Thinking about moving to Olds

[TimG]

The wife and I were thinking about moving to Olds since there's a college program there that she's interested in taking.

Anyone live in olds and commute to calgary for work?

Any comments?

This would only be for 2 years and then we'd move back to Calgary.

[Redlyne_mr2]

That is so far from Calgary. The biggest issue is that you'd have to
deal with that Airdrie/construction traffic
everyday. It's doable but probably a hour to hour and a half drive each way.

[MilanoRedTeg]

A couple guys in my office do it, They get in really early but they also leave early, saves them the traffic and shortens the commute time a bit

[adam c]

Should pick somewhere in the middle like Carstairs, even then you're looking at minimum 45 minutes into the DT core

[TimG]

yeah i know the commute is going to be a bitch. As it is now i live in the deep south and my commute by bus/train is already getting close to an hour each way.

How bad does the commute get in the winter?

wtf is there in Olds, anyway? Am i going to have to drive to red deer or airdrie if i want to go to walmart of future shop?

[Idratherbsidewayz]

Originally posted by TimG
The wife and I were thinking about moving to Olds since there's a college program there that she's interested in taking.

Anyone live in olds and commute to calgary for work?

Any comments?

This would only be for 2 years and then we'd move back to Calgary.

Make her commute!! College hours are more flexible...

[topmade]

You going to find a job close there or work in Calgary? There was a guy here that did that commute for like 5-6 years and he didn't mind it, but I wouldn't be able to do that. He said there was only a handfull of days in the year where the roads were too bad to commute, but other then that it was alright. Also depends on your social life and how much you like going out, hanging with your buddies and stuff.

[whiskas]

You realize you're robbing yourself of at least 2 hours of life, every work day, for 2 years.

[codetrap]

Originally posted by TimG
yeah i know the commute is going to be a bitch. As it is now i live in the deep south and my commute by bus/train is already getting close to an hour each way.

How bad does the commute get in the winter?

wtf is there in Olds, anyway? Am i going to have to drive to red deer or airdrie if i want to go to walmart of future shop?

Maybe you should drive out to olds and have a look around. Its a farming community with a small college.

[TimG]

We're already planning on heading up there to take a look around.

As it is now, I am already spending about 1.5-2 hours a day commuting, so it's not a super huge change.

[Dave P]

That area gets some of the craziest winter storms, year round. I hate driving through there

[ExtraSlow]

Move to Crossfield or Carstairs. A bit shorter drive for you, and closer to the "big town" of Airdrie where you'll end up doing your shopping anyway.

That commute would kill me.

[Melinda]

My cousins each did 1-2 years of commuting to Calgary from Cremona (not overly far from Olds) for college. Aside from the disaterous km it put on their vehicles, they said it wasn't too bad. Some good tunes, awesome winter tires and an amazingly understanding work place on really bad weather days (there will be a few that you will NOT be able to make it to work), you should be fine.

As for Olds, there's not a lot there. Sundre's close though, and there's more in Sundre than in Olds iirc (it's been 2-3 years since I've been out in that area). Red Deer or Calgary after work would be your best bet for shopping though without a doubt.

[Benny]

Originally posted by Dave P
That area gets some of the craziest winter storms, year round. I hate driving through there

It can be an unbelievable cunt on the QEII down through there. There's nothing in the fields surrounding the road so the wind gets going and the snow just drifts over the highway. There was something like a 50 car crash back in April when I was up there.

Oh, and the town is boring as all hell.

My advice would be to get a place in Airdrie. Olds is only about 45min away. Give you both a fairly equal commute without having to live all the way out in Olds.

[Mitsu3000gt]

A 1hr a day commute made me want to hang myself, and I couldn't believe how much of my life I was wasting. And that was on the 2/5 days a week that transit actually was on time, typically my commutes were much longer. I couldn't imagine a minimum 2hr commute every day, even if it was in a car.

By far the biggest increase in quality of life I have experienced is moving within a 10 min walk from my office.

[Redlyne_mr2]

God I can't stand a 20 min commute let alone an hour.

[msommers]

The east end of Olds has seen some large development over the last few years. Main street is basically dead besides the post office and the bank because of it. I think there is a Wal-mart, with a few some electronic stores and a Save on Foods.

[Jlude]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
A 1hr a day commute made me want to hang myself, and I couldn't believe how much of my life I was wasting. And that was on the 2/5 days a week that transit actually was on time, typically my commutes were much longer. I couldn't imagine a minimum 2hr commute every day, even if it was in a car.

By far the biggest increase in quality of life I have experienced is moving within a 10 min walk from my office.



Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
God I can't stand a 20 min commute let alone an hour.


+1!!

After 4 years of almost an hour each way in Calgary... now I live exactly a 4 minute drive from my office. I'll never go back to an hour long commute, unless it's worth it, like living in NYC or something.

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by TimG
yeah i know the commute is going to be a bitch. As it is now i live in the deep south and my commute by bus/train is already getting close to an hour each way.

How bad does the commute get in the winter?


Every person is different, but I'll give you my take on it. My last 15 years in Vancouver I commuted every day. Living in Abbotsford and working either downtown Vancouver or worse, on the North Shore. The commute at BEST was an hour and 15....rainy and bad traffic was 1 1/2 to 2 hours. REALLy crappy weather, (the odd snowfall etc) the commute could be well over 2 hours. EACH WAY!!

