dbd33

My second-hand impression is of Vancouver. I suppose it's possible that small town BC might be more liberal but I have the impression that rural BC, like rural AB, isn't a place you'd want to go in a foreign car.

jandro

How warm and dry do you like it? For the past few summers at least central BC gets so hot and dry that it goes up in flames. The heat dome this summer had the highest recorded temperatures with some places in the interior reaching close to 50 (without humidex). Here in Vancouver it reached 41 which was too hot for me. I know of a family that had to leave their home in the Okanagan over the summer because of the smoke. The only thing I like about the area are the wineries and cheap fruit.

The area around Merritt might be cheaper. It has a similar climate. It has a few lakes like Nicola Lake which has a beach. Nearby highway 8 was washed out though. Osoyoos is hotter and drier but also has a big Lake and might be cheaper.

You'd probably find Vancouver or Vancouver Island more to your taste then. These areas consistently return NDP, Green and LIberal MPs to the provincial and federal parliaments.

Danny B

Stay away from the BC interior, our Summers are ruined on a regular basis due to weeks of forest fire smoke blanketing the skies and dealing with falling ash. Last Summer was particularly scary as we got forcibly evacuated due to a fire close to our house.

The winters are great though, couple of weeks of severe cold then it's basically over. +3 today in Kamloops and for the first time since Christmas, I can see the concrete on my driveway.

Lychee

The Okanagan has traditionally been home to a conservative/right wing community in BC. Perhaps things are changing, but I wouldn't go there expecting an overwhelmingly progressively-minded community. Generally speaking, rural BC has been and is a fairly conservative place, as most resource extraction industry hinterlands are in the province. But the Okanagan was famous for being home to Christian conservatism that's not nearly as prevalent as elsewhere in the province, with exception, perhaps, Abbotsford. Again, perhaps things have changed. I do know that the Okanagan is a place where young families from Vancouver are moving to in droves because it's slightly more affordable, and where Albertans wealthy with oil industry money have cashed our their savings to buy second homes, boats, and all the consumerist toys.

For less right-wing leaning cultures, Nelson or the Slocan Valley are small, isolated mountain towns with quirky arts and outdoor cultures - ski bums, mountain bikers, hippie artists and musicians. The Sunshine Coast is a mix of rainforest hippie village culture, retired artists (Joni Mitchell still has a home there!), but also fairly conservative forestry workers. The Gulf Islands may be what you're seeking - Salt Spring Island, Galiano, Mayne, Saturna, Gabriola. They're environmentally-sensitive, self-sufficient types of places in the rain shadow of Vancouver Island's mountains, so they get a lot of sunshine, but then you're also dealing with infrequent ferries to get anywhere.

I don't know what to say about moving for the weather. You're in for a massive lifestyle change and the weather is merely one factor. Everything you take for granted culturally in the UK will shift and you'll have to relearn all your old habits, traditions, and ways of being and interacting in society. It's First World Problems, sure, but go in with open eyes. You're changing everything about your life. How you must rely on your car to get around in the Okanagan. The endless urban sprawl. The heat waves in the summer and wildfires. The grey skies at winter. The lack of a pub culture. The lack of banter, sarcasm, or the expectation of there being banter, sarcasm or after-work drinks. The types of food popular or affordable in supermarkets or the types of cuisine and familiar dishes in restaurants. The conversation topics, the values of what makes the local news, etc. The lack of rail, the lack of cheap travel, the distance to get anywhere different, Etc. Etc.

Everyone in Canada flees to BC for better weather and the work-life balance. The pandemic has provided an opportunity for all the young workers in the expensive cities to flee to the rural areas and work remotely, driving up property prices. Immigrants from all over the world are also flocking to Canada and many come to invest in BC property. Prices seem to be only going up and up. Come if the lifestyle is truly what you want here, but the weather should just be one small factor.

I suppose what I'm saying is, if you're adaptable, self-aware, and don't mind making changes in your lifestyle, your habits, etc. come and give it a go. If the weather's the only thing you're looking to change, come for an extended holiday.

Danny B

Some interesting infographics here as well to help with your decision

https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/...da-on-the-map/

dbd33

Holy shit that comes from a strange in-bred view of the world. Hockey vs. Church tweets? Here, at least, neither ice hockey nor Christianity excite widespread interest and I'd guess the devotees of each are less likely to be Twitter users than the general public.

mdonald1987

I did wonder if the Ok was like that. Given it’s known for retirees, those in their older years tend to become more conservative with age, right? I guess I’m thinking more in terms of policy. The new police and crime bill, and the nationality and borders bill in the UK has me seething. I want to somewhere where people from other cultures are welcome and the right to protest is seen as sacred, as opposed to unlawful. I don’t think I’ll ever escape suburban conservatism, unless we move to LA!

