biggayowl

We're moving to Vancouver Island in January, after just over a year in Scotland. Previously we lived in Vancouver for four and a half years. We’re heading to the Comox Valley, and we’ve spent time on the island so have a bit insight into the area.

Would love some tips from island folks on how to make a good go of it out there. And anyone else who’s made it work second time out. Also what’s considered a decent income there? I’m confident we’ll be fine, but that BC cost of living can be a killer.

Cheers

rivingtonpike

Comox Valley is lovely, as long as you have work and, therefore, an income. What do you do for a living? I would imagine if you can command a reasonable salary up there it would be a pretty nice area to live in. I know BC is considered expensive, but when we moved here, we came from one of the most expensive parts of London, so the transition was an easy one. We are also fortunate to have good careers which makes life affordable. We regularly travel up that way for the weekend.

Island life is fairly slow and I'd say reasonably relaxed. Sometimes the notion of "Island Time" is just an excuse for being bone idle and that can be frustrating. But if you can see beyond that and accept that it is what it is, you can have a very pleasant lifestyle here. I'm not sure I'd like to live that far up Island permanently; I like the proximity of where we are to the relative bustle of Victoria. So if a blast of Naniamo can satisfy that need, then the Comox Valley is a beautiful place.

scilly

The Comox Valley is lovely ................ but it's really a place for retirees, vacationers, work-from-homers and back-to-the-landers.

I'm not sure there is any industry, it's mainly service industry I believe. There is a Canadian Air Force base at Comox which is the West Coast major Air Search units ...... but staffed by air force SARs. Not sure if they have many civilian employees .. and there may be restrictions there.

The Island in general suffers from one main drawback .............. travel to and from, and travel down Island for major medical treatment.

Travel to and from the Island is expensive ......... and you'd really have to travel down to Nanaimo for easy ferry access to either Horseshoe Bay or Tsawassen on the Lower Mainland (ie Vancouver).

There is a ferry from Comox to Powell River on the Sunshine Coast that goes 4 times a day in each direction. Then you have to drive down the Sunshine Coast as far as Gibsons, with a ferry in between, and finally take a ferry over to Horseshoe Bay and a 30-45 minute drive to Vancouver. It takes almost all day!

You're currently looking at close to $100 each way for car, driver and passenger.

Or you can take a plane.



As for making a go of it the second time around .......... what made you leave the first time, and what is making you leave Scotland???

Be very sure that you are making the right decision this time around, or you'll be ping-ponging back and forth and never settling anywhere!

biggayowl

- I'm freelance, but my partner is a vet and has a job in Comox.

- plan is to fly to Vancouver fairly regularly.

biggayowl

- We're looking at moving to Cumberland, which has a declining average age (this might be from 60+ though )and it seems like it's a seeing its fair share of Vancouver housing refugees.

- family reasons, and I was studying for a masters. We both really liked BC and regretted coming back. As for leaving Scotland, I like it here, but it was autumn in the first week in August

scilly

Ah yes ............... Cumberland, the centre of coal mining on the Island back in the day!

If your partner has a job as a vet, then you obviously have an income coming in.

But yes, the declining average age is from 70+, and yes, a lot of mainlanders are moving to the Island because housing WAS cheaper ........... those prices are rising rapidly due to the influx! However, Cumberland is not the area that I've been hearing people moving to ........ most seem to be going to Courtney and around there!

Fall in August eh??

We had spring in late May in Vancouver!

rivingtonpike

My wife really likes Cumberland. It is a bit "rural", but if you like that it's not a problem. I always get a sense of pioneeriness when we travel up there. If you have the income to travel, there's no reason to feel isolated. From Naniamo you can travel to Vancouver by helicopter which takes you to Downtown, as do the floatplanes. If time isn't the enemy, the ferry from Nanaimo is a pleasant couple of hours. I think it all boils down to what you like. As a middle aged child owner, a quieter life in very appealing. No doubt one day our kids may have a different opinion.

biggayowl

We're in the same boat. Hoping it's going to be a good place to raise the kids, but fully expecting them to head for brighter lights once they're old enough. I've long been of the opinion that Canada is only somewhere you can live once you're done with life's more hedonistic pleasures.

Jackandvictor

biggayowl

- good to know it can work out second time around.

Oink

Get a well paying and rewarding job.

biggayowl

Hoping one of us has that covered already.

rivingtonpike

Hmmmm, that's a good question really. I guess if you can earn $70-100,000 each you wouldn't want for very much on a day to day basis? Personally I've never considered BC particularly expensive, but then we moved from an expensive part of South West London.

scilly

What is a good income depends so much on what you want to do, and what your expectations are.

House prices in the Comox Valley seem to range from $325,000.00 to $1,850,000.00 according to recent reports on Google.

But then, how well do you live, or want to live? How much do you want to spend on food, drink, entertainment, clothes, dining out, recreation, etc etc ?

You've mentioned previously wanting to get off the Island ..... "flying fairly regularly to Vancouver" is what I think you said.

Have you checked how much flights cost??

These are prices quoted for Comox Valley Airport to YVR for the dates mentioned ......... that would be low season rates, at a guess ........

Thu., November 22 to Monday November 26 Those prices seem to be round trip

But then, where would you stay in Vancouver? How much would you be expecting to spend during those weekends/weeks off island?

Siouxie

And what your income may top out at and what your base expenses are!