cumbrian lad

Hi
My wife, I and 11 year old boy presently live in Sylvan Lake. But as i've worked in Calgary for the last 2 or so years we are seriously thinking of moving nearer so i can at least be home every night.
So if any one has any personal views on either towns We'd love to hear.

We've been in Alberta 7 years having moved from Cumbria in the UK. We think we'd like just a little distance from the big city so thats why were thinking of Cochrane or Okatoks.

Love to hear from anyone!

Andrew and Sharon

Getting There

Hi Andrew and Sharon,

First and foremost, a very warm welcome to BE.

At 7 years, that puts you way ahead of most on Expats we would have thought so you may be answering questions more than asking them perhaps! We're in Okotoks. Funnily enough, our next door neighbours moved here from Sylvan Lake last year - they seem to like it here and their two children seem to have settled. Our main blog below (the non-weather one) might give you some flavour of life down this way although much of the content will be familiar to you.

Does your work in Calgary require you to be in downtown Calgary in rush hour? If so, although many people do it, you might want to consider commute times but as you say, versus having to stay away from home at present, it might be an acceptable trade.

Both seem very family oriented places. Cochrane has the obvious advantage of being that much closer to the mountains (although it is still only 2 hours from Okotoks to Banff). For us, Okotoks gives you fewer reasons to leave town to head into Calgary as there are greater shopping and dining options here (in our view).

Hope this helps and you can always find our contact details on the blog if you want to fire questions at us offline.

Feel sure the Cochrane contingent on here will be on soon to speak for the splendours of that fine place too! Seriously though, we don't think you'd go too far wrong with either.

Kind regards,

Eamonn & Janet.

Almost Canadian

I haven't lived in either but, if I had to choose, it would be Cochrane by a mile.

My reasons for that are simply proximity to the Rockies. They are both a similar distance (travel time) from downtown Calgary and, if you ever decided to move into the City of Calgary, I suspect that property prices in Cochrane are more likely to keep pace with, or outstrip, those in the City than Okotoks would. However, because of that, you are likely to find that prices will be more expensive in Cochrane than in Okotoks.

HTH

cumbrian lad

Eamonn & Janet
Thanks for your help, I guess were going to come down for a weekend and visit Airdriee, Cochrane and Okotoks. As you might guess we prefer to be out of the city.

Thanks
Andrew and Sharon

Almost Canadian

Why do you want to be out of the city? The reason I ask this is that most of the neighbourhoods in Airdrie, Cochrane and Okotoks "feel" exactly the same as most neighbourhoods in the City. Most people in these communities do not live on acreages and, day to day, the living would be the same as living in a community in the City (with better views depending upon where in the City one lived). But, for example, driving to Canadian Tire or the local supermarket in Cochrane, is likely to take the same amount of time as it would in Woodbine. It's only when one commutes downtown that the delays increase, and this will be the same regardless as to where one lives.

Getting There

We see on other posts that the wonderful Ann in Cochrane has given excellent info for that part of the world. If you want to drop by here on the Okotoks part of your tour, you'd be more than welcome. Now, we just need someone to make you a coffee in Airdrie! Seriously, drop us a PM or email if you want to pop in.

Kind regards,

Eamonn & Janet.

cumbrian lad

Good Point
We presently live on an acreage on the north side of Sylvan Lake,its beautifull and set up for our to hounds but we now are starting to realise that it might not be what we want. ie we have become socially isolated especially as i work down Calgary.
So I guess we would like somewhere that has a little space for dogs to run arround so we don't anoy the neighbours but not too secluded that we are isolating ourselves from the rest of the world. Friends for our son to play with is probably the prime considereation.
I work down in Douglasdale, so Cochrane might be quite a bind.

Any advise is welcome

Andrew

Getting There

Hi,

If work takes you to Douglasdale, then from a commute perspective, your running order is 1) Okotoks, 2) Airdrie and 3) Cochrane. Picking up on Almost Canadian's comments, working in Douglasdale would also give you the option of many of the (what we would consider) nice communities on the southern edge/reaches of Calgary, which would give you a very short commute to work.

Eamonn & Janet.

Almost Canadian

What he said. Douglasdale to Cochrane would be brutal if you are travelling in or around rush hour, it wouldn't be that pretty to Airdrie either (Deerfoot in rush hour). Deerfoot in rush hour from Douglasdale south to Okotoks would win hands down for me.

Decisions, Decisions

deanonlisa

I too work in Douglasdale it takes me 21 minutes (roughly lol) from Okotoks.

KAT16

Hi

I live in Airdrie and work just off 32 Ave. It takes me about 25mins leaving at 8.00am to get there! it's worse at the moment because of the roadworks just outside Airdrie. OH works near the Airport and he leaves at 7.15 to get there around 7.45 or 7.50ish so I don't think the commute is too bad.

We really like Airdrie, although we have only been here for 6weeks. We didn't want to live in Calgary, it's a nice feeling driving away from the city at night. There are plenty of schools and after school clubs for kids and loads of shops. A few pubs, which is nice, and a few nice places to eat. Theres a big leisure centre, which is just being extended and I've found everyone to be really friendly. Am really looking forward to the festival of lights, which is held throughout December in Nose Creek Park.

Although we are only renting at the moment, we definitely want to stay here and will look to buy here sometime early next year!

We're around most weekends and you are very welcome to come for coffee.


Hope this helps.

Karen

cumbrian lad

Thanks to everyone for anwering our thread, theres been an an enormous amount of effort and we are very gratefull. For sure we would like to look you up for a cuppa in the near future.

cheers

Andrew and Sharon