From: yogi@coombs.anu.edu.au (Michael Hanslip)
Subject: Re: hoping to get some info on living in edmonton, alberta?
Organization: Computer Services Centre, Australian National University
Date: 15 Aug 92 14:15:06 GMT

userDHAL@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA (David Halliwell) writes:

>macaulay@beam.Princeton.EDU (Alexander K. Macaulay) writes:


>>I am thinking of moving to Edmonton to take up a post-doc at the University
>>of Alberta, and am most interested in hearing from any netters who live there.

>>I am originally a native of Halifax, but have lived for some time in Ottawa,
>>Vancouver, and Toronto also. I've been out of Canada for a few years (going
>>to grad school in the US). I am hoping that you can tell me what its like to
>>live in Edmonton, particularly useful would be comparisons with other
>>Canadian cities (especially those I've lived in). 

>   I have lived in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Hamilton, and now Edmonton.

>>Just how cold is it there anyway?
>   
>    Why is it that everyone asks this first? :-)

>    In the winter, sometimes rather cold. This last winter was an exception,
>with it generally being warmer than much of eastern Canada. We won't be
>getting another El Nino this coming winter, so expect 3-4 one-week periods
>with temperatures in the -20 to -30 range. There is a paucity of freezing
>rain and wet snow to make up for the cold. Large snowfalls are rare, but
>much of what falls sticks around. Pond hockey can start in November and
>lasts through March, so the winter does tend to drag on a bit.

>    Summers are very nice. Very long days (to make up for the short ones
>in the winter). Generally warm (highs of 25-30 are common) but with nice
>cool nights for sleeping. Much less humid than more southern climes. There
>are a *lot* of golf courses around here.

>>What are the opportunities for community sports like (volleyball leagues,
>>soccer leagues, ultimate frisbee)?
>  
>    Generally quite good, I would say. There are many community leagues
>of various sorts, and the University has a good variety of recreation
>leagus for students and staff. The city has a *lot* of parkland, and
>actively encourage recreational activities.

>>What is Jasper like and how long does it take to get there?
> 
>    Jasper is a fairly pleasant mountain resort area. Skiing is better
>around Banff and Lake Louise, but there is lots of summer hiking and
>camping around Jasper. It takes about 3.5 hours to get to Jasper (weather
>permitting). It is 3 hours to Calgary, and another 1.5 to Banff.

>>Would I need a car (I expect there is no subway, but is the bus system good)?
>  
>    There is a lot of housing available within walking distance of the
>university, although it does tend to be expensive and demand somewhat
>exceeds supply. In 13 days, the LRT (Light Rail Transit) station on
>campus is scheduled to open. This is a partly underground, partly surface
>train system. The route runs from the downtown area to the NE of the
>city. The new station extends the system from downtown to the south side
>of the river at the University. This should make cheap housing in the NE
>a reasonable alternative for university people.

>    The city is rather spread out, so sometimes a car is nice, but lots
>of people on campus get by without them. Parking on campus is a bitch,
>anyway.

>>Are there really 3 subs in the West Edmonton Mall?
> 
>    Actually, 4 I think. I believe this puts it something like 5th in the
>world ranking of submarine nations ;-)

>>What are typical housing costs?

>    Around the university, I would guess $300 or a bit more for a one-
>bedroom apartment? I used to rent a three-bedroom unit in a fourplex for
>$650/mo, but it was about 4km from campus. Bus ride would have been
>20 minutes or so. The university area is one of the more expensive
>parts of town.

>>How friendly a city is it (as in Halifax is friendly, Toronto is not very, and
>>New York is a disaster)?
>  
>    I would place it as fairly friendly. It is a moderate size. Lots of
>festivals and outdoor activities in the summer.

>>Any impressions would be most appreciated.......

>    I would pick Ottawa over Edmonton, but mainly for family reasons. (I grew
>up there.) I've seen much worse cities. Definitely better than Toronto. There
>is quite a bit of cultural diversity here (C&W music excepted). You do
>run into "redneck" attitudes more often than desirable (i.e. >0), but the
>urban areas are reasonably cosmopolitan. The city is large enough to have
>significant activity, but no so large as to become unweildy.

>>thanks in advance,
>  
>    You're welcome.


>Dave Halliwell
>Department of Geography
>University of Alberta
>Edmonton, Alberta
 
I just had to add my opinions briefly to the bottom of this. In general I 
wouldn't disagree with anything listed above. I graduated UofA in '87 and
haven't lived there since, but that is not so long ago. I must say I was 
pretty happy to leave (for Vancouver (UBC)) and leave the snow behind.
Australia is even better in that dept. I remember the winters as being 
much less tolerable than Calgary's (where I grew up) because you could
count on it being basically cold from Oct. to March. On the other hand,
it never melted like in Calgary which I find annoying when I return there.
I say it is a good place to spend a few years, but I couldn't (nor apparently
can any of my friends and classmates as they all leave...) stay 
permanently. And I think it is the nicest University of the 5 I have attended!

Michael Hanslip
Prehistory
Australia National University
yogi@coombs.anu.edu.au