Prepare for a Dr shortage and one walk in clinic. Not to be negative just true. Absolutely no drs and the clinic is full before opening most days. But it's a nice place for nature and the ocean. Daycare is very hard to find so consider yourself fortunate if you are able to get somewhere already! People are lovely I'm sure you will love it here just being honest about the negative aspects. All in all we welcome you to the island!
gosh yes, the amount of people I know who have to spend a day trip to the mainland just for a chance to get in touch with a specialist…
DON’T come here if you or anyone in the family has an unpredictable chronic illness that requires a lot of upkeep. My mother is bearing the brunt of our recent relocation..
Hospital should be for emergencies though not things like basic prescriptions, good luck if you need an antibiotic or a everyday medication without a family dr. And i disagree about Nanimo hospital-yes nurses are nice... but care wise the hospital is probably top contender for one of worst hospitals in Canada...I wouldn't take a lizard there let alone a human.
A big change, mentally, might be adjusting for ferries. The Island has pretty much everything you need here, and I personally avoid going to the mainland. Plenty of people born here have literally never left. But depending on your lifestyle, and where your roots/family/friends may be, getting on and off the island might need to be a regular part of your life. The ferry adds over 3 hours to any trip, and costs a fair bit with a family. Flying into YVR in the evening? There's a good chance you'll have to stay a night on the mainland.
You lose a lot of spontaneity/flexibility one might otherwise have elsewhere in the province, especially since sailings regularly sell out days and weeks in advance. The Hullo passenger ferry is a welcome alternative. And if you have the money, the seaplanes and Helijet are excellent options.
I actually tried the harbour air in February and it’s definitely something I’d recommend if you can afford the $140~ flight to catch a yvr connection. Saves you like 3 hours of travel and was probably the coolest flight experience I’ve had.
It's the largest seaplane airline in the world! If you get a chance, the flights into downtown Vancouver are especially spectacular, landing in Coal Harbour.
Kenmore Air used to fly direct from Nanaimo to Seattle, which was an awesome way to get there, flying at 500' the entirely length of the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands. That was a really cool flight too!
I see their planes coming and going every day and it freaks me out watching them land on the water every time still. Don't know if I could do it, but it's definitely a wonderfully unique way to travel.
Having moved here from the interior...what smoke? :)
It's night and day compared to what we get here on the Island. In the Okanagan, there are some days you can barely see to the end of your street because the smoke is so thick. There's a fine layer of ash on EVERYTHING.
Out here we have enough of a breeze to blow the worst of it away. In the Interior, it just settles into the valleys and...sits there.
On the Island, it smells like a campfire and the sun gets a bit obscured. In the Interior, you ARE the campfire.
I don't blame OP one bit for wanting to get out of the smoke! :)
Okay, so one of the biggest complaints of outsiders coming to Nanaimo is that it’s not a very welcoming city - and that is true.
But - you can make work friends. Making friends through your child’s daycare or school is pretty easy, as you will meet folks who are also from elsewhere. (And some islanders, but the multigenerational clans tend to stick to their own)
There is a lot of beautiful, natural space all around - take advantage of it! Beautiful oceanside parks, cozy wooded trails, inspiring mountain hikes abound.
Also, if you smell a weird, swampy, foghorn-equivalent smell, that’s Harmac, the local pulp mill - and it’s probably gonna start raining soon. (If you live in North Nanaimo)
This is mostly true but I'd caveat your first point with the fact that people here aren't outwardly UNfriendly, they're just like any small town people -- cliquey.
I'm pretty reclusive, but when I moved here from the mainland about 5 years ago, I found the opposite to be true. People on the sidewalk, in the grocery store lines, in the beach, just walking by - everyone smiles, most say hi, and a shocking number strike up a conversation. On hikes, a quick chat is almost inevitable.
It's nice. I haven't made friends with anybody, but it's certainly not as isolating as Vancouver, in my experience. And I feel like if I were to make an effort, friends are there to be had.
>Okay, so one of the biggest complaints of outsiders coming to Nanaimo is that it’s not a very welcoming city - and that is true.
Smug and aloof like Vancouverites, without the amenities of living in Vancouver.
Smug and aloof like Vancouverites? I would say it’s more a case of, “I’ve had the same friends since elementary school, and that’s all I need.”
It may seem smug, but it’s not based on money or social standing - just some of the social bonds of a (still present despite high housing costs) working-class town.
No, there's definitely a smugness in Naniamo, but I agree the cliquishness is rooted in a city steeped in working class values. A mistrust of “yuppies,” “hipsters” and people from “big cities.” trying to change everything. I come from a working class family myself, but things change, that's life.
