# Moving to Calgary



## Mac Jedi (Sep 28, 2004)

Hi Everyone!
Finally decision is made, and we moving to Calgary. Of course we have some friends in the city… but still I would like to clear up some things for myself from independent sources.
First, of course, renting. Are there any regions to avoid? Is it difficult to find a decent 1-bedroom apartment (water, heat and power included)? Lets say something in between from 500 to 700.
Just wondering if anyone has a suggestion for a good car insurance company in Calgary.
Or if someone could share experience of registering car from other province would be greatly appreciated.
Are there any suggestions for Internet Service Providers to choose from?
That’s it at the moment! 
Thanks in advance!


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## da_jonesy (Jun 26, 2003)

Fair warning... according to Sinc and Macnutt, Alberta is crawling with roaming hordes of cannibalistic, cannabis smoking, heroin addicted, mad max beyond thunderdome gangs that apparently have the population hiding in caves with their firearms loaded and ready to go.

Your first stop should be Bob's Pawn and Gun shop... you'll need to be armed.




PS. Congrats, beautiful country out there. I love the drive to Jasper.


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

Chealion or FeXL or someone else from the area should be able to turn you on to the best deals in car insurance. Might even be able to tell you what's hot and what's not in the rental market these days. When I was last living in CowTown (which was in 1999) the southwest was the high rent district and the northeast (nearest the airport) was dominated by recent immigrants. I lived there and it was fine, BTW. Northwest is a rapidly growing middle to upper middle class area. Quite nice. Not sure about the southeast part of the city. Only drove through there...but there is a LOT of building going on all over the place so it shouldn't be too hard to find somewhere to live.

Calgary is a great city to live in. Only an hour from the mountains, lots to see and do. Plenty of babes as well. And they get warm spells (chinooks) right in the middle of winter. 

I loved the place. Great choice. Good luck! 


BTW...kiss your unchipped windsheild goodbye. It's sort of a Calgary tradition to have at least one nasty "blossom" in your windscreen. Deerfoot Trail is notorious for getting one of these. Usually in the first week you are there.


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## Mac Jedi (Sep 28, 2004)

da_jonesy said:


> Your first stop should be Bob's Pawn and Gun shop... you'll need to be armed.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for warning Da_jonesy, 
I'm already armed, fully equipped and very dangerous. 
I’m driving Avenger (Hammer basis). It carries eight Raytheon Stinger short-range air defense missiles in two launch pods mounted either side of the turret. It is also equipped with a 50 caliber M3P automatic machine gun to cover the missile dead zone and engage ground targets. I also might mention that the fire control system is highly automated, and very effective…..  
I hope I’ll survive….


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## sccoaire (Feb 11, 2005)

Mac Jedi said:


> Thanks for warning Da_jonesy,
> I'm already armed, fully equipped and very dangerous.
> I’m driving Avenger (Hammer basis). It carries eight Raytheon Stinger short-range air defense missiles in two launch pods mounted either side of the turret. It is also equipped with a 50 caliber M3P automatic machine gun to cover the missile dead zone and engage ground targets. I also might mention that the fire control system is highly automated, and very effective…..
> I hope I’ll survive….


Hmmm... I'll make sure to never run into you...  

Seriously... I moved in Edmonton 3 years ago. Love Calgary. I go through State Farms for my car and apartment insurance coverage. I'm from Quebec, but lived in the states for a few years before coming here. I was with them in the states, and they were the cheappest of them all when I got here, so I sticked with them. 

You'll love dealing with privatized registry offices, much better then the governmently operated system in Quebec. I had to have a federal car inspection on top of a provincial one for my car when I moved here. In your case you'll have the provincial one only... they're pretty strict I'm afraid. My car was in good shape, considering, but the driver side electric window didn't work and had to have it fixed, as well as replacing a cracked lamp cover. 

For high speed internet, you have the 2 big boys: Telus or Shaw (cable)... then you have small ones. Good pricing option for new customers though, usually with Telus.

