Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Get your family ready for the worst weather you can experience. Long freezing winter, I mean long as in 7-8 months of the year, the other 4-5 is usually mediocre, with high temps in the 80's to 90's, lots of rainy days. No humidity like you have in Houston or the south. The upside is that due to the long freezing period and nothing can really live through that, the insect population is limited to mostly mosquitoes, lots and lots of mosquitoes. When the weather is perfect it is really beautiful. You may need to invest in a UV lamp to prevent depression in your house. It lacks much in the way of water, aside from a slightly polluted river that runs through the city of Calgary, or a really polluted river that runs through Edmonton. Closest ocean is a 14 hour drive away. Currently the province of Alberta is in a very deep slump due to oil prices being rock bottom since America took over as the largest oil exporter in the world. Go visit a couple times first, try once in January to see some of the worst weather outside of Anchorage, and again mid summer to see if it is comfortable, it will be more so than Houston but summers are very brief up there. Also be mindful of the Canadian anti American or anti Israel attitudes, they will try and shush me over this but I have not experienced hatred for the Jewish state like that anywhere else in the world outside of Iran or Palestine. Great Universities though, just avoid their state run media and you might enjoy it...
Get your family ready for the worst weather you can experience. Long freezing winter, I mean long as in 7-8 months of the year, the other 4-5 is usually mediocre, with high temps in the 80's to 90's, lots of rainy days. No humidity like you have in Houston or the south. The upside is that due to the long freezing period and nothing can really live through that, the insect population is limited to mostly mosquitoes, lots and lots of mosquitoes. When the weather is perfect it is really beautiful. You may need to invest in a UV lamp to prevent depression in your house. It lacks much in the way of water, aside from a slightly polluted river that runs through the city of Calgary, or a really polluted river that runs through Edmonton. Closest ocean is a 14 hour drive away. Currently the province of Alberta is in a very deep slump due to oil prices being rock bottom since America took over as the largest oil exporter in the world. Go visit a couple times first, try once in January to see some of the worst weather outside of Anchorage, and again mid summer to see if it is comfortable, it will be more so than Houston but summers are very brief up there. Also be mindful of the Canadian anti American or anti Israel attitudes, they will try and shush me over this but I have not experienced hatred for the Jewish state like that anywhere else in the world outside of Iran or Palestine. Great Universities though, just avoid their state run media and you might enjoy it...
Have you been to Calgary in either the summer or the winter? Calgary has no where the worst winters in the Canadian Prairies let alone the rest of the country. And you forgot to mention that when it is cold it is also sunny and how long the summer days are.
Most of Alaska has worst winters than does Anchorage, perhaps your lack of knowledge is not limited to only Calgary.
We are an American family of 5 (twin 8 year olds, and a 2 year old) moving from the Houston suburbs to Calgary. Hubby has a relocation opportunity in O&G. We have only been in Houston for 18 months, and prior to that we were in Durango and Denver, Colorado, as well as Northern New Mexico. The lifestyle of Calgary is closer to what we prefer than hot, muggy, congested, enormous, sprawling Houston. Houston isn't all bad, but it's out of joint for us.
I understand the appeal of Calgary considering your issues with Houston, but all of these issues - with the exception of the extreme southern heat and humidity - exist in Calgary and Canadian cities more generally. Calgary has tons of congestion and you will notice very quickly that road etiquette is significantly worse than Texas (more road rage, drivers not allowing you to merge, etc.), which in my experience makes dealing with it more stressful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by downtownG
Houston has been a bit of a challenge. We prefer to be on a little bit of land, where the kids can run around on the property. Children in Houston's suburbia are, frankly, brats (not all, but too many). I have seen so much disrespect, meanness, mouthiness, competitiveness, materialism, gossip, etc. Maybe because there's just a lot of people here, or maybe it's because that's what suburbia is anymore. I don't know. I just feel bad for my kids. It's been a hard 18 months adjusting to the culture down here. I know these issues are everywhere, but it seems like the affluent area we are in has a disproportionate amount of it. Can anyone comment on this concern relative to Calgary? I'm just hoping someone will say that Calgary is more like 1970s America, in terms of growing up, than today's America (yes, I know Calgary is 100% Canada, but I just need to put my concern into context). I love my country, for sure, but it's a tough environment to raise kids.
I don't believe you're going to see much of a difference in Calgary with regards to pettiness and competitiveness. This kind of thing is endemic to modern suburban life, where people are all secretly competing with one another. (Quite frankly I think it's everyone's responsibility to rise above that and find their peace regardless of where they live, but I digress.) Regarding kids, I have noticed a bit less disrespect as Canadian parents tend to be a bit more strict, but that doesn't necessarily translate as automatically being more respectful to their elders. For example, no one here forces their kids to say "Hi Mr./Mrs. _______!" the way you see in movies set in 1950s America.
Quote:
Originally Posted by downtownG
Just wanted to get some feedback. Hoping for a more simple way of life. Houston has been hectic... not what we hoped it would be.
You're literally trading one set of bad circumstances for another equally bad set of circumstances with the added bonus of headaches and hassles with adjusting to a very different environment. Also, I personally know many Canadians that would rush at the opportunity to live in Texas for a "more simple way of life," so it's really surprising that you believe you would find that in Calgary.
I personally wouldn't accept the offer that was given to your husband. I would search for a place in Texas or elsewhere in the US that more closely matched what I was looking for. You won't find what you're looking for in Calgary.
If the OP is now in Calgary, I'd love to hear how they're enjoying (or not enjoying) it.
I lived in Houston for 25 years. Right now I'm near Montreal, but considering a move to Calgary next year, and I too would like to know if it's worth it. If not, somewhere in B.C. might beckon me instead.
And ignore that one poster... we DO use the term "expats" here, or at least anyone with a little knowledge of corporate relocation does, and it has no negative connotation. Geesh...
If the OP is now in Calgary, I'd love to hear how they're enjoying (or not enjoying) it.
I lived in Houston for 25 years. Right now I'm near Montreal, but considering a move to Calgary next year, and I too would like to know if it's worth it. If not, somewhere in B.C. might beckon me instead.
And ignore that one poster... we DO use the term "expats" here, or at least anyone with a little knowledge of corporate relocation does, and it has no negative connotation. Geesh...
If you like the mountains and outdoors it’s tough to beat. Good people, suffering a bit right now, but it’s a nice city
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi there... did you move to Calgary?
