Edmonton Newcomers Drawn to Abundant Jobs, Quality of Life
There are times when Jillian Buriak still has to pause and get a grasp of the geography.
A professor of chemistry at the University of Alberta and a group leader with the National Institute for Nanotechnology‚ Buriak moved to Edmonton in 2003 after a six-year career as an associate professor in the United States at Purdue University‚ West Lafayette‚ Ind. Though she’s a native of Toronto‚ Ontario‚ Buriak wasn’t sure what to expect when she made the trek west and north to Alberta.
“I have to admit I’m somewhat surprised‚” she says of how much she and her family have come to enjoy life in Edmonton.
“I feel more connected to the world than I did in West Lafayette. Edmonton is really a culturally diverse city. It’s quite a nice place to be.”
Buriak’s sentiment is echoed throughout Alberta’s capital city. Other newcomers may have reservations about Edmonton’s location and what that means in terms of the winter season‚ but they soon find its positives far outweigh any preconceived negatives. The economy here is so robust and diverse‚ it’s a veritable magnet for a wide range of people.
“The first thing that gets people here is the opportunity‚” Myron Borys‚ vice president‚ economic development‚ for Edmonton Economic Development Corp.‚ says of the myriad of jobs that attract people to the city. “Once they get here‚ they get a clear picture that the quality of life is second to none.”
Opportunities have been particularly abundant over the past 10-15 years‚ Borys says. Edmonton had the fastest-growing economy in Canada in 2005‚ and it has the country’s second-most diverse economy. “What that means is‚ we have a little bit of everything‚” he says. “We’re not overly dependent on any one sector (of business or industry).”
The steady economic growth has resulted in many new job opportunities for people from many parts of the world. At Stamco Specialty Tool & Manufacturing Co. (1979) Ltd.‚ for instance‚ nearly half of the employees are from other countries.
“When we look at experience‚ we look at it from everywhere‚ whether it be from here or from another country‚” says Michelle Portillo‚ accounting manager. Her father‚ Joe Franco‚ immigrated to Edmonton from Italy in 1967 and began working for Stamco three years later. In 1979‚ Franco and Stamco colleague Edward Wisniewski‚ who had emigrated from Poland in 1965‚ purchased the company.
Newcomers and longtime residents alike can speak to the quality of life in Greater Edmonton. Alberta’s education system‚ for instance‚ is recognized worldwide for its K-12 program. “People around here and throughout Alberta really care about education‚” says Buriak‚ who has two young children in school.
Edmonton‚ of course‚ benefits economically from the long-term investments in the oil sands development to the north. It has some of Canada’s finest higher education institutions‚ and it is becoming one of the country’s pre-eminent health-care centres.
Other attributes that appeal to prospective relocating individuals and families include affordable housing‚ uncongested commutes‚ safe streets and relatively low taxes. (Alberta is the only province that does not impose a sales tax.)
And despite the city’s reputation for having brisk winters‚ one never suffers from too little to do. Sports are popular‚ with the success of the Edmonton Oilers a case in point‚ and residents flock to all kinds of other attractions and events.
“I think people are regaining the ability to have disposable income‚” says Bob Baker‚ artistic director for The Citadel Theatre in Edmonton‚ “and they’re willing to pay for culture‚ sporting and leisure events – more than even five or six years ago.” An Edmonton native‚ Baker moved back to the city in 1999 after living for about a decade in Toronto.
“Edmonton is a perfect-size city‚” he says. “It’s cosmopolitan and modern‚ but with a real sense of community about it.”
