relocation information

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jul 18, 2007

Moved your post to the Canadian Nurses Forum for better responses. Good luck to you.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jul 18, 2007

The short answers to your questions go like this: Housing is VERY expensive. People are very friendly in Alberta. Provincial taxes are low, a flat tax of 11%; municipal taxes are moderate; federal taxes can be high. Opportunities for further study are infinite, if you have the money to pay for it and the time to do it. You probably won't get much aid from your employer on either of those. You might be able to save; depends on how much debt you have to take on for housing and transportation. Education for children in Alberta is to a very high standard, even in the public schools. We have just settled a new contract that gives us a lot of new benefits and makes us the highest paid nurses with the many of the best provisions for benefits in the country. As for which is better, Calgary or Toronto, I can't answer that objectively. I have a personal bias against Toronto, but I also have some reservations about Calgary... which is why I live outside of Edmonton. Maybe someone else will weigh in with more information for you; I must get to bed... gotta get up early in the AM.

LETHOYA · Jul 18, 2007

Thank Jan but what are your reseverations about Tornto/Calgary?How expensive are houses(3 bedrooms),what do I need to know about nursing care in Calgary(Med-Surg),what medications are frequently used on the wards ? Is there team nursing or total patient care

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jul 18, 2007

I'd say it's the collective attitude of both cities that puts me off.

Toronto feels it's the center of the universe. If you don't live there, you're nothing. It's also a HUGE city; the Greater Toronto Area has a population of about 5.5 million (2001) and it covers over 7000 square kilometers (2700 square miles). The average selling price for a home in Toronto was $524,640 in March and $538,409 in May.

Calgary is a young city, in all senses. It's an industry town, built with oil money. The previous premier, who was in office for 17 years, was a former mayor of Calgary, so a lot of goodies were sent that way during his reign, leading to a sense of entitlement there. The city is growing faster than the infrastructure can keep up; population in 2006 was about 1 million and it covers an area about 1/10th of Toronto's. Average house prices: $385,574 in March, $402,023 in May.

Your questions about nursing care in either city would best be answered by someone other than me. I work in a PICU in Edmonton and have no real grasp of adult med-surg meds or care plans. Anybody care to field that?