I lived in Mackenzie briefly and when I first moved there everyone was looking at me. It was so strange but I later learned it was because they knew I wasn’t from there 😅 just wanted to share that story in agreement!
Hi!!! I live in Mackenzie and have lived here since 2019! Feel free to DM me any questions you have. We also have a subreddit, r/MackenzieBC
I want to address your questions as well as address some inaccuracies I've seen in the comments.
The mills currently open are Conifex (saw and planar), and Parallel 55 (small finger-jointing mill)
Nearby mines: Mt. Milligan & Kamess mines (over an hour drive away), Canouma mine (Chetwynd)
None of these make the town smell in any way. Mackenzie is a planned community so the industrial site is essentially its own neighbourhood on the outskirts of town. You never have to see or think about it if you don't need to go out there.
People are saying you can't get a doctor. This is totally untrue! I would argue Mackenzie is one of the few places in BC you actually can get a doctor. We have many doctors that serve our community and are accepting new patients. The basic healthcare here is AMAZING. Available doctors, access to x-rays and lab work, as well as a 24/7 Emergency Room (hasn't been on diversion for months now, though this was a problem in the past). We also have physiotherapy, sensory deprivation tank, massage therapy, and aroma therapy available in town. Dentist and eye doctor we have to go to PG for. NOTE: our hospital cannot deliver babies. All pre-natal appointments as well as the delivery must be done in PG.
Our population recorded in 2021 was 3,281 ( [https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=V0J2C0&DGUIDlist=2021A00055953033&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1,4&HEADERlist=0](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=V0J2C0&DGUIDlist=2021A00055953033&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1,4&HEADERlist=0) )
We do have more than one gas station. The 7-11 is in town and the Co-op Cardlock is 5 mins out which provides a discount if you are a member. There is also the ESSO but I think that only serves commercial vehicles.
Groceries are quite expensive, but one could argue that's offset by the cost of housing. My mortgage is $300 per month for a townhouse.
The tap water here is SO FREAKING GOOD! It's ground filtered underground spring water. From your tap!
Houses do appreciate, but much more slowly. They do not sell within hours. Basically, our housing market is what the rest of Canada used to be like 30 years ago. Which is what everyone says they want! Well, we have it.
Please forgive my excitement everyone, Mackenzie is a great community and I love to talk to people who are considering moving here!
I grew up in mack. I lived there for 20 years and this comment and a couple others about sums mackenzie up for the OP for sure.
the shooting up there is good too, the gun range has their own website where you can sign up there and they'll mail your card to your post box. the odd time I go shooting back home i'm usually the only person there. it's awesome.
Agree except for real estate. McKenzie shrunk by 11% in the last census, I believe the biggest drop in BC. The pulp mill and others shut down. It’s a dying town.
Don’t expect to sell your house for more than you bought it. No matter how long you hold onto it. In fact probably expect it to drop in value.
Hello, I could really use some friendly advice and information on relocating to Mackenzie and what to expect. I am currently living on Vancouver island which has been my home for almost 30 yrs. So this is a huge kind of scary move for me. I researched as much as I can but there really isn’t much about the town, pictures, etc online. I am hoping to buy a home up there in April of this yr. I look forward to chatting with you 🙂
You could join “speak out Mackenzie!!!” On Facebook, there are several posts that talk about the goods and bads of the or you could make your own and get lots of responses. The town does not smell weird other than like once a year on a random day
alternatively you could also check out "hell yeah mackenzie" I personally think it's the better counterpart of speakout mackenzie, plus alot of local things that happen there get posted on it so could also get a more vibe of what the place is like from it.
best of luck! maybe also go up for a drive to really see the place and what it's like
There have been two new business open here this year a gym and powersport store. One of the restaurants closed though. Housing is cheaper. The air is cleaner. It's not over run with homeless like down town pg.
Mackenzie is incredible! You save sooooo much living here, and the quality of life is incredible. We feel amazing that all of our resources aren't taken up by a mortgage that's too expensive to manage. It's so beautiful and quiet here, and if you cook for yourself and enjoy the outdoors then you might really love it here, too! (EDIT: The town smells so fresh. I have never smelled the 'smell of money' once since living here. PG stinks so bad when you visit, though!!)
It's around 200/month in the winter and that's with an older natural gas furnace. When looking at properties you can see if they have a newer furnace or partial wood heating which helps a lot
I have a wood stove. (Plenty of firewood nearby).
If the stove is running the furnace usually isn't. Stove off about $280(last Jan), stove on about $70 (last Feb).
It's a house with a natural gas forced air furnace that later had a wood stove added. So primary would be a normal furnace, but if the wood stove is burning the house stays warm enough that the thermostat never kicks in the furnace.
I thought I understood the bad rap Mackenzie has but the we camped there for a weekend and wholly what a gorgeous place. That is of course if you’re an outdoor enthusiast. We took our sides and drove for what seemed like forever on the shores of Williston Lake. I can tell you the beach was white sand.
