6 things I wasn't expecting about life in Edmonton as a Calgarian | Daily Hive

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I grew up in Calgary, but I’ve called Edmonton home for a little over six years now. I love this city, its people, culture, and my neighbourhood. While I miss my hometown from time to time, Edmonton is where I prefer to be these days.

Of course, moving here came with a bit of culture shock. I say “a bit” because, whether or not Calgarians and Edmontonians care to admit it, the two cities have more in common than they think — from the challenges they face to the overall friendliness of the people. And yes, you can get Peter’s Drive-In in both.

So with that being said, here are a few things that surprised me about Edmonton as a born-and-raised Calgarian.

Garbage collection

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For many years, Calgarians have had three bins behind their homes — black for garbage, blue for recycling, and green for organics. Edmonton has since caught up, with neighbourhoods now using a similar green and black bin system, but recycling is still done slightly differently. When I first moved, though, I was surprised to see many neighbourhoods still relying on nothing but old-school garbage cans.

Crossing the river is a whole journey in itself

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I don’t know what it is about crossing the North Saskatchewan River that makes it feel like a monumental task. Maybe it’s residual fear from my first few months as a driver in Edmonton, trying to make sense of all the winding roads in and out of the river valley. Whatever it may be, there’s no such thing as a “spontaneous” trip across the river for me.

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Why is everything the NW?

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Even after six years here, I can still hardly grasp what people mean when they start rattling off streets in the hundreds (167th Avenue and 112th Street, huh??). And why does almost the entire city have an NW address? Even city planners have previously described the road system as confusing. I miss Calgary’s quadrant system, where each section felt like its own little town. This must be how Edmontonians feel about their side of the river versus the other.

West Edmonton Mall loses the sparkle

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Especially around the holidays. Any kid who grew up in Alberta probably remembers trips to the capital, begging their parents to stop at West Edmonton Mall for Galaxyland, the Waterpark or both. Having one of the world’s largest malls in your backyard is undeniably cool. But once I became a full-time Edmontonian, I learned pretty quickly that locals only go if they have to. And don’t get me started on parking (please hurry up, West Valley LRT).

The river valley lives up to its hype

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I had no idea about Edmonton’s river valley system before I moved here, but now I understand why people never stop talking about it. What other city has a beautifully maintained stretch of green running diagonally from one end to the other? It’s fantastic for cyclists and anyone who loves the outdoors, as it connects to countless ravines across the city and even serves as a wildlife corridor for an incredible range of species. It’s a true gem that we should all be proud of!

The Oilers are an ENORMOUS part of Edmonton’s identity

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This one took me a little time to wrap my head around, but the Oilers are woven into Edmonton’s civic identity in a way most professional sports teams could only dream of. I arrived just after the team’s dark years, and I’ve been lucky enough to see them make the playoffs nearly every season since. To the disappointment of my friends and family back home, I’ve fully drank the Kool-Aid, because there’s genuinely nothing more fun than being an Oilers fan in Edmonton.