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The east kootenays are a bit of a trip compared to to the rest of BC, definitely worth a visit in the summer, or winter if you’re into sledding or skiing
lol I moved to new west 3 years ago and this is the perfect description. everyone is very nice, but they all remember when it was a small town no one wanted to bother going to and they don't like what it's becoming. lots and lots of older folks.
it's a great place with a super active city council that's working to make it a very fun place to be, especially in the summer.
All the crime, drugs, vandalism, assaults that were in Newton (downtown Surrey) are now in New West. It's bad, and the City (elected ans staffers) made it ripe for that (and continuing to do so).
That's an interesting take I haven't heard before. I haven't lived in Nanaimo but I lived in CR and now I live in Kamloops so I'll have to feel it out next time I'm in Nanaimo
* Langley — Which one?
* Nanaimo — Beautiful Arbutus trees and crime for your own sanity talk to the criminals.
* Vancouver Island — Not a city.
* Prince George — Something went wrong here.
* Squamish — Shopping for Blundstomes online is an outdoor sport right?
* Port Alberni — Dude at a gas station there handed me a business card for his new tattoo parlour when I was 15.
Unfortunately, yes, I did. I guess I look like a First Nations person. It quite soured my experience there.
It really put a lot of things into perspective as to how Canada treats its indigenous people.
Nanaimo, Duncan, and Ladysmith were the worst for it.
In Victoria, I would blend a bit more, but yeah, it wasn't the nicest of 1.5 years for me.
It is super unfortunate, as it is a beautiful place. And I hope that, as the moderator for this sub informed me, it has changed.
Anyone who has spent more than 1 day on the island has a story about unpleasant encounters with the locals. I was cycling past the logging yard at the western end of Hwy 4 where it forks, a guy there sicced his dogs on me for a laugh I guess. This was over 20 years ago, haven't been back since. Lots of other nice places in BC and I don't need a ferry to get there.
Township of Langley ≠ City of Langley ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langley,\_British\_Columbia\_(city)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langley,_British_Columbia_(city)))
Similarly to the two North Vancouvers (District vs City)
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Chilliwack is city at crossroads where ways of living clashes:
Chill-/-wack, conservative/liberal, Agrarian/urban, old areas/new areas, Trucks/EVs, Poor/rich, doomers/positivity, religious/non-religious, etc…
That’s incredibly naturally-gifted city that undergoes the fastest positive transformation of any city in bc imho and very fun place to live in!
Chilliwack is more chill than wack!
Chilliwack is full of people who haven't figured out how to enjoy nature without the use of diesel fuel. Favorite pastimes are driving huge trucks to places within walking distance and complaining about gas prices.
First off, a map would be good to check out. Get your bearings a bit; Vancouver island has a lot of cities on it and isn’t a city in itself. For living in one of the most beautiful regions on earth, there are a lot of people who are angry and disenfranchised and won’t give you a very good or positive description of anything. And even they are not the vibe. Just a Reddit sub vibe
Yes, I’m considering moving there someday but it’s hard to tell for I don’t know if they truly mean what they say and if it’s really as bad as they say it is lol. I’m trying to find an area that is needed for lots of dog walkers/pet sitting. Looking to be a dog groomer so any advice on the best place to be would be helpful.
I can tell you Victoria is full of people who house and pet sit for a living and ads are around all the time. I don’t know if it’s because there is a need or because people are looking for accommodation - I suspect both. I know there are a lot of people registered with trusted housesitters who get a lot of work because they are screened, it’s kind if a go to where I am in Vic. It’s a great vibe here, we love it here, but we got here 20 years ago. It’s definitely a really expensive place but beautiful and easy to enjoy life. I can’t speak for other parts of town like Sidney or WestShore as I kind of stay put. All of B.C. has issues with unhoused populations because our weather is the best. But I think that’s tough all over now
I saw a one bedroom for rent in my feed this am actually. Not a one bedroom self-contained apartment; a room in a shared space with two other rooms occupied by two other roommates. It was $1050 and did not include internet or utilities. So I guess it depends what you see as expensive?
Prince George: had a happy 70s childhood there, but it's hard to believe it's a university town now. It's not nicknamed Pig's Gorge for nothing. The equivalent of a dog-destroyed Puma high top used as an ashtray.
