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Hello, long time reader here, first time poster! I've read a fair bit here on Victoria, BC and a bit on Kelowna. I actually lived in Kelowna for a short period of time (November 2007 - June 2008). I had to leave due to aging parents in Ontario. (Previously I had lived in the suburbs of Montreal and loved it except for winter and it was only a 6 hour drive and one tank of gas to visit my parents in Barrie). Getting back to Kelowna, from what I could tell, there were many retirees in this scenic Okanagan Valley city. There was not much of a middle class - lots of poor and lots of rich though. As for work, lots of lower paying dead end jobs, which was all I could find. I'm not fond of winter weather. At first I didn't care for Kelowna because they still got cold weather and snow - albeit not nearly as severe as Barrie, Ontario where I am now. For whatever reason, my father chose Barrie in 1991. None of us are in love with Barrie, but especially me. I can't wait to leave! Not my kind of city at all for so many reasons.
When I moved to Kelowna I went because a friend of mine moved there and convinced me it was better than Vancouver. But, soon after moving to Kelowna, I longed for living in Vancouver again. From 1991 to 1995 (when I was age 18 to 22), I moved out west and lived in the Vancouver area (in the suburbs, New Westminster and later Pitt Meadows) and loved it. Not that I like cloudy, rainy days but I'll take that over cold, snowy winters any day! However, from reading on this forum and blogs online, it seems Vancouver has really changed a lot in the last 15 years. Traffic and pollution are heavy, lots of unfriendly people and high real estate prices seem to be the major downfalls, or so it would seem from what I read online. I suppose I could live there now (or in the general vicinity) but since I can move anywhere, I thought it would be good to see what other options are out there.
I've only visited Victoria once, in 1992. It seemed like a great place, but it's one thing to visit a place, and another to live there. I've got an old high school friend who lives in Victoria now. Ironically, he was my roommate in New Westminster for a while and stayed there after I went back east to Ontario and Quebec. I reconnected with him on Facebook recently, and he told me it's a lot more laid back and easy going than Vancouver. I keep in contact with a friend who moved to New Westminster a few years ago, but recently moved to Victoria after she had her second child. All of these people seem to love it in Victoria.
I'm transitioning to working from home so that it won't matter where I live. That way it won't matter if a city is nice in all respects except for employment. One of the most important factors is weather. If I could live in the southern US, I would. In fact, when my parents pass on, I probably will, or at least buy a condo somewhere warm and go there for the winters. But even still, I'd still like to live in a more moderate climate in Canada, but in a suburban type city. That leaves the Hamilton-Grimsby area in Ontario, which my parents like, or somewhere in BC (like the Vancouver area, Fraser Valley, Kelowna or Victoria).
If I were to move back to BC, I think it would be toss up between Kelowna and Victoria. I think either city would be OK for my elderly parents (moderate climate, availability of healthcare). Then when my parents pass on - which could be in a couple of years or in 10 years - it's a city I could stay in. Or stay for the summers and go south for the winters. Until then, I would need to stay with them. In fact, we would probably buy a bungalow (no stairs) so they would live upstairs and I would live downstairs. Their biggest concern is the cost in moving. But I'm going to save up to cover the moving costs and real estate fees, etc. I'm tired of moving and look forward to settling down in a nice suburb with as little winter weather as possible. Clubbing is not that important to me. I'm not into politics, but politics can give a city a personality. Something more liberal to the left of centre would be preferable. I'm a late 30s single while male.
So, anyone with recent experience in Kelowna or Victoria (or ideally both), let me know what you think! Any pros and cons to one over the other, especially based on my circumstances?
I just discovered one advantage the Kelowna has over Victoria: much less likely to have an earthquake! It's in a very good zone for beign earthquake and flood free.
On the flip-side, Victoria has more mild winters. I like mild winters but I don't like earthquakes. How often do earthquakes occur? Who knows, but the west coast is due for a big one soon! Seems Kelowna is nicely sheltered though. Might be worth putting up with a cooler, snowier winter.
In any case, either city has less snow and warmer temperatures than Barrie has (which is also in Tornado Alley) or Montreal where I previously lived (which also received a sizable earthquake when I was living there).
I honestly wouldn't let earthquakes be the factor of you not moving to Victoria. Earthquakes can happen anywhere in the world. They can happen in Kelowna, too. I mean, Kelowna gets more forest fires and droughts... look up Kelowna 2003 forest fires to see the impact the fires had on that city. It's more of an issue there than earthquakes in Victoria, for example.
Flooding isn't really an issue in Victoria, either. It's not on a flood plain... unless you're talking global melting floods, and if that's the case, then the whole world will be #$#ed - they're not really issues I'd consider.
Kelowna tends to be a bit more politically conservative and totally reliant upon the car, while Victoria's more about living sustainably, being politically liberal. It's a compact city so you can live there without a car. I think they're apples and oranges as far as they go, both physically and mentally.
