Denver's Lessons for Calgary

[nik-]

It's going to be a lot harder to draw the big banks. The TSX is in Toronto and I'd imagine they'd prefer to be right there.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Cappy

I agree that it is a great opportunity, but it's going to be tough to move those companies out of Southern Ontario. They seem to just spread further out in search of cheaper living while also keeping proximity to their main market in Toronto. Hamilton/K-W, Guelph, Windsor all offer discounted markets that these guys move into - and all are still cheaper to move to then a depressed Calgary market.

I for one think a golden opportunity was missed during the boom to attempt to lure own of the big banks to Calgary. Hopefully it's not forgotten during the next boom, but we seem to have short memories in AB.

People in Southern Ontario generally loathe the idea of moving to the prairies.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

People in Southern Ontario generally loathe the idea of moving to the prairies.

Yep. My wife's best friend is from Windsor. Pisses and moans about everything here. "It's sooooooo much better back home.... blah blah blah.."

[CroFlames]

Denverrrrrrr

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by habernac

Yep. My wife's best friend is from Windsor. Pisses and moans about everything here. "It's sooooooo much better back home.... blah blah blah.."

Sorry, what? Windsor? What is better about Windsor? Cheap salt?

[Northendzone]

so are Denver's growth industries late night pizza joints, potato chip companies, Chinese food places?

[Stud_McCool]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Sorry, what? Windsor? What is better about Windsor? Cheap salt?

Gotta get the good one.

[calumniate]

Maybe Joe Colborne was right after all

[accord1999]

Originally Posted by polak

Before this price slump got really bad and the election was happening pretty much every one was arguing that "it wasn't worth it" and that we should just focus on getting as much oil out of the ground as we can.

But what other strategy would have resulted in a better outcome than what actually happened? Calgary has the highest median household income, the highest per capita income in Canada and highest buying power.

Calgary's had a pretty incredible run over the last 20-25 years with a lot of real wealth and income created.

[JD]

This one reminds me of the old SNL skit where they suggest ways to avoid sexual harassment accusations; "Step 1, be handsome".

Denver is a city more than twice the population of Calgary and it almost always has been. They have a great strategic location basically in the middle of the USA, the biggest economy in the world. In short, Denver has a lot of natural advantages that Calgary will never have. It's handsome.

Calgarians forget how isolated we are. Sure, Calgary has established a decent logistics and distribution industry, but really, it's limited to distributing to Western Canada which is a relatively small region economically. Calgary will always be sort of an outpost centre that supports Western Canada's resource-based industries. Calgary has a lot of things going for it, but it is not really that handsome.

You could say Calgary is the Eli Manning to Denver's Tom Brady. Gets the job done but half as often and never quite as pretty.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by habernac

Yep. My wife's best friend is from Windsor. Pisses and moans about everything here. "It's sooooooo much better back home.... blah blah blah.."

Yep. Worked with plenty of people from southern Ontario and all of them couldn't get out of Calgary fast enough. I can understand to an extent though as the weather is much better, they have lakes, a lot more people, places and things to do.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by polak

Awaiting "Diversification is a waste of time" comments from the O&G folk...

It may not be a waste of time now, but it certainly would have been when were hot.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

We are also seeing a lot of industries like tech struggle to find talent in Vancouver and Toronto because the cost of living is too high.

I've basically been told that my best way of moving up at MS, without moving to the mothership in Washington itself, is either Vancouver or Toronto.

But cost of living (and what I want out of life) isn't necessarily possible. If I'm living in a walkable part of Toronto or Vancouver, I'm not living in a top floor high rise, and I'm sure as #### not going to be able to afford an AM if I do. Calgary's salaries are just so much better compared to either market.

And considering the office in Toronto is actually in Mississauga, there is no walkable part of Mississauga, so there goes that idea. Mississauga is basically a city for people who will one day evolve to be born without legs for how much you would rely on a car to get around.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

I've basically been told that my best way of moving up at MS, without moving to the mothership in Washington itself, is either Vancouver or Toronto.

But cost of living (and what I want out of life) isn't necessarily possible. If I'm living in a walkable part of Toronto or Vancouver, I'm not living in a top floor high rise, and I'm sure as #### not going to be able to afford an AM if I do. Calgary's salaries are just so much better compared to either market.

And considering the office in Toronto is actually in Mississauga, there is no walkable part of Mississauga, so there goes that idea. Mississauga is basically a city for people who will one day evolve to be born without legs for how much you would rely on a car to get around.

Mississauga is a miserable place. Its the only place on the face of the Earth that wishes it was Toronto but just cant ever be.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Locke

Mississauga is a miserable place. Its the only place on the face of the Earth that wishes it was Toronto but just cant ever be.

I hate Mississauga.

Mississauga is the place where everyone who works in Toronto lives because they can't afford to live in Toronto. They proceed to commute an hour and forty five minutes every day in each direction (and good luck if there is an accident on the 401, I hope you brought a book). Now even Mississauga is getting exceedingly expensive, requiring people to live even further out.

The GTA is basically a live urban sprawl case study.

[troutman]

Marijuana wasn't 'cash cow' for Colorado, Alberta's justice minister earns

Kathleen Ganley went to U.S. as part of Alberta's preparations for pot legalization in spring 2017

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...nley-1.3819654

[SebC]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

The GTA is basically a live urban sprawl case study.

From afar it seems like Toronto is about as serious about building up as a north american city can be. What more can they do?

[Locke]

Denver's Lessons:

"I cared about the Economy.....and then I got high...."

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by SebC

It may not be a waste of time now, but it certainly would have been when were hot.

This is the short sighted vision that helped get the PCs turfed. Absolutely use the good times to set yourself up for the bad times. Don't wait until the bust hits.