Again, regarding the weather, I disagree. There are no right/wrong reasons to move to Canada. People move for lots of different reasons: weather, lifestyle, to be closer to family, to escape persecution, for work. You listed all the things we have to adapt to but regardless of the reasons we move to Canada for, we have to adapt to those things anyway, as does everyone that moves. And I am aware of that. And to be clear, the weather in and of itself isn’t the sole reason we’re moving. We want to move for the adventure. I’ve lived within 30 mins of where I was born my entire life. Why restrict myself to that when the world is so big? We’re also fed up of the UK media, which I believe fuels a lot of the hate towards immigrants and what I think swung Brexit. We opted for Canada due to no language barrier, the proximity to the UK (Aus is just too far), the liberal government (US with their gun/abortion laws is a big no-no), job opportunities (my job doesn’t exist in Aus/US) and the weather. The weather opens up more opportunities than we have here in the UK. As I said in a previous post, the summer in the UK is sad and we wanted more. We don’t want to have a BBQ, go to the beach, take a hike, and go swimming all in one weekend, for fear of not knowing when the next break in the clouds will be. We want it to be something we can do after work, even! Then there’s the winter activities. I’m a fan of the snow. Not necessarily skiing, although I’m keen to do it more, but of a white Christmas, of the novelty of it. Now, I’m not talking about Edmonton or Winnipeg snow. Or even the snow seen in Toronto this week. But from what I’ve seen, the Okanagan gets just enough to enjoy but not enough to create real problems. Again, I’m happy to be corrected on this. It’s difficult to judge this from afar. And ok, perhaps the novelty will wear off for us but then my grandchildren get to experience it and their grandchildren. Compare that to the winters of the UK and you get the ice and sometimes the 2 inches of snow that brings everything to a standstill, coupled with NOTHING to do, and I know which I’d prefer. So the weather, in my opinion, brings a lifestyle change. Could we hike and ski in the UK? Yes but we’re much less likely to engage in it due to the weather and proximity. If it’s on our doorstep, we’re more likely to do it.

mdonald1987

This was really interesting, thanks!

Moses2013

Everybody loves a weather thread. Life is already challenging enough and when you're in the weather business it gets even more challenging. You might have done your research but have you actually looked at the real stats for the area you are looking at? Unless you live right next to that weather station, there are so many other things to consider. You can live in the sunniest place but if your property is on the wrong side of the valley you might never see the sun, add micro climates, wind chill, extreme heat to that list. Who knows and with climate change the snow might be more like rain in the future. Looking at the stats, winter is still winter in Kelowna and throughout the year not much sunnier than Hastings, so it's not like Girona province where you have the med and the skiing and even there you need the money and time to do these things. I have a Spanish friend who still complains that he hardly sees the sun because new buildings are blocking the light and he has to work long hours. Wherever you go, buyer be aware. When weather is the main problem at least you know you have a great life. If you want an adventure get the camping van ready and explore what you have on your doorstep.

dbd33

I think you're rather optimistic in regards to the political climate in Canada (even more so with regard to LA (Jon Voight, Clint Eastwood, Devin Nunes' Cow, the LAPD!) . Immigrants are accepted in Canada but not quite welcomed with the open arms the government would have you believe. Much of small town Canada is like Mississippi Burning on Ice.

The media is a different issue. The Toronto Star is where all those immigrants who haven't quite grasped the language work. It's unreadable, but only slightly worse than the Globe. The National Post is the paper of the frothing loons, like the Telegraph but without the wit and the football coverage. As far as I know, there's no quality source of news based in Canada though there are very good Canadian journalists such as Lise Doucette, Daniel Dale, and Emily Maitlis. One reads "papers" which have the major Canadian stories, if any, Guardian, NYT, Washington Post, Atlantic, New Yorker and so on. Local facebook groups are a good source for knowing which roads are open today and who still has a catalytic convertor attached their car.

I think people who want to hike or ski can do that wherever they live, it's a matter of budget priority. I have, for example, hiked in and around Bryce and the Grand Canyon many times. I didn't have to move to the four corners. I accept that one might find a mountain outside to be inspiring, probably not to your grandchildren though, if you live in such a place you'll be alone, they'll have moved to the city for their parents' work.

mdonald1987

Ok, guys. Thanks for the advice.

Tirytory

You know what they say in Canada as well as the UK… there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. Invest in a great raincoat; it’ll be a darn site cheaper than all the gear you’ll have to invest in for Canada, especially if you have kids.

Why don’t you just move to be closer to trails etc in the UK? Plan amazing trips to Europe. At least you’ll get culture there.

mdonald1987

Ok. Thanks.

Jingsamichty

I think the OP should just move to Scotland. Anywhere in Scotland that's not on the west coast will have sunnier and drier weather than Lancashire, and the rest of the things they want are right here in Scotland.

mdonald1987

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply.