Latest news - Brits in Calgary

Day trips from Calgary

November 3, 2011 By melmccartney Leave a Comment

Well, for anyone who has been to Calgary, even for a short trip, most will have heard about the lovely town of Banff, so I will start with this one, but plan to build up a portfolio of other ‘day trips’ or weekends away. There are SO many places to go and see, it’s hard to know where to start, so I think the most obvious , is the best place!
Depending on where you are staying in Calgary (and time of day due to traffic) the drive to Banff can be just an hour to an hour and a half, so is definitely can be done as a day trip from Calgary, or makes for a good weekend.
The High street is a good place to start, with many shops to wander in and out of, and one the ‘must do’, is visit to the Banff Springs Hotel. This is still such an impressive building, with the stunning Rocky Mountain back drop, the views from every direction are simply stunning.
Note, just as I have stated that Banff is one of the most popular day trips, visiting The Banff Springs hotel, is one of most visitors top priorities, so note it can get busy!
Sometimes they offer ‘special’ deals , so if you fancy a nice weekend away, it is worth checking out their website for ‘deals’ at http://www.fairmont.com/banffSprings

Image via Wikipedia

The hotel has a quaint shopping arcade/boutique shops in the basement- worth a look around. If you have a time/if you are staying at hotel- the Willow Stream spa, is quite a treat- and even if you only go for one treatment, you have the opportunity to lounge around and relax in their numerous pools/sauna’s…or alternatively if you stay and not go to the spa- make sure you go to the hotel swimming pool, which features a large, indoor pool and connects to a heated out door pool. This is especially lovely when it is cold/snowing outside…….soak in the scenery, it really is quite amazing.

But for those on more of a budget, there is plenty of affordable accommodation in Banff, and if you are still after the heated pool/outdoor experience- head to the Upper Banff Hot Springs- which is equally as stunning.

If you don’t fancy getting wet, but want to ‘see some water’ , walk/ drive down to Bow falls, as Bow Falls Trail enable you get up close to the rapids/water falls, or just a walk along the Bow River Pathway…… it is all truely stunning.

Filed Under: Calgary Life, Featured, Latest News

Canadian Finance 101 – Accounts for your money

October 28, 2011 By melmccartney Leave a Comment

Image by duckiemonster via Flickr

If you are moving or have moved recently to Canada you will need to consider where to keep your money. The UK does have a number of different types of account, with a standard Current Account being the usual bank account, and some savings accounts, holding bonds, ISA’s TESSA’s and Pensions.

In Canada there are two standard bank accounts, typically called:

Chequing (Checking) Account: This is your day to day business account, usually where your salary is paid and direct debits set up. This is the direct equivalent of the UK Current Account, and is named because it is the type of account that you can have a Chequebook for. Note that cheques are issued according to request and must be ordered. Many banks also return your processed cheques to you in the mail so that you can file them, so do not be alarmed.
Savings Account: Just as in the UK these accounts are designed to save money and depending on your banks rates may attract a higher percentage return than any Chequing account.

One key difference between the UK and Canada are fees. Whereas UK banks do not always charge fees, ALL Canadian banks will charge you a fee for both Chequeing and Savings accounts. The fee charged will vary from bank to bank. Many banks offer two types of account, one with no charge or a minimal charge which only allows a few transactions and withdrawals per month, and another which allows unlimited transactions which charges a higher account fee. Savings accounts might be free as long as a minimum balance is maintained.

Which bank you use depends on your requirements and on finding attractive rates or convenient branch access. It should be noted however that there are one or two key considerations as to choice dependant on your plans of where you wish to live and how often you wish to move within Canada.

Certain Banks and Brokerage Houses only operate in one particular province, and may have no international presence. Many UK Emigrants use HSBC because it is one of the few banks with branches in both the UK and Canada. Other banks such as TD are now widespread across North America, and some such as CIBC and ScotiaBank are Canada-wide. Provincial banks such as ATB only operate in the province of Alberta itself. This is an important consideration when moving to Canada.

If you have further questions feel free to email me at simonpeterjackson@gmail.com

Thank you- Courtesy of fellow Brit Simon Jackson at Edward Jones.

Filed Under: Featured, Financial, Latest News

Are there many Brits in Calgary?

October 26, 2011 By melmccartney Leave a Comment

So, are there many Brits in Calgary?

The short answer is yes-but of course the number is changing all the time. Many come here on work permits and stay for as long as their work permit allows, others plan way before they get here and apply for Landed Immigrant status before they come, as they want to leave Britain and become part of the Canadian system straight away. Others (like my self)- do a mixture of both- find a job, go through the process of getting a work permit, and then after having a ‘taste’ of ‘life’ in Canada, decide to stay and apply for Landed Immigrant status while here. I have met many many Brits, in Calgary and surrounding areas, such as Okotoks, Cochrane, Chestermere, Airdrie etc.
There are many that have been here for 20, 30 + years- and still keep their great British accents, others who moved here when they are small- but still have British parents and of course plenty of new faces arriving all the time.
I would just like to do a ‘plug’ for a great social set up, called ‘Meet Up’, where there is a group called The Calgary British Expats Meets Up at,

http://www.meetup.com/brit-307/

Here is a excerpt of what it is about:

‘Whatever your age and no matter how long you have been in Calgary, come and make some new friends, crack some good old British jokes and have a few beers.’

Meetings are informal, and can really include anything, from dance lessons, pub quizzes, and some family outings, eg trip to the zoo, breakfast at Heritage Park , and some day time coffee meet ups and book club.

Just a chance for a meet up, meet some new faces, natter and a have a laugh really. So how much you wish to get involved….. is entirely up to you.

Filed Under: Featured, Latest News

Welcome to Brits in Calgary and surrounding areas!

October 25, 2011 By melmccartney Leave a Comment

Image by Jérôme Briot via Flickr

Welcome to Brits in Calgary (and surrounding areas ).

This website is being developed as resource for Brits planning to move to Calgary, for those new to Calgary, and of course for those who have been here a while, but just want an update on some info.
We plan to cover all topics such as finances in Canada, what to do in Calgary and day trips, social events, finding a rental, buying a home, how to choose where you want to live, transport, finding a school etc- and some light-hearted stuff like where to find our British comfort foods, and a ‘dictionary’ of Canadian words and phrased – and how they translate into British meanings….. (there are some words and phrases perfectly ‘fine’ in Brit terms- but with a different meaning in Canadian terms!!)
The content development will be a work in progress- and open to suggestions, so if you have specific questions not yet covered- feel free to send a message/leave a comment and one of our experts will try and address it.

Also, if you are a Brit, with a business or service, or if you work with a lot of Brits, and if you have some hints, tips or general info you would like to share /think relevant, then please don’t hesitate to contact me, and we can work out an article and advertising for you.

Note all the local experts we use for the articles , will have their names / contact details at the bottom of the article, and will also be listed in the local services.

It would be great to build a good network of services/reference for our users to go to.
So welcome to this new website- for Brits in Calgary (and surrounding areas) and we look forward to being of some help to you, one way or another.

Cheers…….

Mel