How's Edmonton?

[#1MMFan]

Just wondering cos sis has a possible job opportunity there and we were trying to look it up on the internet.

Has anyone been or lived there? Would love to know what any of you thought about it.

John

 

[lilsonicfan]

I've been to Edmonton several times. I really like it there - it's got some big-city feel to it, but not too much so that it still feels community oriented. I've only been in summer, so I imagine I have a bit different of a view that someone who has experienced a more "Canadian" winter than me. I did live in southern Alberta for a while, and it was plenty cold there in winter. Edmonton gets much more snow.

In summer, Edmonton has lots of different festivals and fairs to go to. My favourite is Heritage Days, where people from lots of different countries set up little kiosks in Hawrelak Park where you can buy small plates of food to sample.

Trivial fact: Edmonton has more park space per capita than any other city in Canada. Don't ask me why I know that!

 

[bev r.]

John,

I've lived in Edmonton and the Edmonton area all my life. Is there anything specific you are looking for?

As far as the weather goes we definitely get all four seasons here. Sometimes all in one week (it seems). We usually have one or two cold spells in the winter, which makes you wonder why you live here (but then it makes for a good excuse for a winter vacation in a warm climate). Summers are generally pretty nice here. The one thing I don't like is that if we have a wet spring or summer, sometimes the mosquitoes can be unbearable. Our climate is quite dry.

If you like outdoor activities, we have a wonderful park system full of trails for bikes and walkers/joggers. The Rocky Mountains are only about a 3.5 - 4 hour drive away, which makes for great weekend getaways to Banff or Jasper. There are some great camping spots too.

There is no sales tax in Alberta. Our economy is booming right now, so some things like housing might be overpriced. But overall I think Edmonton is one of the better places to live in Canada based upon cost of living.

We have a professional hockey team, football (North American style football), and a minor league baseball team. There are many other amatuer sports teams.

I hope answers some of your questions. As stated below, Edmonton is a large enough city to have all the amenities, but does not fell like a metropolis. Overall I do enjoy living in Edmonton. I think it is a great place to raise a family.

 

[northernmouse]

Hi, John! I think I remember you from a thread quite a while back about Vancouver!

I've also lived in Edmonton most of my adult life. I've had opportunities to move elsewhere and have chosen to stay.

To add to bev r's comments, Edmonton has many of the advantages of a fair-sized city, and still has a friendly personality.

In addition to the professional sports, there is a very strong recreation sport environment (running the gammut from soccer, hockey, basketball, volleyball, cycling, equestrian; you name it). The surrounding Edmonton area has lots of out-doorsy activities -- which means you don't have to take a trip to the mountains to enjoy the great outdoors. There are lots of lakes and wilderness parks nearby. Believe it or not, the prairies also boast excellent sailers, because there are plenty of lakes and lots of breeze.

In terms of quality of life, Edmonton enjoys a lot of amenities, at a very reasonable price. Compensation is good, and the low cost of housing, (relative to the Canadian norm), low provincial income and no provincial sales tax makes one's income go a long way.

Culturally, Edmonton has a lot to offer. In the summer, there is hardly a weekend without a music (jazz, folk, blues, etc) or theatre festival. (The Fringe Festival, which is well-known internationally, started in Edmonton). HeritageDays are great! There is professional opera, symphony, theatre, and ballet in the city.

Winters are tolerable (actually, they've been very mild recenlty), and when it's really cold, it doesn't last long. At least it's always sunny, and the cold is a dry cold.

If you're interested in something specific, don't be shy to drop a pm.

 

[#1MMFan]

Thanks for the replies so far, guys. The city sounds very nice. Much like the feel of Glasgow over here I think.

My sister likes the idea of the shopping. We were also wondering about amateur orchestras in the area. I know that's a very specific thing - you either play an instrument and know the orchestra(s) or you don't - and I have looked it up on the internet. On one site it suggested there were three amateur orchestras in the area, but all I have found is Edmonton Philharmonic. Do you know any of the others, or what they are like?

I have quite liked the idea of a 'snowy' winter - ok, maybe I'm completely off my head here - because we don't really get that anymore. The climate in the west of Scotland is quite wet, even in winter - 'cold rain'!! The summers aren't good either here, with temps being very average and often wet too.

What are the houses and neighbourhoods like generally around Edmonton. And also, would be interested to know the situation with your family physicians and the services they provide in the area.

Thanks so far!

John

 

[northernmouse]

John, I do know of one amateur group -- the Cosmopolitan Music Society. Start at one place, and it's not so difficult to find others; I've no doubt there are more.

Houses here follow more of a suburban style. Maybe check out Jayman Homes' website -- only because they are a local building that has a lot of info available.
http://www.jayman.com/where.html

Also, the Multiple listing service is an excellent resource to find listings in specific areas, and has lots of photos
http://www.mls.ca/mls/home.asp

In terms of physicians, there is definitely a market for more -- finding a doctor who's accepting new patients can be difficult. I know from recent experience, that finding a female physician is definitely a challenge, and myself and several colleagues were recently 'on the hunt' for precisely that. I'm assuming you're familiar with the role of the national health insurance system. If not, check out the Alberta Health sites, and the Alberta Medical Association (doctors) sites.
http://www.albertadoctors.org/home/
http://www.health.gov.ab.ca/

One of the things you might find helpful is the canadian google site. If you search only Canadian pages, you might find more specific information that you are looking for.
http://www.google.ca/

Best wishes!