Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need advice.

[Satan_Eats_Cheese_Whiz!]

Hi! My name is lisa, I am 17 yrs. old and my mother and i are thinking about moving to Edmonton in the summer of 2007. We have been wanting to be adventurouse and start fresh somewhere far from where we are now(montreal). I don't know much about the place other than recent rumer has it that job oppurtunities are better there than here.( my mother would like to know if thats is true) I have done some research and i know that there is a very large mall in Edmonton and that there are beautiful sites and that the people are nice there...but it seems that every website i look on i only get the good things about the place. Nothing is perfect and so I figure that this is the only place where someone might actually tell me if there is any reason to not move there or to wait a while or something . I'm not quite sure what information I'm looking for(im kind of confuised as to what kind of information i need) but I know any information is better than none.
PS: If there is a montrealer out there that has moved to Edmonton and has any advice...I'm all ears.

 

[animator]

Re: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need advi

Hi! My name is lisa, I am 17 yrs. old and my mother and i are thinking about moving to Edmonton in the summer of 2007. We have been wanting to be adventurouse and start fresh somewhere far from where we are now(montreal). I don't know much about the place other than recent rumer has it that job oppurtunities are better there than here.( my mother would like to know if thats is true) I have done some research and i know that there is a very large mall in Edmonton and that there are beautiful sites and that the people are nice there...but it seems that every website i look on i only get the good things about the place. Nothing is perfect and so I figure that this is the only place where someone might actually tell me if there is any reason to not move there or to wait a while or something . I'm not quite sure what information I'm looking for(im kind of confuised as to what kind of information i need) but I know any information is better than none.
PS: If there is a montrealer out there that has moved to Edmonton and has any advice...I'm all ears.

I think you'll miss the Montreal culture in Edmonton. My daughter moved there from Calgary and she hasn't even been to a museum, the zoo is nothing compared to Calgary and the city core is decentralized. Calgary is booming more than Edmonton, the weather is nicer, it's only an hour to the mountains and there is a city centre that doesn't shut down when the offices close. I haven't spent time in Edmonton for a long time, so maybe my information is outdated, but I think Calgary has better job possibilities than Edmonton. The cost of housing is cheaper in Edmonton.

 

[Hank C]

RE: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need advi

Edmonton is a great city....but you might find that there is more crime than Montreal, simply because there is more native people and more poverty. But there should be plenty of jobs in Edmonton depending on you profession. Calgary and Edmonton are both booming so there is really not a big difference....but if you want good job prospects but a slightly smaller city you could move to Red Deer or one of our medium sized centers.

 

[Jersay]

Re: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need advi

Hank man, you can't blame Native people for all crime. Just because there is a bigger native population, you can't blame them for crime, unless they are statistically committing the crimes.

Edmonton is a great city....but you might find that there is more crime than Montreal, simply because there is more native people and more poverty.

 

[Andem]

Re: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need advi

Hank man, you can't blame Native people for all crime. Just because there is a bigger native population, you can't blame them for crime, unless they are statistically committing the crimes.

Edmonton is a great city....but you might find that there is more crime than Montreal, simply because there is more native people and more poverty.

Jersay, since you are big on jumping on people calling them racists... I took your suggestion and checked the statistics.

Aboriginal people are also significantly over-represented as offenders in the Canadian criminal justice system. Incarceration rates of Aboriginal people are five to six times higher than the national average. Statistics from Correctional Service Canada show that while Aboriginal people represent only 2.8% of the Canadian population, they account for 18% of those who are incarcerated in federal institutions. In the Prairie provinces, 50% of prisoners are Aboriginals.

Source: Statscan www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/85F0033MIE/85F0033MIE01001.pdf

 

[Satan_Eats_Cheese_Whiz!]

RE: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need advi

well, ya learn somthing new everyday eh?... good to know...so...does anyone have an idea what the cost would be for a two room apartment or a small house? my mother is the one asking.

 

[Satan_Eats_Cheese_Whiz!]

Re: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need advi

Hank man, you can't blame Native people for all crime. Just because there is a bigger native population, you can't blame them for crime, unless they are statistically committing the crimes.

Edmonton is a great city....but you might find that there is more crime than Montreal, simply because there is more native people and more poverty.

Jersay, since you are big on jumping on people calling them racists... I took your suggestion and checked the statistics.

Aboriginal people are also significantly over-represented as offenders in the Canadian criminal justice system. Incarceration rates of Aboriginal people are five to six times higher than the national average. Statistics from Correctional Service Canada show that while Aboriginal people represent only 2.8% of the Canadian population, they account for 18% of those who are incarcerated in federal institutions. In the Prairie provinces, 50% of prisoners are Aboriginals.

Source: Statscan www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/85F0033MIE/85F0033MIE01001.pdf

well in my opinion, a high percentage of incarcerated natives are innocent as are blacks in the U.S.

 

[Andem]

RE: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need advi

You're innocent if you're in Jail? I'm not following, unless you're being sarcastic.

