Why you'd want to live in Edmonton

Edmonton is the most northerly city in North America, and has a metropolitan population of over one million. Though it is the provincial capital, it is the second largest city in Alberta after Calgary. Edmonton is very reliant on cars, so many shopping and entertainment hubs are based in a few key areas, such as South Edmonton Common, Whyte Avenue, West Edmonton Mall, and Jasper Avenue, to name a few. Though Edmonton’s economy, along with the province of Alberta, has met with some challenges in recent years, the diversity of the city’s jobs market means that opportunities are available across sectors for those who are willing to look. Edmonton is located in Alberta, the only province without a provincial sales tax (PST). Edmonton is the major economic centre for northern and central Alberta, and a hub for the oil and gas industry. Economic activity in Calgary is mostly centered on the petroleum industry, agriculture and tourism. Alberta has the lion’s share of Canada’s oil industry. Its reserves – in the form of oil-sands – are estimated to be second only to Saudi Arabia’s. Edmonton traditionally has been a hub for Albertan petrochemical industries, earning it the nickname “Oil Capital of Canada” in the 1940s. Supply and service industries drive the energy extraction engine, while research develops new technologies and supports expanded value-added processing of Alberta’s massive oil, gas, and oil sands reserves. Despite the apparent focus on oil and gas, Edmonton’s economy is one of the most diverse in Canada. Major industrial sectors include a strong technology sector. Much of the growth in the technology sector is due to Edmonton’s reputation as one of Canada’s premier research and education centers. via moving2canada.com