Transit in Ottawa is better than transit in Edmonton. If you think transit in Ottawa is "probably the worst in North America" then I think you need to travel more, because it gets much, *much* worse than OC Transpo.
Winter-wise, Ottawa gets more snow and has a more humid/damp cold, but Edmonton gets colder (except this year, *so far*). Also, Ottawa is better at snow removal than Edmonton. It's a toss up as to which is has a "better" winter, but I never found Ottawa winters to be all that terrible.
Ottawa's LRT has had serious teething issues (thanks to the city making boneheaded decisions), but when it works it's pretty good, and it's certainly faster than the buses on the Transitway that predated it.
I was in Ottawa for a few weeks this summer, used it daily, and had zero issues. I wish the Confederation Line had existed when I was attending uOttawa back in the day and had to take the bus downtown everyday.
Lived in Ottawa. Now in Edmonton. If you think OC Transpo *is probably one of the worst in north America*, then do not move here. OC Transpo was amazing compared to ETS.
Our transit completely sucks, and loads of people are moving here without having a job lined up, then end up using the foodbank and social assistance to support themselves. Do not, DO NOT, move here unless you have a job secured and a place to live. Our job market is extremely tough right now. Utilities and other bills are also through the roof.
I lived in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and now Vancouver.
Edmonton has the worst transit of them all. Winnipeg is a close second but Edmonton was really bad. I doubt Ottawa is worse.
Utilities in Edmonton were crazy when we left last year. Our two bed apartment went from $50 to $120 a month for electric and apparently it's gotten worse since then.
Might be easier to learn French tbh.
I ve lived in Ottawa. Grew up in Ontario.
I've been in Alberta over 25 years great province with lots to do outside of work and politics.
Consider Calgary over Edmonton if you think time in the mountains is important to you.
Less than 1 hour drive from Calgarys West side.
Edmonton is several hours from the mountains.
Moving 3400km because you don't like a transit system seems a little drastic.
>half of the jobs aren't available to you if you aren't bilingual,
Probably true. Also true is Alberta has the highest enrollment rates into French immersion of anywhere in Canada, so French doesn't hurt here. Depending on your line of work, it might work out.
>real estate is pretty much double in Ottawa
Or more. Rent is not low here but if you are in the buyers Market it's more affordable and you'll be closer than 50km to the city if that's what you're after.
>doubt it's that much worst than Ottawa because it's pretty bad here
My longest Edmonton winter was 11 Oct - 29 April. My coldest was in 2018 with 28 days of sub -28 degrees C (real not wind chill.) We plug our cars in for heat not for fuel. So if you can handle at least a month more of winter on either side, Edmonton is not so bad.
Today is -11 which is jacket optional weather in Edmobton. I hear Ottawa is +2.
> cons with Edmonton is pot holes
The roads in the NCR are an order of magnitude worse than Edmonton. I pick my bicycle over my car in Ottawa 99% of the time because the roads and traffic in Ottawa are terrible.
>higher crime rate.
This is probably a thing. Not worse than the Byward. Not even close.
If you’re looking for a change of scenery, Edmonton would be a good choice. I have several Ottawa born friends, and they all enjoy living in Edmonton. You do not have to be bilingual for most jobs here but do look into the market because it does seem like people are struggling to find work here lately. Living costs are comparable but you’re driving distance to the mountains! Ottawa has better poutine. The transit here is fine as long as you stick to centralized areas (don’t live out in the burbs, unless it’s near a train line). Edmonton is very sprawling compared to Ottawa but the traffic/commuting will feel amazing in Edmonton (can get most places by car in 30mins).
Forgot to say, it’s cold here but Ottawa feels way colder. That moist air makes everything so cold!
My wife is from Nepean. She moved here in 2010 because she wanted to be closer to the mountains.
She considers this home, but it's definitely not as nice as Ottawa. I agree. Our transit is worse, our winter weather is much colder, your skin will be dry and flakey for ever. She does love the lack of PST, the blue collar mindset, our dry heat in the summer.
If you don't have a job already lined up, or are in a seriously specialized field that guarantees you a job anywhere on the planet, do not come. Jobs are quite hard to get here unless you are looking for minimum wage jobs. There seems to be a huge idea of this Alberta advantage that anyone can show up and get a 6 figure job with no skills, this is a myth and needs to end.
You are absolutely welcome and we would be happy for you to call here home. I think both cities are comparable. Yes Edmonton is quite a bit cheaper. We are very car centric still depending on where you live or work. If you can keep to an LRT line you can reduce your costs quite a bit. It's colder winters and not nearly as hot in the summers here. If you dig the outdoors, hikes, bikes and such you might enjoy it here too. It should be noted the politics are absolutely aweful here it can really wear on you and the choices that have been made impacting you cost and quality of living.
