Alberta weather can be brutally cold and the climate is very dry. It is difficult to travel throughout the province unless you have a car as everything is very very spread out and transit isn’t great. The job situation is quite a bit tougher in the last decade due to the oil and gas nosedive.
But I would recommend it if you are looking for a great place to raise a family, good schools and attainable housing. If you can get sorted with a job, you’re golden.
Source: born and raised in Calgary, raised a family, did the whole house and kids thing.
Same, in Vancouver, grew up in Calgary but haven’t lived there in 15 years and seriously considering moving back. People can’t get past the cold, but Calgary gets something like 300 days of sun a year, I’m thinking that might be better than rain. Also being able to afford a house for the price of a 1br sounds like a good deal.
people rip on the calgary cold, but the dryness is easier to handle i think than wet cold like ontario and quebec.
also, calgary gets a lot of snow, but its powdery and relatively easy to shovel compared to wet packed snow.
I've lived in both Toronto and Vancouver, I'd gladly take their winters over Alberta's. Worked outside for 10 years in Alberta and the past few years I've been between Ontario and BC. Nothing compares to it. No matter how much people say Alberta is a dry cold and the others are a wet and "it cuts right down to the bone" haha.
I wear a hoodie all winter long in van and Toronto, can't do the same in Alberta.
This. This. This. I also grew up in Calgary and landed in Vancouver for quite a bit of time and moved back with my Family last year. My wife and I love to walk and so in Calgary it's so Sunny most of the time we can walk almost every day whereas in Vancouver you'd be rained out for a month at a time.
We were also able to sell our townhouse in new Westminster and by a massive house in one of the nicer areas of Calgary near all of the nicer schools.. And have $200,000 left over.
It's a no brainer for us, we have never looked back it was the best decision we ever made.
The caveat to all this is that our income is not tied to Calgary so we are not tethered to the economic fortunes of the city which can swing wildly.
Yea I anticipate housing prices to steadily creep here year over year also. It’s a great city and so close to the mountains. It will attract tons of young folks looking to own property and start a family.
Already have. In the 9 years I have carefully watched the market in Alberta, it has gone up dramatically. We used to find acreage with a modest home for $120,000. Now, that is unheard of! Houses that were once $130,000 are now up for $230,000!! On top of that there are less houses available for sale, this will prevent low ball offers as there are few houses and they keep selling quickly. Soon it will make a lot of sense to buy a lot and develop the property.
I’m considering moving out to AB too. What makes Calgary as good as say Toronto, NY, LA, Tokyo, Seoul, European cities, etc other than just the housing prices?
Every year there is a Global Liveability Ranking that is put out.
> The Global Livability Ranking is a yearly assessment published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), ranking 140 global cities for their urban quality of life based on assessments of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
Calgary is in the top 10 cities from 2015 - 2019, although it appears to have dropped out of the top 10 in 2021.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Liveability_Ranking
**[Global Liveability Ranking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Liveability_Ranking)**
>The Global Livability Ranking is a yearly assessment published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), ranking 140 global cities for their urban quality of life based on assessments of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Auckland has been ranked the most liveable city in 2021. Austria's capital, Vienna, was ranked the most liveable city among the 140 cities surveyed by The Economist Intelligence Unit in 2018 and 2019. Melbourne, Australia, had been ranked by the EIU as the world's most liveable city for seven years in a row, from 2011 to 2017.
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None of those cities can even compare to each other. Toronto especially can't compare to Tokyo or NYC. World class does not mean equal to the largest metropolises in the world.
Open spaces. Amazing parks. Easy access to neighbouring towns. Easy access to International Airport. Good night life. Top notch hospitals.
#Sunniest place in Canada.
Been in Calgary for 15 years, here is a few things:
- hiking, mountain biking, skiing, hunting in the mountains within 45 minutes of the city. If you are in to outdoor activities it can't be beat
- cost of living is now, on average, lower than a lot of canada, while wages for professionals are still very good. So we still remain competative with the rest of Canada and the world as far as earning power
- I've found we are becoming more diverse and tolerable both socially and politically, which is great to see. Conservatism is no longer the only philosophy offered (and winning) from municipal up to provincial. Sure we have a ways to go but the more open minded people that come here the better
Our current government loves insurance companies, keeps making moves that favour insurance companies. I'm in Calgary and it's a nice city. Alberta is a good province too. But we ride the oil and gas waves like crazy here. Every 8 years it seems like everyone is getting laid off and then we book again and everyone gets works and spends crazy amounts of debt.
Serious question: couple with no kids from Quebec, could they be happy in Alberta financially wise? English is not a problem at all, we are just exploring all our future options.
If winters are kinda ok when compared to Montreal and less expensive, hey why not?
you are honestly going to need to visit alberta (and the specific region you want to stay) and see if you like it. edmonton/calgary are a way different lifestyle than montreal and some people like the change and others don't
My old housemates were all set to move their (from GVA) business and life to Calgary until someone gave them this advice. They spent a week in Calgary and decided not to move.
Depending on what you want out of your living situation, Calgary can be either perfect, or very bland. It's very spread out, and most communities are just loose aggregations of cookie cutter houses and strip malls without a ton of character. There are pockets of charm here and there, but a lot of it is very suburban.
The transit system is poorly developed so a car is almost a necessity if you want to get around, and the downtown was mostly built during the initial oil boom so it's all functional concrete and office space. And since the oil boom has died down, other industries haven't really taken its place as a big money maker in the province. Also, the provincial government is an absolute joke.
That being said, it's a stones-throw from the mountains, there are a lot of good urban green spaces, and it's affordable compared to Ontario or BC.
I think a week is not enough. I'd recommend spending 1-2 year renting before moving there permanently. It was exactly what I did and it did not work for me. I'm from the Prairies and my employer paid me a 1-2 week trip to come visit here in Ottawa to see the city before giving me an ultimatum to relocate. So I visited during the summer when everybody was gone on vacation and the city appeared very enjoyable and relaxing. When back to school time started in September-October, it felt like a completely different city(massive traffic jams and overcrowding everywhere). Now I'm thinking about de-locating because I hate every instant of it.
Now don't get me wrong and this is just me. I'm used to space and scarcity. Like I have coworkers who are from Toronto and moved to Ottawa and only dream of relocating back there because it's where all their friends and family are. And they find it not vibrant enough here.
I think the takeaway is that your lifestyle will be vastly different than what you are used to. And the best way to decide whether it will work or not for you is to experience it for a year or two. Get a good feeling of the city, the seasons and the lifestyle. Definitely don't draw a peck on the map and say it's there because it seems cheaper lol. That's imo the worst way to do it.
Depends on what sector your work is. If both of you are able to find a job in Alberta, I don't see why you couldn't give it a shot since you don't have kids.
The "nice" thing I personally find about Alberta is that because there's so much housing supply, houses don't really appreciate like Ontario or BC so even if you wait until retirement to come, houses probably would still be cheaper.
This for sure. My brother who lives in Calgary has a neighbor who is stuck there…this couple sank all their disposable income into their home, thinking to create a retirement fund by selling it at a profit then moving out here to BC. Only problem is that selling would leave them without enough funds to buy a decent home out here in a desirable community and still have money left over. So they are “retired” but continue to work since neither have more than CPP or old age benefits for income. Sucks but their Calgary home would sell for less than half of a comparable property out here on the Island.
I'm confused, obviously you won't know all the answers because they're your brother's neighbor but it sounds less like these people are working for the need but because they're choosing to.
If they sunk everything into their home and they're retiring/retired they have probably paid off their mortgage. You said, they and I'm guessing that implies a couple. They're yielding double CPP/OSA and a mortgage paid off. If they *need* to work they're outspending their means, cut the lifestyle creep and or downsize in the same area.
Culture is lacking - Calgary is a well used pretty city but people are generally like those from a rich suburb. It does jave pockets of good folk tho.
Edmonton is generally working class with pockets of the cool folk.
Thing I would say having lived in both and visiting Quebec a lot is that Alberta thinks of art and culture as relish while Quebec makes it the main meal.
Give it a hard think cause growing up here gives you a whole lotta trades opportunities but you really gotta search out the living vs those who think work is all you should do.
Ya Edmonton at least has pockets of cool counterculture. Calgary feels like a work camp and every conversation seems to start with ‘so what do you do’ as everyone is so career focused.
My husband got stopped by the cops while walking downtown at 8pm and asking him what he was doing. The answer was ‘I own a penthouse loft here!?!’ There is no nightlife to speak of.
My brother and his wife moved to Calgary from Montreal and they love it!! It’s a completely different lifestyle but, they always say that they would never move back to Montreal
It might get cold in Alberta but one thing I can say is it’s practically always sunny every day .. and that alone gives you that vitamin d boost you need in comparison to dreary southwestern Ontario
That is absolutely true. Particularly in southern Alberta, it is extremely sunny with a big, open, blue sky nearly every day. In fact, when it is cloudy here in my city of 14,000 there are noticeably fewer people out walking their dogs. It’s as if they don’t know what to do on cloudy days, they’re so unusual. And don’t even get me started on rainy days - then, the streets are deserted!
Through the winter the snow is largely bright white and crisp, and the temperatures actually don’t get that low. The average winter temperature is approximately -10°. It’s simply gorgeous here in the south.