One thing to remember: fill your Alberta Health Care form right away once you have a proof of address, unless you have a new job already waiting for you, with health benefits that would take care of that process for you...


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

da_jonesy said:


> Fare warning... according to Sinc and Macnutt, Alberta is crawling with roaming hordes of cannibalistic, cannabis smoking, heroin addicted, mad max beyond thunderdome gangs that apparently have the population hiding in caves with their firearms loaded and ready to go.
> 
> Your first stop should be Bob's Pawn and Gun shop... you'll need to be armed.
> 
> ...


Actually da_jonesy, our "fares" are as reasonable for public transit as anywhere.

Perhaps you meant "fair"? 

Or is that another quaint eastern term?


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## Mac Jedi (Sep 28, 2004)

Thanks for sharing guys! I really appreciate it!
It looks like they will make me remove my favorite 50 caliber M3P automatic machine gun on this inspection.... 
Seriously... right now car is on service getting prepared for a long ride. Is anything else I should pay attention for?


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Yep, try and avoid high gas prices. Note I said "try"!


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

da_jonesy said:


> Fare warning... according to Sinc and Macnutt, Alberta is crawling with roaming hordes of cannibalistic, cannabis smoking, heroin addicted, mad max beyond thunderdome gangs that apparently have the population hiding in caves with their firearms loaded and ready to go.
> 
> Your first stop should be Bob's Pawn and Gun shop... you'll need to be armed.
> 
> ...


Hey, who said anything about cannibalistic?


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Mac Jedi said:


> Thanks for warning Da_jonesy,
> I'm already armed, fully equipped and very dangerous.
> I’m driving Avenger (Hammer basis). It carries eight Raytheon Stinger short-range air defense missiles in two launch pods mounted either side of the turret. It is also equipped with a 50 caliber M3P automatic machine gun to cover the missile dead zone and engage ground targets. I also might mention that the fire control system is highly automated, and very effective…..
> I hope I’ll survive….


What a rig! You should have no problem negotiating the Deerfoot 500 during rush hour... 

As far as insurance is concerned, can't say, wife gets good (better?) rates from work. You'll want to check out a broker, though, rather than just an agent.

Someone else is going to have to advise on rent prices/areas, I'm a fair chunk out of Calgary and out of that loop.

You going to be in town in time for the next ehMac Calgary soiree on May 7?

Welcome to the finest damn province in the union!


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## RobTheGob (Feb 10, 2003)

Mac Jedi said:


> Thanks for warning Da_jonesy,
> I'm already armed, fully equipped and very dangerous.
> I’m driving Avenger (Hammer basis). It carries eight Raytheon Stinger short-range air defense missiles in two launch pods mounted either side of the turret. It is also equipped with a 50 caliber M3P automatic machine gun to cover the missile dead zone and engage ground targets. I also might mention that the fire control system is highly automated, and very effective…..
> I hope I’ll survive….


Haha - my youngest son has the same system on his bike! 

Alberta welcomes you!


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## Mac Jedi (Sep 28, 2004)

FeXL said:


> You going to be in town in time for the next ehMac Calgary soiree on May 7?
> 
> Welcome to the finest damn province in the union!


I would love to... but unfortunately I'm gonna miss this one. I'm planning to arrive in the end of may. But next one 100% for sure.


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## da_jonesy (Jun 26, 2003)

SINC said:


> Actually da_jonesy, our "fares" are as reasonable for public transit as anywhere.
> 
> Perhaps you meant "fair"?
> 
> Or is that another quaint eastern term?


My bad.


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## Mac Jedi (Sep 28, 2004)

RobTheGob said:


> Haha - my youngest son has the same system on his bike!
> 
> Alberta welcomes you!


Awesome!  how about orbiting rods with depleted uranium equipped with small boost rockets and GPS guidance? This what i've got on my bike, it is easier to push pedals you know...