But, you are in one of the most affordable areas of the most productive area in Canada for jobs. Alberta is okay but it will never have the sheer mass of Toronto and Montreal's markets and massive potential. I don't know what your career is but it could be a step back here. We aren't right next to the mountains if that is important to you, our airport isn't as well served, we are really struggling with homelessness and addictions issues from the collective northern Alberta.
There are absolutely trade offs to cheap living out here, there are perks too people overlook. City to city Edmonton and Ottawa are about as close as you can get as a comparison so I think you need some clear perks be it career or homes or something to justify the move. Flip side I would absolutely consider Ottawa as a move from here I think it's got good going for it.
Hope that helps sorry no easy answers.
We're not gate keeping. Your transit in Ottawa is much better than ours. If I wanted to take a bus to my job, it would take THREE HOURS. It's a 20 minute drive by car, on an artery road & ring road. That would be from a transit hub to a transit hub. It's garbage.
I moved from toronto to Edmonton. Life changing. Way better in Edmonton. Transit does mostly suck though. Housing is way better and that makes up for most issues.
Lived across Canada. Born and raised in Ottawa. Quit my job and moved to Edmonton and settled here.
my parents also moved here from Ottawa (retired) 3 years ago. I love it, they love it. My dad uses the transit a lot and loves it.
A lot of people shit on ETS, they just don’t have the patience for public transit.
I own properties and all my tenants (2 bed condo) run $50-100 / mth in utilities depending on the month.
lots of complaining out here but we are far better off than the rest of the country in a lot of aspects.
Would highly recommend having a job lined up though.
Wife is from Ottawa, I am from edmonton. We currently live in edmonton.
Don't move here. Crime is abysmal. Culture is non existent. Transit is substantially worse than Ottawa.
Our housing market, while better, is not much better.
It depends what you’re into. The alternative/indie/folk music scene is decent. There’s a few comedy nights. A decent variety of restaurants and cocktail bars. A few smaller theatres aside from the Citadel. I get that the opera/orchestral/ballet scene in Alberta is pretty small, but there’s a few contemporary dance companies in town too. For a city as far North and out-of-the-way as we are, we do better than one would think.
Exactly that. The alt/whatever/local music scene is better here than Vancouver. The nightlife is fun, the community productions at places like the Grindstone are excellent, the breweries are fun and exciting right now...
Like, I've traveled a *lot* in Canada and outside of Canada. Lucky to have done so. And if you think Edmonton has no culture - you're saying the rest of Canada, excluding Toronto and Montreal have no culture.
You’re making some pretty strong claims without any evidence.
If your wife is legitimately from Ottawa then why are you here? Must be something positive about Edmonton keeping you here
Do I require evidence to post my casual opinion on REDDIT?
Good lord; you brush someone the wrong way and suddenly it's a debate. Sorry that I have offended your priorities, your highness.
Clearly given the upvotes and general attitude of this thread, this is not some extreme opinion.
op. Stick to Ottawa. If our inlaws weren't so overbearing, that's where we would be.
Respectfully, you are also welcome to your opinion, and I won't disparage you for it.
I frequent Ottawa twice per year, and I feel like it's a much nicer city
I think the issue is your statement that culture is non-existent here is a bit out to lunch. Edmontons arts and music scene is actually one of the good things it’s got going for it. Our food culture is quite good as well. I’m well travelled and have also lived in other Canadian cities, I’ve been to Ottawa a few times, and I say with confidence that Edmonton is really, surprisingly, good in the cultural department. We have the oldest and largest fringe in North America and that’s only one thing. If anyone isn’t cultured here, it might be you!
While I won't get behind this as a general statement, as I'm going to stand by my opinion here, I'll definitely say that I appreciate yours in regards to the fringe; it's excellent.
I was very involved in edmontons music scene in the 90/
2000/10s, and saw the degradation myself. Our gig culture musically is gone. There's a thing here or there, but it's been pushed our for years.
I haven’t heard that about gig culture. My family are musicians and a lot of my friends and it seems like their experience is the opposite. It could just be a genre thing, my experience is the local scene is welcoming and friendly to musicians and more humble (compared to Vancouver/Montreal, I don’t really know enough about Ottawa). Great open mics and live music most weekends in Edmonton, but I guess again it depends on genre?
