Edmonton, Alberta settlers Join here

[Thalia]

Hi diode,

winters in Edmonton are hard. Snow starts around end of October and it goes till end of April, so everything is white for 6 months/year. According to wiki data, there are on average 150 days where everything is covered by snow, and 50 days with actual snowfall. Problem is when the temperature rises, where as a result the snow melts and becomes ice. So be careful while driving or walking these days, many accidents happen. Due to the very dry climate here, -30 is not as bad as it sounds, you need a good coat, gloves and hat and you are ready to go out.
Plenty of survival jobs, if you really don't care you can get a job within days. Economy is good and the unemployment low. March-Aprli is a good time to come, as the weather becomes better and there is more hiring going on.
For more details on settling you can join the facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/493695310748431/

Good luck

 

[ttrajan]

Due to oil sands core engineering jobs are more in Alberta. But weather is horrible during winter from November to March.

 

[TO DREAMLAND]

I have some questions on use of electronic items, can any one reply?
Are the smartphone and computer we are using in India, compatible with Canada's power system? Any DC-AC converter needed? Is there any network for Idea, Vodafone, Airtel or any other Indian company have network in Ca? Can you suggest the best mobile handset cheaper? Is it cheaper in Canada? Thanks in advance, TD

 

[Thalia]

Hi dreamland,

Nowadays mobile and laptop chargers work in any voltage (you can go check your charger, it says 100-240V), so you won't need a converter for this kind of devices. Most likely you will need something like this: http://www.futureshop.ca/en-ca/product/purtek-purtek-plug-adapter-a-ptta-ptta/10154735.aspx?path=074df098f4e81698ee29bffd2359a868en02 so that you can plug it in the socket.
A problem you should consider is if the bandwidth of your mobile is the same as the bandwidth your Canadian mobile provider operates with. My European galaxy s3 was not compatible with the bandwidth my Canadian mobile provider operates (and from a quick look didn't match with most of the mobile providers), so I had to buy a new mobile from here. You can find the bandwidths of each device and operator in Wiki. Nothing you can do about it, just have in mind that once you are here you might need to buy a new mobile.
And no, the companies you just mentioned don't operate in Alberta. Big companies like Bell and Rogers are pretty expensive (far more expensive compared to European ones, I don't know about India's prices) and provide plans with contracts. Cheap alternatives are Wind and Mobilicity, no contract required but not as good coverage and they only cover big Canadian cities, so e.g. the minute you step outside Edmonton you are roaming.

 

[diode]

Hi diode,

winters in Edmonton are hard. Snow starts around end of October and it goes till end of April, so everything is white for 6 months/year. According to wiki data, there are on average 150 days where everything is covered by snow, and 50 days with actual snowfall. Problem is when the temperature rises, where as a result the snow melts and becomes ice. So be careful while driving or walking these days, many accidents happen. Due to the very dry climate here, -30 is not as bad as it sounds, you need a good coat, gloves and hat and you are ready to go out.
Plenty of survival jobs, if you really don't care you can get a job within days. Economy is good and the unemployment low. March-Aprli is a good time to come, as the weather becomes better and there is more hiring going on.
For more details on settling you can join the facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/493695310748431/

Good luck

thanks for your reply, one thing i want to know that i have family of three me,my wife and son.by doing the survival job can i sustain an average life over there, and what about the education of children.i am in confusion whether in edmonton i will survive or not.because i heard lot of negative about canada job market.

 

[Thalia]

A survival job is as it says, a job providing you enough to survive, not to live an average life. And if you are the only one working in a family of 3 then no, most likely you won't be able to cover your living expenses. If you both work then yes, you will be okay at least till you establish your life here. You have to keep in mind that people who complain most about the job market are located in Ontario or BC, things are much harder there job-wise. You won't have a problem getting a job here and hopefully you won't stay at the survival job for a long time, but move to something better soon. Sorry I can't help you with school enrollment, I have no personal experience in the matter, but for sure another member can.

 

[donwin4real]

Hi diode,

winters in Edmonton are hard. Snow starts around end of October and it goes till end of April, so everything is white for 6 months/year. According to wiki data, there are on average 150 days where everything is covered by snow, and 50 days with actual snowfall. Problem is when the temperature rises, where as a result the snow melts and becomes ice. So be careful while driving or walking these days, many accidents happen. Due to the very dry climate here, -30 is not as bad as it sounds, you need a good coat, gloves and hat and you are ready to go out.
Plenty of survival jobs, if you really don't care you can get a job within days. Economy is good and the unemployment low. March-Aprli is a good time to come, as the weather becomes better and there is more hiring going on.
For more details on settling you can join the facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/493695310748431/

Good luck

Thanx for the information...I have joined the group already

 

[faatir]

Following expense is only a guess from my humble knowledge.
Senior members can give you accurate idea
I also read a lot on web to find out expected living expense for a family of 3-4 in edmonton. There are 5 major expenses.

Family of 4 including 2 kids

1.Rent (900-1300) for 2 bedroom apartment
2.Utilities (100-200)
3.Groceries (400-600)
4.Cell phone plan, tv connection and home Internet,(100-150)
5.Car lease/finance (150-350)
6.Auto insurance (200-400)
7.Fuel expense (100-300)

thanks for your reply, one thing i want to know that i have family of three me,my wife and son.by doing the survival job can i sustain an average life over there, and what about the education of children.i am in confusion whether in edmonton i will survive or not.because i heard lot of negative about canada job market.

 

[ttrajan]

School education and medicals are free in canada.

 

[ttrajan]

My expense will be around $2500/=

 

[ttrajan]

It is monthly expense around 2500/=

 

[diode]

would you please explain me how many members do you have in ur family it's quite expensive 2500 per month.

 

[Thalia]

I would say around $2,500-$3,000/month for a family of 3-4.
You just have to be careful with your budget in the beginning. And it's not that high once you have a job here.
You have to compare the living expenses with the median salary in Edmonton; not with the living expenses in your country. That would be like comparing apples with oranges

 

[diode]

I would say around $2,500-$3,000/month for a family of 3-4.
You just have to be careful with your budget in the beginning. And it's not that high once you have a job here.
You have to compare the living expenses with the median salary in Edmonton; not with the living expenses in your country. That would be like comparing apples with oranges

i understand what you want to say,which place in edmonton is good in respect to crime rate and good facilities,where i can start my journey in edmonton.

 

[Thalia]

Edmonton is very spread, so you get all the facilities (shopping malls, services) in every neighborhood. Many people live e.g. at the south side and haven't been downtown for over 10 years (true story, I don't exaggerate!)..hehe
Not that much of a crime in Edmonton, it's relatively safe compared to big cities in other countries.

Copy-paste from one of my past replies: There are many good and bad neighborhoods, but generally keep it north or south west. Avoid east of downtown, and too north or too south areas. Well it's a matter of housing prices as well..my suggestion is stay inside the Yellowhead-Whitemud circle and concentrate in central and west areas on the city map (excluding Canora and Jasper Place though).

You can tell from the prices as well. For example if you see a 2 bedroom house for $1,000, then most likely you are in a bad neighborhood or in a remote area. No such thing as a bargain, when it comes to that.