HGerchikov

It's sometimes surprising how many activities there are in the smaller towns. Last year I spent some time in a township that covered an area the size of Toronto and had a population of just under 300 people (I don't think you can get much smaller than that) and yet a browse through the 'what's on' section of the town website produced enough activities from painting, hiking, yoga, cooking etc. I could have been busy every day of the week if I wanted.

scrubbedexpat091

Quesnel was chosen due to low rent availability, it was one of the few places we could find that had rent within a range we can easily afford, it wasn't chosen for any other reason other then that.


My wife likes small towns, and as I grew up in a city of over 1 million, even places with 100,000 people seem small to me, so a town of 10-15k is tiny...lol


I suppose part is moving to a small area means giving up hope on ever getting treatment and maybe having a life, and giving up any hope for school as such a place won't have much options education wise.

In Vancouver at least there is a small hope for treatment where in a smaller town/city there really is really no hope for treatment.


I also like my job and I won't be able to find a comparable job in a small city.

BristolUK

This sort of difference, to me, seems a bit like how having 6 cars is better than having one...except that you can only drive one at a time.

Bristol's population is several times that of Moncton and I often think of Main St. Downtown as a bit like a UK High St. But in practice, Moncton is about the size of the area of Bristol that I used to spend most of my time in, between work, home and going out.

Obviously a city the size of several Monctons has some things we don't have - although our new downtown events centre is better than anything Bristol has - but those might be things you're not interested in. Football soccer stadium for example.

No doubt availability of other services my be limited but if it becomes so affordable that despite a lower income you have more money left after rent, that might remove or reduce many stresses.

And maybe more money means you can do more with spare time than now? Even if that means travelling away to do it.

bats

Did you read the part in my post about mental health support? It's be no means true that you'll get better mental health care in a large city. Small towns may have local funding from municipalities - that's certainly the case here.

I get that part of your condition is a tendency to pessimism and inward thinking but perhaps you could make a point of acknowledging the good? Quesnel might be the making of a great new life for you if you would let it happen.

scrubbedexpat091

Hopefully we have more money...lol.. Depends on the types of jobs we find, but should come out a bit a head, but we will need a car, so that will eat a few hundred a month, but I think overall we will be a bit better off, won't know until we try.



Bat's- I'll call Tuesday and inquire with their mental health office, but generally in BC the smaller the city and further from Vancouver the less options there are for mental health, mental health system in BC is very Vancouver centric with some in Victoria as well.

Their website makes no mention of DBT and long term therapy, so I will have to call and ask them.

From past experience living in smaller citys (Squamish, Abbotsford, Mission, and Chilliwack) I was never able to access help in those due to size and limited mental health funding in smaller citys.

But I will call Tuesday and ask.

I did look at the college website, but there is very limited offerings.

scilly

Gawd ................. the Rocky Mountaineer

The most expensive tourist train!!! It doesn't go through Quesnel every day, plus it is seasonal . ........... doesn't operate in the winter


Actually, Quesnel is quite a nice little town!

It also has an airport.

I don't know what the employment rate is like

scrubbedexpat091

Well the Rocky Mountaineer is geared towards those with money to spend, not travellers on a budget. Really no different then luxury hotels who charge 500+ per night. Expensive for sure, but their target market has money to spend.


Unemployment in the area isn't low, its on the higher side, but that is how it goes in BC, where there are jobs cost of living is high, where cost of living is low there tends to be limited job options.

Vancouver has jobs, but rents are sky high which makes living here very difficult and there is 0 chance of ever owning even a condo here as even condos run half a million for anything decent.

jennellapea

Rocky suuuuuucks. I worked there before, they pay barely above minimum wage and they treat their station staff badly.

Good luck, hopefully you find something

scrubbedexpat091

Good to know. I applied a few years back but never got an interview but seems maybe I lucked out...

scilly

We've actually taken the Rocky Mountaineer

Back in 2003, they ran a train just before Christmas and one just after ................ I think it's the one and only time they've ever done that.

I wanted to take OH on a special trip to celebrate smething, so I booked us on the train after Christmas, stayed in Banff then went up to Jasper for New Year, and finally on the VIA train to Prince Rupert and home

The Rocky Mountaineer cost was something over $800 each for that trip, about half what the cost had been in the summer of 2003 ....... and that was all that I thought it was worth

Our travel agent got us some really good deals in hotels in Banff, Jasper, Prince George and Prince Rupert ............ the overnight hotel in Kamloops was one of the options offered by RM, not such a good deal. We've since stayed at that same hotel for less than RM had us pay.

scilly

Every time we have stopped in Quesnel in the winter, it has been bitterly cold, but it is a dry cold not the damp cold that we get down here.

Have you looked at Prince George? It's never been as cold there when we've stopped or passed through, which has always been on the same trip as going through Quesnel.

I know that's a university town, but we have friends who've lived there for over 20 years and really enjoy it. I don't think it is as cold as Quesnel. and there may be more jobs around as it has the university, plus the airport. They also seem to have a fairly efficient bus service from what I saw when we were up there a year ago.

scrubbedexpat091

Ive looked online for Prince George as well but rents are higher. Seems tonbe 800 to 1k from searching online where in Quesnel I can find 500 to 700.

A couple hundred may not seem like much but when income will only be 1800 to 2k a month paying almost half in rent solves nothing as we would be in the same boat as we are now where we have higher income but half goes to rent.

MillieF

I'm not a small town lover myself Jsmth, but I actually can see positives now, in lots of ways over a more saturated city...it's not been an easy transition, but I'm getting there...

What activities are you doing now that you fear that you're going to have to give up if you move? There might be ways around it? If its interest groups etc. you might start your own? What do you like to do for fun that might not be available?

Oink

Quesnel BC? I bet the fishing is amazing up there. The hiking would be spectacular as would snowshoeing in the winter. If you can get decent paying work there, I'd say go for it. It doesn’t' have to be forever but you both might like the challenge of a change. Good for you for thinking about different possibilities. That sounds very positive and remember if you did move there, you’d still have us.

scrubbedexpat091

Jobs and salary are the unknown. Looks like wages would be depressed due to higher then average unenployment.

But suppose 12/hr there and 675 a month for rent is better then 19.50 in Vancouver at 1750 for rent.

But then the need for a car there will add expense.

I am stil working on the math on it all.