Landing Experience - Calgary Alberta

[steaky]

Any one has experience with Vancouver. Please share

In Metro Vancouver, homes are either heated by furnace or baseboard heating. Unlike what amikety had described, it doesn't take much space (just hanged on the small part of the wall) and very quiet..)

 

[amikety]

Please can someone help.
What kind of accommodation will a family of 8 require in Calgary?

Adults = 1 person

Kids (under 18) = .5 person

So you will need 4 bedrooms. Those are rarer rentals. You will probably need a house, which can be expensive.

 

[Alfpharm]

@ amikety
Thanks for your prompt response.
I have 2 adults & 6 children below 17.
What will u suggest as I can't afford to rent or buy a house as an immigrant.

 

[amikety]

Start looking at rentals now. Get an idea of what is available and the costs.

You can probably find someone willing to give you a smaller rental. Just keep in mind, that is illegal. Meaning, if there are problems with the rental and you complain, the landlord will just evict you. And you will have to live in worry everyday that someone will call to complain to the city. The landlord can get into a lot of trouble renting too small apartments for a family. Not really the type of person I would do business with.

You might begin to see why Canadians have only a few kids. Kids are expensive!

http://www.rentfaster.ca/listingsearch.php?sortby=price&quadrant%5B0%5D=NW&quadrant%5B1%5D=NE&quadrant%5B2%5D=SW&quadrant%5B3%5D=SE&beds%5B0%5D=4&beds%5B1%5D=5&beds%5B2%5D=6&beds%5B3%5D=7

(If this shows up with super expensive houses first, re-arrange the prices low-to-high.)

There`s a few townhouses in the NE for rent 4 bedrooms or more. About $1500 per month. That is very good for 4 bedrooms. Vista Heights is a nice area.

 

[Alfpharm]

@ amikety
Thanks, the link was very useful
I appreciate

 

[CanadaNow]

You got a good deal on your car. Which model? Where did you buy? You can try auto insurance from the following links. I think you don't need full coverage as the value of your cars only $4,500. However, it's up to you.

http://www1.johnson.ca/ (I have insurance with them, got around 50 quotes when looking for auto insurance and they were lowest compare to others....more than three years with them)

http://www.brokerlink.ca/?gclid=CPPRsrO5wLICFYeDQgodaBYAmw

http://www.wawanesa.com/CN/EN/home.html

http://www.statefarm.ca/?Keyword=state%20farm%20insurance&MatchType=b&Placement=&k_clickid=464a8e1d-8e4e-9a09-ebce-00000e37a834

https://www.intactinsurance.com/

If you find any other insurance company other than the above with lowest quote, please share with us.

From the money perspective, I have found one insurance company is typically not better than another but that it is well worth your time shopping around (and I would do so again every 2 to 3 years). person 1 might find 1 company cheaper but then person 2 finds a second company cheaper even with same insurance criteria. Then go shopping again in a couple years and info changes.

From a customer service perspective, the cheapest company may or may not be good. it is well worth balancing the financial needs with this. remember when you have an accident (for example) and need your insurance company/agent....... would you regret paying an additional $40 a year if the service/attitude sucks?

also keep in mind, IF you use a broker and end up unhappy with them you can switch brokers and keep the same insurance company.

Best wishes!

 

[CanadaNow]

to my utter surprise when others are claiming it is very difficult to find a job, you are saying you got job offer for the very first 2 jobs you applied and then you even got offer for 60k+, "it seems too good to be true" isn't mr aquib ?
any body else has same thoughts please come forward..i very much doubt mr aquib's story..

while I understand your skepticism, if you read this thread, you will be able to see Aquib has A LOT of character and I for one would put trust in his word.

regarding job searches.....I have read many negative posts and even a few threads dedicated to it but most (if not all) of them have one or both of the following in common.....

- the individual truly did not research the job market and/or location they were moving to
- the posters from B.C and Ontario seem to be having the most difficult times for job finding


I am not posting this to create arguments so if you are having a difficult time, I truly wish you the best and am not intending to put anyone down. These are simply the observations I find most common on this thread.

Best wishes to all.

 

[CanadaNow]

I got a phone as a gift - my husband got an iPhone 5 so I got his iPhone 3GS. It was locked to Telus so I have Telus.... Yay?

I had to buy a new SIM card for $10 to use the phone. Very annoying. However, Telus did away with their activation fees, so I saved $10 off the top.