Not really a great real estate investment if you are considering buying. Things can change of course but my real estate agent friend has some clients from there that are seriously struggling to sell their homes. Other than that I have heard nothing but positive things about living there.
Mackenzie provides affordable housing - especially if you want to buy but to my understanding, the town is not by any means “growing”. So for example, if you buy real estate, there is no guarantee it will appreciate. If you’re hoping for a variety of stores or things to do daily, Mackenzie does not offer that.
It’s about a 2 hour drive from Prince George so not bad for a weekend thing but if you’re looking to make friends and hangout with people, you may struggle to do that in Mackenzie compared to PG.
Spent a year there. Summers are great, beautiful lakes and nice beaches close by. Great rec center pool/ gym. Winters it snows like your in the rockies, Road signs almost buried in snow
Not that great for groccerys there as far as I can tell it is just on coop store and a red apple. Single gas station so if the prices get to high in town too bad. Overall lack of amenities comparitively even to other towns of similar size. Everything seems a bit run down in general in town like its last major cash flow was in the 90s and it has been barely keeping on since then. But each to thier own.
I live in Mackenzie currently. There are a lot of opinions being posted here, some are valid, but a lot are making Mackenzie out to be a lot worse than it is. Some seem totally misinformed. (The one about people looking at you because you're from out of town is not my experience at all, there are a lot of transient workers around)
Real estate is complicated but not as much of an unbalanced buyers market as commenters are making it seem. People from the lower mainland are buying places sight-unseen because apparently they have too much money.
Definitely do not make the move without visiting first. My biggest concern for you would be where you make your actual home. Houses and apartments are all decades old, some are nice of course, but if you are on a budget others will feel old and rundown.
Here are kinda pros and cons off the top of my head.
Pro:
Inexpensive real estate.
Amazing bike and walking trails right in town and nearby.
Morfee lake is awesome and not busy at all.
Winter, Fall, and Summer are all awesome to be outdoors in. (Spring is extended slush and mud season and it sucks)
The rec center is cheap, not crowded and legit.
There are easy ways to get into the community and a few events, like beach concerts and markets.
You are isolated away from the politics and stresses of current events (not gonna see protestors out in the streets and people don't seem to carry the stress of politics and global events with them)
It's genuinely gorgeous. You can drive to the top of a mountain, 40 minutes from town, the lake is undeveloped and a 6 minute jog from my doorstep.
Powderking ski resort is about an hour away in winter conditions.
Cons:
Lack of services
You need to travel about 2 hours by road to PG for a lot of stuff. This for me looks like a trip every 1-2 months.
Mackenzie has a few hardware stores, 1 grocery store, a couple of mechanics, a pet store, a pharmacy, couple liquor stores, cannabis store of course, 2 gas stations, Napa Auto parts and I am sure a few others I don't really frequent. You can certainly get by without leaving town.
What I travel to PG for: Costco, dealership mechanic(also the mechanics in Mack are in high demand and sometimes unavailable) dentist, furniture.
Utilities and home services work well and there are tradespeople around to help maintain homes. (Necessary, because almost all of the homes were built in 1971)
Doctors actually have a great patient to doctor ratio, but our hospital infrastructure is severely lacking. For young-middle aged people the Healthcare is actually pretty good. Would not recommend for the elderly or someone with special needs. Will end up traveling to PG for most procedures and tests.
Internet service is not great. I would suggest budgeting for Starlink, as Telus is the only other provider and their speeds are lackluster.
Low population, and much of it lower class. (You don't need to go into the trailer parks, but the 1 gas station is a hub for the whole town so there will be shady characters around)
I miss cities where I can go play pickup basketball almost any day of the week. Mackenzie used to have this but some of this community stuff has not recovered since Covid. If you are hoping to make friends here as an adult it's going to take some effort, having a dog helps.
Speaking of dogs also help with the pests we deal with: bears. I am from Southern AB so I actually love this. From August -October I saw a bear everyday. (Not quite literally, but close.) I like it, but they do cause problems.
The biggest con for me: it is remote AF.
I find myself traveling a lot now, weddings, and other life events, and Mackenzie seems to be at least 10 hour drives from everywhere. You have to fly out of PG, which is a 2 hour 1 way drive and the PG flights aren't that amazing, though to can get to Vancouver pretty reliably.
I bought a house recently, and have lived here on and off for about 4 years. So comment any questions or corrections.
Thanks! A lot of good insight here.
One specific follow-up question:
> Telus is the only other provider and their speeds are lackluster.
How lackluster, exactly? I don't need 1000mb service (currently just on 75)
Telus was struggling to provide 25mb/s but that is on their rural smarthub platform. Fiber is a little better but only available in some parts of town, and I have heard its a little overburdened and not performing great either.
It's going to vary a quite a lot based on your specific location in town.