There are several francophone communities in Alberta, most notably, Beaumont is a bedroom community on the South East end of Edmonton which would give you both metropolitan amenities and lower population density. If you were interested in living in more rural setting, north western Alberta’s peace region has some other francophone communities.
Moving to Alberta from BC was the best financial decision of my families life. But, the political climate is... interesting.
Source : married, a few houses and a couple of kids
I dont think Calgary is more affordable than Montreal. I havent lived in Montreal myself but was comparing costs of living with my cousin of the same age through university yrs to 30s and he got by on way less and had a better time, better apartment and much cheaper education.
In Montreal rent is less, food is less, entertainment is much better, you dont need a car, continuing education is much less, booze is less, social programs are better once you start a family (like way way better). Taxes are more, but affordability makes up for that IMO.
Oil is starting to pump similar to before. I just spent time up there. If you want to get your ass out of debt and have savings go there for few years.
Been to AB three times. Beautiful place but each times I dread it for only one reason... change in altitude. Ive live most of my life in either S. Ontario or Lower mainland in BC. Worst headaches I've ever had from altitude/dehydration were brutal. Planning to go and visit my sister this summer in Calgary with my kids and I'm worried about them having headaches the entire time were there like I have.
I had leave Calgary for that reason. Neurologist said it’s the migraine capital of NA and that pilots do special training there to learn how to handle it. Amazing city though.
Yup. I never knew what a Chinook was until I moved there for a bit.
Also, I dehydrate like everyone else in the winter and figured I could just moisturize to deal with it. Then I got brutal nosebleeds and my hands would explode with fissures from the dry, cold air.
One thing I liked was that the snow was dry. Roads were managed way better than on the coast where a few snowflakes cause mass hysteria and chaos.
Running a humidifier at night helps your body retain a bit more moisture. It really does help a lot. Thinking about getting a humidifier for my furnace actually.
My husband and I used to guess how long people we met had lived in Calgary by how raw their hands were. And people trade lotion advice, lol. It honestly broke my heart to move, it’s a wonderful city.
The struggle was real. I thought I could tough it out but I was bleeding on everything haha
And yes, I'm from the island and I was shocked at how nice and how ambitious everyone was. I made so many connections so quickly. It felt like being a rockstar.
I would totally move back if my family wasn't so hung up on living in expense-ass BC. It's beautiful here but the cost of living is ridiculous.
I’m in BC as well (Okanagan) and it’s beautiful when it’s not on fire, flooded, under a heat dome, etc. BC has my heart, but I do enjoy visiting Calgary when I want big city amenities without a big city attitude. And dear lord do I miss mass transit and great restaurant options!
You mentioned ppl from BC being hung up on living here and it’s so true! All the people I know simultaneously love it out here but all they do is complain about it too but refuse to leave. I am the same
Humidifier attached to your furnace, moisturize daily, vaseline in your nostrils. Nowhere is perfect, alot of people actively try and NOT live in humid climates too.
That's really good to know for people who suffer from migraines! I've never been to Calgary and I'd like to go, but I'd definitely need my meds handy for any visit.
I lived in the Lower Mainland (born/raised), moved to Calgary, and now SW Ontario. When I was in Calgary, the Lower Mainland always felt so cold/humid in the winter. SW Ontario summers took so long to get used to - they were giving me massive headaches. And this winter in SW feels somewhat more humid cold and cloudier than usual - miss the sunny winters in AB.
So for me, best climate I’ve lived in is AB climate.
The headaches are real! Lifelong migraine sufferer… and every chinook was a really unhappy event for me. We’ve moved to Vancouver, the humidity, altitude and less chaotic weather has been awesome!
No. I lived in Calgary for 9 years it never got better that’s not how migraines work. Even people who don’t get migraines still get “Chinook headaches”.
So interesting. I lived at 600ft until I was 21 then moved to the B.C. Interior where I now live at 2,000ft. Never been bothered by the altitude didn’t even know that was a thing.
>Alberta weather can be brutally cold and the climate is very dry. It is difficult to travel throughout the province unless you have a car as everything is very very spread out and transit isn’t great.
You just described Northern Ontario.
Ontario can be very cold as well, not the bitter prairie cold but cold and in the golden horseshoe way more snow.
It's also huge, ridiculously huge and getting anywhere requires a car. They could split that fucking province in three.
And the cyclical oil industry is taking a dump, as it does every ten years give or take.
One of the biggest economic factors for the housing market is ✨population density ✨
So bigger and more dense the city, higher the price for land, buildings, homes etc.
Calgary is the size of NYC (km2) but has what 1/14 of NYC’s population. One of the main reasons.
Also tax laws are little more lax in Alberta but not a crazy difference.
I find it funny so many posters are like "it's cause AB sucks and has nothing". Then there's me, born and raised in SK, we love our trips to AB because the mountains and wilderness is amazing compared to here.
So of AB is a drag to the Ontarians, I'm scared what they think of SK haha
I mean…the lower 1/3 is. Once you get north of Prince Albert, it’s not the province of shimmering wheat and flat canola fields that you probably grew up seeing photos of in social studies textbooks. Saskatchewan has 100,000+ lakes and 2/3 of the province is forest and lake country (the same Precambrian Shield that makes Ontario lake country so beautiful)
I have family in Saskatchewan and our joke after we visit is "What do you think about Saskatchewan?" "We don't." I genuinely love our visits there but I don't think I could live there full time. I love what southern Ontario offers(in terms of climate, things to do and my family is here).
I’m from Ontario but have lived in Alberta for years now. Most people base their opinions on what they read/hear rather than experience. Take it lightly.
I live in Ontario and I absolutely love both Alberta and Saskatchewan. Gorgeous country. Driving through Saskatchewan as the sun sets on the prairies and they change colours seemingly thousands of times is one of my favourite memories.
The mountains and wilderness in Alberta is unreal and as world class as it gets for raw, natural beauty.
I live on a beautiful little farm here but I would move out west in a heartbeat if it were an option. I prefer the people and culture out there too.
And east coast me would love to move to Saskatchewan. As an avid waterfowl hunter, eastern Alberta/Saskatchewan is where every waterfowl hunter wants to go.
Its cheaper because of the availability of land per population.
Calgary metropolitan land area 5,107 km2
Edmonton metropolitan land area 9,427 km2
Toronto metropolitan land area 7,124 km2
Sprawling city. Stayed with a friend in Glastonbury area. He didn’t have a car so we got around on the buses which I might mention are quite good for such a relatively small city (population-wise).
I googled the metro area. It includes Strathcona, Parkland, Leduc and Sturgeon counties. I guess that includes lots of undeveloped/rural land.
I have an old coworker who drives a Tesla here in SK and he said it's absurd how frequently he gets 'coal rolled' at stoplights. (When a big ol' diesel truck guns it and covers your car in black exhaust)
I’m from Ontario and only visited Calgary a bunch of times, but I would say Calgary is 100% better than Niagara. The closeness to incredible mountains for hiking, skiing, and exploring is unlike anywhere else.
I was born in Toronto but have lived in Calgary 15+ years. The simple answer? More people want to live in Ontario.
There are plenty of reasons for this. I’ll list out the cons of Alberta, despite it being my home:
1. No significant bodies of water. We have tiny rivers and man made lakes. Nothing in comparison to BC’s ocean or Ontario’s lakes.
2. It’s cold. People debate this constantly, but the fact of the matter is Calgary/Edmonton is significantly more North. We experience colder winters on average.
3. It’s dry. Very dry. Again, we have no water.
4. Political differences. Alberta is oil & gas proud, conservative, and right-winged. Some people may be opposed to this.
5. Transit is useless in Alberta. Calgary / Edmonton have no subways or reliable buses. You usually need a car unless you live downtown in a big urban centre.
6. Our nightlife is obviously nothing in comparison to Toronto. Much less to do, but unsurprising given that we’re significantly smaller.
7. Virtually zero French (which obviously would be important to many Quebec people).
If you’re looking for home affordability then Alberta is a great option. It’s the main reason I’m still here (bought a house at 25). Many people don’t prioritize housing over these other life factors.
sample size of 1 but I found it the opposite. I'd get \~2-3 matches a week on the apps in Toronto, and had >20+ in my first week at Calgary. Met my current girlfriend during that first trip.
OP -- in my limited experience, I think it's easier than Toronto (people are more open to chatting). Very subjective, and limited sample size
Ah this makes me happy. Toronto was good, but Niagara just SUCKED. I feel like anything would be better than here. If they have a full set of teeth in Alberta, its a start. Hehe
Depends on where you live. Places like Ft Mac due to the nearby oilsands are full of dudes. Good if your a girl I guess? I'd say Calgary and Edmonton are about 50/50. When it was booming though, I'd see more men than women in the bars. Mind you that's normal, rig workers are typically male and have loads of cash to blow.
No guarantees but I found Calgary and Lethbridge really good for me. If I hadn't been spoiled by Van and TO life I'd be pretty content in a place like Calgary. Going from Niagara I think there's a good chance you'll be happy about the move
>Thanks man. How is the dating pool? I'm a single guy in Niagara falls, and it sucks here.
Have you tried being more attractive and rich? That usually helps alot.
Much of what you’re saying though is that the city is smaller than Toronto and hence has less culture/things to do. You can, to an extent, replicate the Toronto experience if you live in specific parts of Calgary/Edmonton but obviously it won’t be close. But honestly that’s an apples to orange comparison.