It's $65/month for Unlimited texting and incoming calls in Canada and the USA. I get 200 outgoing minutes. I also get ten "top numbers" that get unlimited calling all the time. (Must be Canadian numbers...according to them.) Free nights and weekends too. I rarely talk on the phone, so this works great for me. I could add international texting or calling, but I have no need. I have smartphone app called Pinger for international texting and it's free.

One word of advice - avoid Virgin Mobile. Their customer service center is awful. I had to call them once and the employees continually lied to me, including the manager.

I have a personal dislike for "The Big 3" (aka Telus [Koodoo], Rogers [Fido], Bell [Solo]) because of the way they have treated Canadians since cell phones came to Canada. The companies in the brackets are cut-rate carries owned by the big 3. The big 3 have had an Oligoploy in Canadian mobile business for years which is why our prices are so much higher than everywhere else in the world. Having said this, the big 3 also have far more reliable and established networks because they have been around so long and because the networks they are using were originally paid for and setup by the Canadian government. Wind, Mobilicity and the like are usually much better pricing (often by half or better) and far more for your money but their coverage areas are not yet as established (ie: with Wind if you go outside of a major city - even by a tiny bit - you will be paying roaming charges to Rogers).

 

[amikety]

I wouldn't have used Telus either, but the phone is locked. Despite owning the phone outright, Telus won't unlock it. I've filed an official complaint.... until then, the phone was free. I'm certainly not paying hundreds of dollars for a new one!

I'm waiting for Verizon to enter Canada and see what they do. I'm also tempted to cross into MT and get a phone in the US with North America wide calling/texting/data at US prices. If you get the right carrier (i. e. AT&T) it will work in Canada.

 

[CanadaNow]

I wouldn't have used Telus either, but the phone is locked. Despite owning the phone outright, Telus won't unlock it. I've filed an official complaint.... until then, the phone was free. I'm certainly not paying hundreds of dollars for a new one!

I'm waiting for Verizon to enter Canada and see what they do. I'm also tempted to cross into MT and get a phone in the US with North America wide calling/texting/data at US prices. If you get the right carrier (i. e. AT&T) it will work in Canada.

Give Telus a phone call and ask them for FACTORY unlock code (not the same as Jailbreak unlock). Then your phone will work on any of the big 3. For some weird reason, they charge some customers for the code and not others and there isn't always a pattern/reason for why/who they charge. Still not a fan of ANY of the big 3 but I hope this gives you more options and allows you to negotiate the big 3 against each other.

 

[amikety]

Haha! If those are my choices, I'd rather stick with Telus.

 

[mythestic]

I have a personal dislike for "The Big 3" (aka Telus [Koodoo], Rogers [Fido], Bell [Solo]) because of the way they have treated Canadians since cell phones came to Canada. The companies in the brackets are cut-rate carries owned by the big 3. The big 3 have had an Oligoploy in Canadian mobile business for years which is why our prices are so much higher than everywhere else in the world. Having said this, the big 3 also have far more reliable and established networks because they have been around so long and because the networks they are using were originally paid for and setup by the Canadian government. Wind, Mobilicity and the like are usually much better pricing (often by half or better) and far more for your money but their coverage areas are not yet as established (ie: with Wind if you go outside of a major city - even by a tiny bit - you will be paying roaming charges to Rogers).

thats true! Seriously.. the 3 bigs are ripping off canadians like seriously!

However, I am using Mobilicity since i arrived here, $35 per month (promotional deal - now its available in $45) with unlimited outgoing/incoming within the Canada/America. Unlimited Data service and free local/worldwide SMS.
Their service is good but reception is not that great as 3 giants.. n I hope it will get better with time..

 

[SATDXB]

thats true! Seriously.. the 3 bigs are ripping off canadians like seriously!

However, I am using Mobilicity since i arrived here, $35 per month (promotional deal - now its available in $45) with unlimited outgoing/incoming within the Canada/America. Unlimited Data service and free local/worldwide SMS.
Their service is good but reception is not that great as 3 giants.. n I hope it will get better with time..

Hi,

now its shows 40$ in promo.

http://mobilicity.ca/



Cheers...

 

[21685]

Where are you brother Aquib .You have started this good thread but now disappeared and it is dominated by amikety and she is doing a wonderful job

and she is delivering the goods more than expectation, God bless her keep it up kety.

 

[amikety]

Where are you brother Aquib .You have started this good thread but now disappeared and it is dominated by amikety and she is doing a wonderful job

and she is delivering the goods more than expectation, God bless her keep it up kety.

Wait, you guys figured out I'm female? :'(

Aquib has a job and I have none. He has kids. I have a cat. That's the difference

What does kety mean? I'm asking because it's very close to my real name!