Edmonton, Alberta settlers Join here

[kitchie]

Which part of Canada has a good weather, not too cold?

 

[obinja]

Which part of Canada has a good weather, not too cold?

Vancouver

But you will have to pay for the good weather

 

[kitchie]

Obinja, what do u mean?

 

[ttrajan]

Weather wise Vancouver is better, but cost of living is higher than Edmonton.

 

[kitchie]

Ok. Thanks for the info.

 

[POKLINK]

Which part of edmonton is a small city with amenities of a big city?

 

[saeedabid]

Dear Edmonta,

Thank you for sharing your experience, that really wonderful to hear that things have worked out for you smoothly.

Though I wanted to ask since, you already had a driving license, didn't that help you get your driving test waived? Just curious.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Take Care and have a nice day.

Regards
Abid Saeed

 

[ttrajan]

It depends upon your License. For Indian license, driving test is not waived.

 

[fdk511]

Which part of edmonton is a small city with amenities of a big city?

Not sure if I understood the question properly. Edmonton is a city in Alberta.

For those of us from cities with populations in excess of 1 million, it will feel like a smaller city population-wise, but from a Canadian viewpoint (and in my opinion) it comes with all the amenities of a bigger city. With multiple neighbourhoods, municipalities etc you have a lot of flexibility in choosing where you want to live.

 

[dadof3kids]

I never said the economy is going down - but might be slowing down! Not to split hairs, but there is a big difference.

My intention was to point out that the economy in a province or region which relies only on one industry as a growth indicator may be affected if that industry starts to see price fluctuations. No one here can predict the future, but can only use past trends to make projections (anyone remember the $200/barrel of oil predictions) - so whether you find a job in Alberta or Toronto can be as much of an attribution to luck as it can be to proper planning.

My opinion has also been driven by the EPC/O&G/Petrochemical environment, and not IT or business related industries.

Finding jobs in an environment which is already competitive simply means that you must be mentally and logistically prepared to face the wait before landing a meaningful offer. Having lived in Edmonton for the past 2+ years, my observation has been that the jobs in the Toronto area for engineers have been limited in opportunities, and those opportunities which have been available offer a limited payscale range.

By all means land in Edmonton - if you plan ahead, you might be able to setup a few interviews before landing. Refer to job boards like indeed or linkedin to compare options/available openings in your field in either Edmonton or Toronto to establish where you would have a higher probability of finding a job.

Thanks for your info!

 

[lighter]

Not sure if I understood the question properly. Edmonton is a city in Alberta.

For those of us from cities with populations in excess of 1 million, it will feel like a smaller city population-wise, but from a Canadian viewpoint (and in my opinion) it comes with all the amenities of a bigger city. With multiple neighbourhoods, municipalities etc you have a lot of flexibility in choosing where you want to live.

Dear Brother/All

I am from Pakistan and belong from Finance/accounts Profession . I am planning to Land this March or April in Canada. i still in the phase of choosing which province to land. I may choose to alberta and what city in Alberta. Edmonton or Calgary.

Would you like to help me to sort out this problem.

BR

Lighter
Lahore

 

[fdk511]

@Lighter, if your visa is not expiring by end of April, please consider delaying landing until May if landing in Alberta - the weather might be a bit more tolerable in this part of the country especially if one is moving from Lahore

I am in Edmonton, so my opinion is somewhat biased - I like this city and unless another company in another city makes a great offer, I am content in Edmonton. As a chemical engineer, there are currently more opportunities available in the Prairie provinces and Edmonton/Calgary make the cut for newly landed immigrants in terms of job opportunities. Having said that, everyone is entitled to not only have an opinion, but to express it, so there may be vigorous disagreement with my statement . In general, it helps if you land in a city where there is a support network available, even if it's only a friend or a long-lost neighbour.

Calgary, as others will tell you in this forum, is more of a white-collar city - so corporate offices and/or regional hubs are the norm. Edmonton is mostly blue-collar, but with some corporate presence. A cursory search on indeed/linkedin etc show there are several positions in both cities for finance/accounting, some of which are intermediate level not requiring a CGA/CMA etc.

Finance/Accounting professions - this world is a mystery to me, and I don't like to offer opinions where I am not qualified to do so, but can only share personal experience. My wife is a CA from ICAP, and she had to submit her coursework to CGA for their evaluation. They provided a list of remedial courses which need to be completed to earn the CGA designation (which will be going away soon along with CMA to be replaced by the CPA designation). They also require at least 1 year of Canadian experience before earning the full designation and recommend completion of a Bachelors degree before awarding the designation (the BComm from Pakistan helps, but doens't count as a full degree). That's all I know about the accounting world, I am afraid.