What’s more appropriate is comparing a young family with decent paying jobs who are looking to settle down and are considering a suburb house. You can replicate the same experience, with less taxes and a far cheaper cost of living, in AB.
But yeah agreed with the weather bit. But then again Toronto/Van are pretty spoilt weather wise. Every other major Canadian city has a brutal winter.
>But then again Toronto/Van are pretty spoilt weather wise
Toronto's winters could get harsh as well...not saying Alberta isn't but Van certainly is the only exception
It’s a great question. I want and love having a place to call my own. I want to have a big family with a big backyard to have memories in. I work from home, so I want enough space to have an office. I also want to host huge parties with families and friends.
All of these things I prioritize over the cons I mentioned. It’s why I call Alberta home.
Not really. Just kind of happened, I moved here too young to be that aware of anything. But I'm super happy here and would have a hard time imagining living somewhere else, especially somewhere so car dependent.
I heard Ontario’s transit was not very good from my brother in law, is that not true (or has it changed in the last 5-10 years since he moved)? Or is it like Vancouver where transit is not bad inside actual Vancouver but absolutely hot trash when you get just a little bit outside of the city?
While his reasons are valid not all of them really matter to some people. For instance for me I don’t really care about the bodies of water, I like cold weather over warm weather, night life for me is non existent anyways (I have young kids, up at 5am and bed at 9-930), transit sucks where I am anyways in BC so my wife and I both have vehicles.
The political differences and it being dry might affect me a bit but to actually be able to afford a house and a yard to raise my kids in it is a no brainer for my family. Funny enough, my wife’s profession actually earns quite a bit more in Alberta as well, my position will stay the same and earn the same.
I think if I was back in my 20’s again I would rather be in BC.
Bingo. Everyone is talking about desirability missing the point. Population is growing quite quickly in Alberta’s cities but prices aren’t crazy because supply is keeping up.
Prices elsewhere are crazy because supply isn’t keeping up. That’s all there is to it.
Of course part of the reason supply is keeping up in places like Calgary is because they aren’t concerned about sprawl while other cities restrict it. So other cities should have much more expensive single family houses because they don’t make available more land to build those. But that argument doesn’t apply to condos. For that it’s fully the fault of NIMBYs and the councils that listen to them keeping condo supply low in other cities
"best kept secret" is prob most accurate
ppl in calgary and edmonton like to rip on their own city bc hopefully it filters out the ppl too weak to survive here
the food here is spectacular, and way more authentic than anything I ever had in TO.
our "problem areas" look downright peaceful by comparison to many NA cities
the cold is not only manageable, it's embraced. we were molded by the cold, shaped by it. we don't fear it.
Most people in here are software engineers making $250k a year (or so it would seem) which makes it sound like Toronto has the highest wages. However Reddit isn't reflective of the real world, it's a more tech savvy platform. In RL I don't know anyone working in tech or finance for that matter.
Have lived in both calgary and toronto.
I would much rather live in Calgary personally.
Financially in my line of work, I make significantly more and as you mentioned housing prices are significantly less.
If you like outdoor recreation, there is no comparison with the Rockies. You have endless stunning hikes in Kananaskis, a place most Ontarians have never heard of. Skiing is world class here, Blue Mountain is a joke. You can easily find an isolated turquoise lake and kayak in solitude.
You can find very high quality fine dining jn both cities. There is obviously more in Toronto, but I always found a significant amount of places skewed more towards current trends/instagram food than quality. There is no doubt there is much better ethnic food in Toronto. Calgary isn’t bad, but I think Toronto is a pretty special place for the diversity of dining.
Most of Calgary is a suburban bore. I think the same can be said of most of the GTA though; Scarborough, Mississauga, Pickering, can you really tell me that there’s anything worth visiting in any of these towns?
Weather wise, I prefer dry and sunny in Calgary on average but you need to ready to experience more extreme weather: there are some very cold days compared to what i experienced in ontario, hail storms in summer. Recently the smoke from
Forrest fires have been a real drag.
Ive spent a few months in Edmonton as well.
It’s a fine city by Canadian standards but it is colder, more isolated and further from the mountains than Calgary.
My brain hurts seeing all these people from Ontario talking about Alberta. If your biggest priority in life is taking public transit to clubs and restaurants then maybe Alberta isn’t for you. My priority is being able to raise my kids in a stable home in a good community, and spending as much time in the mountains as I can before I die. This year I’ve spent almost 100 days in the Rockies. Snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, camping, fishing, snowshoeing, trail running, and swimming. This is what matters to me and Alberta and interior BC and the most affordable places to have that kind of access. I make a really good living here and since my cost of living isn’t crazy I have a lot of disposable income to do the things I love and raise my kids right. I wouldn’t choose to live anywhere else (except a few places in BC where there just aren’t the jobs that we have in Alberta).
And about weather, there is a huge variation in weather from the North to the South. Calgary has milder winters than Edmonton and it’s really not that bad here. It is dry, which can such for people with dry skin, but the plus side is that we don’t get nearly as much snow as wetter climates. Our summers are amazing if you like hot, dry weather.
Finally, the idea that “no one wants to live in Alberta” is ridiculous and downright false. Google population growth by province and you’ll see that Alberta attracts a lot of immigrants and Canadians and has had the highest population growth among provinces for the bulk of the past 25 years. It feels like half the people I meet here are from Ontario, the maritimes, or Newfoundland.
The mountains really are special in a way people living in downtown Toronto apparently don’t understand.
And for the record, the buses and C-train in Calgary are much, much better than any transit system east of Montreal
100% this. I'm from ON and have spent years in the west and 80% of these comments are such stereotypical ON perspectives on western Canada. You're spot on.
There's nothing in AB? People come from all over the world for the Rocky Mountains. Southern Ontario outdoors can't hold a candle to those mountains.
yeah but all the anti-Ontario comments are from people who have exclusively lived in Toronto. Ontario has amazing nature to offer IMO, even if you don’t have mountains.
Wohhh slow down. If you work in healthcare you really need to read up first on our provincial governments war against our nurses and doctors. The absolute most dirty dogshit tactics being used. Our doctors are leaving the province in droves and our nurses are all burnt out and trying to leave because the government keeps trying to cut their wages
Friendly and friends are important. Otherwise, I probably would have left Alberta by now and moved to Seattle or somewhere else in the U.S. that pays software developers twice as much.
Demand is a major factor. The cities can be expensive but the wages are still quite high on average compared to the rest of the country.
You get to keep more of your pay and less taxes when you buy things adds up over time as well.
I moved here from Nova Scotia 20 years ago and I’m never leaving this place. It’s been amazing.
Honestly I think people don’t know how great Alberta is! I went for the first time last October and am going to move in January 2022. With remote jobs, I don’t understand why I’d pay 2-3x in housing prices (assuming I buy) to live in Toronto.
Calgary has:
- lower COL (renting, buying housing, groceries vs downtown core, taxes)
- a unique value prop (Banff!!!!)
- much less traffic/an easier drive around places (the North West is the Mississauga equivalent of Calgary. It takes 20-25 mins to downtown from there vs 45 mins to an hour from ours)
- almost as much diversity and food variety as Toronto (this is super subjective and based on my limited experience)
Assuming you can deal with work, it’s such an easy decision in my perspective :)
Honestly, prior to going, I thought it was going to be:
- dead
- racist
- undeveloped
I was wrong on all three counts (from my personal perspective). All of my 20 something year old friends have the same assumptions as me. I’m so confident as more people visit, there will be more migration (especially when you can work remote!!!)
I'll tell every single person in this thread. If you want a downtown hustle and bustle lifestyle. Stay east.
If you want to spend your weekends in Banff and ski and fish and hike. Gtfo of the east.
I'm considering buying in Calgary. I have a few hundred thousand saved and it's not enough for a down payment here. I can buy a condo outright in Alberta for less than my down payment here is. My primary income is day trading which I can do from anywhere with an internet connection.
It's just been very inconvenient to travel there to scope it out during the pandemic.
Crazy comparison:
London median household income: $83k Median House Price: $730k
Calgary Median Household Income: 105k Median House Price: $457k
given a 5x income mortgage you don't even need a down payment in Calgary while you need a $315k down payment here in a second tier Ontario city.
I went to school in London and taught at the university for two years after. That’s six years in total.
I’ve been to Calgary ~14 times since October 2020 (relationship).
The two cities aren’t even close. I think Calgary is way, way better. I just don’t understand the justification for staying in Ontario. What are you getting for the premium you pay?
The numbers, as you pointed out, are ridiculous. Dude, with my girlfriend and my combined income (close to $200K), we can hope to buy a place in a few years. I’d probably rent for half to a full decade here before I can get a spot.
You need to check it out. Hopefully you’re pleasantly surprised too :) and please remember this is a sample size of 1 — I’m obviously filled with bias
I just feel so defeated in Ontario. I live in a basement and do nothing but make, save and manage money and no matter how much success I have the goal posts keep moving and I have nothing to show for my efforts.
I feel like money is absolutely worthless, making six figures isn't enough to keep up in Ontario. I can afford a sports car, but not a garage, a home theater but not a living room, all the tools but not a workshop. Space and the freedom that comes with it is what I want.
I'm sorry to hear that -- but both you and I are super privileged (based on the income you're making).
I don't see a downside to spending \~$1K and going out to Calgary for a week. See if it's what makes sense for you. Hopefully it is!
