Advice on Living in remote BC (rental, home, buying)

[LittleDolphin]

Thanks, Robynator, good tips...I'll do some vicarious travels via Google this winter and see what comes up...I guess I could camp for the summer, as Canada has gorgeous parks, but do need the trusty internet connection for my writing projects...wonder if I could live a summer off-line...likely so, but a little frightening. Guess I'm hooked. Maybe I need a break.

Other idea greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Anyone want to house swap? Our little coastal sound-side village would be a big change for many...warm, warm Atlantic ocean, wreck diving, hush puppies, succulent shrimp...friendly people, great fishing....miles of beach to wander, a National seashore...am I tempting anyone yet??

Trade you loons and moose for wild horses and dolphins??

[ColdCanadian]

Originally Posted by LittleDolphin

Anyone want to house swap? Our little coastal sound-side village would be a big change for many...warm, warm Atlantic ocean, wreck diving, hush puppies, succulent shrimp...friendly people, great fishing....miles of beach to wander, a National seashore...am I tempting anyone yet??

Trade you loons and moose for wild horses and dolphins??

You are!
I'm in love with the Carolina coast already and spent many vacations in the Grand Strand, as well as visiting Calabash NC, Wrightsville Beach NC, Folly Beach SC and Hilton Head...

But it's not my house to swap, and I live in a suburb of 700,000 ppl.

The sky is never dark at night, can only see maybe 100 stars on a good night, but I do back onto a small forest.
We have plenty of squirrels, chipmunks, birds, some rabbits, racoons, possum, fox and deer.
Loons and moose can be seen within a 2-3 hour drive from here.

[Robynator]

I've lived in BC my entire life and have never seen a moose, ever.

[mikeyyc]

Originally Posted by Robynator

I've lived in BC my entire life and have never seen a moose, ever.

You have to leave Gastown.

Drive to PG, and if you don't see any I think you get a medal, or an award for not being very observant.

[Robynator]

Ha!

I've explored a large portion of the province - all of Vancouver Island, the interior, the Cariboo, the Bowron Lakes area, the Okanagan, the Rockies...

... and have never seen a moose!

Bears? Yes. Eagles? Yes. Elk, mountain goats, orcas, etc? Yes...

... but the ever-present Canadian moose is a bit mythical to me.

[MellowYellow]

Originally Posted by Robynator

You can own property and you can stay in Canada as a tourist for 6 months. But that's it - you'd only be a tourist. You wouldn't be allowed to vote, or be allowed to work in any sense of the word, nor be able to access the much hyped "free" (ie: paid by Canada's high taxes) health care. If he had kids, his kids wouldn't legally be able to attend local schools, and what not. He wouldn't be considered a legal resident or a permanent resident or an immigrant by any means. But as long as it's a vacation home, then you can live as an American tourist for 6 uninterrupted months assuming you can support yourself.

Hey Robynator,
I know the thread I'm replying to is old, but I'm wondering: How does one acquire a caretaker job at a remote lodge/ranch/resort in BC? I looked for about a year, applied to the two I found, rec'd no replies. And I'm a CDN, who's lived in BC. Subscribed to Caretaker magazine, the ads were 95% US locations. Any ideas? You seem to be up on this sort of thing.

[kotis]

Originally Posted by Robynator

Ha!

I've explored a large portion of the province - all of Vancouver Island, the interior, the Cariboo, the Bowron Lakes area, the Okanagan, the Rockies...

... and have never seen a moose!

Bears? Yes. Eagles? Yes. Elk, mountain goats, orcas, etc? Yes...

... but the ever-present Canadian moose is a bit mythical to me.

Try the yukon. We saw 3 up there in 2 weeks.
I think I've seen 7 or 8 moose now, but never a mountain goat! Everyone else I know has, but not me.

[rifleman]

Originally Posted by Robynator

I've lived in BC my entire life and have never seen a moose, ever.

Just float a Yukon river for a bit! you'll come around a corner, and voila! but then, if it's a cow, be v. v. quiet, or else she'll demo a bit of matronly protective behaviour!

someone said, above: "The drive from Prince George to Juneau takes 27 hours, as the drive is 2,051 km long, and for the most part, it's mountainous (so slow-moving)."

hmm... unless things have changed, I wasn't aware you could drive to Juneau! That last downhill bit would be a bit rough, I'd say!

to the OP: wonderful romantic idea. Many others have commented with accurate ideas, and I have actuallyl ived as you describe. You might want ot get that DVD from PBS about Richard Pronneke. A fascinating bit of home-made film he captured for his family while he forged his own cabin out in the Alaskan bush. later, after his death, a friend made it into a movie, added sound, and it's now a great film. Worth it.