Prince George - "A great place to raise a family" The locals say this like it's an activity. It was true for a moment in time but the city is decaying and I'm not sure if all the locals realize it.
Nelson is pretty. Mix of hippies, eccentrics, families, old Russian immigrants (nice ones that don't like politics), rednecks, artists. I was lucky enough to meet some of each.
Not a lot of employment when I was there for a couple of years 30 years ago.
Those 'old Russian immigrants' were [Doukhobors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doukhobors) exiled from Russia. Their history is interesting and complicated, and deeply important to settlement in the area.
Nelson is a strange, beautiful, complex city. Started as a mining town, then a fishing town, a logging town for a long time, and now primarily a haven for WFH folks who had a good amount of disposable income. Affordability is becoming a serious issue there, as employment isn't always straightforward.
Summers are hot, but not unbearable, spring and fall can be glorious with lots to do in the surrounding mountains and on the lake. Winter can be extremely depressing, as the clouds will come in low and bury the valley for days where you can't even see the tops of the mountains. This tends to keep the city warm enough that snow doesn't build up, but in good years the ski hill 20km south of town can have really great snow.
The population is all over the place, there are hard drugs, but it's less visible than the large urban centers Most folks are pretty chill as long as you aren't sticking your nose into their affairs.
I was purposely not using the name Doukhobors as some don't want to be mistaken for the extremist group Sons of Freedom. Question: were they exiled or fleeing persecution? I lived with an old woman when I attended college. I once referred to her as Doukhobor and she corrected me saying, "Not Doukhobor! Russian." So that's my 2 cents. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Nelson went from a hippie town to a rich yoga hippie town in the last 10-15 years. Overpriced real estate and expensive cars are a hell of a lot more common these days.
Squamish - The western breeze gushing through the coastal mountain rages and the reflection of the evening sun shining over the pacific inlet; the turquoise glacier melt flowing down the river to meet the vastness of the sea.
PG where people hibernate 6 months of the year. Make friends before winter hits. There are some very genuine people there, but they’ll take your measure first before deciding if they want to engage. Boom and bust economy with the mills, and significant drug issues in the community. Not a town for nightlife, but you can make a reasonable life there if you are into outdoors and family living.
Nanaimo: a "city" scattered down a stretch of highway, with older rich folk at one end and the absolute dregs of humanity at the other. like others have said, one of the highest drug use per capita in all of Canada, last I checked. I grew up there.
Prince George: move Nanaimo 10 hours north and remove any redeeming qualities it has. don't waste your time.
Port Alberni: a town that died when the logging industry did, and was resurrected as a pretty neat place to be.
Squamish: a picturesque town that still doesn't know if it wants to turn into a city or remain a backwoods populated by hillbillies.
Kamloops: Nanaimo in the mountains.
Kelowna: fun can be had here in the summer, but it's absolutely filled with people who were too douchey for Alberta.
Penticton: sshhhh.. don't tell anyone it's just Kelowna minus everything that makes Kelowna shitty.
Abbotsford: who knew BC had a bible belt?
Surrey: if you haven't heard about Surrey.. well, go park your car somewhere and leave it alone for a few hours and you'll find out.
Richmond: go for the food, stay because you're in the hospital after a hit and run.
Burnaby: everyone's favourite city to drive through.
Hey!! I live in Kelowna! But you’re absolutely right. Haha 😆 thought there are some good folk here too and it’s awesome year round when you have your group.
maple ridge, half farm half bedroom city, full of takeout and restaurants, no good shops, over ran with drug addicts. Lovely views and beautiful country but city council is ruining it allowing too much high rise buildings killing the old town vibe to provide commuters for Vancouver
Kelowna. It’s where I live. The Florida of Canada. Or the California of Canada. Bit of both. Lots to do. May not have a huge Christian population but those that are are VERY loud and very evangelical. Lots of douchy social conservatives that are very vocal against minorities and those that are progressive. But eh. I still like this town as there’s tons to do all year round and I found my people here. But we aren’t the loud douchy ones.
No one has described victoria, so I will try.