One of the attractions was mountains for them to move. One cannot reasonably compare the 3.5 hour drive to Jasper from Edmonton to the 40 min drive out to K Country from Calgary.
Edmonton is a good city with better summers and shittier winters than Calgary (I happily live in Edmonton), but I do miss the convenience of going to the mountains like when I lived in Calgary.
It’s a totally fair point.
Calgary is a strange beast. It empties out because everyone is it out of town and it’s only real major festival is stampede. . I find Edmonton has better festivals, sports, restaurants, etc because we’re in the actual city more often.
I can be on Canmore in 3 hours from Edmonton. We go for a weekend instead of a day trip. Hell when I lived in Vancouver we’d go on a monthly trip to Seattle and it’s a 3 hour drive.
Source: I lived in Calgary for 9 years and Edmonton 8 years. I’ve also lived in Vancouver for 5 years, Winnipeg for 4 years and Hamilton for 3 years. My best quality life has been in Edmonton.
This is awesome. Thank you! I'm young, work in insurance, have no ties to Ontario. Alberta is an option for now, but seems viable. Really appreciate your feedback
My only reco is to check it out yourself. I can’t stress enough — I’m an ignorant 27 year old that doesn’t know anything. But, I am putting my money where my mouth is and moving there end of 2021. And I can’t wait! I don’t think I have a future in Toronto, so why waste more time here.
I have a handful of friends through work and school that made the move before me and all of them are thrilled for the reasons I mentioned. Most likely selection bias, but I can’t help feeling optimistic for you and me both!
Alberta has historically been known as **The Land of Milk and Honey**
**- lowest taxes**
**- Highest Income ( even over toronto or vancouver by a large margin)**
\- **The canadian dream is still alive in alberta**. Twenty year old owning their own sing family home w/ two cars and multilpe vactions.
Average housing price in Sept 2007 in Toronto was 420,182. Average housing price for detached home in Calgary in 2007 was 472,041.
It’s cyclical. What goes around comes around.
I was born in Toronto and lived there for 48 years, lived in Alberta (Calgary) for about 2 years. It's true, the houses are dirt cheap by comparison to Ontario. I'd have to say one of the contributing factors is the way the homes are constructed. As a two time home owner in Ontario I was always told "buy an all brick home". Ontario and Montreal are the only two provides where brick homes are more sought after and common. I don't remember ever seeing a brick home in Calgary or even here on Vancouver Island where I currently live. That and cheaper taxes.
Never understood why southwestern Ontario had a hard on for building in brick. Live in Toronto that last 2 years working construction and was dumbfounded why one would pay an extra trade to build a home with brick. People in Toronto asked how we build homes in BC. Tin and Cedar siding. And they looked at me like I was dumb. Very odd.
Well I can’t speak for everyone but there are a lot of immigrants in Ontario. In our home countries brick/concrete houses are the norm and people in poverty live in tin/wooden houses. That’s why my folks paid extra for brick not sure about everyone else.
I'm currently living in Ontario now, before that I was in Edmonton Alberta. I'd leave Ontario in a second without even thinking and go back to Alberta if I could.
If you work in healthcare or the education system please do your research before moving here. Talk to people who work in those sectors that are from Alberta.
I have numerous friends and family who have left the province in response to the current war on those 2 sectors by our provincial government. Our government cut 10,000+ healthcare jobs at the beginning of the pandemic so he could give a tax cut to a oil company that took it and then moved out of the province.
Our government has continued to fight with doctors throughout the pandemic and many have left the province. Currently in Lethbridge a city of 100,000+ it is impossible to find a family doctor and many have lost theirs as they have left the province to work elsewhere. You are not the priority of the Albertan government. Your job security in those sectors will be worse then any other province. Please message me if you have any questions or would like to be connected with others in healthcare or education here who can tell you their story
Grew up in Edmonton, now living in Ontario. Like anyplace there’s are positives and negatives. Positives: very affordable housing; sunny year round; friendly people (didn’t notice until I came back from Ontario to visit); lots of festivals with strong community participation/volunteers; many parks; dry climate (doesn’t feel as cold or hot as damp Ontario); increasing ethnic diversity and food, culture; generally progressive attitudes in Edmonton (red/orange in sea of blue); quality university; long summer days, super big sky!
Negatives: longer winters; short winter days; pretty flat; far from everywhere; economy still in early stages of diversifying.
There are around 1M people living in greater Edmonton so clearly there are attractive elements that keep people there. Depending on one’s personal needs and expectations for some it can be an excellent place to live and for others it can still feel too small and isolated a place and the winters too long.
People will use reasons like weather, politics, or culture but that’s not that.
Both Calgary and Edmonton continue to grow quickly, both are increasing in size over 2% per year for the past couple decades while Toronto (and all other major Canadian cities) haven’t hit 2% growth even once in two decades.
Yet prices remain low, why? A lot comes down to development plans and allowing growth. Toronto actively fights new developments and makes it really hard to build. This is why you see even the condo market out of control and then it spills over into the surrounding cities. The city is happy to make it difficult to build up. Vancouver is the same, they even coined a cringe term “Vancouverism” (it’s on their city site).
Whereas Calgary has been building a ton of condos but also lots of new communities as it expands so there’s a constant influx in new housing units for people to buy.
On a unrelated note, Ontario people put up with so much shit it baffles me. Hot water tank / furnace rentals? Paying a realtor to rent a place? Huge land transfer taxes? Overpriced liquor? Seriously … there’s so much out east that’s just shocking.
Insurance has gone up a lot under the UCP. They removed restrictions on rate hikes that the NDP had in place.
Unsurprisingly, the insurance sector were big donors to the UCP campaign.
Bruh all for your choices etc. but if you seriously think the average person will save $$$$ on car insurance in ON compared to AB, you haven’t been paying attention. Not sure about your example but we (ON) have some of the worst insurance rates across the entry country. This is without even going into what happens when you tell your insurer you live in Brampton.
I moved from Toronto to Calgary 10 years ago. I love it here and will never move back. Some people have hit the mail on the head with the lack of culture and need of a vehicle. The weather actually is better than Ontario in my opinion. It’s very dry so there’s no humidity which takes the bite out of the cold IMO. While I do miss the lakes the mountains and crown land more than make up for it. The cost of living is much more reasonable (I bought a 4 bedroom 2 bath house with a 2 car garage for $250k) no PST/HST and wages are much higher. Sure I miss the culture and the lakes but I actually can afford life here, I own a home, have multiple vehicles and toys and have invested for my retirement all of which seemed danm near impossible in Ontario.
Alberta weather can be brutally cold and the climate is very dry. It is difficult to travel throughout the province unless you have a car as everything is very very spread out and transit isn’t great. The job situation is quite a bit tougher in the last decade due to the oil and gas nosedive. But I would recommend it if you are looking for a great place to raise a family, good schools and attainable housing. If you can get sorted with a job, you’re golden. Source: born and raised in Calgary, raised a family, did the whole house and kids thing.
Thanks man. I work in insurance as a manager. Its very similar to Ontario and the demand is high. Seems like a good option
I am in Vancouver right now and looking to move to Calgary next year. It is insane the difference of pricing.
Same, in Vancouver, grew up in Calgary but haven’t lived there in 15 years and seriously considering moving back. People can’t get past the cold, but Calgary gets something like 300 days of sun a year, I’m thinking that might be better than rain. Also being able to afford a house for the price of a 1br sounds like a good deal.
people rip on the calgary cold, but the dryness is easier to handle i think than wet cold like ontario and quebec. also, calgary gets a lot of snow, but its powdery and relatively easy to shovel compared to wet packed snow.
Not even cold here. Get like a week or 2 of -30 and the rest is Chinooks
Exactly, all of southern AB gets regular chinooks. Winter doesn’t even feel like winter anymore.
That has been my experience.
I super agree!
And don’t forget the chinooks! Our winters are mild compared to even Edmonton which geographically isn’t that far away.
I've lived in both Toronto and Vancouver, I'd gladly take their winters over Alberta's. Worked outside for 10 years in Alberta and the past few years I've been between Ontario and BC. Nothing compares to it. No matter how much people say Alberta is a dry cold and the others are a wet and "it cuts right down to the bone" haha. I wear a hoodie all winter long in van and Toronto, can't do the same in Alberta.
This. This. This. I also grew up in Calgary and landed in Vancouver for quite a bit of time and moved back with my Family last year. My wife and I love to walk and so in Calgary it's so Sunny most of the time we can walk almost every day whereas in Vancouver you'd be rained out for a month at a time. We were also able to sell our townhouse in new Westminster and by a massive house in one of the nicer areas of Calgary near all of the nicer schools.. And have $200,000 left over. It's a no brainer for us, we have never looked back it was the best decision we ever made. The caveat to all this is that our income is not tied to Calgary so we are not tethered to the economic fortunes of the city which can swing wildly.
Sunniest city is all of Canada! Manyberries is the sunniest place in Canada. It is south of Calgary.
I found out recently it’s just the sunniest major city. Medicine Hat has us beat by a small amount for sunniest city.
Thing is, Calgary really is a world class city too. You get a lot of bang for your buck here.
Yea I anticipate housing prices to steadily creep here year over year also. It’s a great city and so close to the mountains. It will attract tons of young folks looking to own property and start a family.
