What Is Calgaria?

I moved to Calgary back in 2004, and I have since jumped between the two over the last few years. I can't stand living in Calgary, but school is so much cheaper! Everytime i go back people always say, "You look so tired"... Haahaha it must be a sign of my need to return, it's gotten bad lately. I order Starbucks over Timmy's. I don't notice expensive houses that really shouldn't be half of what they are. I need some East Coast revival!
I miss people being friendly, for no reason at all, i'll be home soon!!

You might be a Bluenoser if:

• Ever since you went out west all your vacations are to home
• You know the difference between Maple Leaf and Sunrise bologna
• Your cell has more people numbers from home than Alberta [no cheating, actual people not work #'s]
• You know who Great Big Sea is (Rita, Gordie, Howie too!)
• Your wedding party still had more people from "home" than Alberta
• You attend a wedding in Alberta and wonder where the other 300 people are
• You are use to a house that has windows on the sides of the it, not just front and back, (lots f space between houses here!!)
• Your parents are 'ma and 'da
• Seeing Keith's beer makes you weep
• You know what "meat" darts are
• You have been to legion
• You use to volunteer for things
• A traffic jam home gave you just enough time to open your double -double
• After returning out west from a visit home you feel bad for all the friends you didn't get to see
• What about Tisco doors, Iron Brew, Shad fishing, tubing, and the sweet, sweet summer smell just before the causeway when the salt brine smell on the shore causes your old memories to pop up...wish you were here eh?!?

I moved to Calgary in 2000. Fascinated by the mystique of the West and seemingly jobs abundant, I left heavy hearted and was westward bound. I was successful in obtaining a great job, I found a fantastic husband and lucky for us we built a home. However, when our daughter came into our lives ... a city of a million and growing steadily ... being so far away from home really hit. I loved growing up in Nova Scotia, the ocean, the lakes, the rivers, camping, cottages and the most genuine people ... Also, we wanted our daughter connected to her family here ... It took me a few months to secure a permanent job but I now work in my dream job as I had the experience combined with education. We love it here, every weekend there is a new place to discover/re-discover ... white sand beaches in Liverpool, camping at Keji, festivals throughout the Province ..I drove across Canada on my way to Calgary now 6 years ago ... and moving home confirms for me, that Nova Scotians really do inhabit that most magnificent place on Earth ... what a privilege to call Nova Scotia home.

My wife and I finished our degrees at SMU in '97 and headed for Calgary for wealth and experience. We miss everything about back home and so, we've made it as far east as Ottawa. At least in Ottawa our 2 children get to see their grandparents a few times a year - but it's not enough. If anyone has an opening for a Program / Project Officer with a Commerce degree please send it to sarahandmark@rogers.com
Best of luck to all you "Doers and Dreamers"!

I went "out west" because I felt it was time for a change. I met some very wonderful people out there, including my husband (who as it turns out went to the same high school as myself, only a year apart!) I had may great and not so great experiences out there. My husband and I moved back here to get married and we are currently in the midst of purchasing our first home. There is NO WAY that we could have ever afforded to buy a house in Edmonton.
I do miss it sometimes....I met some great people during my five year stay, but home is where the heart is.

moved to Calgary last fall to find opportunity, and opportunity we found, but it came at a cost. We left behind the clean, easily accessible, low cost city of Halifax. Traffic there doesn't seem so bad now that I'm dodging SUV's around every corner on my 1 hour commute home here in Calgary. I'm going back ASAP, cause I never realized how good I had it.

I guess the real message is "Home Is Where The Heart Is!" I'm an Albertan born & raised, currently residing in St. John's for a 3 year work term. I can not wait to get back home simply because Alberta is HOME. My family is there and all of my friends are there. We have made some friends here, but still...

Albertans are just as proud of our province as the rest of you. Yes it has grown, yes it is different, but it is what you make of it.
We are all Canadian, and this is truly the best country in the world, coast to coast. We should all be proud of every part of it.

I've lived in Alberta my whole life. I've never been to Nova Scotia. But I believe that I, too, am a Calgaria sufferer, and that Nova Scotia is the place to be. You're all good company, and fine people, but if you feasably can go home... I would if I were you. There's no hope for me, but you can save yourselves. Escape back home to Nova Scotia. Between Canada Post and email we can still cheerfully and effectively work together (and you'll have a three hour early start every day). If it gets feeling lonely and empty around here, well... we've always got those folks from Saskatchewan arriving daily. And they aren't sacrificing any ocean views to be here, so their suffering is far less, although they do get to missing their Riders.... Great website. Great spirit. Admirable initiative. You clearly love your home, as I do mine. We are fortunate earthlings.

Edmonton is quickly becoming as bad as Calgary.
We bought a new two-storey, 1,325 square foot home for $200,000 (incl. GST) in Sep of 2004. We just sold it for $410,000 this month. Now, thirty-year-old townhouses are going for $280,000. It is absolutely ridiculous. Traffic is insane, taxes have gone up.

