3 Reasons Why I Wouldn’t Move to Vancouver. #Canada150

Reason # 1
RAIN. It’s undeniable that Vancouver is a great beautiful city. Many publications and organizations like The Economist Intelligence Unit and Mercer place Vancouver in the top rankings for livability and quality of life. Vancouver is almost always above other Canadian cities when it comes to “best cities in the world” surveys.
I’ve been travelling to Vancouver for decades because my sister and my Mother live there. Well, not exactly in the City of Vancouver, but in its suburbs. I have been there in winter, summer and fall. And what I have experienced weather wise is to me very unpleasant. RAIN. Between November and April, the day is rare when it does not RAIN! Vancouver has broken records for consecutive rainy days. Last October 2016, for example, it rained 28 days out of 31! During my recent 12 day visit this March, it rained every day. After 5 days I have enough. So that’s the No. 1 reason why I could not move to Vancouver. Give me the snow and -20 degree days of Toronto and Montreal any time, but all those wet months without sun? Not for me.

Reason # 2 Real Estate. Vancouver’s real estate prices have been rising for decades, but in the last 10 years, prices have become ridiculous, especially in the last 3 to 5 years. Homes have become so unaffordable for the average Canadian that, under pressure, the government imposed a 15% tax on foreign buyers in order to cool down the market. Even after this measure (August 2016) prices are still very high. The average/benchmark price for detached homes in West Vancouver, one of the most desirable areas in the city stood at $3,443,100 at the end of 2016. The average price for a detached house in the Vancouver area is well over $1,000,000! (Note: Toronto’s real estate has also been rising dramatically, but it’s still way behind Vancouver) Reason # 3 Vancouver is a small city. The City of Vancouver area is only 114.97 km2 (44.39 sq mi). In contrast, Toronto is 5 times bigger at 630.21 km2 (243.33 sq mi). Vancouver metro is also much smaller 2,878.52 km2 (1,111.40 sq mi) than Toronto’s metro which has an area of 5,905.71 km2 (2,280.21 sq mi). Population wise, it’s the same thing. Metro Vancouver’s population is 2,463,431 (2016) and Toronto’s is now close to 6,000,000. Logically, a bigger population can support a wider variety of entertainment and cultural options. Add to that, the most multi-cultural population in the world and you have a fantastic city. Now, if your thing is the outdoors: hiking, canoeing, sailing, boating, skiing, snowboarding and such, Vancouver is amazing. In the winter there is Grouse Mountain, Whistler and Cypress to go skiing and snowboarding. But for those of us where that kind of activity is just a vacation activity I prefer a city with innumerable cultural, culinary and sports activities.

Towers in Burnaby, BC (Vancouver). Foto © Canadá en Español/Cactus Rock New Media

Source: canadianandworldtourism.com

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