Having looked into the possibility of immigration, I am going on a "job sounding" exercise in Medicine Hat, Alberta and Vancouver in October. I'm taking my 12-year old daughter and retired father who's kindly occupying her whilst I do "businessy" things.
So drinking not a priority, but contact with Canadian culture a must!

Looking for anybody's thoughts on Medicine Hat. I've seen differing information on the weather there, so am thinking of packing warm clothes, but not my thermals. Does this sound right if I also want to spend a day in Banff?

I'm visiting Suffield to do a talk at the beginning of October and want to spend a few of days in the Hat in case a job offer transpires at a later date. Any ideas on where to visit (how good is the Dinosaur park/Cypress Hill?).

Then off to UBC.. I gather Vancouver has a huge amount to do (more than Calgary) and as I only have 2 weeks in total I'd like anybody's thoughts on the relative virtues of a visit to Vancouver Island/Fraser Valley/Harrison Hotsprings/Whistler. Which of these would you choose to go to and why? Will pack the waterproofs for this bit of the journey!

Hi there,
I occasionally visit into Medicine Hat for some retail therapy from Swift Current and must say I like it a lot. Its big enough to have all the stuff you need but still small enough to be friendly and I stock up as there's no PST. Make some time to search on sympatico which returns some helpful sites (I was searching last year for property prices).
We visited Banff (recommended) whilst touring last year in October. We just needed sweaters and Tee's but when we arrived up at Lake Louise it started snowing so take a waterproof! (Make time to go to Lake Louise...it'll knock your socks off!)
I assume by dinosaur park you don't mean Eastend? If you do, its a chuffin' long drive and whilst its a new modern building, it certainly wasn't quite what I was expecting but interesting for the almost hour we were there.
Can't help with Vancouver as I haven't visited yet but that will be rectified next month but I hope it helps a bit.

Thanks, Smokey.

I didn't realise that there was no PST in Medicine Hat. What do Sympatico sell??

There's another question you may be able to help me with as you're into retail therapy!! I am wondering if we wouldn't be better to buy our outdoor wear in Calgary than in the UK, both in terms of choice and price. Do you have any thoughts on this?
I gather that I can claim tax back on any items bought over the value of £50.


Thanks again

There is no PST in Alberta.

You could buy your outdoor wear in Calgary - at least then you will get something able to deal with the cold weather. It rather depends on whether you think you will freeze before you get to the shops

Smokey, been on the Sympatico site.. makes sense now. Also had a quick look at Swift Current, thanks for those. I meant Dinosaur Provincial Park...

Glaswegian, thought October would warrant what I normally wear in the UK in the winter.. Maybe I've got it all wrong and need some furs and a couple of huskies?? I guess you have inadvertantly raised good point, though. I guess (not always a good idea when you know nothing!) that the quality of the clothing in Canada for outdoor wear will inevitably be better than the UK equivalent.

I work with a Finnish colleague who swears that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing (probably doesn't help the car much though). So how much would I pay for a half-decent coat? . People's thought on the weather v. clothing argument welcomed....

Thanks.

You can never tell what the weather is going to be like in October but it shouldn't be winter coat weather. Thanksgiving in Canada is the beginning of October - usually around the 11th or 12th and we have often had weather where we could have used our swimming pool if it hadn't been all covered up already. I doubt that Medicine Hat is very different from Regina and we often have lovely weather in October. Last year it was nice right up until the day before Halloween and then it turned really cold. Then it was winter jacket weather.

Lizwil, thanks for leaving a message.

I think that a good waterproof and a spare fleece for visiting Banff and Whistler will probably suffice, then!! At least it saves renting that Husky! My father will be particularly pleased as he is definitely a warm-weather person.

I'm Going to start a new thread about thanksgiving as others may be interested as well but wouldn't necessarily check this thread.

Have a good thanksgiving.

I drove to Red Deer from Calgary at Halloween last year - we had a blizzard and the road was a sheet of uneven ice - we counted 70 cars in ditches between Calgary and Carstairs. It wasn't the first snow we'd had either.

We arrived in Calgary just before the end of October 2001 - we had something like six inches of snow in the time it took to get from the airport and into our apartment. A few days after we arrived, the lows got down to minus 17C and we had to buy snowboots. If you have to buy snowboots, get ones that are rated down to minus 40C.

Southern Alberta weather isn't like Saskatchewan weather, it's very flaky and very unpredictable.

It's August and you might expect summer weather - it snowed August 1st 2002. We came home early from a camping trip at Brooks this weekend - the high was 14C, humidity was 100% and we gave in after high winds flattened the screen house smashing the camping stove in the process and almost blew the tent away - four hours of mid afternoon downpour was just too much.

We expect our first dump of snow around mid to late September - if a chinook blows up, it might be gone by the time you get here or we might have more snow. Medicine Hat isn't too far from Calgary, so I would expect temperatures somewhere between plus 20C and minus 20C, it could be sunny, snowy or raining, but hail might be less likely - it's Alberta, you can't predict the weather ...

Dinosaur Park is two hours east of Calgary and might be a bit boring in October - they close a lot of the trails out of the summer season to protect the landscape. Drumheller actually has the big dinosaur museum.

Cypress Hills is an interprovincial park on the Alberta/Saskatchewan border - it's a four hour drive east from Calgary, we haven't made it that far yet.

