Did you know that Calgary, Alberta, is the fifth most livable city in the world? That’s according to the Economist magazine’s 2012 list released this August. It is among three Canadian cities ranked in the top five (Vancouver is number three, Toronto is four, after Melbourne, Australia, and Vienna, Austria, which took the top two spots respectively).

Based on criteria like health care, stability, culture and environment, education and infrastructure — with a score of up to 100 — Calgary earned a score of 96.6, less than one full point away from top-rated Melbourne (97.5).

While Vancouver and Toronto edged out the Alberta city in the rankings, there are nearly 1.1 million Calgarians who might beg to differ. And more and more newcomers to Canada are discovering that not only Calgary, but other cities in Alberta, too, offer promising lifestyle and career opportunities. From 2006 to 2011, 120,000 newcomers made Alberta their home — an increase of 58 per cent over previous years.

Why newcomers are choosing Alberta

There are three big reasons, to start, why immigrating to Alberta is a good thing. One, there is no provincial tax — a bonus for immigrants who might be shocked by all the taxes they pay in Canada. Two, the housing market is strong, but prices are not so out of reach as in cities like Vancouver. Three, and most important, there are many job sectors seeking workers.

In fact, the Alberta government is keen on welcoming more immigrants to fill labour shortages and help build the provincial economy. You just have to look at its expansive provincial nominee program to see that the door to Alberta is open on many fronts, even if the doors to Canada seem shut at the federal level.

Many of the jobs are connected to the province’s prosperous oil and gas industry. Gurjeet Paintel, originally from India, is one immigrant taking advantage of the demand for labour. After studying and working for a few years in Toronto in the fields of hotel management and logistics and supply chain management, a friend convinced him to look for opportunities westward. “I just needed a change in my career and lifestyle,” Paintel says.

He applied for an entry-level position at a support services provider that offers hospitality and janitorial services to oil and gas producers in Alberta. He relocated to Fort McMurray in northern Alberta, which came with a $20,000 increase in salary. “This is the only province where you can get this kind of experience,” he says commenting on the camp life that he is experiencing since he relocated a few weeks ago. “The camp provides everything … food, accommodation, entertainment,” he says, adding, “So this is a nice change. I save a lot on living expenses also!”

There is, of course, more to the province than oil and gas, however. Rana Singh and Nivedita Anugraham, also from India, are accounting professionals who are packing their bags to return to Calgary where they lived for three years before relocating to Hamilton, Ontario. Singh is excited to go back to Alberta because of its young vibrant community.

“Opportunities are immense,” he says, recommending newcomers to Canada to think about moving to the province. According to him, big cities like Toronto are saturated and his advice, if you are willing to take the chance, is move to Alberta. “One thing is for sure — you won’t see doctors and engineers driving cabs because they couldn’t find a job.”

Anugraham adds, “I am looking forward to going back. Even though I had an undergraduate degree from here [McGill University in Montreal], it was difficult to break into the job market [in Ontario].” She is so confident that she will find a job through a placement agency, that she is waiting until their relocation to Calgary is completed before she even applies for a job. “I’ll go through placement agencies.”

Big Alberta cities like Calgary and Edmonton, and smaller communities, too, are seeing more and more immigrants like these three coming to set up lives, careers, businesses and futures.

Average price of homes across the province:

Alberta West $334,205

Calgary $409,670

Central Alberta $287,900

Edmonton $337,304

Fort McMurray $640,283

Grande Prarie $267,977

Lethbridge $260,849

Lloydminster $270,393

Medicine Hat $265,859

Northeastern Alberta $327,923

South Central Alberta $214,169

Alberta $363,924

Things to do in Alberta:

hiking or camping in the beautiful Rockies

canoeing at one of Alberta’s many lakes or rivers like the picturesque Lake Louise

exploring the European village feel of Banff

skiing is popular in the province’s Big Six mountain resorts — Lake Louise, Sunshine, Norquay, Nakiska, Castle Mountain and Marmot

whitewater rafting on the scenic Kananaskis River and Bow River

horseback riding — where better to try this activity than the province that gives us the Calgary Stampede!



