What's Canada like?

[babyminder]

We are English and live in NZ but fancy a change. Does anyone have any living/working info on Edmonton (I am a neonatal nurse), I know I can get a job there but wonder if it will be right for me/us. By the way i don't really like cold (!!!!!!) but have been told that Canada cold is different to NZ. Anyone who has spent a winter in the Waikato will know that it is DAMP! and NZ houses aren't the most thermal efficient.

Anyway i would appreciate any thoughts or comments on this.

[Flames9_RN, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Im a canuck, but now reside in the USA. I'm currently a RN student at this time. I grew up in Saskatchewan which is the province next door to Alberta!! Edmonton is a nice city, but Calgary is a bit better,lol I do believe Calgary has better weather than Edmonton, they get some nice chinooks in the winter months. Yes the winters can be cold, some like to say its a dry cold!! I have lived on the East coast of Canada, where the temps dont get as low, but its a damp cold, so can feel colder, in my opinion. Ihave no clue on job wise. My younger, smarter, better looking sisters are RN's. One in Calgary and another in Kamloops BC. Housing may be more $$$ in Calgary as well. Alberta is a very well off province thanks to oil resources. Best of luck

[OgopogoLPN, LPN, RN]

I've only been to Edmonton twice, so I don't know that much about it. It is a nice city.

But it is COLD in the winter!!! You can expect cold temps from Oct-March, April. Snow on the ground continuously from Oct-March. A dry cold.

I think Edmonton is hurting for nurses, just like everywhere in Canada. I'm sure you'd have no problem finding employment there, but you would need to look into how your qualifications are handled in Canada.

Best of luck!

[Fiona59]

Well, it's true that it's cold here.

The last two weeks of January are the worst, usually around -25C with windchills down to -40 at times. Snow can start in October and go until May. We've had fresh this weekend.

The good thing is you can bundle up and add layers which is much better than wet cold. Once you're wet you have to change or it just gets worse.

I've lived in both Edmonton and Calgary and can honestly say I prefer Edmonton. Calgary is hung up on the 1988 Olympics and never lets you forget they hosted them. Edmonton was just more welcoming with the people being a bit friendlier.

Housing prices have shot through the roof in the last three years. Heating and electric does eat up a large part of your budget. And you need cars here because the city is spread out and public transit is pretty lousy.

If you work NICU you would be looking at RAH of the UofA to work at. The RAH-NICU is very busy. Patients come from the far north and the north of neighbouring provinces. The patient base is diverse. Everyone from the local population, to Inuits who have never left the north before, to freshly landed refugees.

It's never dull.

The climate is bearable. You develop interests and hobbies. You settle in and before you know it, you are booking holidays to the heat at the end of January.