Personally I could not stand the winters in Victoria, actually I didn't like the weather at all except the 6 good weeks of summer they get. Ok, I'm exagerating, and I don't like rainy, mouldy damp places. You may be able to take that weather if you liked Vancouver. I'll take sunny and snow over mild and damp any day, just a personal preference.
About earthquakes, true any area could get an earthquake, though some areas are more prone to it than others. I actually lived in the Vancouver area for 4 years a while back. Never once did the fear of earthquakes worry me, though that is a much more earthquake prone region. Ironically, now that I don't live there anymore, I think about that more now.
As for Vancouver weather, I wasn't too fond of overcast days with light rain drizzle a lot of the time, but was willing to take that over cold, snow (but sunny) winters. For me, the less snow the better. I hear Victoria has even more mild winters than Vancouver and is less rainy/more sunny. Many people seem to like it there. It seems to be a bit more laid back, but I like that. There will never be a city that pleases everyone. Both Kelowna and Victoria seem to be popular retirement cities, and although I'm only 38, that doesn't bother me.
A couple of old friends have moved to Victoria and seem to really like it. Both are kind of quiet, laid back, easy going, alternative, liberal types. I visited Victoria for 1 day back in the early 1990s and it seemed nice. But that was ages ago, and for just one day. I spent about half a year in Kelowna recently and it seemed OK. Now that I'm away from it, I appreciate it more. Yes, very car dependent that's for sure. And 4 distinct seasons, though winter comes later and leaves earlier than in Barrie or Montreal, both of which I am familiar with.
Something else I noticed about Kelowna is that there are many low wage jobs. So, you have the working poor and the wealthy (many retired). There doesn't seem to be a very big middle class - either very rich or very poor for the most part. Correct me if I'm wrong. But I love the mountains and scenery, and want to be more physically active, so being an outdoorsy city is nice. About the forest fires, yes I remember those. The big one from 2003 seemed to be more in the Westbank area. There are parts of Kelowna that aren't as close to the forests - either more in town or near open areas, water, etc.
Kelowna has the risk for forest fires, Victoria for earthquakes. I don't know how likely either is to happen again. But if I want to stay in Canada and have milder winters (the less snow the better), there aren't many choices. I don't think I want to do the Vancouver thing again. But I hear Medicine Hat Alberta is a nice place, just that I can't see my self living in Alberta. Or rather, hadn't put any serious thought into that. Otherwise I'd have to look at living somewhere further south in the United States. And that's if I can get citizenship. Otherwise, I'd have to be a snowbird and go there for the winters. That's an option too, but I'd prefer to have a place I can stay year round.
I guess what I was trying to emphasize was the importance of moving to somewhere where you can fit in and enjoy it on a day to day basis... dealing with forest fires and earthquakes are things you'll likely never have to encounter, even though the risk is there. Going to a like-minded community where the locals value the same thing as you do - that'll influence your experience with the place day by day.
Good point about Kelowna's economic division. I've never personally looked into the wealth distribution, but it doesn't surprise me. I do know based on purely anecdotal evidence that it's more blue collar than Victoria.
I like Victoria and I like Kelowna, but I couldn't see myself actually living in Kelowna because it's still a little too strip-mall/chain restaurant-y for me... it's not cosmopolitan enough for my personal tastes, even though I love the outdoors there. I'm hardly a city slicker, but I've grown accustomed to global cuisine in Vancouver, and Kelowna just doesn't have it yet. Victoria's sleepy as far as cities go, but I like it because it has a little bit more counter culture and global cuisine which I personally value.
Kelowna gets four seasons, yes, and Victoria... while statistically it's drier/sunnier than Vancouver, it still has the same climate - the wet winters, the dry warm summers. My only beef with Victoria is the wind and beach scene. The beaches are rocky and the wind cools off any summer heat.
Hi there
Jumpin late into the conversation, but it's worth the shot.
I consider myself middle-class, and currently considering a job posted in Penticton, while doing a little research I see Kelowna as the major town in the region. Looked at house rental prices and they don't seem to be that outrageous while the selling prices for sure are. Some houses are even furnished and equipped, and again, affordable.
Am I missing something in the US-Canada translation for rentals?
I currently live in Southern California and can relate to high cost of living, real estate prices very similar to what I see in BC, but rentals are lower compared to here
Thinking of my family, (4 of us with 2 teenagers), Penticton seems like a rather small place, and from I gather, my best option to have city-like ammenities and services would be Kelowna
Is it reasonable for me to consider commuting from Kelowna to Penticton? I know distance wise can be a hassle, but how bad does traffic get? does the weather forbid driving sometimes?
Thanks for any input of the area
Looked at house rental prices and they don't seem to be that outrageous while the selling prices for sure are. Some houses are even furnished and equipped, and again, affordable.
Am I missing something in the US-Canada translation for rentals?
I currently live in Southern California and can relate to high cost of living, real estate prices very similar to what I see in BC, but rentals are lower compared to here
Sales prices detaching and pulling away from rents suggests that the homes may be overpriced. Renting and investing the money that you save by not buying might be a better use of your cash.
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