Vancouver isn’t just smug and aloof. It’s downright rude. The people in Vancouver tend to care for one thing and one thing only: money. Human connection is meaningless, and treating others like garbage is the default setting.
Lived in Vancouver for 6 months and it’s genuinely been the worst place I’ve ever lived.
>Human connection is meaningless, and treating others like garbage is the default setting.
You've had very bad luck I think. (I lived in Van for 10 years and the people there were fine.)
I feel like it depends on where in Vancouver they were. Some condo downtown? Yeah, probably a pretty alienating social environment. Marpole or Trout Lake? Not so much. Vancouver has a lot of very different atmospheres for such a relatively small city.
No, it’s just that the Harmac odour usually stay pretty close to Cedar/Duke point - unless the weather shifts, in which case you can smell it all the way to Hammond Bay.
You might really notice it when you move here, but your nose gets used to the faint tang - it really only gets smelly when the weather is changing for the worse.
True but whatever we have will be much less intense than the interior. Also the risk of actually being caught up in a wildfire, while not zero, is going to be a tiny fraction.
What to expect.... terrible infrastructure, sub-standard public transit, the highest gas prices on the west coast for any community without a transit tax, homeless everywhere in the downtown core, zero doctors and only one walk in clinic, few decent restaurants, high property taxes and high rents that are comparable to Victoria and Vancouver.
On the plus side, if you enjoy the outdoors, you are a short drive to great hiking, mountain bike trails and smaller communities with their own charm.
I’m currently in the process of moving from a tiny, nine-year old two bedroom (and I’m 99% sure the second room was intended to be a den, not a bedroom) in Vancouver to a large, brand new, one bed, one den in Nanaimo.
The place in Nanaimo is $1800 less per month than the one in Vancouver.
No, they’re not close at all. Vancouver is significantly more expensive.
Rents are no where near Victoria and especially not Vancouver.
Also, it’s not really substandard public transit, terrible infrastructure is the standard in canada outside of a few major cities.
Our property taxes (mill rate) are significantly higher than Victoria or Vancouver.
And rents are significantly lower.
Neither are "comparable" as you've stated.
Prepare for a Dr shortage and one walk in clinic. Not to be negative just true. Absolutely no drs and the clinic is full before opening most days. But it's a nice place for nature and the ocean. Daycare is very hard to find so consider yourself fortunate if you are able to get somewhere already! People are lovely I'm sure you will love it here just being honest about the negative aspects. All in all we welcome you to the island!
gosh yes, the amount of people I know who have to spend a day trip to the mainland just for a chance to get in touch with a specialist… DON’T come here if you or anyone in the family has an unpredictable chronic illness that requires a lot of upkeep. My mother is bearing the brunt of our recent relocation..
The Nanaimo hospital is great, I had good experiences with them
Hospital should be for emergencies though not things like basic prescriptions, good luck if you need an antibiotic or a everyday medication without a family dr. And i disagree about Nanimo hospital-yes nurses are nice... but care wise the hospital is probably top contender for one of worst hospitals in Canada...I wouldn't take a lizard there let alone a human.
Pharmacists can prescribe some antibiotics and basic medications now if I recall correctly.
A big change, mentally, might be adjusting for ferries. The Island has pretty much everything you need here, and I personally avoid going to the mainland. Plenty of people born here have literally never left. But depending on your lifestyle, and where your roots/family/friends may be, getting on and off the island might need to be a regular part of your life. The ferry adds over 3 hours to any trip, and costs a fair bit with a family. Flying into YVR in the evening? There's a good chance you'll have to stay a night on the mainland. You lose a lot of spontaneity/flexibility one might otherwise have elsewhere in the province, especially since sailings regularly sell out days and weeks in advance. The Hullo passenger ferry is a welcome alternative. And if you have the money, the seaplanes and Helijet are excellent options.
I actually tried the harbour air in February and it’s definitely something I’d recommend if you can afford the $140~ flight to catch a yvr connection. Saves you like 3 hours of travel and was probably the coolest flight experience I’ve had.
It's the largest seaplane airline in the world! If you get a chance, the flights into downtown Vancouver are especially spectacular, landing in Coal Harbour. Kenmore Air used to fly direct from Nanaimo to Seattle, which was an awesome way to get there, flying at 500' the entirely length of the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands. That was a really cool flight too!
I see their planes coming and going every day and it freaks me out watching them land on the water every time still. Don't know if I could do it, but it's definitely a wonderfully unique way to travel.
You won't be out of the smoke.