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## oryxbiker (Nov 29, 2001)

Mac Jedi said:


> Hi Everyone!
> Finally decision is made, and we moving to Calgary. Of course we have some friends in the city… but still I would like to clear up some things for myself from independent sources.
> First, of course, renting. Are there any regions to avoid? Is it difficult to find a decent 1-bedroom apartment (water, heat and power included)? Lets say something in between from 500 to 700.
> Just wondering if anyone has a suggestion for a good car insurance company in Calgary.
> ...



a region to avoid is the east side. sorry, west side pride!


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## SkyHook (Jan 23, 2001)

.


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## Chealion (Jan 16, 2001)

Mac Jedi - Hey, welcome to Calgary!

Renting isn't very cheap in Calgary and gets considerably more expensive the closer you get to downtown or the university. The only place I would give the lowest priority for a place to live is the NE area of Calgary. (Specifically Pineridge, Rundle, Forest Lawn areas).

If you're looking for a 1 bedroom apartment for about 700 you'll be lucky. I've seen 1 bedroom apartments ranging from the high 600s to nearly a grand a month closer to downtown. However that said, it's quite likely you'll find somewhere worthwhile as I haven't been very involved in the pursuit of finding a place to rent. (University tuition is too expensive.)

As for ISPs, you have three choices in Calgary. Telus' ADSL which is 1.5MBps and has a 10 GB (up and down) cap. Shaw's 1.5 (lite), 3.0 (standard), and 5.0 (Extreme) set ups. The standard and Extreme are both more expensive then Telus but the cap on these is very generous (and rarely enforced unless you completely abuse it. Ask RobTheGob and his TV episode habits)

The third ISP in town is 3web that is cheaper then both Telus and Shaw. However they are just selling you the exact same line you'd get from Shaw or Telus without the direct support or the bandwidth caps as far as I can tell. I haven't heard from anyone who uses 3web in Calgary so can't tell you how effective they are, but on dslreports that have had several good reviews.

Hope this helps.


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

Uh, yeah. Avoid the NE.

BUT!! I can speak to the quality of scenery at Jameson's Irish pub... SOMEWHERE in the east... se, ne, I dunno, I wasn't driving, I was just smiling....


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

Hey..I lived in both Rundle and Forest Lawn at one time or another. And I liked it! I really did!

I love curry...and there are so many good curry restaraunts in those areas.


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## SkyHook (Jan 23, 2001)

.


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

When I lived in Calgary in the early eighties, Bowness was thought of as the dark side of the moon. It was all bikers and gap toothed drug dealers and lots of cars jacked up in everyone's yard. There was a shooting or a beating almost every night. Burnout contests at three AM. Women screaming at all hours. Guys with big beer guts facing off for big fights in abandoned lots. 

Graffiti and run down houses all over the place. Everyone seemed to own an old Dodge with a huge motor sticking out of the hood. Usually painted bright orange with a brush or a coarse roller. Lots of seedy bars, as well. And booze cans when the actual bars shut down. Pure mayhem and civil disobedience. And the river was a great place to dispose of any unwanted bodies. Completely unacceptable in any sort of modern civilised society. An area to avoid, at all costs.

Damn I loved that place.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Hey MacJedi, I agree with everyone that raves about living in Calgary - I spent most of the 60s there (at least I think I did  ) just when it was beginning to really boom and I still love to visit.

But, if you're driving, I want to remind you that you'll be passing through Saskatchewan...... "The Land of Living Skies" ....... and I beg of you, please don't do as so many easterners do - just blaze through here with your eyes closed!

Sure there's nothing to see - but that's the point - where else in Canada do you have an uninterrupted view for MILES? You won't see any telephone or power lines above ground to mar the view - we got smart a few years ago and realized that the weather could play havoc with such things so we buried them all. In May the crops won't be up yet, but you'll see lots of activity in the fields. And the people are friendly, so try to stay awake and visit with us for a while   

Margaret


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## Robert-oh (May 2, 2003)

Welcome to Calgary.