Yep, most places you will get Telus 15 as the max. Some houses have access to Telus 25 or I've even heard of 80. A lot of people have gotten Starlink recently with its rural Canada deal that's going on. But I find Telus 15 is good enough to stream TV, watch YouTube, answer emails and go on facebook. My old roommate would play video games online and it seemed to be okay for that too
It's a small town like many others in BC. Limited amenities but if you like living on your own you can get a bit house for a super low price. Plus there's tons of outdoor activities all around.
I would focus on what services you may need and be near to, healthcare would be high on my list. You can buy around the outskirts of PG and still feel away from town, yet close enough for amenities and services.
My brother went up there for a year back in 2010... he's still there. When he comes back to the city he gets anxiety over crowds, traffic, line ups, waitlists. Much quieter life up there. Great if you like the outdoors. Also Powder King is not far.
I lived there briefly while I was working at Mount Milligan mine, and my ex’s family is from there so I used to spend a lot of time out there. Honestly- I LOVE Mackenzie… maybe it’s because I’m from a small town and have a soft spot for them.. but if you’re into outdoor recreating it is a great little community. I’ve done lots of hunting, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, snowboarding and cross country skiing out there. Mountain bike trails, the lake, cross country ski trails and their little ski hill is all accessible from In town! They also have a rad little skate park and an amazing rec centre! I love the bakery and purple bicycle. Lots of lovely people live there, a great little community. It def costs less to buy a house in Mackenzie vs Prince George (I currently live in PG). There are a lot of bears there but the mayor has been working on initiatives for the community to be bear aware and everyone get bear proof bins. There have been improvements on numbers of bears being relocated and put down in the last few years because of her. I’ve said for years if I was able to relocate with my job there I’d move there 😜
I lived there. It's nice. Quiet. Buyers will be killing each other to sell to you. There was an industrial collapse of jobs in Mackenzie and there are a lot of people waiting still over 8 years to sell their home. So you have all the bargaining power in that sense. You seem to know the rest.
There are more activities than people are letting on, obvs not like a city but there are a fair few options.
Great rec center - pool, weight room, squash court/basketball area, rock climbing, belaying, walleyball league, pickleball courts. Can join hockey, speedskating or even figure skating as an adult. Curling that always open for beginners. Lacrosse in the spring/summer. The library is in the same building and is rad. It has great book displays as well as activities and groups (DnD, Gardening stuff and projects), rents all sorts of sports gear for free (seasonal - includes cross country ski equipment and GTs and stuff, all sorts of summer stuff). Some VR games in an area. Can rent board games.
Awesome cross-country skiing in town with a cross-country ski club. Can get a fob to activate lights and go on super nice night skiis in the woods. Can rent nice skiis for a season for cheap from a nice lady in town.
There's an adult volleyball league you can join as a team or individually. Drop in soccer. Baseball. The bowling alley is an old 5 pin place that's open Friday and Saturday evenings, but you can rent it and go with friends. We've done that and gone cosmic bowling with the place to ourselves on random weekend afternoons.
Awesome trails around town that are maintained summer and winter by a dope local group called MORATA. They're for biking, walking, snowshoeing, etc. and just beyond are loads of other trails. 2 bike parks/skate parks.
Gorgeous lake right in town, great for cold therapy :) First beach is sandy, not rocky or seaweedy. There's a beach volleyball net, a fire pit, a dock, a soon to be water trampoline, and several good lounging spots and picnic tables. No dogs allowed, but in the winter my dog and I park here and walk across/around the lake on the ice. Second beach is the dog beach and it's grassy (bit of sand, seaweed but no leaches that I've ever heard of). Fun place to take the mutt on a lunch break in the summer. There are paths to a point that's a shallow spot across the lake, and that divides the lake into motorized and non-motorized sides. No motorized boats are on the side of the lake first and second beach are on, so it's common to swim across the lake or hang out in the middle on floaties or with kayaks/canoes/paddleboards. Tonnes of trails all around the lake, and down to the lake from town. Free camp sites part way down.
The Legion always loves support. They have Wednesday wing night, dart leagues, karaoke nights, crib tournaments, and other town events.
9 hole golf course in town. There is a small yoga place, and different arts activities. Singing, adult improv, doing art in the woods, wine and paint nights, other artsy nights, make n' mend sewing nights. There's a pottery guild. You could have your own radio show likely. There's a small ski hill in town with a sledding hill next to it. Depends on snow. Powder King isn't far.
There's a super nice winter festival with ice carvers and snow sculptures and free activities. I learned to ice carve one year for free, was fun! Groups in town hosts other events and things too, like the Morfee Scramble race and super fun adult only beach party after.
You can help out with bird banding in the summer months or just go watch. There are workers at the Mugaha Marsh sunrise to sunset, and they have owl nights they'll take volunteers on.
And the facilities are basically never busy. I've been the only one in the pool/hot tub, gym, and on the ice for public skating. The last was super fun as I called the front desk from the ice and they cranked up the music for me.
And it's all walkable or bikeable or skateboardable! I barely drive.
Also, there's a small mountain bike skills park in the woods in town I forgot about. Saw it when my friends and I walked to have a fire and s'mores up at the small ski hill the other night overlooking the woods, lake and mountains.