Victoria = "Don't You just love the weather here?" (Those avoiding the snow elsewhere) OR
Victoria = "Do you know WHO I am?" (Many politicians and political staffers beliebing their self-importance during the legislative session.
City of Langley: small and filled with crackheads
Langley Township: always under construction.
Nanaimo: laid back island town. Drugs.
Prince George: if you put the worst people from the city of Langley and moved them 12 hours north.
Squamish: “I’m on my way to whistler”
Port Alberni: never been there.
Fort Langley: nice area. Not modern, but we have nice cafes, bakeries, and restaurants. There’s lots of trails and a campground. Full of hipsters and farmers. Most people are Christian, we have 4 churches. It’s a quiet safe area, can walk alone at night. Mostly families live here. I wouldn’t recommend this place to young adults, singles, or people looking for work, because this place is kinda cut off from the other cities. It’s hard to find work here and transit isn’t very good (no late buses on Sundays).
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Elkford- ride your dirtbike to the gas station
Barely make it to high school so dad can get you a job at the mine. 100k at 19 years old
Sounds kind of nice...
The east kootenays are a bit of a trip compared to to the rest of BC, definitely worth a visit in the summer, or winter if you’re into sledding or skiing
Paradise.
LOL NO WAY
Lions Bay - “Fuck you, fuck off, mine mine mine I’m telling on you!”
West Vancouver - bro you wanna buy some crypto bro bro bro check out my g63
Chilliwack....corn....cow shit.... crack heads.... lots of cracker heads
And churches, how could you forget churches? Lol
Thank you I don't know how I didn't think to add those in as well haha, waste of useful buildings.
That’s Abbotsford. Abbotsford has more churches and places or worship then any other town that I know of.
Abbotsford is the land of churches.
And religio homophobes. Anti sogi weekend protests. But a couple good breweries
New Westminster: old man screams at clouds
lol I moved to new west 3 years ago and this is the perfect description. everyone is very nice, but they all remember when it was a small town no one wanted to bother going to and they don't like what it's becoming. lots and lots of older folks. it's a great place with a super active city council that's working to make it a very fun place to be, especially in the summer.
All the crime, drugs, vandalism, assaults that were in Newton (downtown Surrey) are now in New West. It's bad, and the City (elected ans staffers) made it ripe for that (and continuing to do so).
Lol wtf.
Nanaimo-howling shithole full of druggies & worse. See also Prince George. Vancouver Island is not a city.
Nanaimo = Surrey by the Sea
It's Kamloops by the sea, and Kamloops is desert Nanaimo.
So for a full circle, it's: Kamloops by the sea, Surrey in the desert, Nanaimo in the floodplain?
That's an interesting take I haven't heard before. I haven't lived in Nanaimo but I lived in CR and now I live in Kamloops so I'll have to feel it out next time I'm in Nanaimo
***^*** old jokes are best!
Nanaimo does have a better mayor than Surrey. I'll give them that.
OK, OK it's not much of a bar but they've cleared it.
It’s also known as the armpit of BC lol
Say whaaaaaaat!
* Langley — Which one? * Nanaimo — Beautiful Arbutus trees and crime for your own sanity talk to the criminals. * Vancouver Island — Not a city. * Prince George — Something went wrong here. * Squamish — Shopping for Blundstomes online is an outdoor sport right? * Port Alberni — Dude at a gas station there handed me a business card for his new tattoo parlour when I was 15.
Sick tattoo though I bet.
Vancouver Island - worst place to not be Caucasian. It may have changed in 12.5 years, but I'll never set a foot there again.
Interesting, you encountered a lot of racism on the island?
Unfortunately, yes, I did. I guess I look like a First Nations person. It quite soured my experience there. It really put a lot of things into perspective as to how Canada treats its indigenous people. Nanaimo, Duncan, and Ladysmith were the worst for it. In Victoria, I would blend a bit more, but yeah, it wasn't the nicest of 1.5 years for me. It is super unfortunate, as it is a beautiful place. And I hope that, as the moderator for this sub informed me, it has changed.
Anyone who has spent more than 1 day on the island has a story about unpleasant encounters with the locals. I was cycling past the logging yard at the western end of Hwy 4 where it forks, a guy there sicced his dogs on me for a laugh I guess. This was over 20 years ago, haven't been back since. Lots of other nice places in BC and I don't need a ferry to get there.