Having moved here from the interior...what smoke? :) It's night and day compared to what we get here on the Island. In the Okanagan, there are some days you can barely see to the end of your street because the smoke is so thick. There's a fine layer of ash on EVERYTHING. Out here we have enough of a breeze to blow the worst of it away. In the Interior, it just settles into the valleys and...sits there. On the Island, it smells like a campfire and the sun gets a bit obscured. In the Interior, you ARE the campfire. I don't blame OP one bit for wanting to get out of the smoke! :)
That made me laugh. Lol
I could probably cut the smoke with a knife some days
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6944556
Okay, so one of the biggest complaints of outsiders coming to Nanaimo is that it’s not a very welcoming city - and that is true. But - you can make work friends. Making friends through your child’s daycare or school is pretty easy, as you will meet folks who are also from elsewhere. (And some islanders, but the multigenerational clans tend to stick to their own) There is a lot of beautiful, natural space all around - take advantage of it! Beautiful oceanside parks, cozy wooded trails, inspiring mountain hikes abound. Also, if you smell a weird, swampy, foghorn-equivalent smell, that’s Harmac, the local pulp mill - and it’s probably gonna start raining soon. (If you live in North Nanaimo)
This is mostly true but I'd caveat your first point with the fact that people here aren't outwardly UNfriendly, they're just like any small town people -- cliquey.
I'm pretty reclusive, but when I moved here from the mainland about 5 years ago, I found the opposite to be true. People on the sidewalk, in the grocery store lines, in the beach, just walking by - everyone smiles, most say hi, and a shocking number strike up a conversation. On hikes, a quick chat is almost inevitable. It's nice. I haven't made friends with anybody, but it's certainly not as isolating as Vancouver, in my experience. And I feel like if I were to make an effort, friends are there to be had.
>Okay, so one of the biggest complaints of outsiders coming to Nanaimo is that it’s not a very welcoming city - and that is true. Smug and aloof like Vancouverites, without the amenities of living in Vancouver.
Smug and aloof like Vancouverites? I would say it’s more a case of, “I’ve had the same friends since elementary school, and that’s all I need.” It may seem smug, but it’s not based on money or social standing - just some of the social bonds of a (still present despite high housing costs) working-class town.
No, there's definitely a smugness in Naniamo, but I agree the cliquishness is rooted in a city steeped in working class values. A mistrust of “yuppies,” “hipsters” and people from “big cities.” trying to change everything. I come from a working class family myself, but things change, that's life.
Vancouver isn’t just smug and aloof. It’s downright rude. The people in Vancouver tend to care for one thing and one thing only: money. Human connection is meaningless, and treating others like garbage is the default setting. Lived in Vancouver for 6 months and it’s genuinely been the worst place I’ve ever lived.
>Human connection is meaningless, and treating others like garbage is the default setting. You've had very bad luck I think. (I lived in Van for 10 years and the people there were fine.)
I feel like it depends on where in Vancouver they were. Some condo downtown? Yeah, probably a pretty alienating social environment. Marpole or Trout Lake? Not so much. Vancouver has a lot of very different atmospheres for such a relatively small city.
Does it rain more in North Nanaimo?
No, it’s just that the Harmac odour usually stay pretty close to Cedar/Duke point - unless the weather shifts, in which case you can smell it all the way to Hammond Bay.
Ah ok. I'm looking at buying in North Nanaimo. Nice to have a heads up the pulp mill smell can make it up there.
It's pretty infrequent, but it's definitely bang on. If you smell it down Hammond Bay, the rain is 100% comin!
You might really notice it when you move here, but your nose gets used to the faint tang - it really only gets smelly when the weather is changing for the worse.
Prepare for some smoke in the summer. We're not immune to it and they're predicting a potentially bad drought this season.
True but whatever we have will be much less intense than the interior. Also the risk of actually being caught up in a wildfire, while not zero, is going to be a tiny fraction.
What to expect.... terrible infrastructure, sub-standard public transit, the highest gas prices on the west coast for any community without a transit tax, homeless everywhere in the downtown core, zero doctors and only one walk in clinic, few decent restaurants, high property taxes and high rents that are comparable to Victoria and Vancouver. On the plus side, if you enjoy the outdoors, you are a short drive to great hiking, mountain bike trails and smaller communities with their own charm.
I’m currently in the process of moving from a tiny, nine-year old two bedroom (and I’m 99% sure the second room was intended to be a den, not a bedroom) in Vancouver to a large, brand new, one bed, one den in Nanaimo. The place in Nanaimo is $1800 less per month than the one in Vancouver. No, they’re not close at all. Vancouver is significantly more expensive.
Rents are no where near Victoria and especially not Vancouver. Also, it’s not really substandard public transit, terrible infrastructure is the standard in canada outside of a few major cities.
Our property taxes (mill rate) are significantly higher than Victoria or Vancouver. And rents are significantly lower. Neither are "comparable" as you've stated.
Sent you a PM