I Live In One Of Canada's Least Favourite Provinces & Here's Why It Doesn't Deserve The Hate

The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.

When I saw a recent survey found that Alberta was a lot of Canadian's second-favourite province, it really resonated with me as I've lived here for over a year now and it was nice to see that people love the province as much as I do.

However, Alberta was also voted second least-favourite province highlighting just how divisive the province is.

People have a lot of perceptions about Alberta – for better and for worse – and one of the most common questions that I get asked is why I chose to move here from the U.K.

But as someone with a complete outsider's perspective of Alberta, I think there are a ton of reasons to love it here. So for all those that ranked my home province so low, listen up!

People are so friendly

Charlie with friends.Charlie Hart | Narcity

The perception of what Albertans are like and what people are actually like here is worlds apart.

When I moved to Calgary, I actually found it jarring how friendly people in the city are considering I moved from London where people tend to avoid any kind of eye contact or interaction at all times.

I was dreading trying to make friends in a new city but everyone was so welcoming and even if you're just out on a hike people will always say hi.

When I've been anywhere else in Canada – looking at you, B.C. – the people are nowhere near as nice.

Nature speaks for itself

When you mention Alberta, most people automatically think of Banff and it really is one of the most gorgeous places in the world.

Having the Rockies on your doorstep with its huge peaks and bright turquoise lakes is pretty incredible and no matter what time of year you visit, there's always something new to see or do.

Even without the mountains, Alberta has stunning prairies and desert-like areas to explore.

Yes, other provinces might have their own natural wonders, but I think it's hard to beat Alberta here.

The weather isn't as bad as people make out

I'm not denying it gets cold but the weather is actually way more bearable than people would have you believe.

In the winter, the truly cold temperatures only tend to stick around for a few days at a time and there are chinooks to give you a break from the cold (and sometimes a migraine).

Summers also get really hot so it's perfect to head and take a dip in one of those crystal clear lakes.

People also don't seem to realize that Calgary is actually the sunniest city in North America too with a whopping 333 sunny days a year, according to Western Financial Group.

The restaurant and bar scene is fun

I wasn't really sure what to expect of the food and drink scene in Calgary before I moved, but having been here for over a year now, I think it's so underrated.

There's constantly new restaurants and bars popping up all over the city, and it isn't a coincidence that so many of Canada's best new restaurants can be found in Calgary and Edmonton.

You can get pretty much everything you'd want from a major city and as a bonus, it's a lot cheaper to go out to eat than in B.C. or Ontario.

It's so affordable

One of the largest selling points for Alberta is just how affordable it is to live here. I couldn't dream of living in Vancouver or Toronto on my own but in Calgary, I'm actually able to live comfortably downtown.

Alberta also doesn't have a provincial sales tax so buying groceries or even grabbing a coffee is a lot cheaper than most places in Canada.