Transportation in alberta

Silverdragon102, BSN · Nov 10, 2008

Does anyone know how difficult is it to get around if you dont have a drivers license in canada? especially in alberta?
Here its a two step process so we have to pass a written test to get a learners permit and then pass a drivers test to get a drivers license. cos it going to take time i'd rather just do the process when i get to canada. Does it work the same way in canada? I've read around on some canadian dmv sites but i'm still a little confused.

Depends on province and where (which country) you passed your initial driving test. In NS I had to take both theory and practical test, wasn't that bad and all sorted within a couple of weeks. Some centers have a set day when you can sit your theory and then you have to ring and organise driving test

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 10, 2008

Silverdragon is correct. But Alberta has deregulated their driver's licensing and the whole thing is handled by the registries. There have also been some changes made to the laws. For information on exchanging licenses see this:

http://www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/Drivers_Licence.cfm#Exchanging_a_Non-Alberta_Operators_Licence

As for getting around in Alberta without a driver's license, it depends on several factors. The first is whether you live in an urban or rural area. Edmonton, Calgary, Lethbridge, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, St Albert and Lloydminster have public transit, but some areas of all of these are underserved. Another factor is where you live in relation to where you work. If you were going to Edmonton, working at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and wound up living in Clareview, you could take the light rail transit downtown then transfer to a bus, but the trip would take you about an hour each way. But if you lived in Westmount, you could take one bus and be at work in about 20 minutes.

Fiona59 · Nov 10, 2008

Let's just say, I had my first case of frostbite waiting for a bus in Alberta. Learning to drive would be high on my list of things to do before migrating here.

globalRN · Nov 11, 2008

it can get really cold in AB.

You will definitely need to take transportation into consideration if u dont plan to drive. That will influence where u choose to live and work.

I lived for 3 yrs without a car but i lived and worked about 15 blocks away.

and the bus stop was close to home.

Holyhell · Nov 11, 2008

Thanks guys. I contacted the motor vehicle department of the alberta government and it seems that I can get a drivers license despite my situation. My major concern was having to get a learners license and having supervision while driving like a begininer. That would have been very inconvenient since I'll be traveling to Canada on my own and I wont have a licensed family member to help me out. I'm thanking God for being able to get a class 5 driving license when I get there! And you're right, Alberta uses registeries to renew or obtain drivers licenses and vehicle registrations etc. They have about 220 providers in alberta so you pretty much can find one with ease.

I took into consideration postings from previous threads and on this thread and I realized there would be no way I could handle public transportation on a long term basis. I've never seen snow let alone know how cold it really can get so obtaining a drivers license is number one on my list after getting a job and place to live. Either way, I'm still gonna try to get a place as close to work as possible to save on gas and possibly walk during summer months (if possible ) My family and I were hoping for snow on our Christmas vacation to New York, but all we had was cold and wet!

Anyways, can anyone tell me what type of paperwork they took to a registry in alberta to show proof of residency to obtain a drivers license? When I come out there, I'm most likely going to use temporary housing for about a month if not less before finding a more permanent residence. If this is the case, what types of paperwork in the meantime can I use to show residency besides a letter from employer and visa papers? such things mentioned were electricity bill, phone bill, and/or credit card bill but obviously these sort of things wont be available immediately or even soon after landing. I'm going to email a registry today to find out the details but if yall have suggestions or experience, please let me know. I'm trying to be prepared in every way possible before moving. This will be my first time moving away anywhere on my own let alone to a different country. My dad says i'm going overboard with stressing over the details :uhoh3: but stressing over the details is a nursey attribute and i'm proud of it :nurse: he says his only concern is that i'm safe, which is my next question. Does anyone know how safe central alberta is? I love this site, its such a wealth of information! Thanks again everyone!:bowingpur

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 11, 2008

Okay, so there's snow on the ground today in Edmonton and Calgary and points between have had it for a week or so already.

Documentation to prove residency will be challenging until you have your own address. They may accept your letter of employment and your visa, maybe they'll take your banking information. You'll need a bank account to have your paycheque deposited into or else you won't get paid. I'm not sure if the health region will deposit into foreign accounts but I think they might. But you could set up Internet banking to allow you to transfer money back home from your Canadian account if you wanted to.

What area of central Alberta are you wondering about? It's a lot of territory. It's 185 miles between Edmonton's University Hospital and Calgary's Foothills Hospital; the distance between Lloydminster on the easter border and Jasper near the western border is 385 miles as the crow flies over Edmonton. So we're looking at about 71000 square miles of ground!

Holyhell · Nov 12, 2008

hey,

Well, I was thinking I'd set up a bank account there with a local bank. Is it difficult for an IEN on a work visa to obtain a bank account? I didnt realize that this may be an issue. I mean, I have a Bahamian friend who has an American account while she was on a student visa here in the US so I figured it shouldnt be that difficult to do the same in a financial institution in Canada because all I'd really require is a checking account to keep money in and then use to pay bills. I have a checking account here with wachovia but i rarely use it, and when i used my bank of america credit card to pay for the registration application i was charged exchange rate fees along with the the applicable fees for the application so if I have to use a US bank and then have to take money out to pay bills in canada, i dont want to be charged extra for something like that b/c it can really build up in the end. Let me know what the standard is for financial institutions on allowing IEN's on work visas to open up checking accounts please! thanks in advance JanFrn!

