Why don't we just exterminate all bears?

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Wormius

It’s an interesting convo, but I’d prefer a place in the mountains farther away if it were just a vacation property. It feels hard to justify spending a ton of movie on something that is just an hour away from Calgary. Need the right balance between convenience and escape.

This is a good thought, and it’s a hard balance. We go to Canmore basically every second weekend as it’s an hour door to door. Other places it’s 3+ hours and it makes it tougher to get out and do stuff.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Weitz

This is a good thought, and it’s a hard balance. We go to Canmore basically every second weekend as it’s an hour door to door. Other places it’s 3+ hours and it makes it tougher to get out and do stuff.

Yeah, for an hour drive, it’s not worth staying overnight. Maybe around Field or Golden would be the sweet spot where I feel like it’s worthwhile to get a property.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Yeah, for an hour drive, it’s not worth staying overnight. Maybe around Field or Golden would be the sweet spot where I feel like it’s worthwhile to get a property.

But Canmore/Banff area has a lot more to offer than Field or Golden. Golden is good for a couple days a year, but it doesn't have much to do and it's not as nice.

I also spend several random week nights/year in Canmore and just go back to work in Calgary the next morning. I can leave work, have supper at my condo at a normal time, get up 30 minutes earlier and head to work the next day.

It's one thing when you're packing an overnight bag, your toiletries, etc. like for a typical weekend away. It's a lot different when you have your toothbrush in your bathroom, you hop into your bed, you plug into your already-set-up CPAP, make coffee in the morning, your fridge is stocked with your stuff so you make yourself some Shreddies and coffee, etc. You just choose where you want to stay that night - Calgary or Canmore. You can even invite friends over randomly from Calgary and they're at your place an hour later. Most times I'm out there my Calgary friends just stop by since all my friends are always going to the mountains.

The location absolutely makes it. It's zero hassle. If it was 2-3 hours away I'd go 20% of the time. It'd be a total production to get out there and you'd waste so much time driving. I don't understand why it would be attractive to be in a dumpier town, further away, with less stuff to do. What's the advantage? Maybe you feel more disconnected from the Calgary rat race when you put some more physical distance between you and the city? Not me. As soon as I hit Lac Des Arcs I'm "in the mountains" and any Calgary stress evaporates and I'm in holiday mode. By the time I walk into my Canmore home I'm in instantly in relax/chill/fun mode. It's like a light switch.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Sliver

But Canmore/Banff area has a lot more to offer than Field or Golden. Golden is good for a couple days a year, but it doesn't have much to do and it's not as nice.

I also spend several random week nights/year in Canmore and just go back to work in Calgary the next morning. I can leave work, have supper at my condo at a normal time, get up 30 minutes earlier and head to work the next day.

It's one thing when you're packing an overnight bag, your toiletries, etc. like for a typical weekend away. It's a lot different when you have your toothbrush in your bathroom, you hop into your bed, you plug into your already-set-up CPAP, make coffee in the morning, your fridge is stocked with your stuff so you make yourself some Shreddies and coffee, etc. You just choose where you want to stay that night - Calgary or Canmore. You can even invite friends over randomly from Calgary and they're at your place an hour later. Most times I'm out there my Calgary friends just stop by since all my friends are always going to the mountains.

The location absolutely makes it. It's zero hassle. If it was 2-3 hours away I'd go 20% of the time. It'd be a total production to get out there and you'd waste so much time driving. I don't understand why it would be attractive to be in a dumpier town, further away, with less stuff to do. What's the advantage? Maybe you feel more disconnected from the Calgary rat race when you put some more physical distance between you and the city? Not me. As soon as I hit Lac Des Arcs I'm "in the mountains" and any Calgary stress evaporates and I'm in holiday mode. By the time I walk into my Canmore home I'm in instantly in relax/chill/fun mode. It's like a light switch.

Until the bears.

[Table 5]

I was with you till Shreddies. That crap's good for like 20 seconds before it turns to mush.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I was with you till Shreddies. That crap's good for like 20 seconds before it turns to mush.

You do have to hammer it back quick, no doubt about it.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I was with you till Shreddies. That crap's good for like 20 seconds before it turns to mush.

Not like he can have Sugar Crisp. There's a bear on the box.

[Shazam]

My wife read this book last week:

https://www.amazon.ca/Born-Wild-Rob-...s%2C575&sr=8-1

Back in the day, they'd have an open dump, so tourists and park wardens would watch the bears feeding.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Shazam

My wife read this book last week:

https://www.amazon.ca/Born-Wild-Rob-...s%2C575&sr=8-1

Back in the day, they'd have an open dump, so tourists and park wardens would watch the bears feeding.