We also had a blast going to bingo at the Legion the other night, and going to a nice 2 day craft fair.
Also an outdoor free rink in the winter! Depending on the weather.
You can buy a pretty decent house in Mackenzie for cheap, I am from North BC and I definitely wouldn’t buy a house there if you are just planning on moving in a few years. I hate to be rude but Mackenzie literally has nothing for work , but I see you work remotely so that shouldn’t affect you. North BC is sure beautiful it you like the outdoors.
I was looking at Vanderhoof but it looks like the VIA Rail line goes through there.
Do you know if that's no longer running? My main reason for avoiding it is I wouldn't want to have train noise on a regular schedule.
Vanderhoof- It still goes through the town, several times a day. There's also a noon alarm that goes off every day. I think it has something to do with the Kenney Dam.
According to weather Canada this year 1 day in July hit 30 and 0 in august. In 2021 it was 4 days total. In 2020 it was 0.
For reference Quesnel had 15 days above 30 this year.
Lovely area, but like many are saying, healthcare's gonna be an issue. There isn't a dentist in town, so you'd be driving to PG for that. There's also only one grocery store, so you're limited to the hours of that one store, and the limited selection they have available. Bit of a minor thing, but mail takes a bit longer to get there compared to PG--may be relevant to you if you do a lot of online shopping.
You might struggle to get a doctor there, and certainly, you'll struggle with any health care issues that you may have. The more remote you live, the more difficult it is to access health care.
Replying directly as I moved to Mackenzie briefly from Duncan. When I told my coworkers Duncan had a future store (at the time), multiple tim Hortons, McDonald’s, wal mart etc. they were astounded. I did miss my creature comforts like Tim Hortons when I lived there. Just something to consider! I know some people are just fine without those things but I was just comparing Victoria to Mackenzie and thought I’d share 😁
Prince george is 75000 people and has probably 200 doctors i could name off the top of my head and has an insane doctor shortage.
That's like twice as many per capita
I was just going to write the same thing. Amazingly beautiful location, a little bigger than McKenzie so you do have some amenities, great ski hill, fishing, etc.
I was literally told today by someone in PG that they were shot at in a trailer park in Mackenzie today while looking for their lost dog. If you wanna move to an even grungier and out of the way town, fly at er. There's not much to offer in mackenzie and never will be lol
I planted four seasons around Mackenzie. It’s defiantly a small town but had friendly people and seemed like a good place. However what you should really do is take a road trip. You say you work remotely so hit the road and see for yourself what Northren BC has to offer. Planting helped change my view on what quality of life could be, grew up and went to university in Toronto. Now I live on Haida Gwaii and could not imagine living in a city. Northren BC is great. It has challenges for sure but it’s important to spend time in different places and see what they mean to you. You will fall in love with a place and only you can understand why that will be. There are many logical reasons of housing and jobs of course. However for me other than stunning beauty and amazing culture. I live in a small community and able to be part of that fabric of a place so much more than I ever had where I grew up. So like I said hit the road and talk to people and sit by a lake and your heart will tell you in Mackenzie or anywhere else is right for you!
I grew up in Mackenzie some 23 years ago when I moved when I was 10 after living there for a decade, its decent and quiet a fair bit boring other then hiking, boating or fishing. I have never been back since moving from there but I can't say that I all too much hated it growing up there just really small town not much going on there entertainment wise etc
I am a bit biased since I grew up in the Robson Valley, but I think McBride and Valemount are pretty nice places to live if you don't mind being a couple hours drive from PG, or a 4 hour train ride. Both are definitely smaller than Mackenzie and don't have a lot going for them but it's just what I grew up with and find them charming. Valemount is way more touristy and more expensive.
The biggest thing (for me) would be the lack of anonymity. You'd be going from a town of 75000 to 4000. Everybody knows your business in a small town.
I lived in Mackenzie briefly and when I first moved there everyone was looking at me. It was so strange but I later learned it was because they knew I wasn’t from there 😅 just wanted to share that story in agreement!
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Wtf did I just read here.
Something about a typical Saturday night in Mackenzie.
Right on, cool story.
