September 06, 2006

There Are No Cats in Alberta

This fell out of my newspaper this morning.

So, not enough Maritimers are moving out west? They have to advertise it? Puh-lease.

Everyday, I go to Kijiji.com and look for a cheap comfy chair and every day I read news ads that say, "Moving sale! Leaving for Alberta! Everything must go!".

It's like cancer, everyone's been affected by this deluge of Atlantic Canadians wisked away into the wild frontier. It's the 21st century gold rush.

And don't tell me you haven't at least thought about it. I even had a couple of interviews with a company in Edmonton, just for kicks (I was terribly unqualified, but I was drawn nontheless).

Why stay here? You can make $14 an hour selling flooring for heaven's sake. MacDonalds pays $10 an hour... it's crazy! And now they have to advertise here? Bah! It just seems mean to those of us who have decided to stay here. Like we're dumb underacheivers or something. But maybe I am? Maybe I should join the herd of lemmings charging towards the left coast.

Maybe I'm just jealous? Heck yeah! Rocky mountains... west edomonton mall, pay of my student loans in half the time... make twice as much doing the same thing. It's not like I'd experience much culture shock, since most of Nova Scotia lives out there.

*sigh* Why am I staying here again??

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Because you are a silly goose!!!

A recent ad in job search engine listed your job but the pay was 44000, all you would need to do is move to edmonton.

A silly goose indeed

Mommy

Anonymous said...

Red Deer McDonalds pays $13.50/hour, plus overtime (time and a half after 44 hours) and benefits!! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it posted on the side of the highway!!!

Leanne said...

Ev, I think your smart for staying on the east coast. First of all....it's home!! Close to your family, close to your friends. And Secondly, the cost of living is SO high. All people do when they move out west it work. They work all the time.
I'd take cheapo east coast over the west any day!
But who knows... Maybe I'm crazy too.

Emily said...

just because you make more money an hour doesn't mean you're bringing any more home. Let's rewind please to a certain Ontarian (ahem ahem) and her statement about her father making a lot of money.... the point behind that statement was that just because there is more money to be made the further west you go it doesn't mean you're any better off. Standards of living change. For example in a suburb of edmonton a 5 room, (2 beds 1 bathroom)1130 sqft built in 1956 bungalow .....$249,000
Whereas in Sydney Mines Cape Breton a 1200+ sq foot Cape Cod style 4+bed, 3 baths, full basement $99,000

Anonymous said...

But it's Sydney Mines!!!!!!!!!

But the point is a good one. All depends on where you live and how you live once you are there.

A better comparison might be halifax to edmonton. a 2 bdrm with 5 appliance washer and dryer in apartment in Leduc AB (just out side edmonton15 minutes) is 750. a 2 bedroom with 3 appliances in HRM is 900. with washer and dryer 1050.

Everything is relative.

Mommy

Leanne said...

I happen to love Sydney Mines!!
haha! but I'm a Cape Breton girl and always will be!

Anonymous said...

The mom is right everything is relative! Moms are always right....just lets not tell mine that!!

My apartment, a 2 bedroom, all utilities included, with Washer and Dryer....$675....and don't let people tell you that groceries and living expenses are any more expensive....cause they really aren't that much different here in Red Deer. In fact our Gas is a heck of a lot cheaper, we pay less taxes and we can go to the movies for $2 bucks per person....It all depends on where you live.

Later Tater

Anonymous said...

Have i met this Ashley person??

she's sounds brilliant!!

mommy