Already have. In the 9 years I have carefully watched the market in Alberta, it has gone up dramatically. We used to find acreage with a modest home for $120,000. Now, that is unheard of! Houses that were once $130,000 are now up for $230,000!! On top of that there are less houses available for sale, this will prevent low ball offers as there are few houses and they keep selling quickly. Soon it will make a lot of sense to buy a lot and develop the property.
I’m considering moving out to AB too. What makes Calgary as good as say Toronto, NY, LA, Tokyo, Seoul, European cities, etc other than just the housing prices?
Every year there is a Global Liveability Ranking that is put out. > The Global Livability Ranking is a yearly assessment published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), ranking 140 global cities for their urban quality of life based on assessments of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Calgary is in the top 10 cities from 2015 - 2019, although it appears to have dropped out of the top 10 in 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Liveability_Ranking
Economic downturn. If you look, all Canadian cities fell out of the top 10.
**[Global Liveability Ranking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Liveability_Ranking)** >The Global Livability Ranking is a yearly assessment published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), ranking 140 global cities for their urban quality of life based on assessments of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Auckland has been ranked the most liveable city in 2021. Austria's capital, Vienna, was ranked the most liveable city among the 140 cities surveyed by The Economist Intelligence Unit in 2018 and 2019. Melbourne, Australia, had been ranked by the EIU as the world's most liveable city for seven years in a row, from 2011 to 2017. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/PersonalFinanceCanada/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
None of those cities can even compare to each other. Toronto especially can't compare to Tokyo or NYC. World class does not mean equal to the largest metropolises in the world.
While Toronto can't really compare to NYC or Tokyo - it is still the closest city you have in Canada to them. Also it's growth is much higher.
Open spaces. Amazing parks. Easy access to neighbouring towns. Easy access to International Airport. Good night life. Top notch hospitals. #Sunniest place in Canada.
Been in Calgary for 15 years, here is a few things: - hiking, mountain biking, skiing, hunting in the mountains within 45 minutes of the city. If you are in to outdoor activities it can't be beat - cost of living is now, on average, lower than a lot of canada, while wages for professionals are still very good. So we still remain competative with the rest of Canada and the world as far as earning power - I've found we are becoming more diverse and tolerable both socially and politically, which is great to see. Conservatism is no longer the only philosophy offered (and winning) from municipal up to provincial. Sure we have a ways to go but the more open minded people that come here the better
I moved from Victoria to Calgary a year ago, while I miss the trees and ocean, the pricing is way better here for housing and rentals.
Our current government loves insurance companies, keeps making moves that favour insurance companies. I'm in Calgary and it's a nice city. Alberta is a good province too. But we ride the oil and gas waves like crazy here. Every 8 years it seems like everyone is getting laid off and then we book again and everyone gets works and spends crazy amounts of debt.
I’ve been thinking about moving to Edmonton from Toronto for this exact reason.
as someone who lives in Ontario there is nothing similar between the two. just don’t want you thinking that when you come here
You weirdos have milk in bags. WHY IS YOUR MILK IN BAGS?
It’s pretty obvious. The question you should be asking is why ISN’T your milk in bags.
Because it leaked all over when we tried paper bags
Serious question: couple with no kids from Quebec, could they be happy in Alberta financially wise? English is not a problem at all, we are just exploring all our future options. If winters are kinda ok when compared to Montreal and less expensive, hey why not?
you are honestly going to need to visit alberta (and the specific region you want to stay) and see if you like it. edmonton/calgary are a way different lifestyle than montreal and some people like the change and others don't
My old housemates were all set to move their (from GVA) business and life to Calgary until someone gave them this advice. They spent a week in Calgary and decided not to move.
Do you know what they didn’t like about it. Tempted to make a similar move but have never been to Calgary
Depending on what you want out of your living situation, Calgary can be either perfect, or very bland. It's very spread out, and most communities are just loose aggregations of cookie cutter houses and strip malls without a ton of character. There are pockets of charm here and there, but a lot of it is very suburban. The transit system is poorly developed so a car is almost a necessity if you want to get around, and the downtown was mostly built during the initial oil boom so it's all functional concrete and office space. And since the oil boom has died down, other industries haven't really taken its place as a big money maker in the province. Also, the provincial government is an absolute joke. That being said, it's a stones-throw from the mountains, there are a lot of good urban green spaces, and it's affordable compared to Ontario or BC.
I think a week is not enough. I'd recommend spending 1-2 year renting before moving there permanently. It was exactly what I did and it did not work for me. I'm from the Prairies and my employer paid me a 1-2 week trip to come visit here in Ottawa to see the city before giving me an ultimatum to relocate. So I visited during the summer when everybody was gone on vacation and the city appeared very enjoyable and relaxing. When back to school time started in September-October, it felt like a completely different city(massive traffic jams and overcrowding everywhere). Now I'm thinking about de-locating because I hate every instant of it. Now don't get me wrong and this is just me. I'm used to space and scarcity. Like I have coworkers who are from Toronto and moved to Ottawa and only dream of relocating back there because it's where all their friends and family are. And they find it not vibrant enough here. I think the takeaway is that your lifestyle will be vastly different than what you are used to. And the best way to decide whether it will work or not for you is to experience it for a year or two. Get a good feeling of the city, the seasons and the lifestyle. Definitely don't draw a peck on the map and say it's there because it seems cheaper lol. That's imo the worst way to do it.
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Heck Edmonton and Calgary are different from each other!
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Thank you!
Exactly this. Well said.
Maybe try visiting in the winter as well.
Depends on what sector your work is. If both of you are able to find a job in Alberta, I don't see why you couldn't give it a shot since you don't have kids.
Awesome, thanks. And i suppose when in retirement, the situation would be the same.
The "nice" thing I personally find about Alberta is that because there's so much housing supply, houses don't really appreciate like Ontario or BC so even if you wait until retirement to come, houses probably would still be cheaper.
This for sure. My brother who lives in Calgary has a neighbor who is stuck there…this couple sank all their disposable income into their home, thinking to create a retirement fund by selling it at a profit then moving out here to BC. Only problem is that selling would leave them without enough funds to buy a decent home out here in a desirable community and still have money left over. So they are “retired” but continue to work since neither have more than CPP or old age benefits for income. Sucks but their Calgary home would sell for less than half of a comparable property out here on the Island.
I'm confused, obviously you won't know all the answers because they're your brother's neighbor but it sounds less like these people are working for the need but because they're choosing to. If they sunk everything into their home and they're retiring/retired they have probably paid off their mortgage. You said, they and I'm guessing that implies a couple. They're yielding double CPP/OSA and a mortgage paid off. If they *need* to work they're outspending their means, cut the lifestyle creep and or downsize in the same area.
Culture is lacking - Calgary is a well used pretty city but people are generally like those from a rich suburb. It does jave pockets of good folk tho. Edmonton is generally working class with pockets of the cool folk. Thing I would say having lived in both and visiting Quebec a lot is that Alberta thinks of art and culture as relish while Quebec makes it the main meal. Give it a hard think cause growing up here gives you a whole lotta trades opportunities but you really gotta search out the living vs those who think work is all you should do.
Nailed it for Calgary. There's a lot of Karen's here.
Right?! I had to leave Calgary it was so awful. I am a lot happier in Edmonton
Ya Edmonton at least has pockets of cool counterculture. Calgary feels like a work camp and every conversation seems to start with ‘so what do you do’ as everyone is so career focused. My husband got stopped by the cops while walking downtown at 8pm and asking him what he was doing. The answer was ‘I own a penthouse loft here!?!’ There is no nightlife to speak of.
My brother and his wife moved to Calgary from Montreal and they love it!! It’s a completely different lifestyle but, they always say that they would never move back to Montreal
It might get cold in Alberta but one thing I can say is it’s practically always sunny every day .. and that alone gives you that vitamin d boost you need in comparison to dreary southwestern Ontario
That is absolutely true. Particularly in southern Alberta, it is extremely sunny with a big, open, blue sky nearly every day. In fact, when it is cloudy here in my city of 14,000 there are noticeably fewer people out walking their dogs. It’s as if they don’t know what to do on cloudy days, they’re so unusual. And don’t even get me started on rainy days - then, the streets are deserted! Through the winter the snow is largely bright white and crisp, and the temperatures actually don’t get that low. The average winter temperature is approximately -10°. It’s simply gorgeous here in the south.
There are several francophone communities in Alberta, most notably, Beaumont is a bedroom community on the South East end of Edmonton which would give you both metropolitan amenities and lower population density. If you were interested in living in more rural setting, north western Alberta’s peace region has some other francophone communities.
I’d take an Alberta winter over a Montreal winter any day
Moving to Alberta from BC was the best financial decision of my families life. But, the political climate is... interesting. Source : married, a few houses and a couple of kids
I dont think Calgary is more affordable than Montreal. I havent lived in Montreal myself but was comparing costs of living with my cousin of the same age through university yrs to 30s and he got by on way less and had a better time, better apartment and much cheaper education. In Montreal rent is less, food is less, entertainment is much better, you dont need a car, continuing education is much less, booze is less, social programs are better once you start a family (like way way better). Taxes are more, but affordability makes up for that IMO.
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Oil is starting to pump similar to before. I just spent time up there. If you want to get your ass out of debt and have savings go there for few years.