 

[Satan_Eats_Cheese_Whiz!]

Re: RE: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need

You're innocent if you're in Jail? I'm not following, unless you're being sarcastic.

Wrongly convicted.

 

[Andem]

Re: RE: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need

You're innocent if you're in Jail? I'm not following, unless you're being sarcastic.

Wrongly convicted.

Because somebody is of a certain race, they're wrongly convicted? That's pretty blatantly racist.

 

[Satan_Eats_Cheese_Whiz!]

RE: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need advi

your misunderstanding and now im not sure how to explain it to you. I'm not racist.

 

[animator]

Re: RE: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need

well, ya learn somthing new everyday eh?... good to know...so...does anyone have an idea what the cost would be for a two room apartment or a small house? my mother is the one asking.

I'm not sure about Edmonton but I think a house in Calgary is about $800 and up whereas a two bedroom apartment, depending on where, probably starts around 650 or $700. Check here: http://homes.canada.com/calgary/browsecategory.aspx?id=3092 but stay away from the agencies. Edmonton rentals here: http://homes.canada.com/edmonton/browsecategory.aspx?id=2935

 

[Semperfi_dani]

RE: Considering moving fr

I live in Edmonton and I love it. And contrary to popular belief, it has culture. It might not be the "fine" culture that you would think of from Montreal, but we have our things.

In the summer for instance, we have festivals like the Fringe (theater groups put on shows) that is second in size to the Scottish Fringe Festival in Scottland. We have street performers, Klondike Days, Heritage Days (an awesome festival celebrating different cultures..great food), Taste of Edmonton, Jazz Fest, Comedy Fest (both being smaller than Montreal..but small is good), Independant film festivals. In addition, we routinely host major sports events if thats your thing. We have i would say 3 or 4 great night life areas, and its diverse. Sure you have your chachi bars and cowhick bars, but we have a very great industrial scene as well.

As for living, there are certainly jobs here. But understand that in Alberta, Trades are the big paying jobs. Suit type jobs are there, but the big bucks are in traded. On the other hand, even thought Alberta has a low minimum wage, no company worth its grain in salt pays less that at least 9 an hour. I don't know anyone who makes less than 11. We have no PST. We have at this time no user fees (other than the ones attached to your property taxes).

An average two bedroom apartment depending on where you live in the city will go from 450 ish to 900 ish. I would say the average is 700. We rent a house complete with basement and garage and yard for less than 1000 a month.

We do have the largest mall in the world. And there are tons of retail jobs there. Sure we are a bit of a ways away from the mountains (3 hours), but we are so close to the north, and surrounded by awesome lakes.

The weather is fine. Today its +3. The wether is on the dryish side..next to no humidity. But warning..it gets MIGHTY FREAKING COLD in the cold snaps.

It is probably boring compared to some cities, but i like it. Its exciting on a smaller, less busy, less pretentious scale. Edmontonians, while sucky drivers, are quite relaxed. We have our culture and our things to do.

What i do like is that its GREEN. Its not a brown city.

If you need more information or have specific questions, PM me and I would be happy to help (or find the info) for you.

 

[Semperfi_dani]

RE: Considering moving fr

Ooh..i just saw an news thing on how Loblaws (which is here called Superstore) is advertising down east to fill jobs, with minimum salary is 30,000.00. Thats freaking good for a retail job. Hell, i make that working at an investment firm.

 

[Satan_Eats_Cheese_Whiz!]

RE: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need advi

My mother and i greatly appreciate your good advice Semperfi_dani. You seem to have answered a lot of my mothers questions. If we have anymore questions i'll be sure to pm you.
Thank you

 

[Jo Canadian]

Re: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need advi

Well Animator. If you are moving to Edmonton one thing I suggest and it's from personal experience... is DO NOT rent from Boardwalk, or from West Edmonton Village. It'll help keep your sanity when you have to move again.

 

[Semperfi_dani]

RE: Considering moving fr

Oh...I agree 100%. DO NOT EVER EVER EVER RENT FROM BOARDWALK.

They are rent hiking, do nothing Nazi's. They like own every freaking apartment in the west end. Try hard to find something that is not a Boardwalk Property. Or expect your rent to go up on a whim.

 

[Satan_Eats_Cheese_Whiz!]

Re: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need advi

I have another question, there is yet another rumour that people from quebec tend to get the cool reception on the job market in Alberta. Is there any truth to the rumour?

 

[Semperfi_dani]

RE: Considering moving fr

I have never heard of that! But on the other hand, maybe there is a cultural/lanuage barrier issue and i'm sure that there are some ignorant jerks out there. But i have never heard of anything like that, at least in Edmonton, we have quite a prominant french community. Maybe in Calgary? I dunno.

 

[Cannuck]

Re: Considering moving from montreal to edmonton...need advi

I used to work with a guy from Montreal when I lived in Edmonton. I live in the SE corner of the province now and work with another guy from Montreal. The only time they ever had a problem is when they wore their Habs jerseys.