Ok - htere is no housing shortage here in Calgary. I've got a nice 2 bedroom main floor apartment 45 minutes walk from downtown Calgary for $1200 a month all utilities paid. It's the first place I looked at and everyone says I am paying way to much. I am paying lass than half of what I paid in England for twice the square footage (1 bed apt for UKP825 exc. bills). It's so cheap here it's scary! I can find you and apartment in less than a week.

Really push hard with the employer regarding vacation time. I pushed and said the deal breaker was retaining my UK holiday and they caved.

As regards long hours? No problem - work 5 minutes past normal finish time and they think you are amazing. They have no concept of what long hours is on a day to day basis. But - they do expect you to be responsive when they call - or maybe that's just me.

Calgary is fab - a good town with lots of good people. Socializing is fun and the mountains are right there. Your kids can walk to school if you want. Driver stop for you at cross-walks and it's unbelievably healthy. Do it and don't look back.

SB!