and that was enough!

Halifax appeals because of the sea and less traffic. Calgary appeals because of the sunshine and the Rockies!

I am loving the weather here at the moment - finally the hot, humid summer has arrived and I like it! A positive at last!!!

I though you has settled over in Ontario?

Yes it's sunny - but we have a lot shorter frost free period than you have experienced in Ontario - it can snow from September to May in Calgary - if we're lucky, we won't see snow before October.

The Rockies are cool, but what do you plan to do in them?

A significant number of teachers are now being hired in Alberta:

http://calgary.cbc.ca/regional/servl..._class20040716

The area around the campus of the University (of Calgary) is not bad, and the traffic is not too bad either (most of the time) in that part of the city.

Ontario has had a very late summer, but last summer was very cool too. That is not normal. What you are getting now is more the norm. How are you getting along with warmth and humidity?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Glaswegian
I though you has settled over in Ontario?

Yep - bought the house etc. but not loving London for some reason! Don't want the upheaval of moving so soon but there are zero jobs going here. We could wait longer and hope for the best but would rather get a job somewhere else in Canada than wait until the money runs out!

The local teachers union in Alberta has some sort of arrangement whereby teachers are employed from the pool in a set order. As a newly qualified immigrant I expect you will be at the bottom of the heap!

I would suggest checking this out carefully before moving.

By the way, the lake communities tend to be in the south east - a long way from the university with some of the worst roads in between!

Well if this is the norm, then I like it alot! I was a bit worried about the humidity everyone warned us about, but as long as you have A/C it's great! Wouldn't be much fun though if you couldn't escape the heat - very lucky to have air conditioning!

We went for a walk around the neighbourhood this evening - lots of lovely trees, flowers etc. Very balmy and tropical evening. Could get used to that!

Can't remember what you do - what makes you think it will be different in the new west?

Investigated the costs of moving across Canada?

I thought that might be the case! Pity.

I know what you mean about the teaching situation - sounds good in theory but I am sure I would be way down there in the pecking order!

Ontario is supposed to have a shortage of teachers right now - I was speaking to a teacher recently who said that last year the local school board for London and the surrounding areas only took on two full time teachers for the whole year!!!! Not a huge shortage then! When they start advertising over in the UK for teachers to work in Canada I will start to believe it!

Very true.