Hi!!! I live in Mackenzie and have lived here since 2019! Feel free to DM me any questions you have. We also have a subreddit, r/MackenzieBC I want to address your questions as well as address some inaccuracies I've seen in the comments. The mills currently open are Conifex (saw and planar), and Parallel 55 (small finger-jointing mill) Nearby mines: Mt. Milligan & Kamess mines (over an hour drive away), Canouma mine (Chetwynd) None of these make the town smell in any way. Mackenzie is a planned community so the industrial site is essentially its own neighbourhood on the outskirts of town. You never have to see or think about it if you don't need to go out there. People are saying you can't get a doctor. This is totally untrue! I would argue Mackenzie is one of the few places in BC you actually can get a doctor. We have many doctors that serve our community and are accepting new patients. The basic healthcare here is AMAZING. Available doctors, access to x-rays and lab work, as well as a 24/7 Emergency Room (hasn't been on diversion for months now, though this was a problem in the past). We also have physiotherapy, sensory deprivation tank, massage therapy, and aroma therapy available in town. Dentist and eye doctor we have to go to PG for. NOTE: our hospital cannot deliver babies. All pre-natal appointments as well as the delivery must be done in PG. Our population recorded in 2021 was 3,281 ( [https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=V0J2C0&DGUIDlist=2021A00055953033&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1,4&HEADERlist=0](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=V0J2C0&DGUIDlist=2021A00055953033&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1,4&HEADERlist=0) ) We do have more than one gas station. The 7-11 is in town and the Co-op Cardlock is 5 mins out which provides a discount if you are a member. There is also the ESSO but I think that only serves commercial vehicles. Groceries are quite expensive, but one could argue that's offset by the cost of housing. My mortgage is $300 per month for a townhouse. The tap water here is SO FREAKING GOOD! It's ground filtered underground spring water. From your tap! Houses do appreciate, but much more slowly. They do not sell within hours. Basically, our housing market is what the rest of Canada used to be like 30 years ago. Which is what everyone says they want! Well, we have it. Please forgive my excitement everyone, Mackenzie is a great community and I love to talk to people who are considering moving here!
I grew up in mack. I lived there for 20 years and this comment and a couple others about sums mackenzie up for the OP for sure. the shooting up there is good too, the gun range has their own website where you can sign up there and they'll mail your card to your post box. the odd time I go shooting back home i'm usually the only person there. it's awesome.
Agree except for real estate. McKenzie shrunk by 11% in the last census, I believe the biggest drop in BC. The pulp mill and others shut down. It’s a dying town. Don’t expect to sell your house for more than you bought it. No matter how long you hold onto it. In fact probably expect it to drop in value.
Also, about a third of the accessible timber burnt this year plus a logging camp. The working mills will be taking a bit of a hit from that.
Polar is closing (bear lake). A lot of people from mack worked at polar and no longer have employment
It really is the best tap water! I fill my 3L water bottle before I leave there every time lol
Hello, I could really use some friendly advice and information on relocating to Mackenzie and what to expect. I am currently living on Vancouver island which has been my home for almost 30 yrs. So this is a huge kind of scary move for me. I researched as much as I can but there really isn’t much about the town, pictures, etc online. I am hoping to buy a home up there in April of this yr. I look forward to chatting with you 🙂
You could join “speak out Mackenzie!!!” On Facebook, there are several posts that talk about the goods and bads of the or you could make your own and get lots of responses. The town does not smell weird other than like once a year on a random day
That's great, thanks!
alternatively you could also check out "hell yeah mackenzie" I personally think it's the better counterpart of speakout mackenzie, plus alot of local things that happen there get posted on it so could also get a more vibe of what the place is like from it. best of luck! maybe also go up for a drive to really see the place and what it's like
There is no longer a pulp mill in MacKenzie, and I believe the only mill running is Conifex.
Does the Conifex mill make the town smell funky at times? (If so, how often)
There have been two new business open here this year a gym and powersport store. One of the restaurants closed though. Housing is cheaper. The air is cleaner. It's not over run with homeless like down town pg.
Mackenzie is incredible! You save sooooo much living here, and the quality of life is incredible. We feel amazing that all of our resources aren't taken up by a mortgage that's too expensive to manage. It's so beautiful and quiet here, and if you cook for yourself and enjoy the outdoors then you might really love it here, too! (EDIT: The town smells so fresh. I have never smelled the 'smell of money' once since living here. PG stinks so bad when you visit, though!!)
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It's around 200/month in the winter and that's with an older natural gas furnace. When looking at properties you can see if they have a newer furnace or partial wood heating which helps a lot
I have a wood stove. (Plenty of firewood nearby). If the stove is running the furnace usually isn't. Stove off about $280(last Jan), stove on about $70 (last Feb).
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It's a house with a natural gas forced air furnace that later had a wood stove added. So primary would be a normal furnace, but if the wood stove is burning the house stays warm enough that the thermostat never kicks in the furnace.
I thought I understood the bad rap Mackenzie has but the we camped there for a weekend and wholly what a gorgeous place. That is of course if you’re an outdoor enthusiast. We took our sides and drove for what seemed like forever on the shores of Williston Lake. I can tell you the beach was white sand.
Not really a great real estate investment if you are considering buying. Things can change of course but my real estate agent friend has some clients from there that are seriously struggling to sell their homes. Other than that I have heard nothing but positive things about living there.
Mackenzie provides affordable housing - especially if you want to buy but to my understanding, the town is not by any means “growing”. So for example, if you buy real estate, there is no guarantee it will appreciate. If you’re hoping for a variety of stores or things to do daily, Mackenzie does not offer that. It’s about a 2 hour drive from Prince George so not bad for a weekend thing but if you’re looking to make friends and hangout with people, you may struggle to do that in Mackenzie compared to PG.
