House Member
Posts: 3,524 
Videos: 2
Location: 50° 30' N, 104° 38' W
Videos: 2
Location: 50° 30' N, 104° 38' W
July 5th, 2006, 02:28 AM
I'm not quite sure what to make of this thread. Kale7334, the way you write suggests either that English is not your first language, or the English teachers you had in primary and secondary school were not very good at their jobs. Doesn't much matter either way, it can be fixed with a little effort, and if that were all I had to say I wouldn't have bothered. But it isn't.
Your technical qualifications are pretty good, and you'd probably do better in Alberta, in my not very humble opinion. Alberta is desperately short of skilled people, it's sucking them up from all over and causing shortages elsewhere, and that still isn't enough. Be warned though: higher wages almost always mean higher living costs; a $68K a year job in Edmonton or Calgary is about like a $45K a year job in Regina, where I live. For instance, in Regina you can find a 1200 square foot bungalow in decent condition in a decent neighbourhood for around $120K. In Calgary or Edmonton the same house would cost you at least $300K, if you can find one. Good housing, particularly in Calgary, is hard to find. And in Toronto it'd be $500K. All other jurisdictions in Canada have higher taxes than Alberta, but that's deceptive too: in Alberta you pay out of pocket for things that elsewhere are covered or subsidized by the government's general revenues. Library services, public recreational facilities, car and home insurance, medical care insurance, and a lot of other stuff, will cost you direct charges in Alberta, while elsewhere in Canada they're covered by general revenues or charged out at a very minimal cost. My son's driver's licence for instance, in Saskatchewan costs him about a tenth of what it would cost him in Alberta, and his vehicle insurance costs about a third as much. For me, because I'm over twice his age with a good record, the costs are about the same in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
It's not a simple comparison, but detailed studies by people who presumably know what they're doing (economists, accountants, tax lawyers, people like that) suggest the real costs of living in Alberta and Saskatchewan are about the same on average, and Toronto is way higher. Go to Alberta. Everybody else does, and they're still short of skilled people there. But don't go without a job; get the offer, then go.
I'm not quite sure what to make of this thread. Kale7334, the way you write suggests either that English is not your first language, or the English teachers you had in primary and secondary school were not very good at their jobs. Doesn't much matter either way, it can be fixed with a little effort, and if that were all I had to say I wouldn't have bothered. But it isn't.
Your technical qualifications are pretty good, and you'd probably do better in Alberta, in my not very humble opinion. Alberta is desperately short of skilled people, it's sucking them up from all over and causing shortages elsewhere, and that still isn't enough. Be warned though: higher wages almost always mean higher living costs; a $68K a year job in Edmonton or Calgary is about like a $45K a year job in Regina, where I live. For instance, in Regina you can find a 1200 square foot bungalow in decent condition in a decent neighbourhood for around $120K. In Calgary or Edmonton the same house would cost you at least $300K, if you can find one. Good housing, particularly in Calgary, is hard to find. And in Toronto it'd be $500K. All other jurisdictions in Canada have higher taxes than Alberta, but that's deceptive too: in Alberta you pay out of pocket for things that elsewhere are covered or subsidized by the government's general revenues. Library services, public recreational facilities, car and home insurance, medical care insurance, and a lot of other stuff, will cost you direct charges in Alberta, while elsewhere in Canada they're covered by general revenues or charged out at a very minimal cost. My son's driver's licence for instance, in Saskatchewan costs him about a tenth of what it would cost him in Alberta, and his vehicle insurance costs about a third as much. For me, because I'm over twice his age with a good record, the costs are about the same in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
It's not a simple comparison, but detailed studies by people who presumably know what they're doing (economists, accountants, tax lawyers, people like that) suggest the real costs of living in Alberta and Saskatchewan are about the same on average, and Toronto is way higher. Go to Alberta. Everybody else does, and they're still short of skilled people there. But don't go without a job; get the offer, then go.
Newbie
Posts: 22
July 6th, 2006, 09:16 AM
wow dexter sinister..you nailed my question. No, english isnt my first language..russian is! I am thinking of Alberta too. Many people have suggested that I should go there regardless of the job guarantee. They say that I will get it soon after i reach because of my educational background. And I agree that its a ladder meaning that i will be at the bottom of the stairs and i will have to climb it which is just fine. I will work hard and achieve success and happiness eventually. I dont even mind working onone of those gondola places in Banff to start with. I bet they need people ! I have called few people in Alberta about renting a place in calgary south west part of it and the rent is 900 for a town house per month which i think is not so cheap, but i will work more initially...and it WILL be hard for a few days..but once i get my groove on the things, or make contacts..i will definitely get something. One important thing is sports. I play tennis and i bet there will be places where people play tennis. Tennis is a game in which you will see many CEO's are involved, meeting them at the courts is a bonus. Let's see how I do it. I appreciate your warm and very informative answer which i was expecting from others too.
wow dexter sinister..you nailed my question. No, english isnt my first language..russian is! I am thinking of Alberta too. Many people have suggested that I should go there regardless of the job guarantee. They say that I will get it soon after i reach because of my educational background. And I agree that its a ladder meaning that i will be at the bottom of the stairs and i will have to climb it which is just fine. I will work hard and achieve success and happiness eventually. I dont even mind working onone of those gondola places in Banff to start with. I bet they need people ! I have called few people in Alberta about renting a place in calgary south west part of it and the rent is 900 for a town house per month which i think is not so cheap, but i will work more initially...and it WILL be hard for a few days..but once i get my groove on the things, or make contacts..i will definitely get something. One important thing is sports. I play tennis and i bet there will be places where people play tennis. Tennis is a game in which you will see many CEO's are involved, meeting them at the courts is a bonus. Let's see how I do it. I appreciate your warm and very informative answer which i was expecting from others too.
