Hegg

Hello everyone!

We (my husband, our soon to be 2 year old son and me) are heading from London UK to BC at the end of July. I have just accepted a BC Government job based in Richmond. We are currently based in SW London, but have been thinking of moving out to the countryside and then this job came up and against all expectations I was successful. So we have just decided to accept and make the move! My husband is originally from Vancouver Island and we hope with time my job will transfer to Victoria where we also have family. But, in the meantime, are excited about what Vancouver has to offer!

We are looking at Ladner as a place to live as we have friends based there currently and the commute doesn't look too bad, but I was wondering if there are any BE members out there with young families in the Ladner/Delta area? If so, would you recommend it as good place for a young family to live?

It is all quite overwhelming, but it looks like this site is a great support. Looking forward to this adventure!

Hegg

Aviator

Parts of Ladner are better than living in a city. You'll have to contend with the commute though the Deas Island Tunnel. This is brutal during the commuting hours. Construction of the new crossing begins in 2017, so a few more years of traffic yet. Not something I would want to do every day.

An alternative route, but further is the Alex Fraser bridge and East West Connector. Six of one half dozen of the other.

ExKiwilass

I don't live in Ladner, but I'm glad to finally see someone consider it as an option. I"m a fan. It's a farming village that has grown over the years but you can still get a house on a decent size lot for a not so crazy price. The schools are good. It has a real community feel and is walkable if you pick the right area. Demographically it's more caucasian - this may be a positive or a negative depending on your point of view, but it is changing and becoming more diverse. The commute to Richmond from there would be pretty easy. You're also quite close to Tsawwassen which has some good beaches.

ExKiwilass

oh, good point about hte tunnel Aviator.

JonboyE

Ladner is good. The tunnel isn't. If you work regular office hours choose a car with a soothing interior.

Oink

If you have to live here it not a bad place considering. Its where I buy my prawn traps from.

Lychee

I like Ladner. It's charming and rural, and next to Westham Island - an agricultural island in the Fraser delta, home of the George C. Reifel Bird Sanctuary - a wonderful park and birding hotspot. Commuting from Ladner to Richmond is not far, but the tunnel is a stressful bottleneck during rush hour that would lose its novelty immediately. Ladner is also a short (15 minute?) drive from the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, which is where the ferry for Victoria departs.

If not Ladner, consider Steveston as an option, even if it means downsizing your house. Steveston (a fishing village) puts you in a desirable part of Richmond, without having to contend with any of the awful parts of the commute. You can commute from Steveston to anywhere in Richmond in 15 minutes or less, typically. Unfortunately Steveston's prices have raised dramatically, but a smaller home in Steveston with no stressful commute may be a better compromise in the long run.