Hello all,

I am about to take a position in Calgray, Canada and I wanted to know how is life there for me( a male that is 26 years old ). Weather, nightlife, eating, living? Any mini owners out there? I don't know anyone there.. thanks for any info. I going to take my mini with me but I think I will leave my motorcycle here in houston


motor on.
ant

 

There is a newish MINI dealership on Crowfoot from what I recall. I haven't seen anything regarding a MINI club in Calgary, but if there is one or if one starts up we'd be happy to put up a forum for them on NAM.

It's a beautiful area. I have several relatives that live either in Calgary or other parts of southern Alberta. Access to the mountains is nice too. I'd love to live up there (in the summer).

 

This will there first time I will be all alone.. I mean I won't have my family or friends even my dog. I will have to leave him here.....

 

What a shock to your system. From Houston to Calgary. Have you ever lived up north? It does get quite cold, still snows in April, the days in winter are quite short, and very long in summer.

 

i have been up north like nyc and seattle and portland.......it will be a shock........i hope it won't be to bad.......is driving in the snow bad?

 

I have a question.........Is it bad to have a car up in Calgry?

 

Probably as many cowboys in Calgary as there are in Houston.
That said, I did like the downtown area, and if you are into it the Calgary Stampede is held once a year. Travelling out of Calgary you'll see some of the finest scenic vistas in the world within a few hours drive. The winter kind of sucks though. Have fun!

 

i live in houston and i rarely see any cowboys! ....My new place of work will be in downtown area....I will assume I will get a place in downtown....doh! Kinda sounds like a boring place to live?

motor on

ant

 

You may want to ask member "Lot15" although he lives in the province of Manitoba but maybe could give you an insight about the area. Also go to www.mini2.com as there are lots of Canucks in those message boards and I believe MINI owners living in Calgary. What a great opportunity to create a MINI club while you are living upthere.


For what I have read, Calgary is a very cool place to live and if you are single, I am sure you'll be able to hook up with some fine looking Canadian chicks

Not many single people get that kind of opportunity not just to live elsehwere but in another country (Yes Canada is another country not the 52nd US state ).

My wife and I will be visiting Western Canada in a few weeks and we plan to visit nearby Jasper and Banff national parks in Alberta. However, I don't think we will have time to take a detour and check out Calgary which is 3 hours east of Banff.

Canada is a nice peaceful country for the most part and living upthere should give you yeat another perspective on what is like to live outside of the US and maybe you'll gain some added or renewed appreciation for the country you are living behind.

What a fun time for you my friend!

Enjoy!

 

First Banff is 1 1/2 hours from Calgary,the town of Banff is a tourist trap,but the Banff National Park is wonderful.
Now about Calgary,Alberta.
First about Alberta.It's the only completly debt free province,no sales tax,and low taxes in general.This is because it is oil and natural gas rich.Lots of ranching,thats were THE mad cow was.The Capital is Edmonton,about 3 hours north of Calgary.But Calgary is the big money town.
Ok what I know of Calgary.Not a cheap place to live,housing prices are one of the highest in the country,but property taxes are low,and because they got the oil,lowest gas prices in the country.
The city is very new,no old areas really,as they all got torn down to build new,then torn down again to build new again.
Not alot of native Calgarians,most have moved there.In the late 60s,maybe 300,000 lived there,Almost a million now.
It has a very good rapid transit system,but even if you live and work downtown,bring your car,as the mountains are only an hour away,and the roads are very MINI friendly.
The weather.Now for you winter will feel cold,but Calgary is very dry,so not much snow,and their temps don't stay cold long.Unlike were I live,same latitude, they never see -40F.Cold for them is 10F.And they get chinooks,warm Pacific air that falls from the mountains.
Summers are not hot,and dry.
The city is in the foothills of the Rocky Mountain range,hilly.
My son just moved there in January,and really likes it.
Good luck,and PM me if you have any Canadian questions

 

The only thing I would add, is if you can, take your bike too. Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper are all beautiful. They are good MINI roads, which makes them good motorcycle roads too!

Flew out of Calgary this spring after taking the train from Vancouver to Jasper. No time to actually see the city, but I can say is it's only about an hour from the mountains!

 

I am happy and sad all at the same time.......But this job will be great for my career. Calgary sounds like a great and fun place to live....I don't mind the cold but saying that I have never lived anywhere the temperatures drop below 20F. That will be a shock. I really want to say thanks to you guys for the info and making feel better about Calgary.


motor on

ant

 

ant,

So you have never felt your snot freeze inside of your nostrils? Ohhh man are you going to have fun!

 

your just kidding right.............doh!.............that could.............

 

Not kidding man. When it gets to 20 below zero, the snot freezes quickly.

 

Its about a 15 hour drive from Calgary to where I live in Manitoba,come visit next Jan. or Feb.Then you can feel snot freeze

 

I have visited Calgary a few times on business and I have road tripped to the Canmore area which is close by. Areas like Canmore/Banff etc are extremely beautiful, and if you are into hiking, climbing, or mountain biking you will absolutely love it. Calgary as a city though, I found a bit boring. It doesn't seem to have a real "cosmopolitan" feel to it if you know what I mean. The kind of city where the "downtown" area seems to mostly shut down after 5 o'clock. And there is not really much interesting architecture because everytyhing is new, as has been mentioned. Bit of an urban sprawl problem happening I think, along with a very conservative mindset. Nothing like Vancouver or Montreal, two truly world-class cities in Canada, where it seems there is never enough time to see everything the city centres have to offer. Anyway you'll be pretty close to Vancouver, about 1 hour by air.

 

Ssshhhh Its a secret. Calgary in one of the best cities in North America if you like the outdoors and variety.

Fishing Skiing Hiking Camping Paddling Hockey Football Hunting Cyclling, with lots of sunshine and little rain. If you are into indoor sports its a pretty young city but i'm a couple of decades past being a night prowler.

There are lots of minis but no club. There is a race rack that has autox and some pretty active autoclubs.

In some ways its not exactly on the beaten track, but for most of us that is part of Calgary's charm. I grew up elsewhere and have lived in Toronto and Montreal but I've stayed in Calgary and am happy to call it home. You'll like it here - I don't think I've every met anyone who didn't.

 

I'm not 26, single, or relocating from Houston (but my colleague, originally from Dallas/Fort Worth, has been in Calgary more than 2 years and loves it).

Almost no rain, minimal snow, sunniest city in Canada, 2-3 brutally cold weeks every winter (otherwise fine). Think about a block heater!

Lot's of quiet country roads (but straight), twisties in the mountains (but 90 km/hr speed limit so the wildlife doesn't get slaughtered). Icefields parkway (Lake Louise to Jasper) is the greatest road on the world!

Calgary Stampede for 10 days at the beginning of July - you'll have fun there (yee-hah!). Pretty good restaurants (but not the depth of choice like Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver).

Mini dealer is Crowfoot Mini (for me, so far so good).

See you in Calgary!