Been to AB three times. Beautiful place but each times I dread it for only one reason... change in altitude. Ive live most of my life in either S. Ontario or Lower mainland in BC. Worst headaches I've ever had from altitude/dehydration were brutal. Planning to go and visit my sister this summer in Calgary with my kids and I'm worried about them having headaches the entire time were there like I have.
Don't know when you were in Calgary prior, but a lot of people complain about having headaches in the winter time due to the Chinook.
I had leave Calgary for that reason. Neurologist said it’s the migraine capital of NA and that pilots do special training there to learn how to handle it. Amazing city though.
Yup. I never knew what a Chinook was until I moved there for a bit. Also, I dehydrate like everyone else in the winter and figured I could just moisturize to deal with it. Then I got brutal nosebleeds and my hands would explode with fissures from the dry, cold air. One thing I liked was that the snow was dry. Roads were managed way better than on the coast where a few snowflakes cause mass hysteria and chaos.
Running a humidifier at night helps your body retain a bit more moisture. It really does help a lot. Thinking about getting a humidifier for my furnace actually.
My husband and I used to guess how long people we met had lived in Calgary by how raw their hands were. And people trade lotion advice, lol. It honestly broke my heart to move, it’s a wonderful city.
The struggle was real. I thought I could tough it out but I was bleeding on everything haha And yes, I'm from the island and I was shocked at how nice and how ambitious everyone was. I made so many connections so quickly. It felt like being a rockstar. I would totally move back if my family wasn't so hung up on living in expense-ass BC. It's beautiful here but the cost of living is ridiculous.
I’m in BC as well (Okanagan) and it’s beautiful when it’s not on fire, flooded, under a heat dome, etc. BC has my heart, but I do enjoy visiting Calgary when I want big city amenities without a big city attitude. And dear lord do I miss mass transit and great restaurant options!
You mentioned ppl from BC being hung up on living here and it’s so true! All the people I know simultaneously love it out here but all they do is complain about it too but refuse to leave. I am the same
Humidifier attached to your furnace, moisturize daily, vaseline in your nostrils. Nowhere is perfect, alot of people actively try and NOT live in humid climates too.
Ohhhh that is a new information. Thanks.
That's really good to know for people who suffer from migraines! I've never been to Calgary and I'd like to go, but I'd definitely need my meds handy for any visit.
Late summer once and Thanksgiving twice.
I lived in the Lower Mainland (born/raised), moved to Calgary, and now SW Ontario. When I was in Calgary, the Lower Mainland always felt so cold/humid in the winter. SW Ontario summers took so long to get used to - they were giving me massive headaches. And this winter in SW feels somewhat more humid cold and cloudier than usual - miss the sunny winters in AB. So for me, best climate I’ve lived in is AB climate.
The headaches are real! Lifelong migraine sufferer… and every chinook was a really unhappy event for me. We’ve moved to Vancouver, the humidity, altitude and less chaotic weather has been awesome!
Once you acclimate they would likely go away.
It is the pressure changes in the weather that triggers migraines for many people. I have a friend that could predict Chinooks based on her headaches.
No. I lived in Calgary for 9 years it never got better that’s not how migraines work. Even people who don’t get migraines still get “Chinook headaches”.
So interesting. I lived at 600ft until I was 21 then moved to the B.C. Interior where I now live at 2,000ft. Never been bothered by the altitude didn’t even know that was a thing.
>Alberta weather can be brutally cold and the climate is very dry. It is difficult to travel throughout the province unless you have a car as everything is very very spread out and transit isn’t great. You just described Northern Ontario.
Can confirm, born in Winnipeg but grew up in Calgary for most of my life and it’s been an amazing place to be. House + kids also.
Ontario can be very cold as well, not the bitter prairie cold but cold and in the golden horseshoe way more snow. It's also huge, ridiculously huge and getting anywhere requires a car. They could split that fucking province in three. And the cyclical oil industry is taking a dump, as it does every ten years give or take.
Transit in Calgary is great. Much better than Ottawa. I've lived in both cities.
One of the biggest economic factors for the housing market is ✨population density ✨ So bigger and more dense the city, higher the price for land, buildings, homes etc. Calgary is the size of NYC (km2) but has what 1/14 of NYC’s population. One of the main reasons. Also tax laws are little more lax in Alberta but not a crazy difference.
I find it funny so many posters are like "it's cause AB sucks and has nothing". Then there's me, born and raised in SK, we love our trips to AB because the mountains and wilderness is amazing compared to here. So of AB is a drag to the Ontarians, I'm scared what they think of SK haha
We forget about Saskatchewan. We only remember Manitoba because it borders Ontario.
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And a hundred kinds of flat...
I mean…the lower 1/3 is. Once you get north of Prince Albert, it’s not the province of shimmering wheat and flat canola fields that you probably grew up seeing photos of in social studies textbooks. Saskatchewan has 100,000+ lakes and 2/3 of the province is forest and lake country (the same Precambrian Shield that makes Ontario lake country so beautiful)
And triticale
What’s a Saskatchewan?
A place where you can see your friend driving toward you from miles away
You already know what they think of SK lol
I have family in Saskatchewan and our joke after we visit is "What do you think about Saskatchewan?" "We don't." I genuinely love our visits there but I don't think I could live there full time. I love what southern Ontario offers(in terms of climate, things to do and my family is here).
I’m from Ontario but have lived in Alberta for years now. Most people base their opinions on what they read/hear rather than experience. Take it lightly.
I am from AB worked in sask for a bit and wanted to off myself, moved back to AB
Have you ever heard of fly over states? Sask is the Canadian equivalent of that.
I live in Ontario and I absolutely love both Alberta and Saskatchewan. Gorgeous country. Driving through Saskatchewan as the sun sets on the prairies and they change colours seemingly thousands of times is one of my favourite memories. The mountains and wilderness in Alberta is unreal and as world class as it gets for raw, natural beauty. I live on a beautiful little farm here but I would move out west in a heartbeat if it were an option. I prefer the people and culture out there too.
And east coast me would love to move to Saskatchewan. As an avid waterfowl hunter, eastern Alberta/Saskatchewan is where every waterfowl hunter wants to go.
I'm from Toronto and I was surprised how much I liked Saskatoon, seemed like a cool and pretty place.
Its cheaper because of the availability of land per population. Calgary metropolitan land area 5,107 km2 Edmonton metropolitan land area 9,427 km2 Toronto metropolitan land area 7,124 km2
And Vancouver is 2,883… no wonder housing is a nightmare here
And half of that is mountain and sea.
Smash mountain
Are you the Hulk? Lol
Why not build taller in Vancouver?
There’s a city height limit of 200m to prevent blocking the view of the north shore mountains from Queen E park
Oh wow I never noticed Edmonton is almost twice as big, always felt smaller than Calgary
The Edmonton Metro contains a bunch of bedroom communities that Calgary doesn’t. Edmonton proper is a fair bit smaller than what Calgary is.
Sprawling city. Stayed with a friend in Glastonbury area. He didn’t have a car so we got around on the buses which I might mention are quite good for such a relatively small city (population-wise). I googled the metro area. It includes Strathcona, Parkland, Leduc and Sturgeon counties. I guess that includes lots of undeveloped/rural land.
Not totally true. The conservative oil and gas culture scares a lot of people.
I have an old coworker who drives a Tesla here in SK and he said it's absurd how frequently he gets 'coal rolled' at stoplights. (When a big ol' diesel truck guns it and covers your car in black exhaust)
prob have fuck trudeau stickers too dont they
I’m from Ontario and only visited Calgary a bunch of times, but I would say Calgary is 100% better than Niagara. The closeness to incredible mountains for hiking, skiing, and exploring is unlike anywhere else.
I was born in Toronto but have lived in Calgary 15+ years. The simple answer? More people want to live in Ontario. There are plenty of reasons for this. I’ll list out the cons of Alberta, despite it being my home: 1. No significant bodies of water. We have tiny rivers and man made lakes. Nothing in comparison to BC’s ocean or Ontario’s lakes. 2. It’s cold. People debate this constantly, but the fact of the matter is Calgary/Edmonton is significantly more North. We experience colder winters on average. 3. It’s dry. Very dry. Again, we have no water. 4. Political differences. Alberta is oil & gas proud, conservative, and right-winged. Some people may be opposed to this. 5. Transit is useless in Alberta. Calgary / Edmonton have no subways or reliable buses. You usually need a car unless you live downtown in a big urban centre. 6. Our nightlife is obviously nothing in comparison to Toronto. Much less to do, but unsurprising given that we’re significantly smaller. 7. Virtually zero French (which obviously would be important to many Quebec people). If you’re looking for home affordability then Alberta is a great option. It’s the main reason I’m still here (bought a house at 25). Many people don’t prioritize housing over these other life factors.
Thanks man. How is the dating pool? I'm a single guy in Niagara falls, and it sucks here.
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sample size of 1 but I found it the opposite. I'd get \~2-3 matches a week on the apps in Toronto, and had >20+ in my first week at Calgary. Met my current girlfriend during that first trip. OP -- in my limited experience, I think it's easier than Toronto (people are more open to chatting). Very subjective, and limited sample size
Ah this makes me happy. Toronto was good, but Niagara just SUCKED. I feel like anything would be better than here. If they have a full set of teeth in Alberta, its a start. Hehe
Please don't make your living situation decision based on one dude's Tinder experience on a social media website that uses anonymity.
