Good choice of City my friend. Calgary is the best city in Canada, it and the rest of Alberta is swiming in money. No debt, no tax, and they have so much money they give us all $400 a year for no good reason. I think they said Calgary's economy is the fastest growing economy(%wise) after China. It should be a fairly nice transition for yourself, lots of Americans living in calgary(largest American population in Canada), alberta is more like the States than it is like the rest of Canada.
As for flying... AC Jazz, Central Mountain air, and westjet have calgary bases. Air Canada does not, but there is a huge number of AC pilots who live in Calgary that commute to Vancouver, toronto and winnipeg. Tons of flights between those cities, but there are also lots of employees doin the same thing.

You forgot to mention a two-bit hockey team full of clutching and grabbing Flamers.

Not a bad city really, but hardly the "best" in Canada...you'll have to travel west until you hit the ocean to find that!

Agree with the comments on tax though. Just keep in mind it's a boom & bust oil driven economy.

That's an intersesting comment too. Care to expand?

I don't know, all 'round I'd have to say that Calgary is the best city in Canada. Yea, YVR has it's perks, but Calgary just inches past it on a number of levels.

Now don't forget Montreal, I love that town too, and I'm a born and bred Alberta boy.

Oh yea, whatever you do don't go to Edmonton, otherwise known as the Chucker. Grew up there; go back to see family; that's where it ends.

What's so awful about Edmonton? Isn't that where the big Mall is? I went on my submarine ride there. Loads of fun.

What is your (or anybody else's) opinion about YYJ? Slightly acquainted with an Air Canada 767 Captain who swears by it and will never leave it.

Personally, I'll go wherever there's a Tim Horton's and those delicious Timbits.

I think we've got thread creep here, but hey, I like talking about home...

Best Canadian cities to live IMHO:

1) Vancouver - Where else can you ski in the morning, play golf in the aft (or go sailing) and then watch the world's best goalie help the Canucks hammer the Flamer's in the evening?

2) Montreal - Tons of atmosphere and culture. Best looking women in North America...maybe the world.

3) Calgary - OK, I HATE the hockey team, but it's still a fun city, good tax base and close to the mountains.

4) Halifax - Cheap place to live, great nightlife. Tim Horton’s on every corner. Difficult winters though.

5) Kelowna - Kinda of small for a "city", but the Okanogan is a great place to live.

Worst Cities:

1) Winterpeg - It's not just the -40 in the winter...it's the +40 in the summer. Also, the biggest mosquitoes I've ever seen!

2) Toronto - I'm from Vancouver...I have to hate Toronto. Take what I wrote about Montreal and apply the opposite then you have Torronnna.

3) Edmonton - Cold, dry, rough.

4) Sydney, Cape Breton - Home of the most polluted, toxic piece of Real Estate in the Western world. I can't even tease them; I feel bad for them.

Victoria?

Cold Lake (home of 4 Wing)?

Personally, I never really liked Victoria much. It's quite a sleepy city. However, just north of there are some great little areas that I could see myself retiring in.

You're joking, right?

I spent a week in Ottowa last winter and loved it. I loved skating the canal every morning.

However, it's hard to beat Vancouver on a summer day.

Interesting mis-spelling.

My WIFE is from the great white north also. In the big scheme of things, I determined that it's better to keep Canada as a vactation destination rather than a domicile. I think if I lived in Vancouver, the traffic and dreary winters would drive me crazy.

my bad....