18+ Pros and Cons of Living In Alberta (Explained)

Lined by the United States of America in its south, Alberta is the fourth populous province in Canada. The state of Alberta is completely landlocked and is bordered by the provinces of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories. While Edmonton is the capital of Alberta, Calgary is the largest city in the state.

The name of the state has been derived from the name of Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, who was the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. Area wise, it is the fourth largest state in Canada after Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.

Benefits of Living in Alberta	Drawbacks of Living in Alberta
Alberta has a rich and diverse geography.	Alberta is a tornado-prone state.
The soil of Alberta is extremely fertile.	Harsh winters.
Beautiful flowers bloom in Alberta.	Poor road conditions.
Alberta has well preserved and vibrant wildlife.
Alberta is a rat-free state.
Alberta has a robust economy.
The beekeeping practice and culture of Alberta.
Alberta houses plenty of natural resources.
Alberta has a well-structured and planned educational system.
Cultural festivals of Alberta.

Table of Contents

Advantages of living in Alberta

Alberta has rich and diverse geography:

The state of Alberta is one of the prairie states of Canada. These extensive plain grasslands are characterized by temperate grasslands and a shrub-land biome.

The southwestern region of Alberta is dotted with the Rocky Mountains with Mount Columbia as its highest point. Various river systems such as Slave River and the Peace River also flow through the state.

The soil of Alberta is extremely fertile:

Being located in predominantly prairie geography, especially the southern region of the state of Alberta is characterized by shortgrass prairie and mixed-grass prairie. Owing to the prairie geography, the state has extremely fertile soil.

The most fertile stretch lies in the central aspen parkland region and the vicinities of Lloydminster. These are conditions ideal for agricultural pursuits.

Beautiful flowers bloom in Alberta:

The residents of Alberta are blessed with one of the world’s most beautiful blossoms. A wide spectrum of wild and indigenous flower species take blossom in the region, especially with the onset of spring.

Crocus Anemone, a variant of the buttercup family is extensively spread across the region along with other prairie blossoms including golden bean, sunflowers, prairie coneflower, fleabane, sage, sweet clover, and wild rose.

Alberta has a well preserved and vibrant wildlife:

Alberta accommodates four different climatic zones (alpine, boreal forest, parkland, and prairie) which houses various types of wildlife.

The various herbivore species found on the prairie and the boreal geography include the bison, moose, mule deer, Bighorn sheep, pronghorn, elk, and white-tailed deer. Carnivores include black bears, grizzly bears, coyotes, wolves, fox, lynx, bobcat, and cougar.

Alberta is a rat-free state:

The common brown rat, also known as the Norwegian rat is one of the world’s most notorious pests and is infamous for spreading often harmful and lethal diseases.

Alberta is one of the few places in the world that is free of these rats. This is a result of a massive rat-control program by the Government of Alberta back in the 1950s.

Alberta has a robust economy:

Alberta has one of the strongest economies in the world. The economy is primarily sustained by the state’s petroleum resources and also by the agriculture and technology sectors.

The Gross Domestic Output (GDP) of the state exceeds those of entire countries including the United States, Norway, or Switzerland as of 2013. Economic freedom in Alberta is one of the highest in the world.

The beekeeping practice and culture of Alberta:

Beekeeping is one of the significant agricultural pursuits of Alberta. The honeybees are kept to extract nectar and ultimately produce honey from flowers such as clover and fireweed. A unique feature of the beekeeping practice in southern Alberta is that they are often done indoors.

Alberta houses plenty of natural resources:

Alberta is a storehouse of rich deposits of natural resources, primarily petroleum and its by-products.

Alberts is the largest producer of producers such as conventional crude oil, synthetic crude, natural gas and gas products in Canada. The state makes an immense contribution to world trade in terms of petroleum export and production.

Alberta has a well-structured and planned educational system:

The state has a very well-laid out and planned educational structure at the elementary and the secondary level.

The various schooling systems in the state include public, private, charter, and homeschooling. Post-secondary educational facilities are excellent as well in the state.

Notable colleges and universities in the state include The University of Alberta, The University of Calgary, Athabasca University, the University of Lethbridge, Mount Royal University, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and many more.

Cultural festivals of Alberta:

Alberta has a rich cultural heritage and legacy. One can get an insight into these cultural practices through the various cultural festivals that are hosted by the state.

These events include festivals like The Edmonton Fringe Festival and the Taste of Edmonton & The Works Art & Design Festival.

Disadvantages of living in Alberta

Alberta is a tornado-prone state:

Alberta is prone to various kinds of storms including tornadoes. There are at least fifteen recorded tornadoes in the state every year.

Apart from tornadoes thunder-storms and heavy rainfall alongside hail are not uncommon events in the state. The Calgary–Edmonton Corridor has the highest frequency and probability of experiencing rainfall.

Harsh winters:

The state of Alberta experiences harsh and severe winters. The temperatures often dip to extreme lows and are accompanied by severe snowfall. The conditions are often made worse by the Alberta clipper, which is a fast-moving transcontinental winter storm.

Poor road conditions:

The residents of the state of Alberta report poor road conditions which exponentially intensify during the winter months. The roads are often dotted with pot-holes which makes the traffic experience a bad one.

During winters, the roads become inaccessible owing to the accumulated snow and ice on the roads.

With the beautiful landscapes, rich resource deposits, good living conditions, well-structured public facilities, and a booming economy, Alberta is one of the best places in the world to settle down and enjoy a good life.