Has the weather forecast this week made you want to move west to the “Best Coast” and make Vancouver your new home?
While Vancouver is notorious for its rent prices and overly passionate hockey fans, the city has many great things that far outweigh the cons.
We’ve rounded up six reasons to move to Vancouver from Calgary or Edmonton this year. If you aren’t convinced, maybe that blast of winter in November will change your mind.
The obvious: the lack of snow
A view of Edmonton after last week’s snowfall. (Allison Stephens/Daily Hive)
According to the history book, Vancouver had never seen snow before October 28, and that late-October snowfall was more than three decades ago.
While lots of northern and eastern parts of the province do typically see flakes fly in the fall, it’s so unusual on the South Coast that a sprinkling in Metro Vancouver or Vancouver Island typically makes headlines.
Warm and sunny at Vancouver’s seawall this past weekend. (Daily Hive)
Seriously, many people in the city don’t have standard winter tires because they are rarely needed. However, that does become an issue when it occasionally snows a few inches and freezes in December or January… so maybe we shouldn’t brag about that.
If you move here from ‘Berta and bring your winter tires and winter driving skills with you, you will be super popular.
There are more single people
Asif Islam/Shutterstock
We checked the stats on this one because people in Vancouver do complain about the dating scene, but the numbers are all there. According to the most recent stats, there are 987,000 people in Vancouver’s Census Metropolitan Area (meaning outside the city as well) who are unmarried and not in a common-law relationship.
Compared to Calgary, where that number is cut in half at 446,000 people in a legally unattached situation, it seems you have a better shot at meeting The One in Van. Edmonton has more unmarried people than Calgary, so it’s slightly better odds.
All three cities see a trend in more “available” women than men.
We can’t see more details on how good-looking the people are within those numbers, but Vancouver’s Kits Beach was once named third among the top 10 of North America’s hottest beaches, according to Forbes.
Plus, Vancouver has more eligible millionaires.
You can take a boat home from the bar
Denis Kuvaev/Shutterstock
While Vancouver is not as equipped with e-scooter offerings as Calgary is, we do have one thing in our favour when it comes to getting home from a night on the town. For the price of a bus ticket, you can take a semi-private cruise ship home from the bar, brewery, club, or what have you, and it’s only a few minutes long. It’s called the Seabus, and it’s magical.
The False Creek Ferry ballet returns this Saturday, July 1! 8:15 am at the Village, 8:45 am at David Lam Park, 9:15 am at Granville Island, & 9:45 am off of Sunset Beach. pic.twitter.com/W6PDOhoyY3
— False Creek Ferries (@FalseCreekFerry) June 27, 2023
And it’s not the only one. Alternatively, if you need to get from downtown to Granville Island or Kitsilano, you can take a smaller ferry from one of the many False Creek locations for just a few bucks. It’s seriously adorable!
You can save money on lotion
Vancouver’s Stanley Park rainforest is also the third-largest public park in North America. (Lalune Eak)
Vancouver’s humidity is due to its location. The city is within and surrounded by coastal water and temperate rainforests, which means a lot more rain. It won’t ever get as dry as the prairies, which have a reputation for destroying our beauty regimes.
That means your skin won’t crack and bleed as soon as the season shifts, and you won’t have to be constantly reapplying body lotion or Vaseline.
A nice, humid day in Vancouver. (Lalune Eak)
The humidity level is also to thank for a lot less static electricity, so you don’t get as shocked when grabbing a door handle or running a brush through your hair.
You can ski after work
Grouse Mountain views. (Pierre Leclerc/Shutterstock)
We know you can technically head to Calgary Olympic Park for some night skiing, but just 30 minutes from Vancouver, you can night ski from an actual mountain, all while looking down at the city lights.
It’s seriously stunning and cheaper than skiing during the day. With several mountains close by, skiing every night of the week is an option instead of hitting the gym. Plus, you can get to Cypress, Manning, and Seymour by bus, so you can even have a little apres-work nap before hitting the slopes.
You’ll live longer
Shutterstock
According to Statistics Canada, BC has the longest life expectancy in the country, and compared to Alberta, it’s almost like living here will add a whole year to your life! Women in Alberta are estimated to live 83 years, while in BC, it’s 84 years on average. Men in BC are estimated to live just past 78 years, on average, while those in Alberta are at 77, well below the national average.
Are you convinced? Or is Alberta still calling? Let us know in the comments.
This piece was first published in November 2023 and has since been updated.