The Best Places to Live in Alberta Depending on Your Wants and Needs

For most people when they think of Edmonton, they think of the massive mall with a theme park inside. As impressive as the West Edmonton Mall is, it isn’t what the city is most renowned for. Instead, it’s famous for being Canada’s Festival City. International ice carving contests, its own film festival, and multiple music fests; there’s always something exciting to take part in. With over 50 festivals taking place annually in the city there’s never any shortage of things to do. This makes Edmonton the perfect city for those seeking to branch out and experience all that they can.

It would be too easy to talk about how stunning Banff is, so we aren’t going to. Ignore the picturesque mountain views. That majestic moose at the side of the road, don’t worry about it. Instead, consider the incredible amount of outdoor sporting and adventure there is to be had. If adrenaline is your thing, Banff has it in surplus. In the winter, there are not only three world-class ski resorts but also heli-skiing. In the summers, there are mountains to climb, trails to hike, and downhill mountain biking. So, if a fast-paced adventurous lifestyle is for you, we’re sure Banff can keep up.

Have you ever been at a buffet, unable to decide what to get first because it all looks so good? That’s kind of what Lethbridge is like. There’s a little bit of everything, from the longest and highest steel trestle bridge in North America, to one of the largest urban park systems. The city is even home to the famous Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden. All these attractions can be enjoyed year-round, thanks to Lethbridge’s warm summers and mild winters. A semi-arid climate and chinook winds might sound like made-up words now, but Lethbridgians know just how much better they make everything.

Saying that a town in Alberta is known for its scenery and nature sounds redundant. That is, until you see Canmore. Nestled in a valley within the Rockies, there is a stillness to the town. That stillness usually sets in as people first see the peaks of the Three Sisters, a set of three stunning mountain peaks that jut powerfully into the sky. It’s difficult to identify the borders of Canmore as the residents and nature itself blend. As a wildlife corridor, it’s not uncommon to see an Elk saunter through town or catch a glimpse of a bighorn scaling one of the many surrounding mountains. For the people of Canmore, the scenery isn’t just to be seen, it’s to be lived.

There’s a lot to be said about Calgary. From the stampede to its incredible food scene, it’s a unique and bustling city with something for everyone. Located in the Sun Belt, it holds the title of ‘Canada’s Sunniest City’, with 333 days of sun. All that extra daylight means more opportunity to enjoy all that Calgary has to offer. Maybe you’d like to raft the Bow River or take in the annual folk festival. Whatever it is that you like to do, in Calgary you have more day to do it.

Considered one of Canada’s most entrepreneurial cities, Red Deer is ideal for the career focused. Located between Edmonton and Calgary, the city has immediate access to eighty-one percent of the rest of the province’s population. This has made Red Deer a bustling center of industry, with a great deal of opportunity. Don’t think that the city is all work and no play. That same access to the rest of the province means that there’s nothing too far away. It goes both ways, not only can the people of Red Deer access the rest of the province with ease, but the province can access Red Deer as well. It’s a busy city, ready for work and fun, whether they go to it, or it comes to them.

That five-year-old kid down the street was right, dinosaurs are awesome. Nowhere is that more evident than Drumheller, Alberta. With an emphasis on both education and preservation, the town is home to the Royal Tyrrell Museum. The museum houses what is widely considered the best-preserved dinosaur in the world, a 112-million-year-old nodosaur. The reason for Drumheller’s dino passion stems from it being situated along Alberta’s badlands. Badlands may not be what you picture when thinking of Alberta, parts of them look like they belong on another planet entirely, but those lucky enough to live in Drumheller are privileged to live among the records of history.

Steeped in rich history and folklore, Medicine Hat is a place of connection. Located along the South Saskatchewan River, the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan, and the Trans-Canada Highway, it feels like a place linked to it all. The city is renowned for its beautiful scenery. Like Calgary, Medicine Hat is in the Sun Belt, allowing for more daylight to connect. Not only is there stunning nature to connect with now, but the past is also abundant within the city. Having served as a communal meeting place for the aboriginal tribes for generations the city values its spiritual identity. So, if you value a deeper connection with the world around you, Medicine Hat could be the place for you.

To many people Lacombe is a well-kept secret. As an agricultural town of just over thirteen thousand, it was voted the 5^th best place in Canada to live by a Moneysense.ca survey. This was mostly due to how excellent the cost of living is. What’s more important however, is the lifestyle that Lacombe brings its residents. The town itself is surrounded by small bodies of water, including Barnett Lake within city limits. This makes it the ideal place for water enthusiasts like fishermen and boaters. For those looking for a bit more room on the water, Gull Lake is only a short drive to the West of town.

Grande Prairie is the Northernmost town on our list. Furthermore, it’s the northernmost city in Canada with a population above 50,000. It’s for that reason that Grande Prairie is so unique. The city itself is quiet and modest. With excellent amenities and a strong education system it is a place many have been choosing to raise their families in. Being the city furthest to the North, it offers families the chance to live in a full and active community, while giving them access to some of the purest wilderness Canada has to offer. Surrounded by the buffalo plains that give the city its name to the North, the Rockies to the west, and intricate river systems East and South, the Swan City is the ideal base for families that want to experience the world outside their homes.