Vehicles in Edmonton

[mcherry5]

Greetings:

My wife and I are coming to Edmonton this fall, for a two year assignment with my company. We've only lived in Southern California and Texas, so the winters will probably kill us.

Question is: What should I know about caring for a vehicle in Alberta? Do I need four-wheel drive? Do I need some sort of engine-block heater? Specific snow tires?

We expect to live in an urban setting (downtown if possible, although we have not been there yet to see). Do we need a vehicle at all?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Mike

[cbelanger82]

Hi Mike,

I lived in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario for a long time and I'm still alive! I'm the type of person who is cold even when it's 20C out so you should be able to survive the Canadian winters!!! Cold is not something you get used to...(not for me anyways) but something you have to deal with. Wearing proper winter gears is the key... ( I don't care if I look like the Michelin man when it's -25C!!!)

As for the car, you probably won't need one if you live downtown, but it's always very useful when it's time to go shopping or travel, especially if you want to explore the area.

Me and my husband just moved to the UK from Canada and didn't want to get a car here but we quickly realized that we needed one. We love to go on weekend trips and explore the country we now live in.

Snow tires are a must in the winter. I even think that there is a law about it now. Your mechanic will be able to help you choose one kind. The engine block heater is not necessary unless you have an old vehicle. Lots of car don't have them and it is only really useful when it's very cold. Best thing to do is to wait and see how your car reacts in the cold... You'll find out soon enough if it has problems starting in the morning

Hope that helps

Good luck

Cindy