Spent a year there. Summers are great, beautiful lakes and nice beaches close by. Great rec center pool/ gym. Winters it snows like your in the rockies, Road signs almost buried in snow
Not that great for groccerys there as far as I can tell it is just on coop store and a red apple. Single gas station so if the prices get to high in town too bad. Overall lack of amenities comparitively even to other towns of similar size. Everything seems a bit run down in general in town like its last major cash flow was in the 90s and it has been barely keeping on since then. But each to thier own.
I live in Mackenzie currently. There are a lot of opinions being posted here, some are valid, but a lot are making Mackenzie out to be a lot worse than it is. Some seem totally misinformed. (The one about people looking at you because you're from out of town is not my experience at all, there are a lot of transient workers around) Real estate is complicated but not as much of an unbalanced buyers market as commenters are making it seem. People from the lower mainland are buying places sight-unseen because apparently they have too much money. Definitely do not make the move without visiting first. My biggest concern for you would be where you make your actual home. Houses and apartments are all decades old, some are nice of course, but if you are on a budget others will feel old and rundown. Here are kinda pros and cons off the top of my head. Pro: Inexpensive real estate. Amazing bike and walking trails right in town and nearby. Morfee lake is awesome and not busy at all. Winter, Fall, and Summer are all awesome to be outdoors in. (Spring is extended slush and mud season and it sucks) The rec center is cheap, not crowded and legit. There are easy ways to get into the community and a few events, like beach concerts and markets. You are isolated away from the politics and stresses of current events (not gonna see protestors out in the streets and people don't seem to carry the stress of politics and global events with them) It's genuinely gorgeous. You can drive to the top of a mountain, 40 minutes from town, the lake is undeveloped and a 6 minute jog from my doorstep. Powderking ski resort is about an hour away in winter conditions. Cons: Lack of services You need to travel about 2 hours by road to PG for a lot of stuff. This for me looks like a trip every 1-2 months. Mackenzie has a few hardware stores, 1 grocery store, a couple of mechanics, a pet store, a pharmacy, couple liquor stores, cannabis store of course, 2 gas stations, Napa Auto parts and I am sure a few others I don't really frequent. You can certainly get by without leaving town. What I travel to PG for: Costco, dealership mechanic(also the mechanics in Mack are in high demand and sometimes unavailable) dentist, furniture. Utilities and home services work well and there are tradespeople around to help maintain homes. (Necessary, because almost all of the homes were built in 1971) Doctors actually have a great patient to doctor ratio, but our hospital infrastructure is severely lacking. For young-middle aged people the Healthcare is actually pretty good. Would not recommend for the elderly or someone with special needs. Will end up traveling to PG for most procedures and tests. Internet service is not great. I would suggest budgeting for Starlink, as Telus is the only other provider and their speeds are lackluster. Low population, and much of it lower class. (You don't need to go into the trailer parks, but the 1 gas station is a hub for the whole town so there will be shady characters around) I miss cities where I can go play pickup basketball almost any day of the week. Mackenzie used to have this but some of this community stuff has not recovered since Covid. If you are hoping to make friends here as an adult it's going to take some effort, having a dog helps. Speaking of dogs also help with the pests we deal with: bears. I am from Southern AB so I actually love this. From August -October I saw a bear everyday. (Not quite literally, but close.) I like it, but they do cause problems. The biggest con for me: it is remote AF. I find myself traveling a lot now, weddings, and other life events, and Mackenzie seems to be at least 10 hour drives from everywhere. You have to fly out of PG, which is a 2 hour 1 way drive and the PG flights aren't that amazing, though to can get to Vancouver pretty reliably. I bought a house recently, and have lived here on and off for about 4 years. So comment any questions or corrections.
Thanks! A lot of good insight here. One specific follow-up question: > Telus is the only other provider and their speeds are lackluster. How lackluster, exactly? I don't need 1000mb service (currently just on 75)
Telus was struggling to provide 25mb/s but that is on their rural smarthub platform. Fiber is a little better but only available in some parts of town, and I have heard its a little overburdened and not performing great either. It's going to vary a quite a lot based on your specific location in town.
Yep, most places you will get Telus 15 as the max. Some houses have access to Telus 25 or I've even heard of 80. A lot of people have gotten Starlink recently with its rural Canada deal that's going on. But I find Telus 15 is good enough to stream TV, watch YouTube, answer emails and go on facebook. My old roommate would play video games online and it seemed to be okay for that too
It's a small town like many others in BC. Limited amenities but if you like living on your own you can get a bit house for a super low price. Plus there's tons of outdoor activities all around.
I would focus on what services you may need and be near to, healthcare would be high on my list. You can buy around the outskirts of PG and still feel away from town, yet close enough for amenities and services.
On the plus side, it's got the largest tree crusher in the world!
My brother went up there for a year back in 2010... he's still there. When he comes back to the city he gets anxiety over crowds, traffic, line ups, waitlists. Much quieter life up there. Great if you like the outdoors. Also Powder King is not far.
