Moving to Calgary in May

[Codino10]

Hi,

I have been living on Montreal for the last two and a half years and now I feel it's time for a change.

My colleagues and friends have always told me to try living in an anglophone city such as Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary, because it might be easier to find a job there with no "bilingual barrier" (my English is way better than my French) and with better wages. After doing some research, I believe that Calgary might be the best choice among them.

Luckily, I have been working here for the last two years as a Business Analyst; I have a Bachelors' Degree in Business (from a foreign university) and speak Spanish (native), English (quite well) and French (decent). At the begining I had a little hard time with the winter here but now I almost got used to it, so I believe I could do well in Calgary (even though it's colder).

Web research could be somehow "cold", that's why I would like to get information from someone who is currently living there (or had lived) about the city and the opportunities that it may offer to a single guy like me regarding: job opportunities, housing, cost of living, education (planning to study an MBA), culture, weather, etc.

Please any comment or help that you could give me will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Codino

 

[gerryh]

 

[MJ1]

Hi there Codino,

I used to live in Calgary, before moving to England for 18 years. I have always loved Calgary very much, and have always remained fond of it even during my time living in Europe. I think Calgary has a lot to offer as a city. I am currently living in Winnipeg, but looking to relocate to Calgary in the next few months. As someone who currently lives in Winnipeg, I can tell you, Calgary is so much more vibrant, young, clean and modern with much to offer culturally and socially. I myself have returned to college part time, and am looking to relocate my current credits to Calgary University, which I am able to do. I really cannot wait to return there to live. Calgary has a much younger feel to it, with so many culturally-different restaurants, international-brand stores to shop at and is a beautiful looking city, with excellent outdoor facilities too. And if you want to save a bit on rent and don't mind commuting the 15 minutes to Calgary, Cochrane is a lovely town to live in too. Hope that helps! Anything else you would like to know, let me know!

 

[Durry]

To get a decent job in Calgary, a bachelors business degree is not enough.
As a minimum you need an MBA and better yet combine with an Eng. Degree.

The same is true for Vancouver.
Many easterners who come out west usually do not last very long. They usually go back home.
The competition is very keen in the west and you gotta be really good to survive.

 

[Benny_Ted]

Hi Codino,

So my advice (worth perhaps what you paid for it) I wouldn't say it's quite as cutthroat as Durry makes it to be but if you're in the investment industry, my experiences (I worked for a couple of small houses) is that they really do not pay well. But things might have changed in the last two years. Lonely planet classifies Calgary as "a city full of charmless suburbs." which is 100% correct. Try your hardest to afford living downtown as there you will find the culture (don't believe the hype, their is culture) that you mentioned. Schooling is expensive as I don't believe Mount Roayal University has an MBA so that leaves U of C and online via Athabasca or similar. The winter sucks, plain and simple. The Chinooks are a nice break but they did not seem to happen this year. Hope it helps!

 

[JLM]

Hi,

I have been living on Montreal for the last two and a half years and now I feel it's time for a change.

My colleagues and friends have always told me to try living in an anglophone city such as Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary, because it might be easier to find a job there with no "bilingual barrier" (my English is way better than my French) and with better wages. After doing some research, I believe that Calgary might be the best choice among them.

Luckily, I have been working here for the last two years as a Business Analyst; I have a Bachelors' Degree in Business (from a foreign university) and speak Spanish (native), English (quite well) and French (decent). At the begining I had a little hard time with the winter here but now I almost got used to it, so I believe I could do well in Calgary (even though it's colder).

Web research could be somehow "cold", that's why I would like to get information from someone who is currently living there (or had lived) about the city and the opportunities that it may offer to a single guy like me regarding: job opportunities, housing, cost of living, education (planning to study an MBA), culture, weather, etc.

Please any comment or help that you could give me will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Codino

I guess if a person HAS to live in a big city Calgary is about as good as it gets. Reasonable weather (most of the time) fairly easy to drive around in (just keep an eye peeled for idiots who will not yield) Lots of recreational facilities, like walking and bike paths.

 

[JLM]

To get a decent job in Calgary, a bachelors business degree is not enough.
As a minimum you need an MBA and better yet combine with an Eng. Degree.

The same is true for Vancouver.
Many easterners who come out west usually do not last very long. They usually go back home.
The competition is very keen in the west and you gotta be really good to survive.

To the best of my knowledge they are still hiring janitors, electricians, roofers, mechanics there.

 

[Durry]

To the best of my knowledge they are still hiring janitors, electricians, roofers, mechanics there.

Yeah but westerners get priority for these jobs !!

 

[gerryh]

Yeah but westerners get priority for these jobs !!

:roll:

 

[JLM]

Yeah but westerners get priority for these jobs !!

I'm pretty sure if you are twice as good and three times as fast you'll have no problem getting the job. :lol:

 

[gerryh]

I'm pretty sure if you are twice as good and three times as fast you'll have no problem getting the job. :lol:

which really isn't that hard to do considering what the local talent is like.

 

[Codino10]

Thanks a lot for all the replies, they help me to get a finer picture of the city...

Hi there Codino,

I really cannot wait to return there to live. Calgary has a much younger feel to it, with so many culturally-different restaurants, international-brand stores to shop at and is a beautiful looking city, with excellent outdoor facilities too. And if you want to save a bit on rent and don't mind commuting the 15 minutes to Calgary, Cochrane is a lovely town to live in too. Hope that helps! Anything else you would like to know, let me know!