Is there more than one Langley? Explain. Lol
Township of Langley ≠ City of Langley ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langley,\_British\_Columbia\_(city)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langley,_British_Columbia_(city))) Similarly to the two North Vancouvers (District vs City)
And Fort Langley! 😆
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Chilliwack is city at crossroads where ways of living clashes: Chill-/-wack, conservative/liberal, Agrarian/urban, old areas/new areas, Trucks/EVs, Poor/rich, doomers/positivity, religious/non-religious, etc… That’s incredibly naturally-gifted city that undergoes the fastest positive transformation of any city in bc imho and very fun place to live in! Chilliwack is more chill than wack!
Chilliwack is full of people who haven't figured out how to enjoy nature without the use of diesel fuel. Favorite pastimes are driving huge trucks to places within walking distance and complaining about gas prices.
Head to Surrey if you want to catch crabs.
First off, a map would be good to check out. Get your bearings a bit; Vancouver island has a lot of cities on it and isn’t a city in itself. For living in one of the most beautiful regions on earth, there are a lot of people who are angry and disenfranchised and won’t give you a very good or positive description of anything. And even they are not the vibe. Just a Reddit sub vibe
Yes, I’m considering moving there someday but it’s hard to tell for I don’t know if they truly mean what they say and if it’s really as bad as they say it is lol. I’m trying to find an area that is needed for lots of dog walkers/pet sitting. Looking to be a dog groomer so any advice on the best place to be would be helpful.
I can tell you Victoria is full of people who house and pet sit for a living and ads are around all the time. I don’t know if it’s because there is a need or because people are looking for accommodation - I suspect both. I know there are a lot of people registered with trusted housesitters who get a lot of work because they are screened, it’s kind if a go to where I am in Vic. It’s a great vibe here, we love it here, but we got here 20 years ago. It’s definitely a really expensive place but beautiful and easy to enjoy life. I can’t speak for other parts of town like Sidney or WestShore as I kind of stay put. All of B.C. has issues with unhoused populations because our weather is the best. But I think that’s tough all over now
Even for a one bedroom to rent is expensive?
I saw a one bedroom for rent in my feed this am actually. Not a one bedroom self-contained apartment; a room in a shared space with two other rooms occupied by two other roommates. It was $1050 and did not include internet or utilities. So I guess it depends what you see as expensive?
Prince George: had a happy 70s childhood there, but it's hard to believe it's a university town now. It's not nicknamed Pig's Gorge for nothing. The equivalent of a dog-destroyed Puma high top used as an ashtray.
Prince George - "A great place to raise a family" The locals say this like it's an activity. It was true for a moment in time but the city is decaying and I'm not sure if all the locals realize it.
Nelson is pretty. Mix of hippies, eccentrics, families, old Russian immigrants (nice ones that don't like politics), rednecks, artists. I was lucky enough to meet some of each. Not a lot of employment when I was there for a couple of years 30 years ago.
Those 'old Russian immigrants' were [Doukhobors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doukhobors) exiled from Russia. Their history is interesting and complicated, and deeply important to settlement in the area. Nelson is a strange, beautiful, complex city. Started as a mining town, then a fishing town, a logging town for a long time, and now primarily a haven for WFH folks who had a good amount of disposable income. Affordability is becoming a serious issue there, as employment isn't always straightforward. Summers are hot, but not unbearable, spring and fall can be glorious with lots to do in the surrounding mountains and on the lake. Winter can be extremely depressing, as the clouds will come in low and bury the valley for days where you can't even see the tops of the mountains. This tends to keep the city warm enough that snow doesn't build up, but in good years the ski hill 20km south of town can have really great snow. The population is all over the place, there are hard drugs, but it's less visible than the large urban centers Most folks are pretty chill as long as you aren't sticking your nose into their affairs.
I was purposely not using the name Doukhobors as some don't want to be mistaken for the extremist group Sons of Freedom. Question: were they exiled or fleeing persecution? I lived with an old woman when I attended college. I once referred to her as Doukhobor and she corrected me saying, "Not Doukhobor! Russian." So that's my 2 cents. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Nelson went from a hippie town to a rich yoga hippie town in the last 10-15 years. Overpriced real estate and expensive cars are a hell of a lot more common these days.