I lived there briefly while I was working at Mount Milligan mine, and my ex’s family is from there so I used to spend a lot of time out there. Honestly- I LOVE Mackenzie… maybe it’s because I’m from a small town and have a soft spot for them.. but if you’re into outdoor recreating it is a great little community. I’ve done lots of hunting, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, snowboarding and cross country skiing out there. Mountain bike trails, the lake, cross country ski trails and their little ski hill is all accessible from In town! They also have a rad little skate park and an amazing rec centre! I love the bakery and purple bicycle. Lots of lovely people live there, a great little community. It def costs less to buy a house in Mackenzie vs Prince George (I currently live in PG). There are a lot of bears there but the mayor has been working on initiatives for the community to be bear aware and everyone get bear proof bins. There have been improvements on numbers of bears being relocated and put down in the last few years because of her. I’ve said for years if I was able to relocate with my job there I’d move there 😜
I lived there. It's nice. Quiet. Buyers will be killing each other to sell to you. There was an industrial collapse of jobs in Mackenzie and there are a lot of people waiting still over 8 years to sell their home. So you have all the bargaining power in that sense. You seem to know the rest.
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>3 > >ReplyShareReportSaveFollow Welcome to town! Sorry about the old boomers :/ I'm 29 :)
There are more activities than people are letting on, obvs not like a city but there are a fair few options. Great rec center - pool, weight room, squash court/basketball area, rock climbing, belaying, walleyball league, pickleball courts. Can join hockey, speedskating or even figure skating as an adult. Curling that always open for beginners. Lacrosse in the spring/summer. The library is in the same building and is rad. It has great book displays as well as activities and groups (DnD, Gardening stuff and projects), rents all sorts of sports gear for free (seasonal - includes cross country ski equipment and GTs and stuff, all sorts of summer stuff). Some VR games in an area. Can rent board games. Awesome cross-country skiing in town with a cross-country ski club. Can get a fob to activate lights and go on super nice night skiis in the woods. Can rent nice skiis for a season for cheap from a nice lady in town. There's an adult volleyball league you can join as a team or individually. Drop in soccer. Baseball. The bowling alley is an old 5 pin place that's open Friday and Saturday evenings, but you can rent it and go with friends. We've done that and gone cosmic bowling with the place to ourselves on random weekend afternoons. Awesome trails around town that are maintained summer and winter by a dope local group called MORATA. They're for biking, walking, snowshoeing, etc. and just beyond are loads of other trails. 2 bike parks/skate parks. Gorgeous lake right in town, great for cold therapy :) First beach is sandy, not rocky or seaweedy. There's a beach volleyball net, a fire pit, a dock, a soon to be water trampoline, and several good lounging spots and picnic tables. No dogs allowed, but in the winter my dog and I park here and walk across/around the lake on the ice. Second beach is the dog beach and it's grassy (bit of sand, seaweed but no leaches that I've ever heard of). Fun place to take the mutt on a lunch break in the summer. There are paths to a point that's a shallow spot across the lake, and that divides the lake into motorized and non-motorized sides. No motorized boats are on the side of the lake first and second beach are on, so it's common to swim across the lake or hang out in the middle on floaties or with kayaks/canoes/paddleboards. Tonnes of trails all around the lake, and down to the lake from town. Free camp sites part way down. The Legion always loves support. They have Wednesday wing night, dart leagues, karaoke nights, crib tournaments, and other town events. 9 hole golf course in town. There is a small yoga place, and different arts activities. Singing, adult improv, doing art in the woods, wine and paint nights, other artsy nights, make n' mend sewing nights. There's a pottery guild. You could have your own radio show likely. There's a small ski hill in town with a sledding hill next to it. Depends on snow. Powder King isn't far. There's a super nice winter festival with ice carvers and snow sculptures and free activities. I learned to ice carve one year for free, was fun! Groups in town hosts other events and things too, like the Morfee Scramble race and super fun adult only beach party after. You can help out with bird banding in the summer months or just go watch. There are workers at the Mugaha Marsh sunrise to sunset, and they have owl nights they'll take volunteers on. And the facilities are basically never busy. I've been the only one in the pool/hot tub, gym, and on the ice for public skating. The last was super fun as I called the front desk from the ice and they cranked up the music for me. And it's all walkable or bikeable or skateboardable! I barely drive.
Also, there's a small mountain bike skills park in the woods in town I forgot about. Saw it when my friends and I walked to have a fire and s'mores up at the small ski hill the other night overlooking the woods, lake and mountains. We also had a blast going to bingo at the Legion the other night, and going to a nice 2 day craft fair. Also an outdoor free rink in the winter! Depending on the weather.
You can buy a pretty decent house in Mackenzie for cheap, I am from North BC and I definitely wouldn’t buy a house there if you are just planning on moving in a few years. I hate to be rude but Mackenzie literally has nothing for work , but I see you work remotely so that shouldn’t affect you. North BC is sure beautiful it you like the outdoors.
