Hel2979

We are looking at moving to Canada next year, with a potential area of work being Vancouver. However, we don't want to live in the centre. Can anyone advise potential areas to live within a maximum 40 minute commute. We are headed over in February so would like to be able to see a few places and how the commute is. Ideally we are looking for a quiet area with good sized gardens. I don't know if this exists so close to Vancouver or if we need to look at other areas. Any suggestions for Vancouver or other areas welcome. We will go where the work is (the field of work is geotechnical engineering).
Thanks in advance Helen

scrubbedexpat091

Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Moody, Surrey, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond are all within 40 minutes in theory, dependent on time of day and traffic.

I commute from Vancouver to Richmond and with traffic its 30 to 40 mins, 20 without traffic at 3am.

Hel2979

Thank you....I'll start looking into those area.

scilly

All will be expensive, though not as impossible as Vancouver.

However, West Vancouver is likely to be even more expensive than Vancouver, and tends to be very "inclusive".

All also have low tenancy rates for renting

You should look at a map to see where those areas are in regard to Vancouver ....... bridges can be h*** in rush hour, and there are bridges to West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey.

Transit is bus or Seabus only to North Vancouver and West Vancouver. Buses and Skytrain to the others

scilly

depends on what you mean by "good sized"

How high is your budget?

Siouxie

https://ca.indeed.com/jobs?q=Geotech...ring&l=Ontario
https://ca.indeed.com/jobs?q=Geotech...itish+Columbia

About even on jobs advertised Ontario generally cheaper to live.. potentially big gardens

Snowy560

New Westminster?

I went there a few weeks ago and thought it was quite nice.
I'm a North Vancouver person myself. We sorted of ended up here by accident but I love it. It's slightly boring but it's my home.

Hel2979

Hi
our budget is about 700,000 which having looked in the areas people gave suggested are commutatble no longer seems enough! Good sized would be enough for 3 dogs to run around in (vague I know) sorry.

Londonuck

Through my job I drive throughout the entire city/lower mainland. If I were you, and wanted to keep my sanity, I would pick somewhere near a skytrain station. It is without a doubt the worst place I have ever driven. As soon as Im finished work I tend not to go near my car cos I hate driving so much now.

Londonuck

Funny you say that. My current depot is in NW and my area covers Burnaby, NW, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam. I also was surprised at how nice NW can be. Its a bit like North Van was back when I came here originally in 98.

scrubbedexpat091

Probably need to go further then if you desire a house with yard with that budget.

Chilliwack but the commute is hell and can take anywhere from a little over an hour to 2 hours, google is showing 1 hr 45 mins currently, no transit option. An accident can easily shut down the highway for several hours as well, its an inadequate highway for the volume of traffic, so while "commutable" its not pleasant.

Mission which has the West Coast Express train if a M to F 9 to 5 worker, train has limited schedules so only works for typical 9-5 job.

Lots of people commute from Squamish as well, its north of Vancouver and only hiccup is the Lions Gate bridge but its not too bad of a commute and a lot of people do it now, but 700,000 might not be enough for a house, condo or town house maybe.

Maple Ridge possibly.

You would have to check housing prices.

Aviator

you can check out pricing here www.realtor.ca

Londonuck

The reason I stopped working at the NS depot was the traffic is absolutely bonkers. Every single say there is an accident blocking one of the bridges and the NS comes to a grinding halt. All it takes is one on the sea to sky and you're looking at a few hours not moving anywhere.

If I was moving to Canada and didn't mind snow/cold I'd go anywhere but Vancouver and the lower mainland.

Siouxie

I agree, job first, location 2nd.. so do check the links I gave. Have you or your partner had your professional registration / certification process - if necessary for your professions (are they regulated?) started for BC already?

I'm not sure I would want to drive from New York to Vancouver in December with 3 dogs. Unless you have a requirement to move to Vancouver I'd take a look at Ontario, there's jobs to be had in the industry and for $700k you could buy a reasonable property with a large garden out of town a bit in many areas (with acreage if you wanted it, potentially).

How big are your dogs and have you checked if the breeds are allowed in BC / Ontario / Canada?

scrubbedexpat091

Worst for me was last winter, semis tried to go up the Knight Street hill in snow without chains and lets just say they couldn't do it, so the trucks had the hill blocked and that backed traffic up for miles and miles, took me 2 hours to get from East Vancouver to YVR.

I would never lived on the north shore myself, too congested but seems to work for some.

In an ideal world, I would work and live downtown and never need to get in a vehicle again, but that is fantasy...lol


As for dog bans in BC, as far as I know there is nothing at the provincial level, you have to check with each municipality and see what their bylaws are regarding dogs/pets.