When I first accepted the job at The Bonnyville Nouvelle, I asked some locals about the lifestyle here — specifically the cost of living. I was told it was a little pricy but not more than most Albertan communities and there were a lot of rental options available.
I was lied to.
I understand many Bonnyville and Cold Lake residents work for large oil companies.
When I first moved here, one resident told me, “There are a lot of rich people here.”
I, however, am not one of them.
I began looking in the Nouvelle classifieds in search of a perfect little two-bedroom, but was floored when I was struck with rental ads reading “$1,200 plus utilities,” or “$1,500 plus damage deposit.” Even when I lived in Toronto I could find rent cheaper than that.
And don't even get me started on all you cat-haters.
So, I hit up kijiji. Bad idea.
We found a perfect little two-bedroom house online. It was $800 a month and pet-friendly, which our two cats were very happy to hear about.
It wasn't until I was at the post office, about to send a money gram, that I began to feel a little hesitant.
My boyfriend looked into it, and yes, it was fraud. Not only was the address the exact same address as the Nouvelle's, this man had the same listing all over Alberta. What's worse, he'd taken the photos from a house listed for sale in Thunder Bay, Ont.
You'd think I would have clicked in when he asked to have the money sent to England, having been transferred there for work.
Some say I'm too trusting; others just say I'm gullible. Call it what you want, I was scammed.
But what frustrated me the most was when I found out he couldn't be stopped. I called the RCMP to discover there was nothing they could do for internet fraud. Therefore, I caution you all to beware of online purchases because this wasn't the only person who tried to scam us for rent in Bonnyville.
And I'll admit, there was a second after I got off the phone with the RCMP where I thought to myself, “Hey, if it's not being monitored, why don't I do this? It would sure beat paying off those student loans the honest way.”
However, I realized my being too trusting and gullible are likely not traits most fraud criminals have and decided to continue living in my honest, debt-filled world.
Which brings me back to the topic at hand: not being able to find reasonable rent in Bonnyville.
We took up a temporary rental house in town for a couple months, hoping to find affordable, pet-friendly accommodations from a person who actually lives in Canada and who actually has a place to rent.
I've been here a couple weeks now, but Bonnyville, your rental options are somewhat devastating. Not only are they expensive but the options are scarce.
Why someone wouldn't want to rent to two professionals and their beautiful two cats is beyond me. I mean, just having that reassurance that two responsible adults would be taking care of your place should surely trump a few hundred dollars off that outrageous rental cost.
Don'tcha think?
