# Perth, Australia to Edmonton, Ca



## rspacetiger (Feb 5, 2013)

Im in the final throws of negotiating a role with an international engineering company, who've advised they are likely to make me an offer under the "Accelerated Labour Market Opinion" in the next fortnight.
Family is Australian born/bred, lived in Sydney then moved to Perth for last 12 mnths, but now find this work opportunity is to good for my career to pass up on.
Having holidayed in Canada several times I think I can appreciate how cold it can get, though holidaying and living with the cold are 2 very different things...but we are viewing the move as at least a 3-5 year adventure. Rotation within the company is a real opportunity once the 3 yr period is achieved. Ive started investigating:
-rental, seems to be 400-900/week (on par with Oz) depends on lifestyle you want
-medical insurance, "Safevisit" quoted approx 2500/annum though ive just seen i can continue my BUPA insurance possibly
-car ownership apart from insurance looks 1-for-1
-cost of living looks a little cheaper
-childcare in Ca about 60/day is cheaper than Oz at 95/day

There are some questions in this post, I am getting to it...is there anyone moved from Oz to Edmonton in the last few years and what has been their experience in doing so?How is Edmonton to live in and use a homebase to exploring Ca?
Im not sure whether to put household contents into l/term storage or just bite the bullet and ship it?Being a tight-arse acct I just cant digest owning 2 of everything and having the burden of storage costs etc...any advice?

Im intending to buy parents a Skypeable tv to bridge the distance, then a couple of flights per annum to keep up the contact, but having spent 12mnths in Perth after moving away from them in Sydney Im amazed how quickly the time does go...though I know the separation will be hard, having moved to Perth from Sydney we've lost "contact" with most friends already anyway etc.

What havent I considered that I need to? lane:


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## Wexford_Ireland (Mar 6, 2012)

You haven't said if you are married, kids etc so I'm guessing married with kids

Your research on rents echoes mine. I'm beginning to think that rents in the Prairies are rapidly coming into line with so called expensive cities like Toronto and Vancouver.
In fact I know of one family in Edmonton who are struggling to find any accommodation at less than 900 per week that you would house a family in, cheaper rents are definitely dirtier and nastier.

AFAIK health Insurance is provided by the province and typically your employer will top up the scheme to cover dental etc. 

General consensus is that if your furnishings are of good quality, bring them. If they are IKEA type chipboard type, don't bother. It usually works out cheaper to ship good furnishings than buy again although that's a European view. And Canadian tastes and styles seem to be very different to European and no doubt Australian. That may be a big factor for your wife or it may not.

Don't forget to factor in deposits on all utilities, no credit score etc which will drive your startup costs through the roof. Your winter clothes will need to be bought, I know of one family who spent a lot of winter indoors, in car or in work/school because they could not afford proper winter clothes for themselves and kids.

Car ownership, again no credit score so look at splashing out more cash at a time when you will be hemorrhaging cash.

Factor in staying in a hotel for a few days or a week while you try to find rental accommodation and beware being bullied into 12 month contracts and finding out afterwards that for the same price or less you could have had better or utilities covered. Remember your going to be under severe time pressures as soon as you land unless you can afford to travel in advance and arrange everything up front.

Work and schools will dictate your location to a huge degree. Who wants to be commuting 30 miles in -30 blizzard conditions.

If you do look at living outside a population centre make investigate water and sewage, broadband availability and that 600 foot drive that looks lovely in summer will be a pain in 3 foot of snow.

Cost of living calculations need to factor in things like 
cheaper petrol but bigger engines
cheaper heating oil but longer winters and bigger houses
cheese, beer and cigarettes seem to be priced by their weight in gold
TV is woeful spend money on a good subscription
Mobile/cell phone charges are extortionate
no annual car tax
no annual car test
car insurance not engine size dependent
houses generally well insulated and basement size not included in description so a 2000 sq foot house is nearly 4000 sq foot
Anything bigger than a 3 bedroomed house seems to be a rare item in classified listings
If you smell nice to mosquitoes prepare to buy shares in DEET and investigate mosquito traps and garlic sprays for your garden or you will spend summers indoors
The police to not tolerate ANY deviation from the rules of the road, a friend of mine has been pulled 4 times in 3 months for various infractions, seemingly minor and wouldn't raise an eyebrow in Ireland e.g not indicating at a junction, not coming to a complete stop at stop signs instead slowing to a crawl but still moving etc etc
Getting your drivers license converted? do you qualify for a handover because of commonwealth rules?
Negotiate hard on holidays/vacation, once you sign your done and default holidays are small
Can you telecommute at all? if so negotiate for the option on days the weather is bad (depends on your job of course)





That's all I can think of.


