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The campaign has now moved to the next phase, targeting residents in the eastern provinces and other parts of Ontario. But did the ads work? I can’t say for sure, but I know half a dozen people in my social circle who have packed up and moved out west in the last year. I can’t blame them – the subway ad really got me thinking too.
I moved to the big city in 2021 to study journalism. Before that I was living with my parents north of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), working remotely at a company and saving for almost a year. Even with my savings and part-time job income, I was struggling to pay my monthly rent, groceries, and other necessities as inflation skyrocketed. I have a full-time job now, but over the long term I wasn’t sure I could ever afford to buy a home here — at the end of 2022, the guide price for a home in Toronto was just over $1 million.
Statistics Canada estimates that 29,422 people moved from Ontario to Alberta in 2021/2022 – more than anywhere else in the country. This corresponds to an increase of 132% compared to the previous year. It’s not just Ontarioians who are moving there. Approximately 28,238 British Columbians moved to Alberta during the same period – a 105% year-on-year increase and a 20-year record for British Columbia
Should You Consider Moving to Alberta? Before you begin your search for real estate in the Princess Province, you have a lot to think about. I spoke to two experts – a real estate agent and a financial advisor – about how to weigh your options. I also spoke to two Canadians who have moved to Alberta (one from the GTA and one from British Columbia) to hear about their experiences, how they are doing now and any regrets they have.
Nine things to consider before moving to Alberta
Why move to Alberta?
Moving to Alberta could help you do a little better with your money, mechanical engineer Emily Martin and her partner found out. (Name has been changed upon request.) They moved to Calgary in September 2022 from Vaughan, a town north of Toronto. The main reasons for the move were the lower cost of living, more affordable housing and the appeal of Alberta’s active lifestyle, says Martin.
Housing costs in Alberta
In Calgary, Martin’s housing expenses, including utilities, are $600 cheaper per month ($7,200 less per year) than what she paid in the GTA. She lives in a 1,300-square-foot, multi-story unit in a house and pays $2,100 a month, including utilities, internet, and parking. Her condo in Vaughan was 800 square feet and cost $2,300 per month plus about $400 for utilities, internet and parking ($2,700 total).
“We’re saving about $600 a month and have almost doubled the size of our living space,” says Martin. She adds that Calgary “has a lot of options, especially downtown, for renting apartments, condos, basement units, homes and townhouses.”
Martin says she and her partner plan to buy a house in the next two years. “We knew we wouldn’t be able to make a deposit if we stayed in the GTA. It would probably take about 10 years,” says Martin. “At the time, we were both mechanical engineers and made more than the average Canadian salary. But it’s still not enough to pull this off.” (The average Canadian annual salary in 2021 was $54,000.)
