British Columbia

[billy_big_bud!]

howdy to all my west coast brothers and sisters. the fam and i are considering a future move to to bc. i am trying to figure out the wheres and whats of the province long ahead of time. first and foremost i want to know what the major differences are between living on the island and living on the mainland?

 

[MJ Maven]

Biggest difference? Girls!

Island girls are beautiful!

I know you said you were moving with the family ... but the thing that strikes this Albertan the most when I visit the coast & the island ... is the girls :-D

And they can usually handle their ganja pretty good too

Maven

 

[billy_big_bud!]

well i do love girls as much as any redblooded hetro canadian dude but not enough to move somewhere just to get laid. is there any other points you can make about the difference between them or any other info would be great.

 

[bigbag]

south west bc is best 4 climate.lower mainland is crazy.van isl is chill.gulf islands,chiller.pricey cost of living,esp vancouver.best place on earth though

 

[dmt]

cost of living is the biggest difference. aside from that, being an island, its way more laid back too. less people, less hustle, u know, d

 

[Norrath]

cost of living is the biggest difference. aside from that, being an island, its way more laid back too. less people, less hustle, u know, d

less of everything.

more commuting on the island, their public transit is dismal. Not like it's better anywhere else in the province, but hey, at least vancouver has more and skytrain. (although so many more cons come to mind about vancouver, but i dont mind)

if youre moving there to grow, think again, as the popo realise the island is a huge contributer to our counter culture economy, and they provide extra funding for heli's and manpower to look for pot.. ian mulgrum in the vancouver sun is always writing articles about such, and our pot culture.

i have lots of family on the island, but i dont really like going there. The ferry is COSTLY, just cause it is part of the trans canada doesnt mean it's paid for lol.$60+++ each way, eff that.. bunch of little towns with character but touristy, and nothing to do.

There's a reason why most islanders leave for bigger and better things. If you live on the island, you'll spend most of your time there, and then yearn for more GVRD(greater vancouver regional district) based activities/shops/things. i have people from the island on my MSN messenger that list the next available date they will be on the mainland...As if they can do all errands, see all things, visit all the people, in one day. just bite hte bullet and move here.

yeah the bitches are fine, most country/redneck types are for some reason, TOTALLY not as frigid as vancouver females.

why not look at places a bit more north in BC? kelowna/kamloops/chilliwack/outside the GVRD in the tricities area, langley port moody...etc etc etc? cheaper living yet still everything is accessible

bottom line is, it's much more secluded and sacrificing a lot of communication with the outside world by shutting away on the island, just to save cost of living on some barren plot of land in buttfknowhere in a ghost town with barely if any economy. cough port alberni sized towns ACROSS the island. although if that's your thing, and the redneck way of life is for you, go nuts.

im biased though, i have everything and the USA at my fingertips in GVRD. i pay my rent, im happy.

 

[billy_big_bud!]

thanks for that elaborate description, thats just what i was looking for. im not nessasarily planning on the island im just trying to get a lay of the land. i am open to anywhere in bc. i just wanna find the right fit before i get there. i dont want to have to keep moving to get a nice place that i like and that likes me.

 

[danny karey]

I got a buddy that lives in penticton(sp?) which is kinda near Kelowna, and he loves it. the town is in between a lake and mountains (or so my buddy says). I could have moved out there with him, but I had a good job that paid pretty good so I didn't want to lose it.

I think the lake is Kooteney lake?? Not sure, but the pics Ive seen look f'n sweet.

Danny

 

[billy_big_bud!]

ya i have heard the kooteneys are amazing. so many great places to choose from....

 

[Quick]

I got a buddy that lives in penticton(sp?) which is kinda near Kelowna, and he loves it. the town is in between a lake and mountains (or so my buddy says). I could have moved out there with him, but I had a good job that paid pretty good so I didn't want to lose it.

I think the lake is Kooteney lake?? Not sure, but the pics Ive seen look f'n sweet.

Danny

Penticton is at the end of the Okanagan Lake.... some beautiful landscape there, Naramata in particular (wine country)....

 

[hulkbogan]

less of everything.

more commuting on the island, their public transit is dismal. Not like it's better anywhere else in the province, but hey, at least vancouver has more and skytrain. (although so many more cons come to mind about vancouver, but i dont mind)

if youre moving there to grow, think again, as the popo realise the island is a huge contributer to our counter culture economy, and they provide extra funding for heli's and manpower to look for pot.. ian mulgrum in the vancouver sun is always writing articles about such, and our pot culture.

i have lots of family on the island, but i dont really like going there. The ferry is COSTLY, just cause it is part of the trans canada doesnt mean it's paid for lol.$60+++ each way, eff that.. bunch of little towns with character but touristy, and nothing to do.

