We submitted our PR applications (skilled workers) a few months back as well as this I have been emailing my resume to Canadian companies with the slim hope that I would find one prepared to employ me on a work visa. I have since had a very positive response from a company in Lethbridge AB.
I would be grateful for any information that fellow posters may have on the town.

As far as a mate of mine who lives there says, its a big farming type community, very safe, everyone knows everyone.

I think someone called Gopher on this site lives nr Lethbridge. Could check out their old threads.

Lethbridge is a very nice little city. Quite conservative if you get what I mean.

My son lived down there for four years while attending university. He quite liked the place except for the wind. It is very windy when the chinooks blow and that can be often down there. Windy to the point of keeping them awake at night sometimes. Also there seems to be a lot of feedlots for cattle around Lethbridge and a number of times when we went to visit the smell was quite strong.

There is a standing joke in the aviation community about Lethbridge. It says that it is so windy in Lethbridge they use a chain for the windsock at the airport. When the chain is hanging straight down the wind is calm.

Here is a link to Environment Canada's Climate Normals for Lethbridge. The information regarding winds is about two thirds of the way down the page. Note the number of days per month with winds in excess of 52 km/hr and 63 km/hr.

Dont stay at the Travelodge. :scared:

We went down for the airshow one year. Booked the hotel the week before. We should have got a clue from the fact that everywhere else was fully booked.

We visited in May this year and were very impressed. Very nice town and a bit warmer than the rest of Alberta in the winter!! I would like to move there myself but unfortunately we need to be near a town with industrial elements due to my husbands job prospects.

I work in the engineering /manufacturing industry myself and although this company is in my line of work it does make me wonder what else there is should I be made redundant there (got to get the job/work visa first mind you)

HI

My In Laws live there and I can say that its a nice, safe town where you can buy a nice house (Not too expensive) good schools and 2 good golf courses.

1 Plus is that its so close to the US border, Montana is a great place to visit (Kallispell, Great Falls etc...)

Be aware though, its not a "happening" place, slow pace, real hot summers and plenty of wind are in order.

Hope this helps

Phil

You may be interested in their web page at:
http://www.lethbridge.ca/home/default.htm

it may also interest you to know that there is a major engine/turbine generator manufacturing company who re-located there from the states. I just cannot remember who they are. if you visit the web page and go through the video presentation, which is a bit twee in parts, it does mention their name.

A nice place but a bit isolated, if you like that kind of thing it'll be fine.

Alberta as a whole is enjoying a "boom".

One reason is the discovery of oil in the sand in the north of Alberta, oil 40% sand 60%, they literally strain it out.

I would say, check out NOW the Alberta Provincial Gov. website.
You might find that their Nominee scheme`s suit you?

I say NOW because, in a year or two, house prices in AB will inflate to BC levels and beyond. People from NF&L/PEI/NB and to a lesser extent NS are moving there in their hundreds.
It is the truth!

If you can afford a part/time work life style and plan to have no mortgage etc. Consider an Atlantic Province PNP scheme.
They have nearly thrown the doors open!
NF&L and PEI governments still have an elitist attitude, but that will melt away very soon, when they finally accept that to many Canadians have gone west!!!

Yes the oilsands projects are bringing tons of revenue into our province, which is fanatastic for those of us whose work is connected to the oil and gas industry, Can I ask you to elaborate on your reasoning why you feel AB house prices will soar to the levels you describe? Is it purely based on what I have just said? I ask because we live in AB and we would love to see our house value go through the roof.

It`s the fact that as more of Canada migrates west to AB, here in NB it`s all the talk and planned for 2006 exercise by many low income families.

I can assure you that commercials for AB in the local newspapers, regarding housing, jobs are everywhere in NB, PEI and NS.

You will see that because of this, a natural "western country economic boom" will ensue over the next few years. Your place will never ever be worth less then it is now, but always more.

I promise you that if you came to see and spend a few months here in the Atlantic Provinces, you would agree!

If you come on a work permit it really doesnt matter what else is in the area, the bigger headache would be having to find someone else who would go to the trouble of getting a new workpermit for you as they are only valid for that one position anyway.

You make it sound like quite a simple process while in fact there is a bit more to it than "strain it".

Plus it has been known about for quite some time but it costs more to recover than "regular" oil therefore it has only just become commercially viable recently.