We'd do that at Emma Lake in Saskatchewan when I was a kid.

Had nightmares constantly about bears chasing me around a dump.

[Titan2]

Originally Posted by Sliver

We'd do that at Emma Lake in Saskatchewan when I was a kid.

Had nightmares constantly about bears chasing me around a dump.

In-laws have a cabin there. Regehr is in the area, too, I think.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Sliver

But Canmore/Banff area has a lot more to offer than Field or Golden. Golden is good for a couple days a year, but it doesn't have much to do and it's not as nice.

I also spend several random week nights/year in Canmore and just go back to work in Calgary the next morning. I can leave work, have supper at my condo at a normal time, get up 30 minutes earlier and head to work the next day.

It's one thing when you're packing an overnight bag, your toiletries, etc. like for a typical weekend away. It's a lot different when you have your toothbrush in your bathroom, you hop into your bed, you plug into your already-set-up CPAP, make coffee in the morning, your fridge is stocked with your stuff so you make yourself some Shreddies and coffee, etc. You just choose where you want to stay that night - Calgary or Canmore. You can even invite friends over randomly from Calgary and they're at your place an hour later. Most times I'm out there my Calgary friends just stop by since all my friends are always going to the mountains.

The location absolutely makes it. It's zero hassle. If it was 2-3 hours away I'd go 20% of the time. It'd be a total production to get out there and you'd waste so much time driving. I don't understand why it would be attractive to be in a dumpier town, further away, with less stuff to do. What's the advantage? Maybe you feel more disconnected from the Calgary rat race when you put some more physical distance between you and the city? Not me. As soon as I hit Lac Des Arcs I'm "in the mountains" and any Calgary stress evaporates and I'm in holiday mode. By the time I walk into my Canmore home I'm in instantly in relax/chill/fun mode. It's like a light switch.

For me, in that situation I think I would just move to Canmore full-time and deal with the commute however many times I need to get into Calgary, and enjoy Canmore all the time. It just feels a but foreign to me to maintain two places so close to one another. I’d probably opt to do something more like what CHL did with his cabin building.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Wormius

For me, in that situation I think I would just move to Canmore full-time and deal with the commute however many times I need to get into Calgary, and enjoy Canmore all the time. It just feels a but foreign to me to maintain two places so close to one another. I’d probably opt to do something more like what CHL did with his cabin building.

Yeah, I'd lose sleep if I had a place sitting empty all the time. I love going there weekly.

Plus I still like being super present for my kids and they have fairly active social lives in Calgary (19 & 17). In another couple years we'll be able to spend even more time out there.

[Geraldsh]

Originally Posted by Sliver

We'd do that at Emma Lake in Saskatchewan when I was a kid.

Had nightmares constantly about bears chasing me around a dump.

Finally we get to the nutmeg of discontent!
It’s not the bears’ fault, it’s the Saskatchewan dumps. Why not build another town in Saskatchewan? With a golf course opposite the dump to please everyone.

[Brupal]

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[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Shazam

My wife read this book last week:

Back in the day, they'd have an open dump, so tourists and park wardens would watch the bears feeding.

Same thing in Grande Cache when I lived there as a kid, we'd take visitors to the dump to watch bears. They would also come through town periodically and go through garbage if you were careless with it. RCMP shot and killed one across the street from our house one year. I don't recall why but it must have been causing a problem.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yeah, I'd lose sleep if I had a place sitting empty all the time. I love going there weekly.

Plus I still like being super present for my kids and they have fairly active social lives in Calgary (19 & 17). In another couple years we'll be able to spend even more time out there.

My long term goal would be a vacation home in the Kelowna area. Some place my parents and in-laws can spend lots of time frequently during their retirement and do a bunch of gardening (something they enjoy), a place my family can go for summer/winter activities with the kids and build memories, a place I can share with friends/relatives for summer/winter activities, a place that the kids can bring friends when they grow up, a place we can drive to or fly to (maybe even train to in future) from wherever we are coming from... seems like it'd be nice.

Alas, the thought of taking out another $500-750K in mortgage for a property like this makes me hesitate, especially when I'm still quite a ways away from paying off my current mortgage. I think I'd want mortgage free life for as long as possible. It's probably better to just pay the high season premiums on a summer rental. It'd be kinda cool in the future to be able to just do a spontaneous weekend in Kelowna by hopping on a quick flight to enjoy my property or visit whoever I was lending my property to. But I ain't remotely close to the necessary generational wealth or lottery win to accomplish something like that.