Also worth watching Grizzly Man, or read the book called "The Grizzly Maze", both of which detail the odd & sad tale of that loner grizzly studier Timothy Treadwell (I won't grace him with the title of biologist), who lived (& died...) alone out with the grizz in coatal Alaska.

PBS also did a special some years ago on the lives and tribulations of several families who lived in the alaskan wilderness. I just can't remember the title, but it's well worth finding. Most of the families left eventually, seeking the comforts and security of a less remote existance.

Being alone in the wilderness is NOT what you might romantically think. It has it's very unique qualities, and brings certain self-reliant and resourceful types some interesting insights and qualities. But it IS, in fact, quite dangerous; I would NOT, for instance ever be without a SatPhone, ever. Ever. (did I get that point across? I hope so...)

You'd also have to be quite proficient with a pump shotgun or Marlin 45-70 rifle, and not be afraid to use it in a life-threatening situaiton. Bears and cow moose do not negotiate, Even though such events are uncommon, they do occur, and the human usually loses.

There was also a recent movie about a kid who decided not to be a doctor as his parents had always wished, but instead he hoofed/thumbed his way to Alaska and hiked in to live in an old bus, and tried to live there. They found him, starved and dead, the next spring.

My advice? Move to Montana, buy a small liveable cabin outside of a small town, situated where you have pretty reliable cell-phone coverage (youy can still be 20 miles from that small town and get cell), have at least a good reliable used truck and a passable road, and/or a snow mobile for the winter, and try it out for a winter. You might also want to have satellite internet, you know, soz you can keep in touch with how the world's going to hell on a hand cart? Then garden, hunt, till the good earth to your heart's content.

Enjoy!

[LittleDolphin]

Good, smart advice...gosh, though, I'd not be so good at hunting for my meat...I'd likely be out there in the woods foraging about for fungi and dandelion greens--or I'd be back at the cabin, rustling up yet another meal of beans and rice or chili...

My brother once tried to teach me to shoot a 30 ought six rifle or something like that, and the darn thing just about knocked me down..he didn't warn me about the kick-back...no more of me and firearms, nope, too dangerous for me and for planes flying overhead.

Though I've had wild game (deer, rabbit and pheasant) and enjoyed it, and have no problems with others hunting for their dinner, I'm more like Bambi when it comes to tracking, shooting, skinning and cutting up a critter for my own saute pan...

As a kid, I used to do some lake fishing in New Hampshire, and often caught bass and pickerel, but it was my dad who had to clean them, while I stood nearby crying...but then I enjoyed eating them. Not very honest of me, I know, but there you have it...I'm a wus...

Coming to Canada this Sept.--hoorah, hoorah! Be forewarned, you'll soon be hearing some very fractured French! And hey, why not, I left them convulsed with laughter in Mexico with my Spanish, now to do the same with my French..mai oui!!

I'm an equal opportunity linguist...

[StarshipPoopers1]

Originally Posted by LittleDolphin

Good, smart advice...gosh, though, I'd not be so good at hunting for my meat...I'd likely be out there in the woods foraging about for fungi and dandelion greens--or I'd be back at the cabin, rustling up yet another meal of beans and rice or chili...

My brother once tried to teach me to shoot a 30 ought six rifle or something like that, and the darn thing just about knocked me down..he didn't warn me about the kick-back...no more of me and firearms, nope, too dangerous for me and for planes flying overhead.

Though I've had wild game (deer, rabbit and pheasant) and enjoyed it, and have no problems with others hunting for their dinner, I'm more like Bambi when it comes to tracking, shooting, skinning and cutting up a critter for my own saute pan...

As a kid, I used to do some lake fishing in New Hampshire, and often caught bass and pickerel, but it was my dad who had to clean them, while I stood nearby crying...but then I enjoyed eating them. Not very honest of me, I know, but there you have it...I'm a wus...

Coming to Canada this Sept.--hoorah, hoorah! Be forewarned, you'll soon be hearing some very fractured French! And hey, why not, I left them convulsed with laughter in Mexico with my Spanish, now to do the same with my French..mai oui!!

I'm an equal opportunity linguist...

Haha have you seen much of Canada? Unless you're coming to Northern Ontario/Quebec/New Brunswick you won't be speaking French. I've been Quebec's neighbour for 20 years and I've only met 2 or 3 fully bilingual people haha. So don't worry about your French skills, you'll probably never need them.

Are you still considering the remoteness aspect anymore? I see it's been almost two years since you were considering it, I'd find it interesting to see what your current plans are.

Where abouts are you coming to? B.C still?