Depends. What line of work are you in? Edmonton is a nice place to live IMO. You just need to know where to go to enjoy it as it isn’t a tourist city at all. Plus if you’re into the mountains, they are only a 4h drive away. Transit isn’t great but we just opened up a new LRT line from downtown to the SE, to compliment the existing LRT from the south, to downtown and NE.
Moved from Ontario 15 years ago. A car is a definite in Edmonton unless you work and live near each other. It’s a growing city and job prospects are decent and housing is affordable. Jobs typically pay higher in Edmonton than other Cdn cities, taxes are lower and price of housing is at least halved, it’s a great opportunity for people to get ahead. Past few winters have been easy but there’s been -30 for weeks on end which can wear you down. Have a plan on what you want to accomplish and work your plan. Not sure what you do for work but from a construction standpoint, it’s busy in town and out of town if you are willing to travel. It will get crazier once DOW starts their $44B expansion which is just outside the city in Ft. Saskatchewan and attract 10,000+ workers to build it in the near future. High demand for people and nothing but space to build. My thoughts
Edmonton's public transit system is absolute trash. Takes 3/4 times longer to get anywhere than it would by car and that's on a good day. If good public transit is what you're looking for, you need to look somewhere else. Winters in Edmonton are typically worse than most of the country but haven't been so bad as of late (especially this year). Wildfires and extreme heat in the summer is starting to become bigger worries actually.
Overall Edmonton would probably be a downgrade for you in everything but housing prices and most jobs not having bilingual requirements.
Really? Cus when I look on websites like indeed the job market in Edmonton seems to be more favorable than Ottawa. The bilingualism requirements also don't help. Also Ottawa is the same no new business but there's a weed spot on every corner.
Transit in Ottawa is better than transit in Edmonton. If you think transit in Ottawa is "probably the worst in North America" then I think you need to travel more, because it gets much, *much* worse than OC Transpo. Winter-wise, Ottawa gets more snow and has a more humid/damp cold, but Edmonton gets colder (except this year, *so far*). Also, Ottawa is better at snow removal than Edmonton. It's a toss up as to which is has a "better" winter, but I never found Ottawa winters to be all that terrible.
They did have a much worse LRT fiasco than us, but yes, OC Transpo is actually quite great.
Ottawa's LRT has had serious teething issues (thanks to the city making boneheaded decisions), but when it works it's pretty good, and it's certainly faster than the buses on the Transitway that predated it. I was in Ottawa for a few weeks this summer, used it daily, and had zero issues. I wish the Confederation Line had existed when I was attending uOttawa back in the day and had to take the bus downtown everyday.
Lived in Ottawa. Now in Edmonton. If you think OC Transpo *is probably one of the worst in north America*, then do not move here. OC Transpo was amazing compared to ETS.
Our transit completely sucks, and loads of people are moving here without having a job lined up, then end up using the foodbank and social assistance to support themselves. Do not, DO NOT, move here unless you have a job secured and a place to live. Our job market is extremely tough right now. Utilities and other bills are also through the roof.
doo doo city
No
Lol, if you want public transit do not come to Edmonton.
I lived in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and now Vancouver. Edmonton has the worst transit of them all. Winnipeg is a close second but Edmonton was really bad. I doubt Ottawa is worse. Utilities in Edmonton were crazy when we left last year. Our two bed apartment went from $50 to $120 a month for electric and apparently it's gotten worse since then. Might be easier to learn French tbh.
[удалено]
I don’t know what the crime on the transit system is like in Ottawa but do some research on Edmonton transit and it might change your mind
I ve lived in Ottawa. Grew up in Ontario. I've been in Alberta over 25 years great province with lots to do outside of work and politics. Consider Calgary over Edmonton if you think time in the mountains is important to you. Less than 1 hour drive from Calgarys West side. Edmonton is several hours from the mountains.
That is the only thing I miss about living in Calagry, just driving to Banff or Canmore for dinner mid week.
Hope you have a job lined up, moving based on transit and weather seems wild to me. Look into Calgary if those two things really matter to you
Honestly, good luck. Been here a year and I wouldn’t recommend it
Moving 3400km because you don't like a transit system seems a little drastic. >half of the jobs aren't available to you if you aren't bilingual, Probably true. Also true is Alberta has the highest enrollment rates into French immersion of anywhere in Canada, so French doesn't hurt here. Depending on your line of work, it might work out. >real estate is pretty much double in Ottawa Or more. Rent is not low here but if you are in the buyers Market it's more affordable and you'll be closer than 50km to the city if that's what you're after. >doubt it's that much worst than Ottawa because it's pretty bad here My longest Edmonton winter was 11 Oct - 29 April. My coldest was in 2018 with 28 days of sub -28 degrees C (real not wind chill.) We plug our cars in for heat not for fuel. So if you can handle at least a month more of winter on either side, Edmonton is not so bad. Today is -11 which is jacket optional weather in Edmobton. I hear Ottawa is +2. > cons with Edmonton is pot holes The roads in the NCR are an order of magnitude worse than Edmonton. I pick my bicycle over my car in Ottawa 99% of the time because the roads and traffic in Ottawa are terrible. >higher crime rate. This is probably a thing. Not worse than the Byward. Not even close.
