Calgary
Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta, Canada. Alberta's south, borders the United States. To the west is the province of British Columbia, Saskatchewan to the east, and the Northwest Territories to the north. Calgary sits within the prairies just east of the Rocky Mountains, where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet. Calgary is mostly referred to as the gateway to the Rocky Mountains with the world-famous skiing town, Banff is just a short drive away. Calgary is also known as “Heart of the new West.”
The population of Calgary is around 1.3 million and growing day by day, making it a large metropolitan area in Canada. Calgary is the major urban center for the entire southern half of the province of Alberta. It is surrounded by an area of profound natural beauty.
Calgary is a mountain-high city at 1,048 metres above sea level. The climate is dry, with low levels of humidity. Sitting on the prairies, Calgary gets the most sun of any of Canada’s major cities. Summers can be warm and dry, with temperatures capable of reaching 30°C or higher. Even during winter and cold it’s usually sunny. This can make living in Calgary in an attractive prospect.
There are four distinct seasons in Calgary. Winter is quite pleasant by Canadian standards, with temperatures staying below -10°C for a few weeks of the year. There are so many great ski resorts to choose from to enjoy winter activities. And, you probably won’t pass a Calgary winter without a Chinook. This weather phenomenon is a warm wind from the Pacific Ocean. It can raise the temperature by as much as 15 degrees in a few hours.
Calgary has a very diverse population. One third of the current population living in Calgary were born outside Canada. Calgary also attracts Canadians from other provinces. Calgary becomes a primary choice for many who immigrated to Canada and settled elsewhere before deciding to relocate here.
The cost of living is relatively low compared to other major cities in Canada due to Alberta having no sales tax and a lower price of gasoline and natural gas. Alberta residents pay just GST at 5 percent and no PST and HST. House prices and rent prices are competitive with home ownership still on the affordable scale unlike other major metropolitan cities in Canada. Importantly wages are typically above the Canadian average.
Homes is Calgary are in the segments of : Muli-family homes (consisting of condos, duplex, or row town houses), Single family homes (typically with or without attached garages), and Acreage homes (Starting with smaller 1 or 2 acre lots to a larger parcel of land) along the outskirts of the city. Traditionally, many prefer to purchase single family homes in Calgary compared to the other cities due to its affordability.