Relocating to Edmonton
The city offers a warm, friendly welcome for newcomers, and this is reflected in the fact that City Hall hosts a special Citizen and New Arrival Information Center specifically aimed at welcoming people moving to Edmonton and helping them to get settled in the city as quickly as possible.
You are likely to have many questions about moving to Edmonton.
How can I get a visa to Canada?
Where do I stay while deciding if I will purchase a home?
What should I expect from the weather?
What are the safest areas in Edmonton?
What areas should I avoid in Edmonton?
What are the best moving companies in Edmonton?
Check out our 25 Things You Should Know Before You Move To Edmonton Blog Post.
About the City
Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta, a province of Canada located between British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east. The province also borders the Northwest Territories, and at its southern edge it meets the northern border of the United States.
Edmonton is Canada’s fifth largest municipality, and is the second largest city within Alberta, with a population of close to 878,000. The population of the Edmonton metropolitan area is an estimated 1,328,300, making it is the most northerly city within North America to have more than a million metropolitan residents.
Edmonton is also ranked as Canada’s nineteenth most dangerous city in terms of crime. However, this should be seen in the context that Canada as a whole has generally low levels of crime, significantly less than the United States and lower than many European countries.
Known as the oil capital of Canada, Edmonton is an important location for natural resources, operating as a staging post for large-scale oil, gas and diamond mining projects to the north. Consequently, the largest major industry is petrochemicals, but there is also a significant number of IT, banking and biotechnology jobs. The area’s employers have typically attracted many workers from abroad, and the city has worked hard to advertise itself as an attractive and welcoming destination for foreigners. Edmonton is also a significant regional center for education and government, as well as the focus of a great many cultural festivals and events throughout the year.