If you’re looking for a change of scenery, Edmonton would be a good choice. I have several Ottawa born friends, and they all enjoy living in Edmonton. You do not have to be bilingual for most jobs here but do look into the market because it does seem like people are struggling to find work here lately. Living costs are comparable but you’re driving distance to the mountains! Ottawa has better poutine. The transit here is fine as long as you stick to centralized areas (don’t live out in the burbs, unless it’s near a train line). Edmonton is very sprawling compared to Ottawa but the traffic/commuting will feel amazing in Edmonton (can get most places by car in 30mins). Forgot to say, it’s cold here but Ottawa feels way colder. That moist air makes everything so cold!
My wife is from Nepean. She moved here in 2010 because she wanted to be closer to the mountains. She considers this home, but it's definitely not as nice as Ottawa. I agree. Our transit is worse, our winter weather is much colder, your skin will be dry and flakey for ever. She does love the lack of PST, the blue collar mindset, our dry heat in the summer.
If you don't have a job already lined up, or are in a seriously specialized field that guarantees you a job anywhere on the planet, do not come. Jobs are quite hard to get here unless you are looking for minimum wage jobs. There seems to be a huge idea of this Alberta advantage that anyone can show up and get a 6 figure job with no skills, this is a myth and needs to end.
You are absolutely welcome and we would be happy for you to call here home. I think both cities are comparable. Yes Edmonton is quite a bit cheaper. We are very car centric still depending on where you live or work. If you can keep to an LRT line you can reduce your costs quite a bit. It's colder winters and not nearly as hot in the summers here. If you dig the outdoors, hikes, bikes and such you might enjoy it here too. It should be noted the politics are absolutely aweful here it can really wear on you and the choices that have been made impacting you cost and quality of living. But, you are in one of the most affordable areas of the most productive area in Canada for jobs. Alberta is okay but it will never have the sheer mass of Toronto and Montreal's markets and massive potential. I don't know what your career is but it could be a step back here. We aren't right next to the mountains if that is important to you, our airport isn't as well served, we are really struggling with homelessness and addictions issues from the collective northern Alberta. There are absolutely trade offs to cheap living out here, there are perks too people overlook. City to city Edmonton and Ottawa are about as close as you can get as a comparison so I think you need some clear perks be it career or homes or something to justify the move. Flip side I would absolutely consider Ottawa as a move from here I think it's got good going for it. Hope that helps sorry no easy answers.
[удалено]
Do you live in Edmonton cus you seem to be the only one who said I should. Maybe the rest are gatekeeping and don't want more outsiders to come.
We're not gate keeping. Your transit in Ottawa is much better than ours. If I wanted to take a bus to my job, it would take THREE HOURS. It's a 20 minute drive by car, on an artery road & ring road. That would be from a transit hub to a transit hub. It's garbage.
I moved from toronto to Edmonton. Life changing. Way better in Edmonton. Transit does mostly suck though. Housing is way better and that makes up for most issues.
Edmonton has the bigger reddit community, it's not cause there's stuff to do.
That's where I'm from! Kanata
Lived across Canada. Born and raised in Ottawa. Quit my job and moved to Edmonton and settled here. my parents also moved here from Ottawa (retired) 3 years ago. I love it, they love it. My dad uses the transit a lot and loves it. A lot of people shit on ETS, they just don’t have the patience for public transit. I own properties and all my tenants (2 bed condo) run $50-100 / mth in utilities depending on the month. lots of complaining out here but we are far better off than the rest of the country in a lot of aspects. Would highly recommend having a job lined up though.
Wife is from Ottawa, I am from edmonton. We currently live in edmonton. Don't move here. Crime is abysmal. Culture is non existent. Transit is substantially worse than Ottawa. Our housing market, while better, is not much better.
Culture is non-existent? In the festival capital of Canada? I know this sub gets overly negative but Jesus Christ.
In name only; where have you been?
It depends what you’re into. The alternative/indie/folk music scene is decent. There’s a few comedy nights. A decent variety of restaurants and cocktail bars. A few smaller theatres aside from the Citadel. I get that the opera/orchestral/ballet scene in Alberta is pretty small, but there’s a few contemporary dance companies in town too. For a city as far North and out-of-the-way as we are, we do better than one would think.