There's a reason why most islanders leave for bigger and better things. If you live on the island, you'll spend most of your time there, and then yearn for more GVRD(greater vancouver regional district) based activities/shops/things. i have people from the island on my MSN messenger that list the next available date they will be on the mainland...As if they can do all errands, see all things, visit all the people, in one day. just bite hte bullet and move here.

yeah the bitches are fine, most country/redneck types are for some reason, TOTALLY not as frigid as vancouver females.

why not look at places a bit more north in BC? kelowna/kamloops/chilliwack/outside the GVRD in the tricities area, langley port moody...etc etc etc? cheaper living yet still everything is accessible

bottom line is, it's much more secluded and sacrificing a lot of communication with the outside world by shutting away on the island, just to save cost of living on some barren plot of land in buttfknowhere in a ghost town with barely if any economy. cough port alberni sized towns ACROSS the island. although if that's your thing, and the redneck way of life is for you, go nuts.

im biased though, i have everything and the USA at my fingertips in GVRD. i pay my rent, im happy.

Vancouver is full of yuppies/homeless/gangs. The Island isn't that bad or secluded.. friends who moved to Vancouver are moving back to the Island for work because immigrants are willing to work for so much less on the mainland. Victoria and Nanaimo are both within 2 hours of vancouver and the ferry is only 10 bucks to walk on.. not to mention seaplane to downtown van/seattle for dirt cheap. Not many stores in Vancouver that aren't in Victoria or Nanaimo same goes for nightclubs and bars. Cops are just as bad if not worse in Vancouver .. Van has gang problems..

 

[Norrath]

i have some friends in penticton/kelowna/summerland area, it's simply amazing. dry arid conditions most of the year, near the hottest place in canada, 'osoyoos'. It was 43deg celsius last time i was there this passed summer! wine country too, so you can hit up hte wineries and grab el cheapo GREAT BC wines. (get ahold of a merlot or cabernet sauv. burrowing owl. oh my, 25$ in the winery+donation to the owls, or 80 in a restaurant...fantastic red)

if i had the money and resources i would move up there in a split second.

 

[dmt]

the bottom line is if you want to grow weed for a long time and never get caught and or busted/home invasion, go to the okanogan valley or vancouver island. there is so much acreage on the island, and secluded residences. the island is like cabin country, minus a couple more developed centres like nanaimo, victoria(gva) and a couple ports. success in the illegal game is longevity, the greater vancouver area is increasingly hard to grow in due to canadian and american dea style crackdowns. rural bc is the place to be for a peice of mind and heart, good luck, d

ps rural is so much cheaper too

 

[billy_big_bud!]

thanks dmt, i am more and more considering the island. i am still trying to wrap my mind around how big the island actually is? also, what are the cops like on the island? is most of the the island waterfront propert or are there urban/suburban communities? what is the employment situation on the island? i can only really do basic labour. will i be able to find something?

 

[dmt]

canadian cops generally, from experience, wont really harass anyone who is not related to organised crime. if you lay low, work a job, and live in the boondocks, no one will ever heavy you. the island is huge, its something like the 2nd biggest island in the world???? google for facts haha, the reason why so much bud is grown here is because the weather, the closeness to the boder, and the very private residences wich dominate the "rainforest" landscapes. the island is even more discreet in alot of ways. less people for one. jobs are kind of slow out here. check out cgaigslist vancouver and find out what kind of job and what kind of home is practical for all your needs. my grow is legal, but where i live it doesnt matter. i nieghbor grows illegally, the other one is too stuck up and distant to care. rural is what you need man. legal or not. this is my bc advice. its hard these days growing in cities here, they all mostly adopted oa big brother hydro/police/safety relationship, and tons have been and will be shut down, or steal power, fuck , the government shoots themselves in the foot everytime they make a decision, good luck bbb, d

 

[headband 707]

Are you kidding Hulk???
Vancouver is full of yuppies/homeless/gangs. The Island isn't that bad or secluded.. friends who moved to Vancouver are moving back to the Island for work because immigrants are willing to work for so much less on the mainland. Victoria and Nanaimo are both within 2 hours of vancouver and the ferry is only 10 bucks to walk on.. not to mention seaplane to downtown van/seattle for dirt cheap. Not many stores in Vancouver that aren't in Victoria or Nanaimo same goes for nightclubs and bars. Cops are just as bad if not worse in Vancouver .. Van has gang problems..

As a person who lives Downtown I have never once run into any trouble. Not that they don't exsist .. Just it's not at all the way your making it sound!!!! As far as it being full of yuppies / homeless/gangs are you shitting me?Where do you go when you go out lol peace out Headband707

 

[wick.96]

Cant go wrong in the Koot's...... Ive been in almost every part of BC..

 

[Dweeb]

Billy it might help if you told everyone what kind of place/setting/weather etc. you were looking for . BC is a very diverse place .

 

[Carbon]

Depends on what you're into. I would definitely steer clear of Vancouver proper unless you enjoy the rubbies, traffic, violence, B&E's, high rents, rat race etc. There are a lot of really really nice places not so too far outside of Vancouver. It depends what you are into and the climate you enjoy. One thing for sure BC has everything available.

Vancouver Island is a huge island. There aren't as many services and established recreation activities. People on the island seem to be better at making thier own fun by hanging out n stuff. Save enough for a 4x4 truck if possible.

Think about the kind of climate you want to live in and the things you want to be doing after work.

 

[smokey67]

The biggest difference between out of city and rural, although rural can be very close to a city, is in the power distribution and legislation differences between RCMP and City Police Services.
ps: I've heard that in East Van. it's sunny 90% of the year!