We want to move to Nova Scotia with our toddlers. We could almost pay cash for nice home there as it is right now—that would be the only way to realize the profit we have made by being owners here in Edmonton.

Cheers all and hope to see you in NS!

Born in Calgary, raised in Nova Scotia, and came back to Calgary 24 years later. Yes, the Flames games are fun. Yes, the mountains are nice. Yes, it's great skiing. But you don't have the ocean, the beaches, the pubs, the patios, the cottages, the night life, the music, attainable homes, or maritime friendliness. I'm tied down to Calgary for a year THEN I'm peelin outta here!

I have been in Calgary for several years. I have some relatives who have been here longer and I believe it's now too late for them. Their children are now "from Calgary". I hope to be returning soon so that my children come to know and love the Nova Scotia that I miss daily. Alberta has been good to me, but there's no place like home.

Look at the signs.
Sure it looks good out west today but what about tomorrow. It's not going to last, and its going to shift east. History is repeating itself.

We did our 4 years in Alberta and got out. Our first son was born and our choice was come back to NS to finish the degree started nine years ago or buy a house.

We wanted our family to know what good people, places, food and history there was in the NS so we made the move. One of the best decisions we ever made.

I moved to Calgary 4 years ago and I can't wait to move back home! I was in denial...

I've lived here all my life. I have a great Job and Pays more then most Calgary Jobs. The best part is I don't have to work 12-14 hours per day 7 days a week to get that Income unlike the worker's in the Oil industry in Alberta.

I moved away almost 5 years ago, started my family and was promised everything. The cost of living makes it hard to move home now. This is truely the biggest mistake I've ever made. I miss family, friends and the best place in the world Nova Scotia!!!

I was born in this city, and by god I will not die in it. I will never have my own home unless a bag of money falls out of the sky. I am looking forward to getting my degree and leaving this town so I can actually make a good life for myself. Not one where I have to work a full time job, AND a part time job to afford a one room apartment. This is no way to live.
Get out while you can!

Living here in Calgary for the past few years I have seen alot of changes and not favorable ones. This city is over populated and its nothing short of a rat race..I will be headed back to the East Coast come spring.. as to what was said for The East to take home some of their homeless..without us Easterners I'm afraid this province would go BUST!

I agree, living back East would be the GREATEST thing ever. I have lived in Alberta for 4 years and want to move back home ever so bad! The only hitch to it is that not many employers back home seem to be willing to take the risk of hiring an individual from across the country. So if there is anyone out there that is willing to employ a full time Social Worker, I am READY to make the move.
-Eager to get back to "God's Country" where housing is affordable-

After 6 years in Calgary, we decided it was time to get out of the West and move back East. When I told my boss I would be leaving in the next 6 months to move back East, he came up with a plan for me to "telecommute" from Nova Scotia. I live in Cape Breton and work out of my home. No traffic jams and I can see the ocean from my window. I couldn't be happier anywhere else on the planet.

After 14 years out west, we are moving back home. Although we have made many dear friends out here, we know it is time to come back to Nova Scotia. We are looking forward to the salt air, bigger spaces, affordable housing,and more realistic pace. I will be glad to be finally free of chronic delusional calgaria.

I say Calgary is getting old! As a long time Albertan I say it is time to go! As prices rise and traffic becomes an increasing pain, I say let the Calgarians have their "wonderful" life! I would much rather go to Nova Scotia get a nice job and relax by the ocean at night and enjoy the peaceful bliss.

We currently live in Calgary & have been planning a move back to NS for about a year now. Traffic, road rage, crime, house prices, etc. are driving us crazy & I'd like be able to sit on a real beach & enjoy it! Don't want to spend another winter here!

Great Site,
Our Mayor is fighting Canada's highest inflation by increasing Fee's, Taxes and Levy's to everything in site. Keeping the 1%GST cut, adding $2500 levy to new homes, the highest usage of food bank for full time working families. Voting themselves up too 25% wage increases. There seems too be a small portion of Calgarians which find time and money for personal enjoyment, which indicates more room for taxes.
Taxed to the Max in Calgary

We moved to Calgary in hopes of great fortune only to realize that we already had that in Nova Scotia. As a young family, preschools and extracuriclar programs are very important to us, especially for the development of our 1 and 3 year olds. Shortages of preschools and limited enrolment available for soccer and swimming classes have left us out in the cold (literally)!

After a few months of living in Calgary we realized this would never be home therefore, we are making the move back to Nova Scotia this fall. We are looking forward to being close to family and friends, the ocean, enrolling our children in activites, way less traffic and friendly faces!

When Crape Geomatics presented me with the opportunity to work in Nova Scotia, I jumped at it. My wife and I are from here, and we believe there's no better place to raise our son – who now thoroughly enjoys all the benefits of living close to his grandparents.

Our decision to move back home also made good economic sense. With the housing prices through the roof in Alberta, especially in recent years, our return to Nova Scotia meant we could afford to build the home we wanted.

Currently the branch manager of Crape's Dartmouth office, I am very happy to work and live in a province I'm proud to call home.