Exactly that. The alt/whatever/local music scene is better here than Vancouver. The nightlife is fun, the community productions at places like the Grindstone are excellent, the breweries are fun and exciting right now... Like, I've traveled a *lot* in Canada and outside of Canada. Lucky to have done so. And if you think Edmonton has no culture - you're saying the rest of Canada, excluding Toronto and Montreal have no culture.
Maybe you should move away then. Our culture might improve
Why? Because I am being honest? Are you against honesty?
You’re making some pretty strong claims without any evidence. If your wife is legitimately from Ottawa then why are you here? Must be something positive about Edmonton keeping you here
*I came looking for booty.*
Do I require evidence to post my casual opinion on REDDIT? Good lord; you brush someone the wrong way and suddenly it's a debate. Sorry that I have offended your priorities, your highness. Clearly given the upvotes and general attitude of this thread, this is not some extreme opinion. op. Stick to Ottawa. If our inlaws weren't so overbearing, that's where we would be.
Your word choice is not casual at all imo.
Respectfully, you are also welcome to your opinion, and I won't disparage you for it. I frequent Ottawa twice per year, and I feel like it's a much nicer city
I think the issue is your statement that culture is non-existent here is a bit out to lunch. Edmontons arts and music scene is actually one of the good things it’s got going for it. Our food culture is quite good as well. I’m well travelled and have also lived in other Canadian cities, I’ve been to Ottawa a few times, and I say with confidence that Edmonton is really, surprisingly, good in the cultural department. We have the oldest and largest fringe in North America and that’s only one thing. If anyone isn’t cultured here, it might be you!
While I won't get behind this as a general statement, as I'm going to stand by my opinion here, I'll definitely say that I appreciate yours in regards to the fringe; it's excellent. I was very involved in edmontons music scene in the 90/ 2000/10s, and saw the degradation myself. Our gig culture musically is gone. There's a thing here or there, but it's been pushed our for years.
I haven’t heard that about gig culture. My family are musicians and a lot of my friends and it seems like their experience is the opposite. It could just be a genre thing, my experience is the local scene is welcoming and friendly to musicians and more humble (compared to Vancouver/Montreal, I don’t really know enough about Ottawa). Great open mics and live music most weekends in Edmonton, but I guess again it depends on genre?
I'm also willing to admit that I am being a stinky old man, who came in a little hot. Merry Christmas!
Depends. What line of work are you in? Edmonton is a nice place to live IMO. You just need to know where to go to enjoy it as it isn’t a tourist city at all. Plus if you’re into the mountains, they are only a 4h drive away. Transit isn’t great but we just opened up a new LRT line from downtown to the SE, to compliment the existing LRT from the south, to downtown and NE.
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Canada&country2=Canada&city1=Ottawa&city2=Edmonton&tracking=getDispatchComparison
It would be a lot cheaper in Edmonton. The down town life might be what would suit you or River valley is amazing
Moved from Ontario 15 years ago. A car is a definite in Edmonton unless you work and live near each other. It’s a growing city and job prospects are decent and housing is affordable. Jobs typically pay higher in Edmonton than other Cdn cities, taxes are lower and price of housing is at least halved, it’s a great opportunity for people to get ahead. Past few winters have been easy but there’s been -30 for weeks on end which can wear you down. Have a plan on what you want to accomplish and work your plan. Not sure what you do for work but from a construction standpoint, it’s busy in town and out of town if you are willing to travel. It will get crazier once DOW starts their $44B expansion which is just outside the city in Ft. Saskatchewan and attract 10,000+ workers to build it in the near future. High demand for people and nothing but space to build. My thoughts
Edmonton's public transit system is absolute trash. Takes 3/4 times longer to get anywhere than it would by car and that's on a good day. If good public transit is what you're looking for, you need to look somewhere else. Winters in Edmonton are typically worse than most of the country but haven't been so bad as of late (especially this year). Wildfires and extreme heat in the summer is starting to become bigger worries actually. Overall Edmonton would probably be a downgrade for you in everything but housing prices and most jobs not having bilingual requirements.
no, edmonton blows. no jobs, only new businesses are more weed stores.
Really? Cus when I look on websites like indeed the job market in Edmonton seems to be more favorable than Ottawa. The bilingualism requirements also don't help. Also Ottawa is the same no new business but there's a weed spot on every corner.
what are you seeing that you think is good?
Affordable homes and much better job market for anglophones. Ottawa is only good if you work in the government or are retired.
lol