WELLSEY

I guess it is a question that has popped up many a time on the forum but if you cannot tell I'm new to this.
The question is Edmonton or Calgary????

You see me and my wife are not to sure which to pick. do you go with somewhere that is quiet but not to quiet (Edmonton) plus the capital of Alberta with so many outer city county's that are so friendly that it comes across as everyone know each other.

Or do you pick a city like Calgary where there it seems lots of jobs and a huge development type city.

We both like Edmonton alot but I think, will we find jobs easy/quick who knows.
Claire my wife works in social services/child protection and i work on the famous British railway has anyone got any advise that may help.

Also how much money do you think will be a enough to start off with????

Gezza

While I lived in Calgary and met lots of people from Edmonton. It sound to me like Edmonton is older witha slightly more British look but it has a much worse climate. You do not get any CHinooks in winter. And lots of times when I was there when Calgary was mild and sunny Edmonton was a blizard.

Gezza

iaink

Try Iqualuit.

Bring every cent you can.

Grah

Wellsey, what Iaink means how the hell do we know what is best for you?
Both places has social services both places have trains both and places have had people land and enjoy their lives there.

Go to www.MLS.ca and do some research on the Home of your dreams in Alberta, then work from there

Gracer

Both are pretty cities and have lots to offer. Edmonton has the West Edmonton Mall that is a huge draw for some people. Each city has a personality and the people are different between the two. When I worked in tourism in BC as a teenager we used to make bets when customers came in as to which city they were closest to / or from. You could tell by the attitude. Not that either is bad, just different. Calgary is more the working capital as several head offices have moved there in the last 10 years and things are hopping. Calgary has Fish Creek park that runs along the South end that is important to some. I find Edmonton hard to navigate and will never get used to the traffic circles. I like the climate in Calgary and area and couldn't do a winter without chinooks. If I were making a desicion like this I would check out the online newspapers for both cities and then the local job boards. If you need a hand with internet addresses, let me know. Good luck with your investigations.

hot wasabi peas

Not a dilemma I'd like to face.

owen

....whose board of directors should be shot for keeping sealife in such awful conditions.
One of the world's largest mall's, my idea of hell!!!!

WELLSEY

your right i not a big fan shopping but then the better half(the wife) loves it but at the end of the day shops should not be the reason to move there.

At the moment we live in Birmingham 8miles for the city 3miles from the airport and this is where i have grown up so my life has been like growing up in a outer ghetto but maybe not that bad. We are off to Edmonton in October for anther visit but this time I think we will look at places like Leduc/Devon the surrounding area. And try Calgary a bit more well more than two days this time.

I'm sure they cannot be world apart at the end of the day

iaink

You might want to visit in February before you decide that!

WELLSEY

We fly there in October will it be that bad?????

iaink

No Chinook in Edmonton. Too cold for me, I'm a wuss that lives in the popular southern bit of canada. Even Calgary winters would be too extreme for me.

hot wasabi peas

I agree.

SirTainly

I visited both this past January, and my opinion (your mileage may vary) was:

* Edmonton had nicer architecture.
* Calgary had more going on. (it was busier town in general)
* The West Mall is fine, but if you've been to Bluewater in the UK it's not such a big deal.
* It was much colder in Edmonton (down to -30C and had been -50 the week before) Calgary was between -15C and +10C when I was there
* Calgary has the C-Train for getting about, the Edmonton equivalent doesn't at the moment cover as much of the town.
* Calgary had more musuems and places of interest.

SirTainly

Forgot to say as my friend works for CP in Calgary, you might be better off there as a railwayman, since it's the Canadian Pacific's headquarters. As far as I know the Canadian National site in Edmonton is an office complex, where they develop signalling systems etc.

offwego

Calgary has the lakes and mountains, Edmonton the mall.

I know which one I would choose and have done. We are off to Calgary at the end of August and we will be living in Okotoks. Yes it is in the area that flooded but it hasn't flooded there for years, it was a real fluke. Also the government will make sure it doesn't happen again. They have had exceptionally wet weather for this time of year, in fact it was the wettest June ever!
I've been on holiday to both edmonton and calgary and thought calgary was great. Cosmopolitan, modern, trendy. Cochrane is a lovely Heritage town, but we chose Okotoks, bit cheaper, better facilities for the kids etc..
Also couldn't get a rental house in Cochrane for love nr money.