Planning to move to Edmonton, AB from Ontario, need advice please!?

Question

Okay so I've lived in Ontario all of my life and I now want to move to Alberta.

I will be living with friends, but I need help finding out some of the stuff I need to know. If you all would be so kind, I need to know the following:

~ I want to bring my car with me. What kind of paperwork/fees/inspections are involved with switching an Ontario car to Alberta?

~Same goes for my driver's license, will I be tested again?

~What kind of wages are common in Edmonton for normal jobs like secretarial work and retail?

~ Do I have to have a permit or something to move there and work, even if I'm within Canada?

If anyone could answer these, or at least post a link telling me about the topics I covered, I would be SOOOO appreciative!

Answer 1

I'm not sure from where in Ontario you're moving from but reading your posts you knew about the Sleeping Giant so are you maybe from the area?

I moved to Edmonton from that area 11 years ago and my daughter moved to Calgary. I can tell you from first hand experience that winters here are nowhere near as harsh as NW Ontario or as long.. My family and I compare weather when we talk. I beg to differ with the last poster about Calgary's weather being so much better because really the two are quite comparable - for the few nicer days Calgary has it all evens out with their late and early freak snow. hail and rain storms.

When you bring your car you will need to take it to certified garage for an out of town safety inspection which may cost you $100 and ups wards depending on it's condition. You have 3 months in which to change your car and license *no test required) to Alberta ones. Depenidng on where you're from inOnt the auto insurance rates are pretty comparable as ours are in the process of being raised in Nov. Same goes for health insurance - you need to apply almost as soon as you arrive because it will take the 3 months your Ontario healthcare is still in effect.

My daughter lives in Calgary and when I visit their traffic there is horrendous compared to Edmonton. You can never find your way from one section of the city to another without having to first get on a major road. Because Edmonton is on a grid system (numbered streets and avenues) I get frustrated finding where I'm going in Calgary.

Now for the job situation. Depending on your experience level you can expect to paid approx. $10.00 per hour in the retail sector of well known stores. Secretarial, and other entry level jobs start at about $11.00 per hour with minimal experience and go up from that. Even if you take an $11.00 job to gain experience for the first 6 months then you can look for another one with better pay. You are very fortunate to be moving in with friends so you already have a place to stay.

I don't know whether you've ever been here but I always tell people who are thinking of moving here to start reading the local paper to get a "feel" of the place even before moving plus you can learn a lot from reading it.

www.edmontonjournal.com

As for jobs - check the classified of the paper

http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/JobResult_en.as...

http://edmontonjobshop.ca/p/jobs_city/17...

For Retail jobs only this site is fantastic

http://www.edmontonjobs.com/

The following is the City of Edmonton site which gives you tips for moving here, transit, licenses, parks, recreation - absolutely everything you need to know.

http://www.edmonton.ca/portal/server.pt

Everyone always has a hard time finding restaurants and entertainment so check here:

http://www.edmontonplus.ca/bars_restaura...

Next great site for those moving here:

http://www.movetoedmonton.com/living/sho...

Pretty much everything you need to know will be listed in the above websites. It's always the fear of the unknown but you'll learn a lot just bey going through those sites. If you need anymore info just add it to your question and I'd be happy to try and help you.

good Luck

Answer 2

-Firstly, have you thought at all about Calgary vs Edmonton?  The weather is much better.  I don't know where in Ontario you are coming from, but Edmonton is like living in Winnipeg, but with more snow.  Calgary is like in between Winnipeg and Vancouver as far as weather and size.  

-Bring car and register in Alberta right away because it will be half the price of what you are paying in Ontario.  Go through the Automobile Association because for small membership fee, they can get you set up.

-No re-testing of Driver's Licence required - just new photo, new licence.

-No permit required to move and work there if you are Canadian or have Permanent Resident Card.

-As far as wages for those jobs, if Edmonton is similar to Calgary, you're looking at 25 to 40,000.  Retail definitely at the low end.