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## rspacetiger (Feb 5, 2013)

WOW, thank you very very very much for such an informative post. Yep married with 1x3 year old boy and 1x 3 year old Labradoodle(getting pet ok rentals also seems a problem). Im glad you mentioned the 600ft drive as i lived on acreage and the pics look fantastic of those places in summer an d i was leaning that way, not now after reading your post......i hadnt thought of shovelling snow.I believe we can use an Australian/International licence, but I will investigate.I explained my current employment conditions salary, annual leave etc so thats also a good tip if they look to deviate from that.I got a little spooked by some -ve posts about Edmonton, but I guess its like anywhere...if you dont get off your arse and make the most of a location opportunity there can always be lots to complain about. We love cycling, hiking, skiing, scuba diving (think holidays very south of Edmonton), bush walks, kayaking...so consider ourselves young at heart still (53/43) and want to view it as a protracted holiday with an awesome career opportunity.I love the snow and cold (not sure of blizzards) and wife handles it with 26layers of clothing lol lol.
I guess a location is very much a personal opinion, just wish if people generally thought Edmonton a -ve or +ve. Im thinking St Albert, Nth Saskatch, Oliver as possible burbs but again take your point about driving in blizzards so need to relook at the transport infrastructure a little better. Once again thanks so much for an honest reflection.


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## RGS (Jan 24, 2011)

I live in Edmonton (have lived here for the past 15+ years). 

As for apartment (flat) rent, expect to pay an average of $1000 per month. This will usually include heat, water. Some apartments pay for power (electrical) and some don't. You will be responsible for paying telephone and internet and cable TV, although again I've seen some apartments include basic cable TV as part of their monthly rent. 

There are of course cheaper monthly rents (for lesser quality apartments) and more expensive rents (for larger higher quality apartments)

Another option is to rent a house. Depending on the size of the house, and how many bedrooms, can average around $1500 per month. House rent usually don't include anything. So you will be responsible for water, heat, power, etc.

Where you choose to live in Edmonton is your option. Like most bigger cities, people generally try to live closer to their work or schools... but then there's me... I live in deep south Edmonton, and work deep north of Edmonton, so my commute is about three quarters of an hour one way.


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## RGS (Jan 24, 2011)

rspacetiger said:


> WOW, thank you very very very much for such an informative post. Yep married with 1x3 year old boy and 1x 3 year old Labradoodle(getting pet ok rentals also seems a problem). Im glad you mentioned the 600ft drive as i lived on acreage and the pics look fantastic of those places in summer an d i was leaning that way, not now after reading your post......i hadnt thought of shovelling snow.I believe we can use an Australian/International licence, but I will investigate.I explained my current employment conditions salary, annual leave etc so thats also a good tip if they look to deviate from that.I got a little spooked by some -ve posts about Edmonton, but I guess its like anywhere...if you dont get off your arse and make the most of a location opportunity there can always be lots to complain about. We love cycling, hiking, skiing, scuba diving (think holidays very south of Edmonton), bush walks, kayaking...so consider ourselves young at heart still (53/43) and want to view it as a protracted holiday with an awesome career opportunity.I love the snow and cold (not sure of blizzards) and wife handles it with 26layers of clothing lol lol.
> I guess a location is very much a personal opinion, just wish if people generally thought Edmonton a -ve or +ve. Im thinking St Albert, Nth Saskatch, Oliver as possible burbs but again take your point about driving in blizzards so need to relook at the transport infrastructure a little better. Once again thanks so much for an honest reflection.


You should have lots of activity to do in Edmonton and area. Edmonton has some of the most "green space" (parks/forests) of any major city in North America. There are miles and miles of walking/biking trails. Most trails inter-connect with each other, so trails appear to go on and on. 

Edmonton has a river running through the middle of it. Some people go boating on the river. You are about a 2½ hour drive by car to the Rocky Mountains and Jasper National Park. These are stunning mountain ranges with tons to do... everything from biking, hiking, kayaking, camping, sight-seeing, etc.

As for winter... we do get snow and cold, but rarely get blizzards. Winter in Edmonton can start as early as October, or as late as January, and last till April. By May all the snow is gone and the warm weather has returned. Summers in Edmonton can be hot... with +30c temperatures.


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## RGS (Jan 24, 2011)

Some price references for you...

- New car (a new 2013 Honda Civic as an example) is around $20,000 (depending the model and options

- Yearly car insurance for a 2013 Honda Civic is around $1000

- Health insurance is free. You may wish to negotiate this into your contract with your future employer to see if they will cover your health insurance for you. Most employers cover the health insurance costs.

