With all that Canada has to offer in its various cities, Edmonton is one to explore. If you have plans of moving to Edmonton or you are still considering the best place in Canada, you can look at our reviews on different places in Canada.
This article covers the following topics and more:
- Is it a good idea moving to Edmonton?
- What makes Edmonton so unique to live in?
- What common economic activities in Edmonton can I leverage on in earning some good pay for myself?
- And lots more…
So if you’re looking at moving to Edmonton, you’ll love this guide.
Let’s get started!
A Brief Overview of Edmonton
Edmonton commonly referred to as the “City of Festivals” is the Canadian province of Alberta’s capital city. Directly located on the North-side of the Saskatchewan River, flourishing and piled with culture, Edmonton has a lot to offer to its residents from all works of life.
On these grounds, it’s now easy to see why Edmonton is the second largest and most popular city in its province.
Edmonton recorded an outstanding 1,491,000 total population of people at the beginning of 2021, making it the second-largest city in Alberta, after Calgary, and the fifth-largest municipality in Canada.
The metropolitan population of Edmonton in 2016 recorded a total population of about 1,321,426, making it the sixth-largest census metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada.
Also, in 2019, Edmonton municipal census afterwards recorded a population of 972,223 people. The city is said to be the northernmost metropolitan area of North America with a population of over one million residents.
The historic growth of Edmonton was being greased through the assimilation of the five adjacent urban municipalities (Strathcona, North Edmonton, West Edmonton, Beverly, and Jasper Place).
What Makes Edmonton so Unique to Live in?
Edmonton is a governmental, cultural and educational centre. The city hosts a year-round slate of festivals, hence the nickname “Canada’s Festival City”.
Edmonton is also home to West Edmonton Mall (one of the world’s largest malls).
The city’s also home to Canada’s largest living history museum Fort Edmonton Park.
Moving to Edmonton is also worth considering for the following:
- A stable economy
- A festival city
- Tourist attractions
- Utilities and infrastructures
#1: A More Stable Economy
Edmonton is said to be the major economic center for northern and central Alberta that’s majored in the oil and gas industry.
Traditionally, Edmonton has been the heart of Albertan petrochemical industries, thus the name “Oil Capital of Canada” in the 1940s.
Energy extraction in Edmonton is driven by the supply and service industries, while research develops new technologies and backs up expanded value-added processing of massive oil, gas, and oil sand reserves of Alberta.
They are even described to be the second largest after Saudi Arabia.
The solidification of the city’s economy was seen in the 1990s which made Edmonton home to the Canadian Western Bank.
Must Read: Understanding International Shipping to Canada...
Other major financial institutions in Edmonton include:
- Servus Credit Union (formerly Capital City Savings)
- ATB Financial
- TD Canada Trust
- Manulife Financial.
Edmonton has also been the birthplace of several companies that have grown to an international stature such as – Shaw Communications, Empire Design, and lots more.
#2: The Festival City of Canada
Several big festivals are hosted in Edmonton, with over 50 festivals and events taking place all year round, hence contributing to its nickname “Canada’s Festival City”.
Numerous festivals are being hosted in Edmonton’s Churchill Square in the summer, this makes it a pretty fun idea moving to Edmonton.
Some of these festivals include:
- The Works Art & Design Festival which showcases Canadian and International art and design from well-known award-winning artists as well as rising and student artists. This festival takes place from late June to early July.
- The TD Edmonton International Jazz Festival which was the first jazz festival in Canada. This festival takes place in late June, along with Montreal.
- The Edmonton International Fringe Festival is the largest fringe theatre festival that holds every August in North America.
- The Edmonton Folk Music Festival which is the fourth major folk festival in Canada.
#3: Tourist Attractions
Tourism is a very huge industry in Edmonton, which makes it a pretty good idea moving to Edmonton.
The city of Edmonton is well recognized for its history, natural scenes, food, and even its facilities. No possible description of the city of Edmonton would be complete without the mention of West Edmonton Mall.
The West Edmonton Mall is the largest living history museum and shopping mall in North America. The mall is not entirely renowned for shopping alone, it’s a destination itself that one can spend an entire vacation in with the family.
Other well-recognized attractions do include the Royal Alberta Museum, Art Gallery of Alberta, Alberta Railway Museum, Elk Island National Park & Beaver Hills, and many other natural and man-made attractions.
#4: Utilities and Infrastructures
Edmonton serves as a major air transportation gateway to northern Alberta and Northern Canada with the Edmonton International airport as the main airport that serves the city that purpose.
The airport is located in Leduc County and offers passengers service to destinations in Europe, Mexico, United States, and the Caribbean.
The railway sector of the city also serves as a major heart of transportation for the Canadian National Railway whose operations management centre is located at Edmonton’s office. It is also tied to the Canadian Pacific Railway, which offers services from Calgary to the south and even extends to the North East of Edmonton to serve the Alberta Industrial Heartland.
The power company was sold to the Town of Edmonton in 1902 and remains under the municipal ownership as EPCOR and in 20002, they installed the world’s largest UV water treatment system. The waste disposal methods and hospitals are all set to the highest of standards.
Now I’d Love to Hear from You:
- What do you think now about moving to Edmonton?
- What particular place are you going to visit first after moving to Edmonton?
- Would you recommend Edmonton as a good place to live in?
Let me know by leaving a comment below!
