If you're from Ontario, a relocation to Alberta can offer an exciting adventure that's filled with opportunities, but careful planning and a lot of research is important. To help make your relocation as seamless as possible, here are some helpful tips.
Know WHERE You Want to Live
Moving from the Toronto Area to Calgary is about 3,400 KM and is quite literally two worlds apart. You need to know what life is actually like there, what the future holds for that city or town, and the pros and cons to the specific neighbourhoods.
Speak to an Alberta REALTOR® BEFORE you decide on a location. A quick phone conversation won't cost you a dime, and their expertise is an invaluable resource to take advantage of. Ask a lot of questions. For example, Cochrane is only 15 minutes from Calgary, but it is vastly different. During this "Alberta is Calling" boom, a lot of newcomers have purchased homes sight-unseen, using the pictures of the homes on Realtor.ca. Some have never even been to Alberta! This baffles me. They'll decide on an area because of a specific home and price they like, but could learn that the area isn't for them. They'll either move again to an area they like, but some have decided to move back to Ontario, thinking all of Alberta is the same.
Everyone is unique. What's important to you might not matter to someone else. You're not alone in this. Use an expert to help you learn about what the different towns are like, what realistic commuting times to expect, the resources available, and what area would be best for your family.
When I relocated here from Ontario, I bought my house sight unseen. However, I have been to this town and area many times and knew exactly where I wanted to live. It's easy to fall in love with a specific house online, but you MUST have at least some understanding of the community you're moving to.
Selling or Buying First
You must understand the current market conditions in both your destination and current location. Ultimately, there is no right answer to buy or sell first, but it comes down to your unique circumstance. Check out: Buy or Sell Your Home First? to read the pros and cons of either route.
Preparing for Your Move
1. De-Cluttering
Consider donating or selling the items you no longer need. Remember that moving companies typically charge by weight. If you can eliminate some big, bulky things that you definitely don't need, you will save some money.
Don't go overboard with lightening your load to save on moving costs. Getting rid of too many things is counterproductive if you'll need to replace them. Post-pandemic inflation has increased costs on everything across the board. Buying something again will cost more than you'd save in moving costs. If you need it again, bring it!
2. Interview Several Moving Companies
Quotes are free. Get them. Ask tons of questions and make sure they do an in-home consultation and provide accurate quotes. Do NOT estimate the weight of your belongings yourself. Let the pro's assess your home and estimate its weight. Ask how they'll be shipping it, if they store it indoors or outdoors, and for info on their insurance policy. It is a HUGE move, so some breakage is to be expected. Ask what happens in the event of a damage claim or lost items.
There are a lot of moving companies out there, but you need to be careful! If the quote sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There are some horror stories about moving companies, and for good reason.
Check it out here: CBC Marketplace - Moving Company Hiked Bill $20,000 After Truck Was Loaded
When I did my cross-country relocation, I interviewed several major moving companies. I was thrilled with my choice. If you'd like to know who I interviewed and who I'd recommend, contact me anytime.
2. Update Mailing Address and and Forward Your Mail
You’ll need to think about everyone that has your current mailing address. Update all your service providers and give them your new address. You can also set up a mail forwarding service with Canada Post for several months to catch anything that might slip through the cracks. There is a fee, but it’s well worth it!
Don’t forget these uncommon ones!
Car Dealerships- Information on recalls is normally mailed to you.
Canada Revenue Agency- You don’t want to miss any correspondence from the CRA as these are usually very important and time-sensitive.
Online Retailers- Ensure your shipping info is updated to your new address from sites like Amazon, etc.
HERE is a link for setting up Mail Forwarding with Canada Post.
4. Set Up Utilities
Your gas and electricity bills are different in Alberta. There are several providers for each that you can choose from, but the biggest difference is you have rate options. In Ontario, the rates are fixed, but in Alberta, utility rates are like mortgages. You can opt for a fixed rate, for most often 5-years, or remain on variable. If you move within the 5-year fixed rate term, you can port your services over to the next home.
HERE is a link from the Government of Alberta. This shows the retailers, explains how it works, and offer guidance to know which is best for you.
Setting up your utilities early in the moving process will help you avoid last-minute stress.
Getting There
Flying with a big family is expensive, but driving to Alberta from Ontario will take several days. The time of year should also be a factor, as travel conditions will be worse in the winter months.
Don't forget about your pets. How would they handle a long drive?
We had 2 cats who HATED being in a car. Putting them on a plane was certainly stressful for them, but it was only half-day of stress vs. multiple days. It took them a week or so to get settled, but the plane was definitely the right call for them.
Driving
Plan for rest stops and pre-book your overnight accommodations. Leave yourself extra time to get to each stop to ensure you get enough rest for the next day's drive.
If bringing your pets, confirm that the hotels you stay at are pet friendly.
Driving will save costs on airfare and shipping your car but leave transporting your belongings to the professionals. Your whole life is quite literally being moved, and reputable moving companies not only have a track record of success, but most importantly, insurance.
It would be very difficult to accurately calculate the cost of driving a loaded moving truck, and the truck rental is doubled if you drop it off anywhere other than your departure location. The other variables that make costing this a challenge are that gas prices will vary across Canada, the weight of your truck is difficult to predict, and your personal driving habits will play a big factor in gas consumption.
Take a trailer!
