[Dion]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Agreeing to disagree is appropriate for matters of opinion. However, the argument is more a matter of fact than opinion, and unfortunately the facts say you're wrong.

It is when you don't like the debating style of the poster your talking with.

2006 census place of work numbers for select towns that have come up in this discussion. Let's compare the work-in-municipality-of-residence vs. work-elsewhere splits.


Airdrie



http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-re...B1=All&Custom=

Percentile Split: 35/65

Cochrane



http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-re...B1=All&Custom=

Percentile Split: 46/54

Chestermere



http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-re...B1=All&Custom=

Percentile Split: 7/93

Okotoks



http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-re...B1=All&Custom=

Percentile Split: 37/63

High River



http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-re...B1=All&Custom=

Percentile Split: 65/35

Calgary



http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-re...B1=All&Custom=

Percentile Split: 97/3

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Conclusions

- Calgary dwarfs its neighbours in terms of residents being employed in the municipality in which they live

- Although the numbers aren't available to tell the particular destination municipalities people from the origin municipalities (bedroom communities) are employed in, it is very obviously Calgary

- Numbers from High River are in a bit of a different category than the rest of the examples, however it should be noted that the numbers are from 2006. The trend for the "next communities out" in all directions has been for more and more residents to commute elsewhere for work. Crossfield (north), High River (south), and Strathmore (east) would be included here.

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I should preface this by saying that I've tried to stick to stating the facts and debunking misconceptions in this debate thus far, and this part goes a bit beyond that.

Not to get too personal about this Dion, but how are these things not apparent to you? Do you not talk with your neighbours and discuss where they work and shop? Do you not see the cars on the highway headed north out of town in the morning and south in to town in the evenings? Do you not have an approximate sense of the ratio of businesses to residential units in your town and compare it to that of Calgary?

All of my neighbours are retired - it has to do with the part of the town I live in. Most of them either shop in town or head out to Okotoks for the most part. They'll head to Calgary to shop if they can't get what they need here or in Okotoks.

As for cars heading in and out of town on the few times on the road at that time i see lots of cars. Some are from Calgary and others are from the Cargil meat plant. That said i'm not suggesting there isn't residents heading to and from Calgary for work. A good portion of this town is retirees as it was once considered the fastest growing retirement community in Alberta. It's why my parents and many of their friends moved here. That has since changed as young families are moving here in great numbers.

On any level, how can you seriously make the argument that Okotoks or your own town has a proportion of people that both live and work there that is anywhere close to that of Calgary. How can you then go even further to suggest that Calgarians are "flocking" to Okotoks so they can both live and work in that community?

I don't remember saying they all flocked here to work and live.

Please don't think I'm insulting your character or that of the community which you clearly enjoy. However, I must implore you to look at the facts and not act so surpised when people dare to classify your town, or ones like it, as a bedroom community of the City of Calgary.

No insult taken by me.

Btw thank you. You're the first one to provdie any concrete data to look at.

What you provided was what I was looking for. Something I couldn't find.