From the East, loooking to move out West...

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

So, I'm a guy from the East - Prince Edward Island - and I'm looking to move out West. I've been trying to escape this damnable prison island for years, now. I've lived in Halifax for a short while, but that really didn't work out, so I switched my sights to FURTHER away - that being Alberta, particularly the Calgary area.

I've heard many different things about the place... most of them very good. My brother works out in the oil industry out there, and he loves it, but that's not what I'm looking for. Ideally, I'd like a job in the hospitality industry. I have a good amount of experience working in hotels, doing buffets, fine dining, etc. I also have a lot of experience in IT that isn't very hotel related.

Anyways, I know it likely wouldn't be very difficult to find a starter job in a hotel someplace in the big city of Calgary, but I thought I'd see what my good buddies at CP thought, first.

How is the hospitality industry way out there? Is there any good Calgary-centric websites that I could use to look for jobs? What are some decent hotels to work for? I used to work for the Rodd's chain, and may look to get a job with one of their hotels out there (if they even have any!) since I have experience with them...

What's housing and the cost of living like? Would it be a real big change for a guy from the east? I realize the cost of living is higher there than it is here... What about crime in the city, etc?

Also, keep in mind that I'm only 21... I'm not looking for an executive job and a plush mansion.

Anyways, just any info or advice you guys could give would be great. And if you think I'd be better off going to a different area of Alberta, let me know that, as well! I'm all ears, really... I'll just go wherever it's deemed best.

The front page of the Calgary Herald today:

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...97dd40&k=43327

If you're coming out here to be a waiter I think I wouldn't bother because, as others have noted, the squeezed accomodation market. It wouldn't be a great place to be on a marginal wage.

If you have computer skills or other marketable skills then you might think bigger things than the hospitality industry . . . . throw resumes around and see what happens. You might be surprised who might hire you out of outright desperation at a decent wage, willing to teach you a new job as well.

Also, learn to embrace the beauty of the hot, dry, dusty prairie . . . . . .

Calgary, if I'm not mistaken, has the largest urban park system in North America. Really a wonderful place if you love the outdoors, except for the lack of lakes.

Cowperson

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Calgary, if I'm not mistaken, has the largest urban park system in North America. Really a wonderful place if you love the outdoors, except for the lack of lakes.

Cowperson

I find that is the biggest drawback to Calgary is lack of a large body of water. Otherwise this would be my perfect city but it's too damn dry sometimes. I'll probably live here the rest of my life anyways.

I once had a "potential" student ask me at the SAIT open house if we offered a Marine Biology course here. Well considering the Bow River has 2 species of fish and no plants hmmmm... hehehe

[shane_c]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Calgary, if I'm not mistaken, has the largest urban park system in North America. Really a wonderful place if you love the outdoors, except for the lack of lakes.

Cowperson

Big doesn't necessarily mean good.

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by shane_c

Big doesn't necessarily mean good.

Ah ha, busted Shane !

Where are the good parks in Halifax (sorry offtopic, I'll pm you or you can send me a message)? I find them the same...actually a lot less here in Halifax....

[shane_c]

I've never lived in Halifax so I don't know. I'm from CB Island, which we obviously wouldn't move back to since there are no jobs. But I do know there are lots of lakes and trees everywhere in NS and IMO the quality of life is far superior to what it is here. I did live in NB for almost 4 years. About a 2 minute walk up the road we had a huge wooded park with tons of dirt trails, 2 minute walk the other way we were at the Saint John river, hop in the car for about 10-15 mins and be out in the wilderness and get lost in the woods for hours, etc.....

And as a bit of an aside.... the houses we've been looking at down there when you buy the lot it's at least an acre of land and full of trees and you tell them how many trees you want removed so they can put the house in. Here my lot is 32ft x 120ft, house is at least $130,000 more and about 600 sq ft less than what we're looking at down there and I have 3 skinny little stick trees that were put on the property. So I would have 'nature' right in my back yard there. Only thing I hear in my back yard, or even while in my house here is the hum of cars on the Deerfoot. Ahhhh pleasant.

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by shane_c

I've never lived in Halifax so I don't know. I'm from CB Island, which we obviously wouldn't move back to since there are no jobs. But I do know there are lots of lakes and trees everywhere in NS and IMO the quality of life is far superior to what it is here. I did live in NB for almost 4 years. About a 2 minute walk up the road we had a huge wooded park with tons of dirt trails, 2 minute walk the other way we were at the Saint John river, hop in the car for about 10-15 mins and be out in the wilderness and get lost in the woods for hours, etc.....

And as a bit of an aside.... the houses we've been looking at down there when you buy the lot it's at least an acre of land and full of trees and you tell them how many trees you want removed so they can put the house in. Here my lot is 32ft x 120ft, house is at least $130,000 more and about 600 sq ft less than what we're looking at down there and I have 3 skinny little stick trees that were put on the property. So I would have 'nature' right in my back yard there. Only thing I hear in my back yard, or even while in my house here is the hum of cars on the Deerfoot. Ahhhh pleasant.

