Quote:
Originally Posted by aladywhoknows
Hello,
Looking to transplant my family to Vancouver Island from Niagara Falls, ON. We have visited several times and it's an absolute paradise. We want to live there and are DESPERATE to get out of the Falls...definitely not a place to raise a family.
I feel that we are getting too excited and moving too fast so I would like some pros and cons of Victoria and surrounding areas from people who live there.
Thanks!!!
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As a ten year resident I will try to answer your questions:
-Ease of finding new jobs - at best a 50% chance of finding work in either area. Cutbacks at local papers, one TV station just about went bankrupt (bought by employee group - that may be an option if you could afford to buy in). Housing starts down, and trend is to continue, likely worse. There may be work in roofing repairs, but the outlook is only average.
-Lower cost houses/condos - the areas you mention all have a sense of community - but Saanich is probably the best - except maybe Colwood as it may not be 30 minutes from downtown especially during rush hour. What is your definition of lower cost? Condos run about $ 300,000 in the areas you mention, townhouses about $ 425,000, and houses $ 500,000. These prices may come down sooner than later - some are predicting a 30-40% 'correction'. Or are you looking at renting?
Saanich has good rec centers and schools - there are also the Juan De Fuca center between View Royal and Colwood.
-How much we should look at spending on BC healthcare for 4 - BC Medical premiums are $ 114 a month - but there are lot's of exceptions to what is paid - check their website. There is also no dental coverage. You should look for employers that offer medical and dental plans.
-How do you secure a place before moving - we did it in stages, my wife stayed behind to sell our former home, then we rented a 3 bedroom townhouse for a year ($ 1700 a month in today's dollars). It took us a year to find an affordable home - we wanted to be a 20 minute walk to downtown, finally bought in Oct 2001.
-We are sort of open to living on the mainland but only on Sunshine Coast...any comments about jobs and cost of living around that area? Can't help you there.
Other things I'm curious about
:
What's the difference between a den and a bedroom?
Bedroom has a closet and usually a solid door, den doesn't
Why do all the places have fireplaces? Is that generally the main source of heat?
Most older places have wood-burning and newer ones gas. Some people try to heat their homes with the fireplace. We converted our wood fireplace to electric - basically used for ambience. Main source of heat on the island is oil or gas forced air and many with baseboard heat. Some newer homes have heat pumps.
If we are used to -40 winters, will my children ever need snowsuits there?
Won't need anything close to -40 protection, but it is a different kind of cold here. Horizontal rain is common in winter, so good rain gear is essential if you like the outdoors.
If it snows, does everything shut down?
Maybe twice in the last ten years there has been snow that taxed the areas snow removal. We seldom see snow last where we are (2.2 km from downtown on the inner harbour) - it usually melts within a day.
Further out from the ocean, more chances are the snow will be deeper and last.
Most problems are with complacent drivers who don't have enough experience with driving in snow, and don't have proper tires.
I don't want to discourage you, but I would exercise caution and patience before you commit to a move.
Here is a link to a similar request I responded to awhile back...
http://www.city-data.com/forum/canad...ctoria-bc.html
We are planning to downsize next year and buy a place back in Kelowna where we spent 30 years, and buy a second home in Phoenix.