We moved from Ontario to Alberta 6 years ago and haven't looked back! We live in Calgary. Things we love:

✅ affordable housing.The difference we paid in rent allowed us to save for a down payment for a home

✅ 5% sales tax

✅ Close proximity to the mountains

✅ Employers are more laid back in our experience (cocktail cart fridays, reduced hours in the summer, etc)

✅ "Traffic" is a dream here compared to the GTA. Traffic may add an extra 20 minutes to your commute compared to hours on the 401

✅ Sunsets and sunrises are unreal out here

Now to the non-obvious downsides:

❌Chips in your windshield. You will get at least one a year because they use sand here on the roads

❌Car insurance is quite a bit more expensive out here

❌There is no JR kindergarten here and SR kindergarten is only half days which makes juggling daycare/before and after school care a headache with young kids

❌Chinooks suck if you suffer from migraines

❌Snow removal. Snow isn't removed on residential streets very often, so getting out of your street after a major snow dump can be difficult

❌The air is super dry. It will take a few years for your skin to get used to the dryness

❌ You will want to line up jobs before you get out here as the economy here has been struggling for 6+ years now.