The Wild West of the Great White North: What’s Life Like in Alberta, Canada?

Alberta lies in the western part of Canada, a land that landscape encompasses mountains, prairies, desert badlands and vast coniferous forests.

It’s a culturally diverse area with good economic opportunity and a variety of places to live that suit a prospective resident, whether you’re looking at Calgary homes for sale or an apartment in St. Albert.

The Views are Beautiful and Diverse

Alberta is often considered one of the most beautiful provinces in Canada. The Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks and Banff National Park offer soaring alp-like mountain views, the Badlands are an eerie mix of rock formations and prairies, and Lake Louise in Banff is often cited as the most stunning body of water in the world.

Because of this there are many things to do year-round in Alberta for outdoor enthusiasts, such as hiking, biking, snow shoeing, and cross country skiing.

The Land is Not Just for Looks – It’s Important

Alberta is renowned for its natural beauty, richness in fossils, and for housing important nature reserves. Alberta is home to six UNESCO designated World Heritage Sites: The Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, Dinosaur Provincial Park, the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Wood Buffalo National Park, and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park.

A World Heritage Site is a natural or cultural site that demonstrates influence or significance in a global context.

Wages Are Higher

Whether you’re an established employee or someone in an entry level position, pay in Alberta is more than fair for employees.

Alberta has one of the highest wages in any industry in the country. According to Statistics Canada, the average wage of all employees in the province stood at $31.39 in 2019, higher than the $27.83 average wage for the entire country.

It has the highest hourly average out of the five biggest provinces and territories, including Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Manitoba.

Tax Rates are Reasonable

People earning $131,200 or less get a 10 percent tax rate on their taxable income, while those earning more than $314,928 get a 15 percent tax rate. The tax rate for people earning any amount in between will be levied anywhere from 12 percent to 14 percent.

Alberta also does not levy any type of provincial sales taxes. Residents pay the five percent goods and services tax levied by the federal government only.

Healthcare and Education are Top Notch

Canada’s healthcare system overall is often hailed as one of the world’s best. In Alberta, you have access to 106 acute care hospitals, 2,772 mental health and addiction beds, 249 community palliative and hospice beds, five psychiatric facilities, and more than 850 facilities overall.

The Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan offers full coverage for physician services, psychiatrist visits, bariatric surgery, oral surgery, diagnostic services, transgender surgery, nursing services, and hospital stays.

In terms of education, there are more than two dozen publicly-funded colleges in Alberta where the government pays part of your tuition. These institutions include the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, and Concordia University of Edmonton.