Bye bye...

[Snowtractor]

...North! my son would say, and I have to agree with his statement. I said I was going to move out of the North , last spring I ranted, well it is fait accompli as of next monday.
I will be an Albertan and working in Edson my wife and son to follow in 3 weeks. We have ordered a house , to be delivered in 7 months, but we don't have any land or basement or services to put it on. Nice house though
Edson is out of control house price wise, 300k for a house that needs 60k worth of work. Or new houses starting at 325k with no yard and you have to have the same red brick driveway and white fence as everyone else, whatever happened to Albertan individuality? Anyway , we have bought a modular home and need to find a couple of acres now. Edson is on the way to Jasper so I know some of you will make it that way sometime.
Oh, we were going to buy 3 arces 15miles from town with a 50ft 2 bedroom trailer and 2 garages on it as a expediate measure , but they turned down an offer of 240k !!!! Thats damn near A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS for a 20k trailer and 80k worth of dirt and garages. The long term will prove us right for moving . Although at this point it looks like 7 months of hotel fro 21,000bucks because there is no place to rent.
Sean
the newest Albertan
go Bombers Go

Wow.

Hey Sean, motels and hotels usually have "off season monthly rates" for monthly rentals, which generally start around end of Sept or October (I'm not sure exactly the start dates) ... ask about this of where you'll be, or enquire at other motels around town about monthly off season rates. The owners like the gauranteed income for a monthly rate as opposed to "hoping with fingers crossed" that they'll get enough visitors staying through the month to make a little money. They love have some monthly tenants, and rates are way WAY cheaper! and most motels have certain units they use specifically for monthly off season rentals, while still have many units available for by the night/week/whatever. In a Motel (as opposed to a Hotel) you also have cooking facilities, fridge. dishes, pots and pans, etc. Hotels suck for long time, especialy with a kid too. Motels can be pretty cozy but more comfy and cheaper.

Even better if you can check them out, those in town, outta town, whatever, for suitability and livability in person once in town before committing to paying a whole month at any place in particular ... booking in advance might work too.

Just some ideas for you in case you're interested ... if not, I'll shut my now

Karmen

[Snowtractor]

Howdy VD,
you are of course right on the hotels in a normal situation. THis however is a booming oil / gas / and forestry town and winter is its busiest time. There are 11 hotels in a 9000 person town with 4 more set to open very soon and all but one are already booked for the next 2 months.
I believe the trucks do less damage to the ground when frozen and possibly are restricted to prevent interferring with the summer tourist season too.
If it weren't booming housing would't be so expensive either. Its still going to be a fun place to live.
So keep the good ideas coming, igloo no work , wrong kind of snow, too green.
Sean

Well then, :idea: how 'bout a big old Tee-Pee then? ... and I'll send you some old furs I saved from the fur trade days so you can all keep warm when winter hits (you'll have to scrounge your own straw for mattresses though), and some buffalo chips to keep the fire pit stoked and loan you a few of my frying pans for cooking (just tell the wee Shamus that frying pans are for cooking, not for hitting, though ... he's too young to know how and when to use them for that yet )

Booming! Ouch AND hurrah! Hard to find places and hard to afford 'em when you do ... sounds like a great move where the action and money are happening, so congratulations are in order! I hope everything falls into place smoothly and quickly in this big transition. May you quickly find your new spot, for a reasonable price, to plant yourselves and your new house! It's fun exploring a new place and people too (I ALWAYS enjoy that part anyways )

Life ... forever changing

VD

[gordon]

... that you bought when you were at Beltring, groundsheet, pegs, and so on - even those two folding chairs.


G
Good luck in your new venture

[Gordon Yeo]

Alberta and its oil have become a modern day gold rush. I just got back from a visit in Nova Sotia and have seen why a house in Alberta is worth $400,000. I was visiting with freinds and while we were sitting after supper a neibour stoped in to see my hosts. He told them in two days he and his family were gone to Alberta to find a better life, he is a licenced carpenter and had a job waiting. They just turned the keys for the house into the bank and left. That sounds like to old tails of people just walking away from everything and heading to the Klondike.

[cletrac (RIP)]

The housing market in most of Alberta is the same. If you really want expensive try Calgary! I have friends in Edson and it's nice country around there.

[Barry Churcher]

Janet lived in Alberta for many years just outside Innisfail and her best friend Donna still lives there. Her and her husband Lyle own a half section and have worked hard making a living. They have never had the extra cash to come to Ontario to visit us and Lyle won't fly anyway. Two weeks ago Janet got a call and Donna said they bought a new truck and they are coming for a visit.
Then Donna explained the reason. They have found oil on their property and are putting in at least one oil well. Sometimes nice things happen to nice people.
Cheers,
Barry

P.S. If you are ever near Innisfail visit their Legion. What a place!

Originally posted by Barry Churcher
They have found oil on their property and are putting in at least one oil well. Sometimes nice things happen to nice people.
Cheers,
Barry

Hi Barry,

What a good story to hear!!! The most amazing things happen somethimes ...

... I know of lots of people, including many of the "new graduates" from high schools in BC, who headed/head to Alberta for work and they generally find work immediately. My youngest daughter (age 23) for one. She's never had a problem with finding work. She currently works in an oil and gas company as a "Records Technician" making really good money. Rental housing is certainly expensive, which is why I'm back in BC rather than my kids next door neighbor (where I'd rather be and she'd rather have me) in Calgary or thereabouts!

Karmen

[Stewart Loy]

Sean,

Glad to hear that you are getting out, and heading closer to 'civilization'.

I hear that things are really tough accomodation wise out there in the West - there is even a story of a guy sleeping on garbage bags of money stuffed in the back of a WW2 halftrack!

But that's probably just a story somebody told me ...


Stewart

[Snowtractor]

...well so far we just have average paying government jobs , no boom money there. Interesting feeling watching a 24 year old drive by in a 100k truck he just bought because the old one was dirty. Problem chasing a boom is the later half of people quite often get burned, you pretty mcuh have to have prescience to know to be on the ground before anyone else.
I would like to say to Cleatrac and the others that now you have two friends in Edson. We are moving there for a better quality of life with our son, not style of living . As long as we can get a decent home and not be mortgage poor then average salaries will do us just fine.
We have ordered a very nice modular home but we're looking at 7 months delivery and we don't have land yet. Even they farmers are gouging, 78k for 4 unserviced acres 15 miels from town, come on.
So I need to find that halftrack fellow and tarp it in for the winter. Anyone have a 5th wheel they want to rent for the winter, or sell cheap?
Just got buzzed from my realestate agent and 2001 house , nice but not a mansion, three bedroom bungalow on 9 acres, 15 min from town...$409,000.00...I had better hurry. Even with our modular by the time its ready to occupy will be 340k and no garage.
Sean

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Snowtractor

Sean
the newest Albertan
go Bombers Go

Go Bombers Go??? I think all the Stampeder and Eskimo fans living in Alta. might take umbrage to that statement!

P.S. I ordered one of those items you and I were discussing off-site. I'll email you pics when it arrives.



GO LIONS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Snowtractor]

Do they play football?
If you are born a Winnipegger , you die a Winnipegger and although I will fight with all the other Abertans to bring down the federal government and make FAT RALPH KINg , I will always be a Winnipegger at heart. YOu may take our JETS but never shall you get our BOMBERS! THIS FAR AND NO FARTHER I SAY!!!
And per your other remark... COOL!
Sean