If you’re thinking about moving to Spruce Grove, there are some things you’re definitely going to love about it and some things you may not be so fond of. I moved from BC to Edmonton in 2008 and then I moved to Spruce Grove in 2014. Since I’ve lived here for about 9 years now, I’m qualified to let you in on the good, the bad and the ugly!
Make sure you read to the end to learn the absolute biggest Pro and benefit you’ll get from moving to Spruce grove!
Pro #1 - Heritage Grove Park
Spruce Grove has walking trails that weave throughout the entire city, and this particular trail system called Heritage Grove Park, is located right in the middle of town. These trails connect a number of different neighbourhoods and contain 40 km of all weather trails. Getting out into nature in the middle of the city is a great way to decompress and get your steps in all year long. So from a lifestyle standpoint, this is a huge pro. We also have the lovely Jubilee Park where you’ll find multi-purpose trails, a picnic area and the spray park for the summer, as well as ice skating in the winter.
Pro #2 - Family Friendly Community
Spruce Grove is a wonderful place to raise a family. There are various community events like block parties, fundraisers and of course our famous Canada Day celebrations to enjoy. We have great schools, safe neighbourhoods, and lots of amenities for the family like playgrounds, the Tri-Leisure Centre, Landmark Cinemas, Aspen Grove Nurseries, Rotary Playscape and the Spruce Grove Grain Elevator Museum.
If you’re willing to venture out a little farther, the Edmonton Corn Maze and Devonian Botanical Gardens are also nearby. We also have a couple of new developments coming to the city within the next few years. One is the new Civic Centre, which will be located on the East side of town off of HWY 16. It will include a spectator arena, community arena, black box theatre, art gallery and library. The other one is the Myshak Metro Ballpark, located just off HWY 16a is set to open next year. The ball park will offer a microbrewery, an outdoor amphitheatre and a condo development.
Pro #3 - Convenience
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. One of my favorite things about living in Spruce Grove is how convenient it is to live here. No matter where you live in the city there is a grocery store or drug store within 5 minutes of your house. The best part is that when you get there you’re not going to have to fight to find parking or sit in a long line up waiting on crowds. We also have some larger shopping areas like Century Crossing and Spruce Grove Centre, so you won’t have to venture into Edmonton very often for shopping unless you’re heading to Costco or looking for more specialty items. Best of all if you do need to go into Edmonton, it’s less than a 15 minute drive to get there.
Ok, so those are some of the great things about Spruce Grove Life, now lets cover off some of the not so great things you need to consider before we get back to the biggest pro of all...
Con #1 - Speed Traps
Heading to Spruce Grove from Edmonton down Hwy. 16a can cost you a pretty penny if you aren’t careful enough to cut your speed from 100 kilometers an hour down to 60 KM as you enter the city. And don’t worry, if you accidentally speed up when you’re driving through the city you’ll be sure to get a ticket there as well. Every single traffic light in Spruce Grove is equipped with a traffic camera. The positive thing about this is that it’s very safe to drive around here, but the negative is that if you’re not concentrating you could easily get a ticket.
Con #2 - Weather
The winters can get extremely cold. The winters are also pretty long and usually stretch from November until early April. Thankfully it’s a dry cold so it’s easier to insulate from. To put it in perspective, as a BC girl from the lower mainland, I find the dry -15 cold here easier to bare than -1 in Vancouver. That wet cold gets into your bones! We also get over 321 days of sun per year so that really helps.
Con #3 - The Work Commute
As I mentioned, a lot of Spruce Grove’s residents work in Edmonton or other surrounding areas. While it’s definitely a pain to commute to work regardless of where you live, it’s about a 30 minute drive for Spruce Grove residents to get to work if they work downtown. This can be a bit longer in the winter time as well, so keep that in mind. But honestly, the commute into Edmonton is not that bad when you compare it to the lower mainland in BC or the GTA.
The Biggest Pro of All: Affordable Housing
The best thing of all and the reason our community is growing so rapidly is the affordable housing. For June 2023, the average single family home in Spruce Grove was just over $442K. To give you a idea of what this means, in this price range you could get a two storey roughly 1500-1950 square feet with attached garage for just under $445K.
We’re seeing a lot of Canadians moving to Spruce Grove from out of province for this exact reason – so they can upgrade the quality of their lives with a lower mortgage.
There is a misconception that moving to Edmonton from BC or Ontario is a downgrade in lifestyle and I wholeheartedly disagree. For me it’s been a complete upgrade. No big crowds and lineups, no bumper to bumper traffic, and for the most part lots of disposable income. Edmonton residents actually have the highest disposable income of any city in Canada. So guess what? That means more travel, more savings, and more money to spend on the things that matter to you the most….Including home ownership, or just not being house poor in general!