Canada, unlike the US, regulates practising professionals by requiring proof of proficiency/experience through various organizations, so almost all professions are legislated/regulated. I hope you are doing your due diligence in determining how to get your qualifications/experience recognized immediately, or to maybe complete a course which can be more easily recognized by local companies (Canadian Securities course, for example, is one which a few of my friends completed in order to work at a bank) - if you are landing next year in late Q1/early Q2, you have some time to sort out the details or connect with others who may have more info.

I am certain I did not answer your original question , but all of us need perspective towards what we need to do to hit the ground running, and between now and March/April, there is some time to get the ball rolling on a few fronts.

To others reading this who are more knowledgeable on the finance/accounting world, please correct me where you feel I may not be providing the correct perspective/guidance.

All the best with the move to whichever city you decide on, and congratulations on completing the first step towards becoming a Canadian!

 

[jdn]

It's a bit scary to hear that the economy of Alberta is going down, as I originally planned to move to Edmonton next year.
Does anyone know that the layoff thing is just for some certain oil and gas companies or it's a trend for the economy overall in Alberta?

Perhaps I need to think about Toronto as an alternative now.

Lot of news going on with KEYSTONE XL pipeline project for exporting tar sand oil which is main reserve in Alberta . There will be lot of development if Canada is able to get sanctions for proceeding with this project . many people against this due to environmental issues .

Hope Alberta still have opportunities for new emigrants due to aging population.

 

[jdn]

@ Lighter, if your visa is not expiring by end of April, please consider delaying landing until May if landing in Alberta - the weather might be a bit more tolerable in this part of the country especially if one is moving from Lahore

I am in Edmonton, so my opinion is somewhat biased - I like this city and unless another company in another city makes a great offer, I am content in Edmonton. As a chemical engineer, there are currently more opportunities available in the Prairie provinces and Edmonton/Calgary make the cut for newly landed immigrants in terms of job opportunities. Having said that, everyone is entitled to not only have an opinion, but to express it, so there may be vigorous disagreement with my statement . In general, it helps if you land in a city where there is a support network available, even if it's only a friend or a long-lost neighbour.

Calgary, as others will tell you in this forum, is more of a white-collar city - so corporate offices and/or regional hubs are the norm. Edmonton is mostly blue-collar, but with some corporate presence. A cursory search on indeed/linkedin etc show there are several positions in both cities for finance/accounting, some of which are intermediate level not requiring a CGA/CMA etc.

Finance/Accounting professions - this world is a mystery to me, and I don't like to offer opinions where I am not qualified to do so, but can only share personal experience. My wife is a CA from ICAP, and she had to submit her coursework to CGA for their evaluation. They provided a list of remedial courses which need to be completed to earn the CGA designation (which will be going away soon along with CMA to be replaced by the CPA designation). They also require at least 1 year of Canadian experience before earning the full designation and recommend completion of a Bachelors degree before awarding the designation (the BComm from Pakistan helps, but doens't count as a full degree). That's all I know about the accounting world, I am afraid.

Canada, unlike the US, regulates practising professionals by requiring proof of proficiency/experience through various organizations, so almost all professions are legislated/regulated. I hope you are doing your due diligence in determining how to get your qualifications/experience recognized immediately, or to maybe complete a course which can be more easily recognized by local companies (Canadian Securities course, for example, is one which a few of my friends completed in order to work at a bank) - if you are landing next year in late Q1/early Q2, you have some time to sort out the details or connect with others who may have more info.

I am certain I did not answer your original question , but all of us need perspective towards what we need to do to hit the ground running, and between now and March/April, there is some time to get the ball rolling on a few fronts.

To others reading this who are more knowledgeable on the finance/accounting world, please correct me where you feel I may not be providing the correct perspective/guidance.

All the best with the move to whichever city you decide on, and congratulations on completing the first step towards becoming a Canadian!

Dear fdk511 ,
Thanks for your details regarding Alberta . Pls let us know if you have got any registration done for your profession . Also let us know if it is possible to do registration for Electrical engineering ( and attend test for certificate ) before landing .

Jdn

 

[Kghimire]

Well, March is still a winter here with lots of Snow expected and some snow storm too. But this is regular part of weather here, so no need to worry. By the time you are settled in, winter will be gone.
For clothing, Warm clothes including windproof and waterproof jacket is helpful. Don't get Leather Jackets, they are useless. Try to get lighter material as you need to wear in layers. Heavier clothes makes it uncomfortable. Gloves, winter hats etc. Don't bother to buy heavy boots or shoes as they don't work well here in Snow. You will get good deals here in Wall Mart.

Thanks

I along with spouse and infant r planning to land in March 15 InshaAllah at Edmonton.

Please tell me :

1/ How is the weather in March ?
2/ What is appropriate clothing for then ?


BR,
Zee