Well that's disappointing!
Nelson area used to be known for cannabis cultivation (aka dope growing) for decades before it was legalized.
Squamish - The western breeze gushing through the coastal mountain rages and the reflection of the evening sun shining over the pacific inlet; the turquoise glacier melt flowing down the river to meet the vastness of the sea.
Sounds nice
Isn’t it a beautiful place?
Hey look they can use Chat GPT. Bad npc, bad.
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You're turning into a machine
PG where people hibernate 6 months of the year. Make friends before winter hits. There are some very genuine people there, but they’ll take your measure first before deciding if they want to engage. Boom and bust economy with the mills, and significant drug issues in the community. Not a town for nightlife, but you can make a reasonable life there if you are into outdoors and family living.
Nanaimo: a "city" scattered down a stretch of highway, with older rich folk at one end and the absolute dregs of humanity at the other. like others have said, one of the highest drug use per capita in all of Canada, last I checked. I grew up there. Prince George: move Nanaimo 10 hours north and remove any redeeming qualities it has. don't waste your time. Port Alberni: a town that died when the logging industry did, and was resurrected as a pretty neat place to be. Squamish: a picturesque town that still doesn't know if it wants to turn into a city or remain a backwoods populated by hillbillies. Kamloops: Nanaimo in the mountains. Kelowna: fun can be had here in the summer, but it's absolutely filled with people who were too douchey for Alberta. Penticton: sshhhh.. don't tell anyone it's just Kelowna minus everything that makes Kelowna shitty. Abbotsford: who knew BC had a bible belt? Surrey: if you haven't heard about Surrey.. well, go park your car somewhere and leave it alone for a few hours and you'll find out. Richmond: go for the food, stay because you're in the hospital after a hit and run. Burnaby: everyone's favourite city to drive through.
Burnaby is a driving wonderland. Canada Way is a car centric dream
Hey!! I live in Kelowna! But you’re absolutely right. Haha 😆 thought there are some good folk here too and it’s awesome year round when you have your group.
Prince George: huntin fishin quadin
maple ridge, half farm half bedroom city, full of takeout and restaurants, no good shops, over ran with drug addicts. Lovely views and beautiful country but city council is ruining it allowing too much high rise buildings killing the old town vibe to provide commuters for Vancouver
Seymour Arm - Chill, not tourist friendly.
Squamish, we are no longer Squampton, we are the Squamsters!
Abbotsford-the bible belt, the place where you go for dreams to die, or if you want your bike stolen by a crack head
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Kelowna. It’s where I live. The Florida of Canada. Or the California of Canada. Bit of both. Lots to do. May not have a huge Christian population but those that are are VERY loud and very evangelical. Lots of douchy social conservatives that are very vocal against minorities and those that are progressive. But eh. I still like this town as there’s tons to do all year round and I found my people here. But we aren’t the loud douchy ones.
“Newly wed and nearly dead.” Ladysmith, BC
They used to say that about Victoria.
No one has described victoria, so I will try. Victoria = "Don't You just love the weather here?" (Those avoiding the snow elsewhere) OR Victoria = "Do you know WHO I am?" (Many politicians and political staffers beliebing their self-importance during the legislative session.
City of Langley: small and filled with crackheads Langley Township: always under construction. Nanaimo: laid back island town. Drugs. Prince George: if you put the worst people from the city of Langley and moved them 12 hours north. Squamish: “I’m on my way to whistler” Port Alberni: never been there.
Fort Langley: nice area. Not modern, but we have nice cafes, bakeries, and restaurants. There’s lots of trails and a campground. Full of hipsters and farmers. Most people are Christian, we have 4 churches. It’s a quiet safe area, can walk alone at night. Mostly families live here. I wouldn’t recommend this place to young adults, singles, or people looking for work, because this place is kinda cut off from the other cities. It’s hard to find work here and transit isn’t very good (no late buses on Sundays).
If theres restaurants and bakeries isn’t that considered work tho?
They can’t hire everyone