- School is free to enroll in. There are two school systems... Public and Catholic. You don't have to be Catholic to attend any of the Catholic schools. You are responsible for the purchase of school supplies.

- Gas (Petro) in Edmonton is currently $1.05 per liter

- Beer and cigarettes and really expensive here in Canada. They are classified by something we call the "sin tax", where governments take an excessive amount of tax on these 2 items.

- Most houses (if you decide to rent a house) average around 1600 square feet and up. All houses have a basement, which give you ample amount of storage. Many basements are fully or partially finished/furnished.

- Most employers give 3 weeks per year of vacation. Some have successfully negotiated 4 weeks of vacation per year as part of their contract or move.


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## rspacetiger (Feb 5, 2013)

Just one quick question if I can...coming from WA where people are paranoid about white-pointer sharks (for good reason), tiger sharks, bull sharks, taipan snakes, tiger snakes, brown snakes, red belly black snakes, redback spiders, mouse spiders...all of which will kill you...we made the mistrake of looking up the top10 dangerous animals in Ca and got a bit of a shock and are now concerned for the 3 year old and ourselves I guess.
Living in an Edmonton burb maybe St Albert or somewhere hopefully 20-25mins out of downtown, but hoping to kayak, ski, mountain bike etc>>whats the likelihood we'd run across bears ...black or grizzly?rattlesnakes?wolverines?rutting elks/deers lol lol?angry otters?
Dont want to sound pathetically girly...I just like to be prepared.
My last trip to Banff park hiking in the bush 4 years ago, in my enthusiasm I kept saying to the other hikers I really wanted to see a bear...to which all of the locals said "no you dont, not in the bush and not so far from anywhere"..see a real novice.
Any views out there?


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## RGS (Jan 24, 2011)

rspacetiger said:


> Just one quick question if I can...coming from WA where people are paranoid about white-pointer sharks (for good reason), tiger sharks, bull sharks, taipan snakes, tiger snakes, brown snakes, red belly black snakes, redback spiders, mouse spiders...all of which will kill you...we made the mistrake of looking up the top10 dangerous animals in Ca and got a bit of a shock and are now concerned for the 3 year old and ourselves I guess.
> Living in an Edmonton burb maybe St Albert or somewhere hopefully 20-25mins out of downtown, but hoping to kayak, ski, mountain bike etc>>whats the likelihood we'd run across bears ...black or grizzly?rattlesnakes?wolverines?rutting elks/deers lol lol?angry otters?
> Dont want to sound pathetically girly...I just like to be prepared.
> My last trip to Banff park hiking in the bush 4 years ago, in my enthusiasm I kept saying to the other hikers I really wanted to see a bear...to which all of the locals said "no you dont, not in the bush and not so far from anywhere"..see a real novice.
> Any views out there?


The good news... we have no deadly anything (animals) in or around Edmonton/ St Albert. No deadly or poisonous snakes or spiders. Wolverines, cougars, etc. can be found in deep/thick wooded areas of northern Alberta... not around Edmonton. Rattlesnakes are only found in deep south of Alberta. There are no rattlesnakes anywhere around Edmonton. We have Garter snakes here, and are totally harmless.

Occasionally we'll have a deer or moose wonder into the city limits, and animal control are called to remove them. Again they are totally harmless... unless you happen to hit one (especially a moose) with your car. 

Bears don't come into the city. They are mostly confined to heavily wooded areas of northern Alberta or the mountains. 

So for the most part, the only thing annoying anywhere around Edmonton and area (including St Alberta) are pesky mosquitoes. Depending on how bad the year is for mosquitoes, you may need to use mosquito repellent when outdoors on summer evenings.


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## Wexford_Ireland (Mar 6, 2012)

RGS said:


> So for the most part, the only thing annoying anywhere around Edmonton and area (including St Alberta) are pesky mosquitoes. Depending on how bad the year is for mosquitoes, you may need to use mosquito repellent when outdoors on summer evenings.


Dont forget the west nile virus, but that won't be an issue after they suck you dry.


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## RhychelleW (Jan 25, 2013)

Wexford_Ireland said:


> Dont forget the west nile virus, but that won't be an issue after they suck you dry.


is that similar to Perth's Ross River virus? people rave on about it but i don't think i've met anyone who've caught it. 

also, can anyone comment on the 'bed bugs' that are apparently running rampant through Toronto? i can't recall if it was sarcasm or not but i've been warned of beg bugs being a serious issue in some parts of Ontario and to buy nothing second hand and bug spray everything etc etc. this freaked me out a little after experiencing bed bugs first hand whilst holidaying through Europe.


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