We had planned to move to Ontario in a few months but are reconsidering due to many factors, mostly the enormity of the move itself. We are thinking now of moving out of Rupert to somewhere in BC. Where would you recommend? Have lived in Kelowna and Westbank, both beautiful but expensive! Looking for a town/city with transportation (public and in/out of), not isolated like we are here,not too big, good rental possibilities, shopping, recreation etc. Nothing in the Lower Mainland, thanks or PG !! Some folks have mentioned Quesnel, never been there. Any ideas, greatly appreciated!!
Quesnel has always been beautiful in the summertime when I pass through. My aunt lived there for 50 years and always had nice stories of the people and the weather and the place. She was always positive though. Cache Creek has alot of transients, might not be a good idea. If I wanted or had to move, between here and Vancouver, I’d move to Quesnel or Terrace. The other cities are either too big or too small or have too high crime rates or the “life” there isn’t a good fit. You guys might enjoy it there.
Kelowna was nice, like a big Rupert, warm alot down there. Great business sector but it’s getting expensive I hear. People weren’t as friendly as here in Rupert. I heard first hand about PG - you can get killed in the wrong neighborhood there.
Man, we see things totally different. Kelowna is nothing like Prince Rupert. And I think both Terrace and Quesnel are dumps.
Just my opinion.
LOL at someone recommending Quesnel…which is essentially as shitty as PG is…and I agree Terrace is also a dump.
Vernon is a nice city, not to big, and close to bigger centres (Kelowna/Kamloops).
Also the 20,000-30,000 population type cities on the Island I imagine would be nice too (Campbell River/Port Alberni/Courtney)
I am not sure why you are leaving Prince Rupert?
We have family and friends in Quesnel and spent every Christmas and summer there when our kids were little. I like it but that’s because of the connections we already have. In fact, if we were to ever leave Rupert, Quesnel would be the only place we would consider. BUT, we would never leave Rupert just for the sake of leaving Rupert.
Every place is a dump if you look hard enough.
As for nice places it depends on why your moving; a good retirement area isn’t always the place for work.
It would also depend on what you need out of life.
For me Rupert works- at this point in my life.
But there are areas that offer appeal (to me) such as the outskirts of Terrace (Not Terrace) and the comunities just out of Naniamo (such as Parksville).
BC is such a beautiful place and I know I’d be happy just about anywhere. Each area does have something different to offer though. Quesnel is a decent place and you’re closer to some larger centers. The Kootenays offer proximity to the Okanagan, the US, the Rockies and Alberta, especially if you’re in the East Kootenays. Then there’s the island which has a great climate, is laid back but can be expensive. It really depends on what you’re looking for but I don’t think you can go wrong wherever you end up.
At the moment we have no plans to move away from PR. After I retire though who knows? I have lots of good friends here on the North Coast. It really depends on what you want and can afford. Vancouver island looks nice (Comox, Parksville…)
Something to consider as well is the fact that while other areas such as the island etc are more expensive to live in than here, you have so much more in some aspects and don’t have the high travel cost… Living in the North is great in a lot of ways but the $600 airfare to Vancouver makes it very costly to get out… Also the time factor if going by land anywhere…
For me I want to move to Victoria and yes it will be costly but the area has some much to offer… I dont blame you cody bear for not wanting PG, frankly you could give me an excellent job and everything else and I would never consider that town… Another factor is interior winters are terrible…
You used “afford” and “Vancouver Island” in the same sentence.
Also funny to here everyone cut down Prince George, the only town around with any amenities. And you can leave there in FOUR directions.
oops
Campbell River is affordable, has half the rain as Rupert, and still has the feel of a small town. Lots of camping areas, lots of lakes nearby, great fishing. Has all the box stores nearby for those so inclined. Gorgeous scenery.
Drove through a good portion of BC last summer. Was most impressed with the Creston/Castlegar area. Creston is like P.R in that it is surrounded by mountains with a large body of water(Kootenay Lake)and everything is centrally located. It is smaller than Rupert and shopping isnt the greatest, but Cranbrook is only bout an hour away, and Calgary is bout 5 hours, Van is bout 7.
Campbell River is one of the cheaper alternatives on Vancouver Island, at least in terms of still having decent public transportation and the shopping angle. It still feels like the end of the road though; maybe Courtenay/Comox instead?? I spent two weeks last summer RVing over all four corners of the Island and if I had to move someplace up-island, I think it would be Courtenay. Parksville is too pricey and you’ll still be shopping in Nanaimo anyhow! As for inland areas, Creston is pretty but the shopping is crap; Cranbrook is a tough town (used to live near there) plus the shopping is crap and unless you like the cold, those areas have pretty long winters.
Parksville + Qualicum Beach = Overpriced old folks town; home of the nearly deads. Nice places though.
I wouldn’t live in Northeastern BC, which is pretty much the land of transient rednecks. Don’t get me started on Ft. Nelson.
I have always thought Kimberly, Trail or Cranbrook looked nice. Cost of living is comparable to here. Lots of recreation, both winter and summer. Closest major center would probably be Kelowna.
[quote=“jamesbrown”]Something to consider as well is the fact that while other areas such as the island etc are more expensive to live in than here, you have so much more in some aspects and don’t have the high travel cost… Living in the North is great in a lot of ways but the $600 airfare to Vancouver makes it very costly to get out… Also the time factor if going by land anywhere…
For me I want to move to Victoria and yes it will be costly but the area has some much to offer… I dont blame you cody bear for not wanting PG, frankly you could give me an excellent job and everything else and I would never consider that town… Another factor is interior winters are terrible…[/quote]
That is the issue right there “jamesbrown”, the cost of travelling form here to anywhere is crazy! It is one of our considerations for our move. We haven’t totally scrapped the Ontario move but as it would be anywhere we moved, even in BC, we don’t know anyone and that support system is important. We have good friends and acquaintances here, some say to just go for it . Prince Rupert is esentially a “going nowhere” town, we both are getting older and would like to enjoy life a little more. Where we would be moving to in Ontario is on Lake Erie and to just drive on a Sat. morning to an auction, a flea market, an orchard in the summer or a huge farmers market are the little things that make life pleasant. It is a tough decision but after 13 years at the end of the road, might be time to take that leap of faith and hope there are no regrets! Thank you everybody for your input, much appreciated !!
PORT ED
Hope?
Friend moved there, says he’ll never live anywhere “Beyond Hope” again. The Valley, Vancouver, Kamloops, the Okanogan and Cariboo are easily accessible.
fernie , revelstoke , salmon arm always seemed really nice of what i have seen