Ahhhh.....

Well in all honesty, the place that I have found the best in city parks is actually Vancouver...well to an extent. There was one gorgeous one; waterfall, river/stream, hilly, etc. Made you forget you were even in the city.

But that said, in all honesty, you just kind of proved my point - its a higher quality of life because it suits your lifestyle better, and you are from the general area. I bet there are people who would love to live where you currently are because they love living in a big city, with everything that is going on. OThers prefer what you prefer. Thats all...

And Cape Breton is nice, tooo bad absolutely no jobs and a large proportion of the population is leaving. IT is effectively a big hill, with trees and the ocean all the way around it....

[Sylvanfan]

Yeah finding a place to live most anywhere in Alberta is a nightmare. The company I contract to is setting up an office in Moncton NB becuase they can no longer get any employees to relocate to Sylvan Lake because

a.)experienced or skilled people in our bussiness are hard to find in Alberta
b.)no one will relocate out here because the cost of living and finding a place to live is tough for outsiders to stomach.

The house I have in St.Albert (which is probably 10-15% cheaper than Calgary) that would go for about 380 to 400 costs 190 in Moncton. I could sell my place here and be mortgage free there. Really it would be worth it. But I'm not from out East and actually want to move back to Kamloops, so I won't do it. Stupid eh? I could probably set myself up to quit working in 10 years quite easily if I would.

[Cowperson]

The interconnections of the Calgary park system is one of the interesting things about it . . . . you can go on some long, long, long bike rides or runs along the river, through woods or grassy prairie.

I think a bike trip from Sikome Lake to Edworthy Park would be about 30 km or more, one way, as an example. I've done that a few times.

There are some deep, dark spots in the woods in Fish Creek Park. If you get onto the Douglas Fir Trail, its like being around Jasper . . . ten minutes from downtown. I used to spend a lot of time running or walking the dog up on Nose Hill, winter and summer, when the paths were just dirt ruts. Wonderful.

I think Fish Creek and Nose Hill separately are still among the top six or seven urban parks in terms of acreage in North America.

Edmonton is where the lakes are. Although, brrrrrr, I did go for a swim at Upper Kananaskis Lake once and also had a leisurely swim one warm afternoon at Pyramid Lake near Jasper.

Cowperson

[SeeGeeWhy]

Do you have any way to put a down payment on a mortgage?

There are going to be a lot of "affordable" condos for sale in the next year (depending on location), and it might be another option for you to look into. It'll be a good way to start to put your root down in these crazy times without throwing away a large porition of your new found 'prosperity' on rent.

Maybe your folks can help you out.

Work won't be very hard to find if you look for the right job for your skill set. As booming as everyone says it is out here, you do still hear stories about people moving out to find work and they end up not finding anything for a long time, end up living on the streets, renting a campground to live at, etc...

You're at least starting in the right direction by doing a bit of research before just picking up to move.

Look for work and housing concurrently, perhaps even try to lock BOTH up before you come out permanently. A pre-move scouting trip is not a terrible idea, as one other poster mentioned.

What sort of timeline are you looking at?

You might want to look into moving to areas other than Calgary if the price for housing is not affordable for you.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Yeah finding a place to live most anywhere in Alberta is a nightmare. The company I contract to is setting up an office in Moncton NB becuase they can no longer get any employees to relocate to Sylvan Lake because

a.)experienced or skilled people in our bussiness are hard to find in Alberta
b.)no one will relocate out here because the cost of living and finding a place to live is tough for outsiders to stomach.

The house I have in St.Albert (which is probably 10-15% cheaper than Calgary) that would go for about 380 to 400 costs 190 in Moncton. I could sell my place here and be mortgage free there. Really it would be worth it. But I'm not from out East and actually want to move back to Kamloops, so I won't do it. Stupid eh? I could probably set myself up to quit working in 10 years quite easily if I would.

Why wouldn't you just retire back to Kamloops in 10 years time if that is the case?

What is the work that you would be doing in Moncton? The wife and I are trying to dig up similar opportunities...

[Dion]

Have a place to rent before you come here. The local news did a piece some months ago where a guy was looking to rent his townhouse. He had a website set up and said he got close to 3000 hits from accross Canada. People interviewed on the news who were looking at this guys place said most rental ads in the paper were filled when they phoned. Basicly they said if you find a place be prepared to have money in hand as the place will be gone if you decide to think about it.

[DuffMan]

Also, from what I've heard, rental prices are going up, they need to give you 6 months notice, I think, so you may want to ask up front, if talking to any leasors. You don't want to have to pay another $300/month you didn't budget for, in 6 months time.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

Why wouldn't you just retire back to Kamloops in 10 years time if that is the case?

What is the work that you would be doing in Moncton? The wife and I are trying to dig up similar opportunities...