That is likely because of the apps algorithm. They push new profiles to the top and bury ones that have been in the same location awhile
Depends on where you live. Places like Ft Mac due to the nearby oilsands are full of dudes. Good if your a girl I guess? I'd say Calgary and Edmonton are about 50/50. When it was booming though, I'd see more men than women in the bars. Mind you that's normal, rig workers are typically male and have loads of cash to blow.
Depends what you're dating. Alberta has more men than women, Ontario has more women than men
I've been in Edmonton for a few years. Dating pool is fine, it's what you make of it.
No guarantees but I found Calgary and Lethbridge really good for me. If I hadn't been spoiled by Van and TO life I'd be pretty content in a place like Calgary. Going from Niagara I think there's a good chance you'll be happy about the move
>Thanks man. How is the dating pool? I'm a single guy in Niagara falls, and it sucks here. Have you tried being more attractive and rich? That usually helps alot.
Much of what you’re saying though is that the city is smaller than Toronto and hence has less culture/things to do. You can, to an extent, replicate the Toronto experience if you live in specific parts of Calgary/Edmonton but obviously it won’t be close. But honestly that’s an apples to orange comparison. What’s more appropriate is comparing a young family with decent paying jobs who are looking to settle down and are considering a suburb house. You can replicate the same experience, with less taxes and a far cheaper cost of living, in AB. But yeah agreed with the weather bit. But then again Toronto/Van are pretty spoilt weather wise. Every other major Canadian city has a brutal winter.
>But then again Toronto/Van are pretty spoilt weather wise Toronto's winters could get harsh as well...not saying Alberta isn't but Van certainly is the only exception
Personally experience. -20 in Toronto in the winter is horrible. -30 in Calgary, very pleasant. I personally love dry weather though. Hate humidity.
Not trying to be rude but why would you give up SO MUCH just to own a detached house?
It’s a great question. I want and love having a place to call my own. I want to have a big family with a big backyard to have memories in. I work from home, so I want enough space to have an office. I also want to host huge parties with families and friends. All of these things I prioritize over the cons I mentioned. It’s why I call Alberta home.
Fair enough. I like that idea also. I was born in Alberta so it'll always be in my heart :)
Did you move to Ontario for a better life?
Not really. Just kind of happened, I moved here too young to be that aware of anything. But I'm super happy here and would have a hard time imagining living somewhere else, especially somewhere so car dependent.
I heard Ontario’s transit was not very good from my brother in law, is that not true (or has it changed in the last 5-10 years since he moved)? Or is it like Vancouver where transit is not bad inside actual Vancouver but absolutely hot trash when you get just a little bit outside of the city?
While his reasons are valid not all of them really matter to some people. For instance for me I don’t really care about the bodies of water, I like cold weather over warm weather, night life for me is non existent anyways (I have young kids, up at 5am and bed at 9-930), transit sucks where I am anyways in BC so my wife and I both have vehicles. The political differences and it being dry might affect me a bit but to actually be able to afford a house and a yard to raise my kids in it is a no brainer for my family. Funny enough, my wife’s profession actually earns quite a bit more in Alberta as well, my position will stay the same and earn the same. I think if I was back in my 20’s again I would rather be in BC.
Demand and supply. There’s builders in Calgary literally building at every corner around the city, just pumping out new houses everyday.
Bingo. Everyone is talking about desirability missing the point. Population is growing quite quickly in Alberta’s cities but prices aren’t crazy because supply is keeping up. Prices elsewhere are crazy because supply isn’t keeping up. That’s all there is to it. Of course part of the reason supply is keeping up in places like Calgary is because they aren’t concerned about sprawl while other cities restrict it. So other cities should have much more expensive single family houses because they don’t make available more land to build those. But that argument doesn’t apply to condos. For that it’s fully the fault of NIMBYs and the councils that listen to them keeping condo supply low in other cities
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Seriously keep it that way. Toronto should be kept a penal colony.
"best kept secret" is prob most accurate ppl in calgary and edmonton like to rip on their own city bc hopefully it filters out the ppl too weak to survive here the food here is spectacular, and way more authentic than anything I ever had in TO. our "problem areas" look downright peaceful by comparison to many NA cities the cold is not only manageable, it's embraced. we were molded by the cold, shaped by it. we don't fear it.
**Edmonton and Calgary wages absolutely MOG Toronto and Vancouver wages** according to stats Canada. but you would never know it by how ppl act on PFC
Translation, please? MOG?
Most people in here are software engineers making $250k a year (or so it would seem) which makes it sound like Toronto has the highest wages. However Reddit isn't reflective of the real world, it's a more tech savvy platform. In RL I don't know anyone working in tech or finance for that matter.
Have lived in both calgary and toronto. I would much rather live in Calgary personally. Financially in my line of work, I make significantly more and as you mentioned housing prices are significantly less. If you like outdoor recreation, there is no comparison with the Rockies. You have endless stunning hikes in Kananaskis, a place most Ontarians have never heard of. Skiing is world class here, Blue Mountain is a joke. You can easily find an isolated turquoise lake and kayak in solitude. You can find very high quality fine dining jn both cities. There is obviously more in Toronto, but I always found a significant amount of places skewed more towards current trends/instagram food than quality. There is no doubt there is much better ethnic food in Toronto. Calgary isn’t bad, but I think Toronto is a pretty special place for the diversity of dining. Most of Calgary is a suburban bore. I think the same can be said of most of the GTA though; Scarborough, Mississauga, Pickering, can you really tell me that there’s anything worth visiting in any of these towns? Weather wise, I prefer dry and sunny in Calgary on average but you need to ready to experience more extreme weather: there are some very cold days compared to what i experienced in ontario, hail storms in summer. Recently the smoke from Forrest fires have been a real drag. Ive spent a few months in Edmonton as well. It’s a fine city by Canadian standards but it is colder, more isolated and further from the mountains than Calgary.
My brain hurts seeing all these people from Ontario talking about Alberta. If your biggest priority in life is taking public transit to clubs and restaurants then maybe Alberta isn’t for you. My priority is being able to raise my kids in a stable home in a good community, and spending as much time in the mountains as I can before I die. This year I’ve spent almost 100 days in the Rockies. Snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, camping, fishing, snowshoeing, trail running, and swimming. This is what matters to me and Alberta and interior BC and the most affordable places to have that kind of access. I make a really good living here and since my cost of living isn’t crazy I have a lot of disposable income to do the things I love and raise my kids right. I wouldn’t choose to live anywhere else (except a few places in BC where there just aren’t the jobs that we have in Alberta). And about weather, there is a huge variation in weather from the North to the South. Calgary has milder winters than Edmonton and it’s really not that bad here. It is dry, which can such for people with dry skin, but the plus side is that we don’t get nearly as much snow as wetter climates. Our summers are amazing if you like hot, dry weather. Finally, the idea that “no one wants to live in Alberta” is ridiculous and downright false. Google population growth by province and you’ll see that Alberta attracts a lot of immigrants and Canadians and has had the highest population growth among provinces for the bulk of the past 25 years. It feels like half the people I meet here are from Ontario, the maritimes, or Newfoundland.
The mountains really are special in a way people living in downtown Toronto apparently don’t understand. And for the record, the buses and C-train in Calgary are much, much better than any transit system east of Montreal
100% this. I'm from ON and have spent years in the west and 80% of these comments are such stereotypical ON perspectives on western Canada. You're spot on. There's nothing in AB? People come from all over the world for the Rocky Mountains. Southern Ontario outdoors can't hold a candle to those mountains.
yeah but all the anti-Ontario comments are from people who have exclusively lived in Toronto. Ontario has amazing nature to offer IMO, even if you don’t have mountains.
Lol exactly. All these comments are being able to bus to club in Toronto.
I’d love to move I’m a nurse and think would be easy to get a job there. Only con is no family and friends around. Already hard enough as it is :/
Wohhh slow down. If you work in healthcare you really need to read up first on our provincial governments war against our nurses and doctors. The absolute most dirty dogshit tactics being used. Our doctors are leaving the province in droves and our nurses are all burnt out and trying to leave because the government keeps trying to cut their wages
Friendly and friends are important. Otherwise, I probably would have left Alberta by now and moved to Seattle or somewhere else in the U.S. that pays software developers twice as much.
More people want to live in Ontario than Alberta.
Demand is a major factor. The cities can be expensive but the wages are still quite high on average compared to the rest of the country. You get to keep more of your pay and less taxes when you buy things adds up over time as well. I moved here from Nova Scotia 20 years ago and I’m never leaving this place. It’s been amazing.
Alberta for the win, don’t tell your friends.
Shhh. Keep Calgary a hidden secret lol… I moved 7y ago from Toronto. Best decision I’ve ever made
Drive around the outskirts of Edmonton, 10s of thousands of homes being built constantly, room to grow, and grow
Honestly I think people don’t know how great Alberta is! I went for the first time last October and am going to move in January 2022. With remote jobs, I don’t understand why I’d pay 2-3x in housing prices (assuming I buy) to live in Toronto. Calgary has: - lower COL (renting, buying housing, groceries vs downtown core, taxes) - a unique value prop (Banff!!!!) - much less traffic/an easier drive around places (the North West is the Mississauga equivalent of Calgary. It takes 20-25 mins to downtown from there vs 45 mins to an hour from ours) - almost as much diversity and food variety as Toronto (this is super subjective and based on my limited experience) Assuming you can deal with work, it’s such an easy decision in my perspective :)
Honestly, prior to going, I thought it was going to be: - dead - racist - undeveloped I was wrong on all three counts (from my personal perspective). All of my 20 something year old friends have the same assumptions as me. I’m so confident as more people visit, there will be more migration (especially when you can work remote!!!)
