It’s been almost three weeks since I accepted a job offer in Canada. I keep saying it out loud to make it feel real but it hasn’t quite worked yet.
And I’m not quite sure it will feel real until I get my work authorisation through, which my employer is in the middle of sorting. That deserves a post of its own once I’ve actually made sense of it, so more on that soon.
The trip that sold me
Before any of this, the company (I work in aviation) flew me out to Calgary for the interview. They put me up at the Marriott In-Terminal hotel at the airport, and I was given a room with sweeping views of the airfield, the city, and the mountains beyond. For someone in aviation, waking up to a live view of the runway is roughly equivalent to being handed the keys to a sweet shop. I’m fairly certain the room allocation wasn’t an accident it — definitely felt like part of the sell. And it worked.
As part of the trip they also offered me an optional day with a relocation specialist, which is apparently completely normal, since if they’re flying you out anyway, tacking a tour onto the same trip is cheaper for the employer than sorting it separately later.
Now, I’ve actually been to Calgary a couple of times before, so my first instinct was that I didn’t really need it. I know the city, more or less. I took it anyway, and I’m glad I did, because visiting a city and sizing it up as a place to live are two completely different exercises. I’d seen Calgary as a visitor. I’d never looked at it while asking myself where I’d do my weekly shop.
The specialist had asked me a bit about my preferences beforehand, so the day was built around what I’d actually care about and how far things were from the office. We drove around the main parts of the city, looked at a handful of neighbourhoods, and talked through the boring-but-essential stuff: how banking works, registering for healthcare, social insurance, all of that. It doubled as a proper sightseeing day too, taking in a number of the key sights along the way. At one point the specialist flat-out insisted I stop for a photo, tourist-style. I obliged.
A few things stuck with me.
First, Calgary is easy. I was genuinely surprised how quickly you can get from one side to the other. It’s a properly well-planned city. The catch, for anyone used to UK life: you need a car. Not “it would be handy to have a car” — you need one. This is not a place built around train timetables.
Second, Bridgeland. Close to Downtown without being in it, and seemingly a good food place on every corner. I could picture myself living there within about ten minutes, which I’m told is either a great sign or dangerous, depending on rental prices.
Third, and this is the one I’d tell anyone in my position, ask about banking. When I did, the consultant mentioned almost in passing that my UK credit history means nothing in Canada. Nothing. Years of being sensible with money and I arrive with a blank slate, same as an 18-year-old opening their first account. I’d never have thought to check that, and finding out now, months before I try to rent somewhere or get a phone contract, is a lot better than finding out then.
An added bonus (and a new favourite restaurant)
The trip came with a perk no relocation specialist could arrange: my cousin and cousin-in-law live in Calgary, so I got to catch up with them while I was over. There’s something quietly reassuring about knowing you’ll have family in the city before you’ve even landed the job.
They took me to Pat & Betty (patandbetty.com), which I’m pretty sure is now my favourite restaurant in Calgary, and one I somehow didn’t manage to get to back in March. It’s a European-inspired dinette and bar in the Beltline, named after the owners’ mothers, and the whole philosophy is unapologetically indulgent food built for lingering over. Which suited us perfectly, because we had a lot of catching up to do. We went for the large sharing plates and everything that landed on the table was delicious — generous, rich, the kind of food that keeps the conversation going because everyone’s reaching across everyone else. The crab spaghetti and the pork belly and scallops were the standouts; I’d go back for either alone. This is officially my go-to for when friends come to visit, so consider that both a recommendation and a warning to anyone planning a trip. If the measure of a city is whether you already have a “usual spot” before you’ve moved there, Calgary is doing well.
If you get offered one of these tours
Take it. Seriously, even if you’ve been to the city before and think you know it. Knowing a place as a visitor and knowing it as a future resident are not the same thing, and the tour bridges that gap in a way you can’t really do on your own. And once you’re on it, ask everything, especially the dull questions. The specialists have heard it all before and the mundane answers turned out to be the valuable ones.
The other thing I’d say is start thinking about logistics earlier than feels necessary. Whilst the job and the adventure are the fun part, it’s the admin (bank accounts, healthcare, driving, credit) that decides whether your first few months are exciting or exhausting.
On that front, work authorisation is progressing with my employer, and I’ll soon be starting with the relocation specialist in earnest. Plenty to write about — I’ll let you know how I get on.
Leave a Reply