BC to AB (rental, house, job market)

[cjat]

Hey everyone I would like your opinion and advice on moving from BC to Alberta. currently we are a 1 income family of 3, my husband is a sheet metal journeyman (hvac) and I am a stay at home mom. we are struggling already financially and after the HST I feel like were always going to be struggling. my husband is an island boy and already living in Kelowna is too far away from the ocean. I try to explain to him that we could earn more money and have more things in Alberta, bigger house, comfy lifestyle ect....considering we also want to expand the family and provide for them a childhood full of experiences. I have already looked at house values and I think he would be pleased with what I have found I am working on finding jobs but considering how big of a move this would be and considering that both of us have never lived outside of BC and our entire family is in BC, makes things difficult to swallow sometimes. If anyone can please state some valid reasons to persuade my husband that this move could prove to be the best for us financially, it would be most appreciated!


Thanks
C

[stone-ground]

Aw cjat, wish I could help. That's going to be a tough one going from BC to AL. Too bad it wasn't the other way round. Especially since the family, friends, everyone is in BC.

We did that as a family, and suppose you have to do what you have to do. If you can use it as a stepping stone, financially, and then return later perhaps. The thing is, it's a long haul and have to make the transition to live away somewhere that you may prefer not to be. I couldn't wait until I finished school and able to move back to BC again, where all my family lives again now also.

Some people go off to camp to work to make good money. It's a sacrifice one makes to get ahead in the world. If you're ok with getting into that mindframe and going for it, it's good. If all you can do is pine away comparing daily what you left, then it's not going to be great.

The scenery of the two provinces is so different, and BC being so beautiful would be tough to leave. But lots of beautiful places in Alberta also! .. just no ocean.

It would probably be easier financially to live in Alberta. I think realistically, your lifestyle will change, just with the climate change alone. Don't know where you'd like to live, but lots of great places, as well as lots of not.

If you both felt like giving it a try, even if it's a sacrifice you make for a few years, and return home again, it should work. The only downside is .. you mind end up liking it, make new friends .. and never want to come back.

[cjat]

does anyone know how easy it is to find work in calgary and what the economy outlook is, for the construction industry? I am tired of the lay off here in BC Please send a link to any helpful sites to find accommodations and jobs in the calgary area!

Thanks
C

[ryannorthcott]

moving from BC to AB is the best decision you can make if your husband is in a skilled trade. i am originally from AB, but came to kelowna for school. i see every day that the job market here is DEAD. not to mention the outrageous costs of living...

seriously, you will be MUCH more prosperous in the future if you get out of kelowna now and move to calgary/edmonton.

i really do resent the okanagan as a place to try to make a living. there is one industry here, and it's tourism. for a man trying to support a wife and a kid as a journeyman, this is probably the worst place in canada to do it.

the only groups kelowna serves are the retired, the homeless, and the sea-doo rental companies.