"Immigrant" Calgarians Only, plus a poll

[ken0042]

OK, this thread is two fold. Inspired by the "lifelong Calgarians" thread; this is for those of us who are Calgarians by choice; we all came from somewhere else, and now when somebody asks us where we are from, we proudly say "Calgary."

I've also included a poll, because I'm curious what the ratio of lifelongs vs. transplants is.

Myself, I came to Calgary from Winnipeg in 1992. I moved back to Winnipeg 2.5 years later to go to school; the catalyst being me not able to afford car insurance here. Moved back to Calgary in 1996, to Grande Prairie in 1997, and then back to Calgary for good in 1998.

[habernac]

I wanted to move here since I was 12 years old. My first-ever ski vacation made a solid impression on me. And I love the mountains. I've been living my dream for almost 12 years now and I love it. Fort McMurray was home before here, Sherwood Park before that. If I ever do leave, it will be to Bragg Creek or Canmore or some such place.

[FireFly]

I was born and raised just outside of Red Deer, moved to Sundre at 15 and moved to Westbank, BC at 18, back to Calgary at 19 and I've been here ever since. I consider Calgary home.

[Sample00]

moved to calgary from Gelsenkirchen Germany in May of 1969.
lived in Calgary until December 31,1991.
moved to Edson, Ab and have lived here ever since.
not sure if it falls into that category, but hey, what da heck

[HelloHockeyFans]

nm

[The Goon]

Born and raised 32 1/2 years in Toronto; got the hell out of there 3 1/2 years ago.

No looking back.

[MickMcGeough]

Moved from Manitoba in 2002 and fell in love with the city instantly (this is quite easy coming from Manitoba Don't ever want to leave but all my family is still in Manitoba so its tough to say.

[Bobblehead]

I have a stronger attachment here that back in Ont, but Calgary hasn't put the mark on me yet to make it feel like it is "home" yet.

And how long until Ken corrects the spelling mistake in the thread title?

[mykalberta]

Came to Calgary in 2004.

Only other times ever here, 6 times for Flames games, and mutiple times going to Peters on the way to Banff. Also 9 times at the Calgary Airport.

Here is where I have lived.

X -> 2002: Edmonton and area
2002 -> 2002.75: Greece
2002.75 -> 2004: UofA to finish
2004 -> 2005.25: Calgary
2005.25 -> 2006: Paris at a company apartment for travel to our different locations (if they base you in Kuwait for longer than a 3 day stretch there is mucho danger pay - I am no accountant but I dont think that flying my back and forth is cheaper than paying my what works out to 5X my wage in Canada - oh wait maybe it does.
2006 -> Present: Calgary

Calgary is easily the best overall place I have lived, women are attractive and approachable and not to high on themselves, the greenspace is unbelieveable and the weather isnt as large a deterrent as Edmonton is. Also the airport and available connections is Fantastic - I wish Continental would keep a flight to EWR year round - damn them bean counters.

Greece, Hawaii, or a home in Canmore is where I would retire. I would never live in Paris again - I can get by on my French but the women there are very strange, with the exception of one Czech Girl for a while, if you have a native English tounge (not UK) they always assume you are American and I had one girl come who I was talking to at a club blatently shouted she doesnt "date" Americans (I wasnt looking to date). I was with a group of guys from Houston and I went off on her a bit about how French *****s are all the same thinking that the UK and the USA are the only places where English is the primary language, she tried to apologize but I was done with that and subsequently done with Paris, I pretty much hermitted myself in Paris after that.

MYK

[looooob]

well I guess I"m a 'immigrant' although like many have lived here before many in the lifelong Calgarian category

have lived continuously in Calgary over 2 times frames
76-87 and 00-present

and intermittently in between

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by fotze

Real Calgarians don't spell it Immiragnt.

Aw crap. I ran it through a spell checker and obviously missed the <paste> function.

Um, I mean, I have no idea what you guys are talking about.

[Frank the Tank]

I've officially lived longer in Ontario than Calgary now, but when people ask me where I am from, I still say Calgary. I guess you can take the man out of the west, but not the west out of the man. Still feels like home whenever we come back.

[Flame On]

I don't know where I fit in.
Born in Banff but lived in Calgary until I was 11. Then parents moved to England where I lived for 13 years until I moved myself back here where I've been for 9 years. So didn't immigrate from elsewhere but have moved away, 20 years total, which is about 2/3rd's.

[WestEndFlamesFan]

I'm an army brat so here goes:

1983-1984 - born in Fredricton, NB
1984-1986 - Cambridge, UK
1986-1989 - Ottawa
1989-1992 - Shape, Belguim
1992-1996 - Regina
1996-2001 - Medicine Hat
2001-2006 - Calgary
now - Vancouver

Not including the time that I spent travelling South America and Europe, but that would take up another 6 months interspersed around 2002 and 2003.

I probably won't live in Calgary again. Not because I don't like it, but becuase I grew up moving on (I want to live in Buenos Aires), but my parents live there now and I have many great friends there.

[Crazy Flamer]

I moved here from Poland when I was two years old. That was 26 years ago.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Flame On

I don't know where I fit in.
Born in Banff but lived in Calgary until I was 11. Then parents moved to England where I lived for 13 years until I moved myself back here where I've been for 9 years. So didn't immigrate from elsewhere but have moved away, 20 years total, which is about 2/3rd's.

I suppose I would classify an "immigrant" as somebody who can answer the standard small talk question of "So, where are you from?" with something other than "lifelong Calgarian."

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

I moved to Calgary from Iceland in 1984--I was 9 years old. I went away to go to grad school in 1998.

But Calgary is and always will be my home. I still get homesick, and my wife and I look forward to our trips back--every vacation we come home rather than going somewhere more "touristy." Our dream is to one day move back--in academic work there are no guarantees, but we're both keeping our eyes and ears open.

[moncton golden flames]

Born and raised in Riverview, New Brunswick (Moncton suburb) and moved to Kananaskis in 99, worked at the Lodge for 3 years, then moved to Calgary in 01. I would really love to move back home someday, but things are too good here to leave just yet.

[Gravitykillr]

Born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland moved here when I was a year old, so I don't really remember anything else. Calgary is home and almost always will be, even converted my wife who was born and raised in Sweden.

[Shazam]

Been here 25 years.