I already emailed a few registries in alberta to find out what docs i would need and explained my situation, hopefully i hear from them soon or i'll have to call by the end of the week. cos i definitely dont want to get frostbite waiting for NO bus!!! yikes, that sounds horrible! Hopefully you got recovered fast globalRN!

Well, the royal hospital on kingsway seems appealing to me so basically hows that area down there? I mean, can you walk out in that area at night or close to nightfall? What about near U of A hospital? Or any of the hospitals affiliated with capital health?

Wow its snowing already? Theres some states here that have been hit early too but is that normal in alberta to start snowing in early november? Its cold here but you can still wear shorts. I wore a skirt and short sleeved top the other night when i went out with my friends so thats a big difference compared to what you're experience there:D

Anyways, thanks everyone!

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 12, 2008

From what my sister has told me it's much easier for someone from the US to open a bank account in Canada than it is for a Canadian to open an account in the US. She and her husband were transferred to Colorado several years ago and it took them months to get banking, cable TV and phone service. Since she's in the military and there are many Canadians in Colorado with the military, she was very surprised and frustrated with it. I think if you go to a bank here with proof of employment at a local hospital and some proof of identity you'll be fine. You must have been doing your fee payments in the summer when the Canadian $ was stronger... right now it's trading at $.8358 US so you'd be 'making' money if you were paying today!

Oh, I don't think you'd want to be walking around the Royal Alex at night. It's in a pretty rough area and their ER gets many of the city's victims of violence and many of the mentally ill. I have friends who work there who don't wander around outside in the dark. The University area is more "genteel" but there's a large number of bars only a few blocks away. There are a few apartment buildings nearby, but they usually have a waiting list. It is a university campus after all. However, the University Hospital is served by the LRT right outside the door. If you chose to live in the northeast you'd be okay to take that. I work at the U and drive to work because I live much too far away to take transit. I already get up at 0520 for my day shifts, couldn't imagine having to spend two hours on the bus each way. The Edmonton General isn't an acute care hospital any more; it's downtown. The Grey Nuns is with Caritas Health rather than Capital, but that distinction isn't going to mean very much now that we've got the Big Ol' Board. It is acute-care, and has high-risk obstetrics there as well as emergency services, but I don't think they have any ICUs. It's in Mill Woods, an area that has a few ethinc rivalry problems; most people how live in that area love it there, but it does seem to be in the news a lot... The Misericordia (also Caritas) is a few blocks from West Edmonton Mall. It's not a very pedestrian-friendly area, though. Too much high-speed traffic, eight lane roads and mostly commercial development. But there are a lot of condo buildings in the general area, good restaurants and lots to do. Then there's the Sturgeon in St Albert. It's a community hospital with a four bed CCU-ICU, a very busy ER, low risk L&D (just expanded by 15 beds) and a three bed peds unit along with the other usual stuff. It's in a fairly safe area bounded by very expensive mini-mansions. No reasonably priced housing within walking distance though.

Oh yeah, it's very normal to have snow on Remembrance Day. The parades just aren't the same without frostbite! We had our first snow that stayed for the whole winter on October 21st last year. It's not horribly cold right now, right at the freezing mark, so no shorts and t-shirts here these days. I wear a hoodie to work over my scrubs until it's colder than -10C when I leave but I've lived in this part of the world my whole life. By February I'm wearing my parka OVER my hoodie to go to work, and starting my car before I go to get dressed in the morning. Thank God for Command Start!! That way there's warm air coming out of the vents BEFORE I get to work (10 miles). Make sure your car has a block heater in it!

Silverdragon102, BSN · Nov 12, 2008

We didn't have any problems opening a Canadian bank account although probably did help that we was getting our mortgage with them but have read of others having very little problems opening account although credit history has to start all over again

Fiona59 · Nov 12, 2008

CH assisted the nurses from the Phillipines open their accounts, so it really shouldn't be an issue.

I work at RAH and have never felt threatened walking to my car at night. Security will escort you if you wait long enough for them. Usually a couple of people walk to the "new" parkade together. What can I say, we get the creme de la creme of Edmonton (and the region) for patients. Most GSWs and stabbings are ours.

Edmonton General does Dialysis in a satellite unit (chronic patients) and houses the STD clinic. So unless you are working there or planning on doing LTC or palliative it's not that wonderful a place to work. It's also under the administration of Caritas who is under the administration of CH.

Dress in layers and you will survive. I guess this isn't the time to tell you we've had snow in September and I remember a snowfall on the May longweekend a few years back.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 12, 2008

I work at RAH and have never felt threatened walking to my car at night. Security will escort you if you wait long enough for them. Usually a couple of people walk to the "new" parkade together. What can I say, we get the creme de la creme of Edmonton (and the region) for patients. Most GSWs and stabbings are ours.

But would you walk home to an apartment on Kingsway and 112th Street at night?