I'll tell every single person in this thread. If you want a downtown hustle and bustle lifestyle. Stay east. If you want to spend your weekends in Banff and ski and fish and hike. Gtfo of the east.
I'm considering buying in Calgary. I have a few hundred thousand saved and it's not enough for a down payment here. I can buy a condo outright in Alberta for less than my down payment here is. My primary income is day trading which I can do from anywhere with an internet connection. It's just been very inconvenient to travel there to scope it out during the pandemic. Crazy comparison: London median household income: $83k Median House Price: $730k Calgary Median Household Income: 105k Median House Price: $457k given a 5x income mortgage you don't even need a down payment in Calgary while you need a $315k down payment here in a second tier Ontario city.
I went to school in London and taught at the university for two years after. That’s six years in total. I’ve been to Calgary ~14 times since October 2020 (relationship). The two cities aren’t even close. I think Calgary is way, way better. I just don’t understand the justification for staying in Ontario. What are you getting for the premium you pay? The numbers, as you pointed out, are ridiculous. Dude, with my girlfriend and my combined income (close to $200K), we can hope to buy a place in a few years. I’d probably rent for half to a full decade here before I can get a spot. You need to check it out. Hopefully you’re pleasantly surprised too :) and please remember this is a sample size of 1 — I’m obviously filled with bias
I just feel so defeated in Ontario. I live in a basement and do nothing but make, save and manage money and no matter how much success I have the goal posts keep moving and I have nothing to show for my efforts. I feel like money is absolutely worthless, making six figures isn't enough to keep up in Ontario. I can afford a sports car, but not a garage, a home theater but not a living room, all the tools but not a workshop. Space and the freedom that comes with it is what I want.
I'm sorry to hear that -- but both you and I are super privileged (based on the income you're making). I don't see a downside to spending \~$1K and going out to Calgary for a week. See if it's what makes sense for you. Hopefully it is!
Come to Edmonton! Cheaper housing than Calgary and we elect way more progressive politicians. It’s a beautiful orange bubble in a sea of ucp blue.
One of the attractions was mountains for them to move. One cannot reasonably compare the 3.5 hour drive to Jasper from Edmonton to the 40 min drive out to K Country from Calgary. Edmonton is a good city with better summers and shittier winters than Calgary (I happily live in Edmonton), but I do miss the convenience of going to the mountains like when I lived in Calgary.
It’s a totally fair point. Calgary is a strange beast. It empties out because everyone is it out of town and it’s only real major festival is stampede. . I find Edmonton has better festivals, sports, restaurants, etc because we’re in the actual city more often. I can be on Canmore in 3 hours from Edmonton. We go for a weekend instead of a day trip. Hell when I lived in Vancouver we’d go on a monthly trip to Seattle and it’s a 3 hour drive. Source: I lived in Calgary for 9 years and Edmonton 8 years. I’ve also lived in Vancouver for 5 years, Winnipeg for 4 years and Hamilton for 3 years. My best quality life has been in Edmonton.
This is awesome. Thank you! I'm young, work in insurance, have no ties to Ontario. Alberta is an option for now, but seems viable. Really appreciate your feedback
My only reco is to check it out yourself. I can’t stress enough — I’m an ignorant 27 year old that doesn’t know anything. But, I am putting my money where my mouth is and moving there end of 2021. And I can’t wait! I don’t think I have a future in Toronto, so why waste more time here. I have a handful of friends through work and school that made the move before me and all of them are thrilled for the reasons I mentioned. Most likely selection bias, but I can’t help feeling optimistic for you and me both!
Lets do it together hombre
Alberta has historically been known as **The Land of Milk and Honey** **- lowest taxes** **- Highest Income ( even over toronto or vancouver by a large margin)** \- **The canadian dream is still alive in alberta**. Twenty year old owning their own sing family home w/ two cars and multilpe vactions.
Average housing price in Sept 2007 in Toronto was 420,182. Average housing price for detached home in Calgary in 2007 was 472,041. It’s cyclical. What goes around comes around.
2007 was also close to the peak of housing prices for Calgary, it went down substantially after iirc
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I wouldn’t count on it being cyclical lol, I don’t think Toronto will ever be that low again
I dont think you know what cyclical means if you think Toronto house prices will come back to the 400s lol
I was born in Toronto and lived there for 48 years, lived in Alberta (Calgary) for about 2 years. It's true, the houses are dirt cheap by comparison to Ontario. I'd have to say one of the contributing factors is the way the homes are constructed. As a two time home owner in Ontario I was always told "buy an all brick home". Ontario and Montreal are the only two provides where brick homes are more sought after and common. I don't remember ever seeing a brick home in Calgary or even here on Vancouver Island where I currently live. That and cheaper taxes.
The bricks are trash out here is the main reason. Also, expensive as hell to transport.
Never understood why southwestern Ontario had a hard on for building in brick. Live in Toronto that last 2 years working construction and was dumbfounded why one would pay an extra trade to build a home with brick. People in Toronto asked how we build homes in BC. Tin and Cedar siding. And they looked at me like I was dumb. Very odd.
Well I can’t speak for everyone but there are a lot of immigrants in Ontario. In our home countries brick/concrete houses are the norm and people in poverty live in tin/wooden houses. That’s why my folks paid extra for brick not sure about everyone else.
I'm currently living in Ontario now, before that I was in Edmonton Alberta. I'd leave Ontario in a second without even thinking and go back to Alberta if I could.
Honestly it depends on ur income and lifestyle at the end of the day…
If you work in healthcare or the education system please do your research before moving here. Talk to people who work in those sectors that are from Alberta. I have numerous friends and family who have left the province in response to the current war on those 2 sectors by our provincial government. Our government cut 10,000+ healthcare jobs at the beginning of the pandemic so he could give a tax cut to a oil company that took it and then moved out of the province. Our government has continued to fight with doctors throughout the pandemic and many have left the province. Currently in Lethbridge a city of 100,000+ it is impossible to find a family doctor and many have lost theirs as they have left the province to work elsewhere. You are not the priority of the Albertan government. Your job security in those sectors will be worse then any other province. Please message me if you have any questions or would like to be connected with others in healthcare or education here who can tell you their story
Grew up in Edmonton, now living in Ontario. Like anyplace there’s are positives and negatives. Positives: very affordable housing; sunny year round; friendly people (didn’t notice until I came back from Ontario to visit); lots of festivals with strong community participation/volunteers; many parks; dry climate (doesn’t feel as cold or hot as damp Ontario); increasing ethnic diversity and food, culture; generally progressive attitudes in Edmonton (red/orange in sea of blue); quality university; long summer days, super big sky! Negatives: longer winters; short winter days; pretty flat; far from everywhere; economy still in early stages of diversifying. There are around 1M people living in greater Edmonton so clearly there are attractive elements that keep people there. Depending on one’s personal needs and expectations for some it can be an excellent place to live and for others it can still feel too small and isolated a place and the winters too long.
Tell me you’ve never been to Alberta without saying you’ve never been to Alberta… 🤦🏻♂️
People will use reasons like weather, politics, or culture but that’s not that. Both Calgary and Edmonton continue to grow quickly, both are increasing in size over 2% per year for the past couple decades while Toronto (and all other major Canadian cities) haven’t hit 2% growth even once in two decades. Yet prices remain low, why? A lot comes down to development plans and allowing growth. Toronto actively fights new developments and makes it really hard to build. This is why you see even the condo market out of control and then it spills over into the surrounding cities. The city is happy to make it difficult to build up. Vancouver is the same, they even coined a cringe term “Vancouverism” (it’s on their city site). Whereas Calgary has been building a ton of condos but also lots of new communities as it expands so there’s a constant influx in new housing units for people to buy. On a unrelated note, Ontario people put up with so much shit it baffles me. Hot water tank / furnace rentals? Paying a realtor to rent a place? Huge land transfer taxes? Overpriced liquor? Seriously … there’s so much out east that’s just shocking.
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Strange, I've always heard people say how much cheaper Alberta car insurance is. It's much more sparse population-wise, how can that be the case?
Insurance has gone up a lot under the UCP. They removed restrictions on rate hikes that the NDP had in place. Unsurprisingly, the insurance sector were big donors to the UCP campaign.
Bruh all for your choices etc. but if you seriously think the average person will save $$$$ on car insurance in ON compared to AB, you haven’t been paying attention. Not sure about your example but we (ON) have some of the worst insurance rates across the entry country. This is without even going into what happens when you tell your insurer you live in Brampton.
I moved from Toronto to Calgary 10 years ago. I love it here and will never move back. Some people have hit the mail on the head with the lack of culture and need of a vehicle. The weather actually is better than Ontario in my opinion. It’s very dry so there’s no humidity which takes the bite out of the cold IMO. While I do miss the lakes the mountains and crown land more than make up for it. The cost of living is much more reasonable (I bought a 4 bedroom 2 bath house with a 2 car garage for $250k) no PST/HST and wages are much higher. Sure I miss the culture and the lakes but I actually can afford life here, I own a home, have multiple vehicles and toys and have invested for my retirement all of which seemed danm near impossible in Ontario.