Career
Career opportunities in Calgary
Calgary’s largest number of jobs are offered by oil giants such as BP, Shell, Husky Energy, Imperial Oil, Nexen and Canadian Natural Resources Limited, looking for engineering and management graduates to fill their ranks. Another field which hires high numbers of people is agriculture, with the large Canadian cattle ranches and farms offering engineering and business graduates positions in management, processing, logistics, sales and marketing. The big retail sector is adding to the demand for graduates with a background in economics, as well as for those who have studied law, linguistics, psychology and sociology. Calgary is home to airline companies like WestJet, Canadian Airlines, Air Canada as well as other corporations such as Agrium, Shaw Communications, Westfair Foods or Suncore Energy. These companies have extensive internship programmes to facilitate the transition from university to employment.
Life
Calgary city life
Calgary’s multicultural aspect makes it a unique tourist destination in Canada, with its many landmarks and attractions:
- Telus Spark
- Heritage Park Historical Village
- Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
- Devonian Gardens
- Calgary Zoo
- Olympic Plaza
- The Aero Space Museum
The city’s experience as a Winter Olympics host in 1988 has transformed sports in Calgary. It is an ideal destination for winter sports like luge, skiing, skating, ice hockey or snowboarding, as well as for amateur and professional fishing. Calgary has teams competing in the national leagues in Canadian football, ice hockey and lacrosse, as well as many semi-professional and amateur teams and leagues.
Calgary’s rich cultural diversity makes it an ideal destination for food enthusiasts, as the city has hundreds of traditional ethnic restaurants, as well as mixed cuisine and unconventional modern establishments which define Calgary cooking. Add to this the hundreds of bars and pubs which capture a specific part of Canadian and Calgary heritage.
The city organises many theme street festivals such as:
- Calgary Folk Music Festival
- FunnyFest Comedy Festival
- The Greek Festival
- Expo Latino
The largest and the most celebrated event in Calgary is the Calgary Stampede, a large rodeo, festival and exhibition, alongside concerts, parades, stage shows and races which honour the city’s cattle farming traditions.
International atmosphere in Calgary
Thanks to its rapid growth and transformation, Calgary is becoming one of the most cosmopolitan cities in all of Canada. It is home to over 200 different ethnic groups and 30% of the total population is a ‘visible minority’. Besides English which is widely spoken, people in the communities speak Hindi, Urdu, French and Chinese. The city is world renowned for its inclusive atmosphere and tolerant attitude towards other cultures, races and faiths. The constant influx of international students has expanded the diversity of Calgary even further.
Weather Calgary
The weather in Calgary is very humid, with intense cold during winter and arid, mild summers. The average temperature for January is -7.1 °C (19.2 °F), while for July the average is 16.5 °C (61.7°F). Calgary usually experiences some snowfall every month, including summer, with an average annual snowfall of 128.8cm (50.71 inches).
Costs
Accommodation costs in Calgary
There are many affordable accommodation options in Calgary:
- Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city centre is around 1,286 CAD/month, while three bedrooms cost 2,281 CAD/month.
- Rent for a one-bedroom apartment outside the city centre is about 1,027 CAD/month and three bedrooms reach 1,734 CAD/month.
- On-campus housing costs between 479 and 675 CAD/month for a bedroom in flats of 4 rooms.
Living costs in Calgary
Calgary is a moderately expensive city, with average living costs ranging between 1737 and 1845 CAD, excluding accommodation. Utilities will cost around 162 CAD/month, while the food budget will require about 300 CAD/month. A monthly local transport pass is approximately 100 CAD, while a one-way ticket is 3.15 CAD.
Universities in Calgary
Whether you’re an elementary, junior or high school student, post-secondary pro or seasoned professional, we have programs and services to help you shape your future and reach your career and business goals.
The University of Lethbridge fosters an environment that meets the educational and personal needs of students through excellent teaching, exposure to research, interaction with professors and instructors, academic advising, counseling, and cultural, recreational and extracurricular programs.
The University of Calgary is one of Canada’s top comprehensive research universities, combining the best of university tradition with the city of Calgary’s vibrant energy and diversity. UCalgary’s main campus occupies a beautiful setting with a view of the Rocky Mountains, covering more than 200 hectares — an area larger than Calgary’s entire downtown.