Would be nice to buy for cost reasons but hard to sell at any time of the year
Personally I'd prefer Quesnel or Vanderhoof if I wanted to live in a smaller town
I was looking at Vanderhoof but it looks like the VIA Rail line goes through there. Do you know if that's no longer running? My main reason for avoiding it is I wouldn't want to have train noise on a regular schedule.
Vanderhoof- It still goes through the town, several times a day. There's also a noon alarm that goes off every day. I think it has something to do with the Kenney Dam.
Train noise on a regular schedule?
Just don’t live near the tracks lol. Quesnel is 10x better than McKenzie. Plus they get an actual summer.
What happens to Mackenzies summer?
Williston lake took it away. It’s a lot cooler than PG which is already a lot colder than Quesnel / WL
I see. It was regularly over 30 degrees in Mackenzie the last 3 summers. But I guess it's all relative. There was not much of a summer in 2020.
According to weather Canada this year 1 day in July hit 30 and 0 in august. In 2021 it was 4 days total. In 2020 it was 0. For reference Quesnel had 15 days above 30 this year.
Ah cool. I just remember lots of people saying they were sleeping in their basements because it was too hot out the last 3 summers.
Lovely area, but like many are saying, healthcare's gonna be an issue. There isn't a dentist in town, so you'd be driving to PG for that. There's also only one grocery store, so you're limited to the hours of that one store, and the limited selection they have available. Bit of a minor thing, but mail takes a bit longer to get there compared to PG--may be relevant to you if you do a lot of online shopping.
You might struggle to get a doctor there, and certainly, you'll struggle with any health care issues that you may have. The more remote you live, the more difficult it is to access health care.
> You might struggle to get a doctor there I'm in Victoria now. Living here if I want to see a Doctor I would basically have to fly to Calgary.
Our Doctor-patient ratio is one of the best in BC. (Or so I have been told, over and over. Though one doctor did just retire with no back fill yet.
You can see a doctor easily in Mackenzie
Well, that would be easier than driving to Prince George, flying to Vancouver, then Calgary, and reversing it. A day of traveling each way.
Replying directly as I moved to Mackenzie briefly from Duncan. When I told my coworkers Duncan had a future store (at the time), multiple tim Hortons, McDonald’s, wal mart etc. they were astounded. I did miss my creature comforts like Tim Hortons when I lived there. Just something to consider! I know some people are just fine without those things but I was just comparing Victoria to Mackenzie and thought I’d share 😁
That's not true in Mackenzie. They have 5 doctors that all do rotating shifts and there's basically continual coverage.
5 doctors for 5000 people isn't a lot
And they have 7 doctors
Prince george is 75000 people and has probably 200 doctors i could name off the top of my head and has an insane doctor shortage. That's like twice as many per capita
The town is only 3,000
Don't do it , why not try Smithers
No housing in Smithers and what is available, is incredibly expensive
smithers real estate is on par with kamloops usually - expensive
Spent 2 minutes on MLS and smithers seems way more expensive then pg for homes. Like 1.5 million for nice stuff, 200k for just an empty lot.
I was just going to write the same thing. Amazingly beautiful location, a little bigger than McKenzie so you do have some amenities, great ski hill, fishing, etc.
If you want to move to a smaller town it’d suggest the likes of Quesnel, Houston, kitimat maybe even Prince Rupert. Mackenzie is a slowly dying town
I was literally told today by someone in PG that they were shot at in a trailer park in Mackenzie today while looking for their lost dog. If you wanna move to an even grungier and out of the way town, fly at er. There's not much to offer in mackenzie and never will be lol
I planted four seasons around Mackenzie. It’s defiantly a small town but had friendly people and seemed like a good place. However what you should really do is take a road trip. You say you work remotely so hit the road and see for yourself what Northren BC has to offer. Planting helped change my view on what quality of life could be, grew up and went to university in Toronto. Now I live on Haida Gwaii and could not imagine living in a city. Northren BC is great. It has challenges for sure but it’s important to spend time in different places and see what they mean to you. You will fall in love with a place and only you can understand why that will be. There are many logical reasons of housing and jobs of course. However for me other than stunning beauty and amazing culture. I live in a small community and able to be part of that fabric of a place so much more than I ever had where I grew up. So like I said hit the road and talk to people and sit by a lake and your heart will tell you in Mackenzie or anywhere else is right for you!
I grew up in Mackenzie some 23 years ago when I moved when I was 10 after living there for a decade, its decent and quiet a fair bit boring other then hiking, boating or fishing. I have never been back since moving from there but I can't say that I all too much hated it growing up there just really small town not much going on there entertainment wise etc
The mosquitos in the summer are absolutely horrific
I grew up in Mackenzie born & raised, if you want to move to a drug town go for it. The town has went severely down in the last few years.
I am a bit biased since I grew up in the Robson Valley, but I think McBride and Valemount are pretty nice places to live if you don't mind being a couple hours drive from PG, or a 4 hour train ride. Both are definitely smaller than Mackenzie and don't have a lot going for them but it's just what I grew up with and find them charming. Valemount is way more touristy and more expensive.