Alberta Immigration
Alberta (population 3.6 million) is located in the western region of Canada, with the provinces of Saskatchewan to the east and British Columbia to the west; Montana to the south in the United States; and Northern Territories to the north.
The capital of Alberta is Edmonton (population 817,498), but its largest city is Calgary (population 1,096,833), which is located south of Edmonton. If you like NHL hockey, you may be happy to learn that both of these cities have top-notch hockey teams (the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames).
One reason many foreign nationals choose Alberta immigration is the tranquility of its gorgeous natural landscape – particularly its national parks. Alberta is home to five of Canada’s 41 national parks: Banff (the first national park established in Canada and the world’s third national park), Elk Island, Jasper, Water ton Lakes, and Wood Buffalo. Three of these Canadian national parks are UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Banff, Jasper, and Wood Buffalo).
Imagine this – if you apply for Canadian immigration, are granted a Permanent Resident Visa for Canada, and settle down in the western Canadian province of Alberta, you and your family and friends could one day be camping next to a lake with nearby magnificent snowcapped mountains mirrored in the lake’s turquoise water and enjoying the serene sound of the wind blowing through the trees of the pine-scented forest surrounding you.
If you decide on Alberta immigration, you’ll have many opportunities to go mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, boating, waterskiing, horseback riding or simply enjoy a peaceful picnic on a nice day in any number of scenic settings in this amazing province! Alberta is also a great place to participate in winter sports, such as snow skiing, snow boarding, ice hockey and riding snowmobiles.
Another key reason to consider Alberta immigration is that it offers its residents a high standard of living.
Calgary, for instance, received the honor of being tied with Adelaide, Australia, as the fifth “Most Livable City” in the world, according to the EIU annual survey of 140 cities around the globe (August 2013). These cities were assessed according to 30 factors grouped into five major categories: stability, infrastructure, healthcare, education, environment and culture, with the overall scores ranging from 0 to100 (with 100 being a perfect score). Calgary received an impressive overall “livability” score of 96.6 out of 100!
Thus, if your Canadian immigration dream comes true and you are issued a Permanent Resident Visa for Canada, you might seriously think about moving to Calgary, Alberta – one of the planet’s top places to live, work and study, with much to see and do!
For example, if you want to experience a taste of the “wild west,” you can look forward to the world-famous 10-day Calgary Stampede (rodeo) held each year. There are also several beautiful, relaxing and interesting outdoor venues to enjoy in Calgary, including the Calgary Zoo (which also has botanical gardens and a prehistoric park on the grounds); the Bow River (which flows through the middle of Calgary and has scenic parks and walking paths along its course); Heritage Park; Fish Creek Provincial Park; Prince’s Island Park; Bowness Park; the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary; and golfing at the D’Arcy Ranch Golf Club.
Indoor activities in Calgary can include listening to a concert by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra or any number of popular bands and singers who perform in Calgary; visiting the Military Museums; seeing the exhibits at the Glenbow Museum; viewing the city from atop of the Calgary Tower (where you may also enjoy a meal overlooking the city); watching a Calgary Flames NHL hockey match; and going shopping at the historic Chinook Centre, the newer CrossIron Mills Mall, or other shopping centers. Calgary also has great places to eat or enjoy a drink!
Speaking of shopping, the three-story West Edmonton Mall in Alberta’s capital city of Edmonton is the largest indoor mall not only in Canada, but in all of North America (and was the largest indoor mall in the world until 2004)! It also has several hundred stores (around 800!), the Ice Palace ice rink, several restaurants, as well as the Galaxy land amusement park (which includes an indoor roller coaster) and World Water park – the largest indoor water park on Earth! Each year, some 28 million people visit the West Edmonton Mall, which also employs around 23,000 people!
Edmonton is also a prime destination for Alberta immigration. Nicknamed the “Festival City” because of the several interesting festivals held in the city each year, in addition to having the largest indoor mall in North America, Edmonton also boasts North America’s largest urban parkland area (the North Saskatchewan River Valley Park System), which is 22 times bigger than Central Park in New York City! It stretches 48 kilometers through Edmonton, has several parks (including the must-see Fort Edmonton Park), 11 lakes, three golf courses, bicycle and walking trails, the Edmonton Valley Zoo, and places to go camping. This huge “Ribbon of Green” and the West Edmonton Mall provide endless hours of pleasurable and interesting activities to enjoy for those who have made Alberta immigration and settled in Edmonton.
Other attractions for those who are issued a Permanent Resident Visa for Canada and move to Edmonton include listening to concerts by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at the beautiful Win spear Centre; visiting the Alberta Aviation Museum; learning more about the province at the Royal Alberta Museum; enjoying dinner and a show at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre; and, of course, watching an Edmonton Oilers NHL hockey match! Like Calgary, Edmonton also has excellent eateries and happening pubs!
One more reason to consider Alberta immigration after being granted a Permanent Resident Visa for Canada is the province’s healthy economy. For example, the economy of Alberta grew by 5.2% in 2011 and has averaged an impressive 3.4% annual growth in GDP during the past 20 years! In 2011, Alberta also had close to full employment, with an annual unemployment rate of just 5.5 percent! More recently, Alberta boasted an incredible unemployment rate of 4.7% in April 2014 (the second lowest in Canada)! Alberta’s largest city, Calgary, also had one of the lowest unemployment rates of any Canadian city in April 2014 (just 5.3%). Furthermore, Edmonton, the provincial capital of Alberta, enjoyed a low unemployment rate in April 2014 of only 4.8 percent. Additionally, according to the 2013 Compensation Planning Outlook Mid-Year Pulse Check released in February 2013 by the Conference Board of Canada, workers in Alberta were predicted to enjoy a boost in salary of 3.9% for 2013! Finally, a 2014 report by TD Economics forecasts that Alberta will have the strongest economic growth in Canada during the 2014-2016 timeframe.
