>>2494530Back in Ontario now after a stint down east, about an hour north of To.
If you live in Calgary or Edmonton you definitely need a car. Calgary has a bad urban sprawl problem, just over a million people and has a larger total land area than Toronto. While it has a fairly comprehensive public transit system it won't get you to the mountains and last I heard the Greyhound doesn't run anymore. There are some pretty amazing parks within the city limits though like Nosehill Park and Fishcreek Park, it's also totally possible to reach some ruralish suburban areas with public transit as well like Bragg Creek. Edmonton is a dump, much rougher around the edges, street gangs, crackheads and shitty infrastructure. The two cities are a three hour drive apart though.
As for danger I'd be more in fear of harm in Scarborough than ever would anywhere out west. If you're hiking in brown bear country don't be stupid and carry spray or a gun. Cougar attacks are extremely rare and also prevented by common sense.
In general taxes are lower, there's more hunting opportunities, folks are more gun friendly, no more OPP, and some of the best restaurants I've eaten at.
The biggest disadvantage is the natives, there a few reserves connected to the cities and you cannot travel through downtown without being accosted, confronted or bothered by injuns.
Another disadvantage is that small town alberta is real small and generally really boring with a few exceptions.
While pollution is definitely not on the same level as Toronto I did spend several seasons there where large forest fires in the mountains filled the city with smoke and they had to issue air quality warnings.
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