Towing a trailer in your personal vehicle is a better option. The moving company will need about 2 weeks to deliver your things after they pick them up. A trailer will give you enough room for the necessities to use after your things are picked up, and you'll have them with you upon arrival. The only caution is that some people feel apprehensive about leaving their loaded trailer unsupervised overnight in hotels. You'd have to lean on your personal risk tolerance to make that decision.
Flying
We opted to fly and had our cars shipped via train. Our pets also went on a plane, but they took a different flight. All in all, our move was as seamless as it could have been.
As previously mentioned, moving companies will need about 2 weeks from the pickup to the drop-off. If you're flying, you'll need to plan for this, as all of your things will be gone. We were in an empty house for about a week and a half and borrowed air mattresses and some lawn chairs from friends and family. It sounds pretty rough, but with a one-way ticket booked, it was the first reality check of our new lives. With little to no items in our house, we used the final 2 weeks to spend as much time traveling to see all our friends and family to say goodbye. We really only slept in the house at night.
We planned for our things to be delivered within a day or 2 of landing in Calgary. We were fortunate enough to have friends here who let us borrow an air mattress and some essentials.
A longer time without your things and the costs of flights/shipping cars were the downsides to flying, but if I had to do it all again, I would have done it the exact same way.
Flying with Pets
For small dogs and cats, you can take them with you on your flight, but need to keep them under your seat in a soft carrier. They'll need to go through regular security at the airport and be taken out of the carrier and searched. This could be a challenge for some animals.
We decided to ship them in the pet area in the cargo hold. You'll need a larger crate than you'd expect, which is relative to the size of your pet. Of course, you'll also need to provide the airline with food for them. There are strict rules to pay attention to, such as temperature regulations. If the outside temperature hits a certain degree, the animals are not allowed to fly. They will be put on the next flight within the allowable temperature range. There are a lot of things to know about shipping your pet, so going right to the source is your best bet for accurate information.
Our cats landed several hours after us. It was quite a seamless transition. Once we landed in Calgary, we picked up our cars from the train station, and drove to our new home. I dropped off my wife, daughter and suitcases, then went to pick up our cats. The cats did seem stressed, understandably, but they recovered quickly and are as happy as ever. This was the right option for us, and I'm glad we did it this way.
Becoming Albertan
You have 90 days from moving here to switch over your personal IDs to Alberta. This includes your Driver's License (or ID card if you don't drive), vehicle registration and Health Card.
Identification Card
If you don't drive, you'll still need an Alberta-issued Identification Card. These can be obtained through the Registry Offices found throughout the province, similar to ServiceOntario.
This LINK will take you to the ID card section of the Alberta Registries Office to help you get started.
Driver's License
Converting your fully graduated license to an Alberta Class 5, G in Ontario, is simple. This is done by visiting an Alberta Motors Association(AMA) location, and bringing the required paperwork. You'll need:
1. Your current valid Driver's License
2. Valid ID that shows you are allowed to live in Canada (birth certificate, permanent resident, etc.)
3. Document to prove you're an Albertan resident (bank statement, utility statement, etc.)
4. Medical Documents (if necessary)
Here is a link to the Out-of-Province Licensing Requirements from AMA directly.
Registering Your Out-of-Province Vehicle
Within 90 days of living in Alberta, you must register your vehicle. Every vehicle being registered from out-of-province or country needs to pass an inspection, specific to the rules in Alberta. Even if you have a very new car and it has recently been in the shop, you might not pass an inspection. Something as simple as tinted windows, a cracked windshield or older tires could make you fail.
After the first inspection, any work that needs to be done must be completed, then taken back to the same inspector to be reinspected within 14 days. You will then be able to register your vehicle in Alberta, and obtain insurance.
Here is a LINK for more information about this process directly from AMA.
Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP)
Make sure to sign up for Health Coverage as soon as possible. To be eligible for coverage, you must:
- Legally entitled to be in and remain in Canada and make your permanent home in Alberta,
- Committed to being physically present in Alberta for at least 183 days in any 12-month period,
- Not claiming residency or obtaining benefits under a claim of residency in another province, territory or country,
- Any other person deemed by the regulations to be a resident or temporary resident, not including a tourist, transient or visitor to Alberta
Follow this link for more information on requirements and getting started.
*Tip: Applying in person can speed up the process tremendously. Visit any Registry Offices to set this up*
Finding a Family Doctor
It might take some time to find a local doctor accepting new patients, so it’s important to get started as soon as possible.
HERE is a link from the Province of Alberta for doctor’s currently accepting new patients. Just enter your town and see what options you have.
Finding a Family Dentist
Finding a dentist will likely be much easier than a doctor if you are moving to a decently sized town or city. Most offices seem to be accepting new patients all the time.
Registering Your Children in School
Calgary- Register HERE
Rocky View- For Cochrane, Airdrie, Chestermere or Rural Rocky View County, register HERE
Edmonton- Register HERE
Your relocation journey from Ontario to Alberta is a significant undertaking that requires careful consideration and planning. From choosing the right neighborhood to navigating the real estate market, there are so many factors to consider for a successful transition. Having the guidance of a knowledgeable real estate agent can make all the difference!
If you're ready to embark on your relocation to Calgary, Cochrane, or anywhere in Rocky View County, don't hesitate to reach out to me directly. As an experienced real estate agent specializing in Relocation, I'm here to provide expert guidance and support every step of the way. Let's work together to make your move to Alberta a smooth and seamless experience.
Contact me today to get started!