Banff is very pretty, but expensive - depending what the weather throws at you, get your gear in Calgary - the Mountain Equipment Co-op (www.mec.ca) in Calgary is not for profit and very, very good. Banff is also in the national park, so you'll have to pay to get your car in. Canmore is a nice place to visit too - it's outside the national park, so it's less regulated. I ran a 6K cross country at the Canmore Nordic centre last weekend - the scenery was outstanding.

Be cautious of driving into the mountains - back in May it was nice and sunny in Calgary so we took a drive into Kanaskis to check out the state of the trout ponds - it was still deep winter in the mountains - well below zero and covered in snow.

Glaswegian and Lizwil,

Helped alot, will check out the co-op. I'm all in favour of co-operatives and have been involved in running one for the past decade in the UK. Will be nice to support a Canadian Co-op.

Thanks for the advice.

Heh Seabird,
we lived in suffield 99 - 01 heading back there next year, our immigration paperwork is going through now.

October can be cold! we arrived Sept 20 99 it was 30 degree's then 2 weeks later -11 and snow on the ground. Then October 2000 there wasn't much snow just wet n windy. I know this doesnt help much, but if i was heading out there in October i would pack for cold NOT warm/sunny.

Dino park is 1 -1/2 hours drive from Suffield we went twice it's worth an afternoon.

If there is snow on the ground then you can go skiing just an 1 hour - 1 1/2hours away in Hidden valley, well worth the day.

Banff is about 4 - 4 1/2 Hours drive from Suffield. Again if i was going i wouldnt stay in Banff but just short in a place called Canmore ( lots cheaper) plus a very nice place to stop. Its not in the Park either so if you are coming and going then you don't have to pay park tolls.

Oh buy your cold kit in the Cannex!! Its the Army base shop, You dont have to go on base to shop its just off the base ( big red building you cant miss it) its alot cheaper !!!!!!!!!!

Anything else then just ask

Ted

Hi Ted

Thanks for the advice. Do the Cannex only sell Army surplus or do they sell general clothing? Were you based in CRS? I have seen on the internet that Medicine Hat residents don't always see eye-to-eye with the British as a result of Suffield, but I can't seem to find out why, or even if this is true. I think the item said to avoid certain Medicine Hat bars...

Do you have children that are returning with you? I note that Medicine Hat has a low rate of university uptake compared to most of Canada, but that this is heavily skewed by a high population of retirees. Just wondering what the Schooling is like.

On the other hand it seems from this forum that migrants settle better if they move outside of the larger cities. The other over-riding factors seem to be around difficulties getting work. It seems that the points system doesn't reflect the real situation on the ground. I find it fascinating that so many British will go to a country without a job, or at least being certain of obtaining one, and that the system leads them to believe their skills will guarantee them a job. So many British complain about migrants coming to the UK under the same circumstances, and yet are prepared to take the same chance.

I wish you every luck with your application, and it seems that the Alberta weather didn't deter you!!

Will look into Canmore.

With many thanks.

C.

Not even vaguely .....

Hi
yes we were posted to CFB Suffield, BATUS for the Brits. The Cannex is a general store not Army surplus. We are taking our 2 children ( 9,11) cant really leave them at home now can we. Yes Med hat does have a high retirement population, but the mix is good and the town is growing very very quickly.So younger people are moving into the area.

You are right, there has been bad karma between locals and Military, but then where isn't there. every walk of life has bad apple's that spoil things for the rest. We have lots of local friends and have never come across any negative reactions. So i guess its how we come across?

I'm one of those you talk of who hasn't a job to go too! i finish my 22 yr service next year and hopefully our paperwork will tie in with my run out date. we have bought a house already which is being rented out, just need to find a job! to be honest i/we will put our hand to anything that pays the bills! you wont hear us complaining about having to "pump gas" im sure i wont have to but if i do then heh get on with it!! ( yes i do have qualifications and a trade) but ive been in my telecomms work for last 22 yrs i might just fancy a change??

right need to go

Ted

Make sure you make that visit to Canmore, it is a lovely place, not as big as Banff, but views are to die for. My sister lived ther for nearly 10 years, i was there every weekend when i lived in calgary, which was when the winter Olympics were in 1988. We made a visit back to canmore in 1999 (visit sister) and it had grown so much, alot of brits there openeing shops. The nordic centre is great to visit, horse riding through the mountains was a must for me. My hubby had to have helicopter ride over the mountains. Lots to do in such a small place, (well not so small now i'm sure). Have agood trip.
What i remember about Med Hat, it was full of british army, my hubby was in army in 1986 and spent few months there. Are you or hubby in the army?

Yes Wendy Hubby is still serving until Nov 05 ( 22yrs up then) we have just bought a house in Redcliff just out of med hat Suffield side.

PS Med hat still gets it share of slodiers but dont forget with the Army so spread over the world not as many go out to do a Med man now. In the 80's Med mans went on from March til November ( 7-8 medmans) now they are lucky to do 5 !!!! so doing the Math alot less soldiers visiting. Before some one corrects me yes i am aware of the one large ex they do at end of year when 3 - 5 thousand come over but again its only for one exercise!!

It is my believe and i will support it the British Army has a good relationship with Medicine Hat.

Ted

Ted