You THINK a 1 hour bus/train commute is the same thing? Wrong...VERY wrong. Driving that distance (almost 100 km's) every day is extremely stressful on your body. You don't think it is, after all you have your coffee, your smokes, your radio station..ahhh...but take it from a guy who's commuted for years...its VERY tiring. Riding a train and bus, you can relax, even sleep. For a while I was able to commute into Vancouver using the Westcoast Express (an actual train, not like the Ctrain) and that is much easier on your body and stress level.

But driving an hour and a half each way is extremely taxing. That particular route is SO boring, that you will be fighting falling asleep, especially a hot day on the way home from a bad day. Its easier fighting traffic on the deerfoot than it is fighting the boredom of a long commute.

But every person is different.

[ExtraSlow]

The QEII highway is also very windswept, which means it's commonly covered in snow/drifting snow/blowing snow/black ice and retards driving too slow/fast/aggressive etc.
You'll hate that commute for at least four months a year. The rest of the year it's under construction. Plus it's very busy any time between 6:30 and 9:00 AM and 3:00 to 7:00 PM. If you can commute outside those hours, you may save yourself a few minutes.

[old&slow]

Carstairs is a nice easy drive to Olds . Your wife would like it I think.
Carstairs would be so much better for you going to Calgary.
Olds is a long Calgary commute!

[J-D]

Considered moving to Airdrie?

[TimG]

The wife doesn't drive, so we're kind of limited.

[spike98]

Originally posted by TimG
The wife doesn't drive, so we're kind of limited.

Well unless she is under 16 then that shouldnt be an issue. The reality of it is it will suck...10 fold.

[grampafunk]

I have been to olds. there is nothing to do there. i live in red deer, there is not much else to do here. i suppose at least there is the shopping?

I dunno dude. I dont think I would enjoy it.

[ExtraSlow]

If your wife doesn't drive, and you are moving to a small town, she'll hate it.
get her driving, that's the only way this is going to work.

[Dycker]

The past two years, Olds has seen a major retail chains move in.

Canadian Tire, Walmart, Superstore (NoFrills) is all there. No FutureShop though.

Some really good (food wise, not ambiance) restaurants.

I went to College there a couple years ago and we would do the 25min drive to Costco in Red Deer for supplies.

[grampafunk]

Originally posted by Dycker
The past two years, Olds has seen a major retail chains move in.

Canadian Tire, Walmart, Superstore (NoFrills) is all there. No FutureShop though.

Some really good (food wise, not ambiance) restaurants.

I went to College there a couple years ago and we would do the 25min drive to Costco in Red Deer for supplies.

whoot. sounds like a dope place to live..

[googe]

Go to a school in Calgary. No one should have to live in any of those towns. Don't even entertain the idea of a commute, it's just insane.

[psycoticclown]

Originally posted by C_Dave45


Every person is different, but I'll give you my take on it. My last 15 years in Vancouver I commuted every day. Living in Abbotsford and working either downtown Vancouver or worse, on the North Shore. The commute at BEST was an hour and 15....rainy and bad traffic was 1 1/2 to 2 hours. REALLy crappy weather, (the odd snowfall etc) the commute could be well over 2 hours. EACH WAY!!

You THINK a 1 hour bus/train commute is the same thing? Wrong...VERY wrong. Driving that distance (almost 100 km's) every day is extremely stressful on your body. You don't think it is, after all you have your coffee, your smokes, your radio station..ahhh...but take it from a guy who's commuted for years...its VERY tiring. Riding a train and bus, you can relax, even sleep. For a while I was able to commute into Vancouver using the Westcoast Express (an actual train, not like the Ctrain) and that is much easier on your body and stress level.

But driving an hour and a half each way is extremely taxing. That particular route is SO boring, that you will be fighting falling asleep, especially a hot day on the way home from a bad day. Its easier fighting traffic on the deerfoot than it is fighting the boredom of a long commute.

But every person is different.

:werd:

I used to have an hour and a half commute every day to work right when I graduated high school. Didn't have a car yet so I bussed every day from Edgemont to the warehouse behind T&T Honda. Had to work at 7, used to have to leave the house at 5:20 or something and take 2 buses and 2 trains to get to work. It sucked ass hard. But I could still somewhat sleep/read on the trains. Now if I had to do that same commute by driving, I woulda quit after 2 days. It's the same time as me driving from Lethbridge to McKenzie Town in Calgary every day, I hate making the drive to and from the two cities and everyday would absolutely destroy me. Boredom and just trying not to fall asleep would add so much stress. And the winter would make it worse. Super stressful whenever I have to drive back in the winter and I have to deal with whiteout conditions.

Now I know that your commute probably won't be that long, but it'll be close to that.

[Dycker]

Originally posted by grampafunk

whoot. sounds like a dope place to live..

Only fun if you're 18-25 and going to college.



Originally posted by googe

Go to a school in Calgary. No one should have to live in any of those towns. Don't even entertain the idea of a commute, it's just insane

If she decided to go to Olds, not sure if Calgary schools offer the same program.

[TimG]

There are no schools in Calgary that offer the program that she wants :banghead:

it's either that or Ryerson in Toronto.