Anna-Maria

Hi
We are hoping to be moving to Alberta as soon as we get our PR but I don't know which town is best to look into moving to. My husband is a software design engineer so we are looking for somewhere that has a large IT presence but we would like to have a better quality of life then we have in the UK at the moment and I have been reading a lot about Calgary and now I'm not so sure it is the right place to go, but I can't find out much about Edmonton.
We have 4 children ranging from 15 - 5 so we need good schools too and a house to fit us all in - reasonably priced would be good!
Can anyone give me their views on the towns, we hope to be going out at Easter next year but probably will only be able to be based in one of the two.
Thanks for any info you can give me
Anna-Maria

christmasoompa

I shall move this to the main Canada forum, as it doesn't belong in the immigration one. Hopefully that way more people will see it and answer.

And if you haven't already, do do a search of the forums as you'll find lots of info and opinions on both cities.

Butch Cassidy

Based on what I highlighted neither, otherwise (and with my more moderate and forgiving head on) they are much of a muchness neither has a good 'downtown' if you compare to UK cities, both feature a mass of cookie cutter style homes, both can be cold (but dry) in the winter.

Edmonton has the River Valley, WEM and (possibly) a more 'fringe' arts scene

Calgary is sunnier all year round, is closer to the ski hills and has the Stampede.

Steve_P

Spent my first 9 years in Edmonton and the last 35 in Calgary I like both cities but prefer Calgary.

Calgary has a little warmer winters moderated by chinooks.

I would also take Calgary's down town over Edmonton's any day.

Edmonton seems to have more severe thunderstorms in recent years.

PrairieSushi

Take a look at SI Systems (http://www.sisystems.com) - they list jobs in both cities, often with salaries quoted.

Take a look at MLS for house prices (http://www.mls.ca).

Edmonton is our provincial capital, so a lot of the jobs are government. The climate can be a little cooler than Calgary.

Calgary is still very much an oil town. Calgary used to be pricier, don't know if it still is.

The Fraser Institute provides a school ranking report - like anywhere else, we have good and not so good schools.

There seems to be a steady demand for software developers, but it's not my specialization.

I live in Calgary, but I wouldn't have a problem moving to Edmonton if a job took me there.

fn-expat

Besides not being as frigid in the winter, one of the things about Calgary compared to Edmonton is its closeness to the mountains. If you like walking, backpacking or skiiing in the Rocky Mountains, then Calgary could be the better choice.

PrairieSushi

The mountains are very nice, but if your kids get into minor hockey like mine did, you won't have much time to get out there apart from summer.

Now ... if you're an avid skiier or boarder, or want to be one, then proximity to the mountains makes a difference.

ann m

Calgary, obviously !

It takes a three hour drive just to start your drive to get to where else you want to go .... Calgary, perhaps

Seriously - it's very similar in many ways to Calgary but just so far away from anything else.

bsmith

I've been in Edmonton now for just over a year - not impressed. Read my take on the place here

bsmith

....At least the thunder storms liven the place up a bit!

PrairieSushi

The rest of Canada doesn't call it Deadmonton without reason ... personally I've found it inoffensive, which beats several places I've visited for work, but not exactly exciting.

PrairieSushi

Just read your comments.

No prairie cities have downtowns that I would want to spend much time wandering around after dark. Worked in Edmonton, Winnipeg and Regina, plus I live in Calgary - none of the downtown cores are delightful spots after dark.

Both Vancouver and Toronto outshine anywhere in the prairies if you want to venture out for some safe late evening entertainment.

I'd also agree that every prairie city's advertising is laughable - take it all with a huge pinch of salt. Oddly enough, Calgary's advertising never shows a satellite shot of Deerfoot backed up all the way to Airdrie on a bad day or how desolate Edmonton's downtown is most evenings. After arriving in downtown Winnipeg after 10pm on my first visit, my first impression was "what the f##k??" - it makes Edmonton's downtown look lively & welcoming.

That doesn't mean that they aren't good places to live, it just means you can't believe the advertising - never, ever trust your money or your future with someone who stands to make a capital gain from it.

I was incredibly bitter after my first couple of years in Canada - in a post 911 economy, it fell far short of my expectations - all set by people who stood to make a capital gain from my coming here.

Eight years down the line my expectations have adjusted to reality - I read the BBC daily so I've had the opportunity to watch the UK sink from a distance.

Canada's streets aren't paved with gold and the weather is, to be polite, different, but we aren't even close to be as far down the crapper as the UK is.

Cassie 10000

I'm going to say Edmonton, but I might be being a bit bias there

We're not that far from the better side of the Canadian Rockies, Jasper side and the more prettier side imo

Essex_Man

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgary

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonton

SirTainly

Bit of a drive to Jasper though, and the sections through the towns really put a dent in the average speed.

The section as you enter the park though is pretty magnificent.