I've lived here all my life so I must admit I'm a little prejudiced. I've gone thru both Telus and Shaw for my internet and ditched them both. If it wasn't a problem with Shaw dropping my ip address (which is easy for me to remedy, but not worth it for my wife), it was Telus not allowing me to use their server to send my email hosted on another site.

If I could recommend Nucleus for your provider. They are a smaller operation that offers DSL in both Calgary and Edmonton. I've never spent more than 5 minutes on hold to get tech support and when you have a question they actually get what you're talking about. Here is a link to their DSL page with pricing. 

http://www.nucleus.com/highspeed/rates-features.html

The only drawback to their service is that you have to buy your modem where Telus and Shaw are giving away their hardware. 

I'm not trying to get a referral or anything from them. Just check them out...they're pretty cool.


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## RobTheGob (Feb 10, 2003)

Chealion said:


> The standard and Extreme are both more expensive then Telus but the cap on these is very generous (and rarely enforced unless you completely abuse it. Ask RobTheGob and his TV episode habits)


I resemble that remark!


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## RobTheGob (Feb 10, 2003)

MacNutt said:


> When I lived in Calgary in the early eighties, Bowness was thought of as the dark side of the moon. It was all bikers and gap toothed drug dealers and lots of cars jacked up in everyone's yard. There was a shooting or a beating almost every night. Burnout contests at three AM. Women screaming at all hours. Guys with big beer guts facing off for big fights in abandoned lots.


Was it a coincidence that this all changed when you left town??


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## RobTheGob (Feb 10, 2003)

MacNutt said:


> Hey..I lived in both Rundle and Forest Lawn at one time or another. And I liked it! I really did!
> 
> I love curry...and there are so many good curry restaraunts in those areas.


IMO, most of the curry places in the NE are less than stellar now. The best ones are downtown and you need a reservation!

The best Pho places are still in the NE, though!


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## RobTheGob (Feb 10, 2003)

winwintoo said:


> Sure there's nothing to see - but that's the point - where else in Canada do you have an uninterrupted view for MILES? You won't see any telephone or power lines above ground to mar the view


It's funny - the first thing I thought of when reading your post was that it was like staring at a blank piece of paper. I think you have to grow up there to truly appreciate it. 

To me - I really get bored driving across SK, I usually try to do it as fast as I can! At least if there were telephone poles - there'd be something to look at!!

The places in SK that I really like are the little river valleys etc... The big open sky, I can do without!

(I think four posts in a row must be some kind of nerd record or something!)


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## Mac Jedi (Sep 28, 2004)

Guys... I am stunned!  Thank you so much for generous feedback! 

MacNutts recollections are very interesting and touching...

Special thanks to Sccoaire, Chealion and Robert-Oh! 

SkyHook I own you a beer once I arrived!
What the hell beer for everyone...  Just give me some time to get to the place!

Thanks Margaret, I'll try to keep my eyes open, probably I'll even stay over night in Regina. Sky is really beautiful!  
Once again! THANK YOU GUYS!!!


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## talonracer (Dec 30, 2003)

Be careful with the offers of a free round... you're starting a crazy night... make sure you know what you're getting in to!


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## Mac Jedi (Sep 28, 2004)

Don't worry!  I've got experience


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Mac Jedi said:


> Don't worry!  I've got experience


You only "think" you do hehehehhehehe

Margaret


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## SkyHook (Jan 23, 2001)

.


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## Mac Jedi (Sep 28, 2004)

Thanks SkyHook! 
I think such things can happen anywhere..... Especially if someone runs at night with a sword... Probably it was Duncan McLeod and he will resurrect! 

My friend was on business trip to Europe last year. He rented an apartment in safe area. Night patrols, 24h video surveillance etc. One day they found a bag with human parts in the lake next to his house.... 
I mean things can happen even in very peaceful communities. 
But shootouts is the different story. I don't like places that someone shooting people at bus stops just for fun...
My car was robbed last year in downtown of Montreal. Same no reaction from police... I even suspect that they definitely know those people.... Who cares.

Thanks again, I appreciate it!


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