Well my father passed away in July. The last time I saw him was 9 months earlier when he came to help me move. That ****ed me off big time, and my mom still lives there and although not that old does need a hand doing things around the house. My wife also has her parents in Langley which is a 3 hour drive from Kamloops most of the year. We hardly see family as it is living out here, and would even less so out there. It's also where I'm from, and I like the idea of an 8-9 month golf season and hot dry summers. More to life than money. I'll work for another 20 years if I live somewhere that I like and get to do things I want. I don't dislike work that much.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

The interconnections of the Calgary park system is one of the interesting things about it . . . . you can go on some long, long, long bike rides or runs along the river, through woods or grassy prairie.

I think a bike trip from Sikome Lake to Edworthy Park would be about 30 km or more, one way, as an example. I've done that a few times.
=

Calgary's bike path system is extraordinary. My favourite trail is to get on the path off of Elbow Drive by the swinging bridge, head out past Sandy Beach, and up around Glenmore to the Weaselhead - another area where you can truly feel like your out of the city, even though its right there.

Another good one is the irrigation canal trail that goes out from Deerfoot to Chestemere. Although a good chunk of it is behind a lot of industrial businesses out in SE Calgary and not much to look at. You can however stop at the only Bob's Hambugers left for lunch and the trail is nice because it is usually empty and flat - so you can just fly.

A few summers back I set a goal to hit all the Calgary bike trails during the summer. I did get a good chunk of them, but alas fell short of the goal. There was just too much damn path in this city!

[HalifaxDrunk]

Originally Posted by RedHot25

Ah ha, busted Shane !

Where are the good parks in Halifax

Point Pleasent Park is the largest in the city (185 Acres) it is in the South end on the water and is a short bus ride from the Halifax commons.

Here is thier site.

http://www.pointpleasantpark.ca/inside.asp?cmPageID=91




It was hammered by Hurricane Juan a few years back. This was a picture before cleanup started. It's in good shape again.

[Calgaryborn]

I don't know if it has been mentioned but you could stay in a hostel for the first while. I have a friend who did this to save money. He said it was quite comfortable and he must be around fifty. I think he did this for 4 or 5 months before renting a place and moving his family.

[Rifleman]

Most places here will pay between $12-$14 per hour if they want to actually keep their employees. So even though the cost of living is way higher here, you won't be making "minimum wage" by a long shot.

If you don't have a car, I suggest renting a place near the C-Train tracks, so you can get out and about easily. And despite the reputation of Forest Lawn, the NE part of Calgary, Dover, etc. it really ain't that bad. I can count on one hand the amount of people who have been robbed or had their home raided in their lifetime.

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by HalifaxDrunk

Point Pleasent Park is the largest in the city (185 Acres) it is in the South end on the water and is a short bus ride from the Halifax commons.

Yup, thanks Drunk, I know about Point Pleasant Park - great spot.

My point I guess really wasn't so much about how good or bad halifax's parks are (there's also the public gardens downtown, etc)....but moreso they are roughly the same to basically every other city in Canada I have been to.

[Finner]

Thought I'd throw in my two cents...I think that you guys are making it a little harder then it seems.

I'm 20 and rent my own apartment in edmonton and its definately not that difficult to afford (albeit edmonton is a little cheaper).

What you're forgetting is wage is probably far higher in Alberta then it would be in Halifax or PEI. I know up here, working night shifts can garner anywhere from 13$-16$ per hour at a grocery or superstore, and working say as a waiter or cashier would be around 9$ - 12$ / hour.

Rent in edmonton is cheaper but for prime real estate (just off whyte avenue by the university) a 1300 foot studio is 800$-900$ rent, including all utilities.

Now if you move to calgary and find a job making 10$ per hour you should end up at full time with around 1600 -1800 / month..though after taxes probably closer to 1300$....so you pay your 800$ rent, your 60$ bus pass and you have 400$ ish left for food and fun. Not a ton, i agree. But it is easy to pick up overtime (with how starved everyone is for people) say an extra shift per week for an extra 200$-300$. And if you can pick up a job in the 12$- 14$ per hour range you are set, making anywhere from 1900$- 2300$ (before taxes of course). Not to mention if you really need the money, pick up a part time job on top of the full time, work 60 hours per week for a couple months, and put away enough to quit the partime job and enjoy yourself.

And if you really want to make money, get on with a construction crew, or with an oil company after you've been here for awhile. A friend of mine works road construction right now, with no experience and started at 21.50/hour.

Either way it should be an awesome experience...and when you're in town you should let us CP'ers know...we'll take you out for a beer.

[brownie]

Having moved out here 7 yrs ago from NS,I've had nothing but good things to say about Calgary.But in the last year or so I am having alot of thoughts on moving back.The service here has gone way down,traffic getting worse every day and you CANNOT get a cab in this city.I have alot of friends out here from my hometown,and there are tons of more things to do here than the maratimes,not too mention the flames.But you do need a decent job to enjoy yourself out here.If you are coming hopefully you have a couch to crash on for a bit,and there are lots of jobs but give yourself a month or so to find something especially if its a specific job.By the way there is no Cavendish beach here either.Good luck in wahtever you decide.