MJ1, I like your enthusiasm; I might choose Cochrane....sounds like a nice place to live in.

Hi Codino,

Try your hardest to afford living downtown as there you will find the culture (don't believe the hype, their is culture) that you mentioned. Schooling is expensive as I don't believe Mount Roayal University has an MBA so that leaves U of C and online via Athabasca or similar. The winter sucks, plain and simple. The Chinooks are a nice break but they did not seem to happen this year. Hope it helps!

A worthy reply for sure....I do not believe the hype; every city has its culture.....; downtown would be nice, yet expensive for me now...

To get a decent job in Calgary, a bachelors business degree is not enough.
As a minimum you need an MBA and better yet combine with an Eng. Degree.

The same is true for Vancouver.
Many easterners who come out west usually do not last very long. They usually go back home.
The competition is very keen in the west and you gotta be really good to survive.

Thanks Durry; but not quite sure about what a "decent job" means for you..

Yeah but westerners get priority for these jobs !!

same happens here in MTL...so I guess it is part of the game...

I'm pretty sure if you are twice as good and three times as fast you'll have no problem getting the job. :lol:

I believe I am very good... ;-)

which really isn't that hard to do considering what the local talent is like.

again, same situation here in MTL....



Just one additional question if I may; I read something about Calgary been "Redneck"...is it true?

Thanks.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Just one additional question if I may; I read something about Calgary been "Redneck"...is it true?

Thanks.

Hmmm...depends on your definition of "Redneck" I guess. Mine is a positive thing.
How do "You" define "Redneck" so that your question can be answered?

 

[Codino10]

Hmmm...depends on your definition of "Redneck" I guess. Mine is a positive thing.
How do "You" define "Redneck" so that your question can be answered?

I meant Redneck as in racist or intolerant (please no offense here, I am just asking).

In all honesty, I found this article "Calgary is no more redneck than all the rest", which triggered my attention.

The article explains that crime studies might be biased: (”But I'll bet you two gun racks and a half dozen gas-guzzling 4x4's with oversized tires that there's a flaw to the StatsCan methodology”); nevertheless, if the author says Calgary is no more redneck than others, it means that Calgary might be it, a little....

I hope this makes my question a bit more clear..

 

[Ron in Regina]

Well, gun racks are a thing of the past (storage & transport laws, etc....).
Racism & intolerance can be found anywhere, and an example of that is
your desire to move from where you currently are located. No offense
taken, as I asked the question for clarification.

To me, a "Redneck" is a resourceful blue-collar person who is proud of
their resourcefulness in making due with their lot in the pursuit of
happiness. On that note, there are "Rednecks" almost everywhere by my
definition.

4x4's are a fact of life in much of the West due to weather and climate and
employment nessesity. The company I work for hauls us around in three of
them....and we'd never make it to work much of the time without them. My
own personal vehicle isn't a 4x4, 'cuz it doesn't need to be.

Not all Rednecks are Camo wearing, Rottweiler owning, cigar smoking,
tattooed people who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty to earn a buck or
help a friend (or a stranger), I guess.....but if that's the stereo-type, you could
be in worse company. I'm a "Redneck" by my own definition, and as far as
the racism & intolerance thing goes, our family gatherings if viewed from the
outside, look like a gathering of folks from the U.N. when they let their hair
down.

 

[Durry]

Don't worry about the "redneck" thing, Calgary is not much different than any of the western cities. It has over 1M people, so you can find pretty well whatever your looking for, redneck or whatever !!
The city is pretty well whatever you make it to be. For some it works for others it doesnt.

My experience with people from the east is they usually don't last very long in the west, but if you don't try, you'll never know !!

 

[gerryh]

rednecks? Don't worry about em. The kind you are worried about are few and far between. Calgary is truly a multicultural city. Large thriving populations of eastern europeans, east Indians, Asian (Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean.....) Middle Easterners (Lebanese, etc.....).... Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Budhist, Jew.

 

[justsaying]

Hi,

I have been living on Montreal for the last two and a half years and now I feel it's time for a change.

My colleagues and friends have always told me to try living in an anglophone city such as Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary, because it might be easier to find a job there with no "bilingual barrier" (my English is way better than my French) and with better wages. After doing some research, I believe that Calgary might be the best choice among them.

Luckily, I have been working here for the last two years as a Business Analyst; I have a Bachelors' Degree in Business (from a foreign university) and speak Spanish (native), English (quite well) and French (decent). At the begining I had a little hard time with the winter here but now I almost got used to it, so I believe I could do well in Calgary (even though it's colder).

Web research could be somehow "cold", that's why I would like to get information from someone who is currently living there (or had lived) about the city and the opportunities that it may offer to a single guy like me regarding: job opportunities, housing, cost of living, education (planning to study an MBA), culture, weather, etc.

Please any comment or help that you could give me will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Codino

There is a good page on Facebook called Moving to Calgary? that posts ongoing info about moving to Calgary. Check it out.

 

[Spade]

Montreal has better croissants, less-expensive housing, and a more people-friendly downtown; Calgary is close to better mountains.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Is Calgary (over all) colder than Montreal (I've never been to Montreal)?