cora

Hi,

Myself and family are coming out in a couple of months(3 children)
We have our visa`s but undecided on what area.It is a toss up between Vancouver island and Langley.Job opportunities in both however employment benefits better in langley.What are your views on the two.At the end of the day it`s down to us however any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

jempee

Where abouts on VI are you thinking off? there are some of us dotted about on the island:

VICTORIA
SHAWNIGAN LAKE
COBBLE HILL
COWICHAN LAKE
NANAIMO
COMOX
CAMPBELL RIVER

if i left anyone out i do apologise

Maybe if you have an area in mind we can point you in the right direction of who to talk to

Personally, i love VI, scenery is 'awesome' and things have worked out well for us.

What interests your family? maybe that might help you decide which area to look at.

buggalugs

Hi There

As someone who has lived in Victoria for 12years I would say that if you have a family its a great place to raise children. You are never too far away from the ocean here and just last night my OH and I had our dinner on the beach(alongside many others doing the same) and we commented on just how many children were there with parents hanging out and having fun. Wished I had been able to raise my daughter here.
Perhaps there are more facilities in Langley but just wanted to give my opinion.
If you would like any other advice on Victoria please ask me anytime.
Good luck with your decision making.
Buggalugs

gloveman

Another thumbs up for Vancouver Island. We moved here in May and love it.

Judy in Calgary

Cora, do you have to choose before you've seen the two places? It would be more ideal if you could see both of them before you decided.

I have only visited the areas in question as a tourist, and that doesn't always give one an accurate impression of what it would be like to live in a place.

With that said, I favour Vancouver Island over the Greater Vancouver Area.

JonboyE

Cora

Where abouts on VI would you be? Campbell River is very different to Victoria and this will have a great bearing on your choice.

cora

[QUOTE=jempee;5253609]Where abouts on VI are you thinking off? there are some of us dotted about on the island:

VICTORIA
SHAWNIGAN LAKE
COBBLE HILL
COWICHAN LAKE
NANAIMO
COMOX
CAMPBELL RIVER

if i left anyone out i do apologise

Maybe if you have an area in mind we can point you in the right direction of who to talk to

Hi,

Employment would be based in Saanichton,I would be looking for a short commute .Within walking distance to schools and ideally walking distance to most amenities.My wife would be looking for work at university.
Areas like Maplewood,Broadmead,Brentwood Bay do appeal to us via the web.
Langley has more employment opportunities and cheaper property however I am drawn towards Vancouver Island.

live to ski

I personally would favour VI, but then remember you are at the mercy of BC Ferries and the summer line-ups if you are ever wanting to get off the island.

Langley is more accessible to other places around BC and for the odd day trip to the States, depending on the traffic.

maddhobs

Hi, we live in the Cowichan Valley, about 40 minutes North of Victoria and absolutely love it! For your wifes work a link to the University of Victoria is http://www.uvic.ca/ and there is Royal Roads University http://www.royalroads.ca/ and also University Canada West http://www.universitycanadawest.ca/ There is also Camosun College http://www.camosun.bc.ca/ Regarding schools a couple of links are the BC School Districts http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/apps/imcl/imclWeb/Home.do and the Fraser Institute http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/ Hope this helps and good luck!

chan_konabe

I'm currently living in Victoria, but I grew up in Langley. Personally, I prefer Victoria (that's why I'm living here now), but Langley has some good points. Houses and townhouses, in general, tend to be cheaper than in Victoria. Of course, there has been a solid construction boom in Langley over the last 15 years. There are so many houses, townhouses, condos, and strip-malls being built. The transportation infrastructure and public transportation system hasn't yet caught up with the population explosion. Traffic is a continual problem, not just for commuting to other areas like Surrey or over the Port Mann Bridge into Vancouver, but also for commuting within Langley. In fact, there was a recent news story saying that Langley has the highest car ownership rate in BC - there are more cars than people! However, there are still a lot of undeveloped areas of Langley, if you prefer to live in a more rural area.

All of these people and businesses mean a lot more jobs are created and your wife would have more opportunities finding work in local colleges and universities because there are just more of them. The professional job market in Victoria can be very competitive at times, especially for post-secondary instructors. If you live in Langley, your wife could look for work not only here, but in nearby Surrey and Abbotsford. If she wanted to commute to other areas in Vancouver, she'd just have to get to the SkyTrain line in Surrey and the rest of the Lower Mainland would be a possibility.

Maple Leaf

hello cora and family......

we moved from the main land to vancouver island and we love it!..realisticly we do not plan or have any reason to go across the ferry that often...for me it will probably be once in a blue moon. my husband and i have not found the ferrys to be a hassle at all..(except when we didnt' plan ahead)...and if anything i have enjoyed the trips across as the scenery is fantastic. if you plan ahead and you can even book, you will have less issues with it.

just want to mention about schools. if you are planning on sending your children to a public school.....be aware that....some schools are capped..and just because you live within walking distance of a school..does not gaurantee your children are able to register with it. i would suggest if when the time comes you are looking at property with the closeness of the school in mind to contact the school before settling.....in BC parents can apply to send their children to any school regardless where they live hence creating overcrowding in some..........as we found out the hard way.

i realy do not know anything Langley..so am unable to comment.....sometimes we have to take a leap of faith and go with our gut instincts...also...if you were to rent when you first got here..for a while..it would give you a chance to sort out where you would realy like to be.

For instance i wasn't all that impressed with Victoria as somewhere to live...but now i have been over here for a while..it has realy been growing on me...much to the dimsay of my husband..hehehee..as we have moved further up central island....and when i talk about how much i am loving it at areas like James Bay etc..he just looks at me ..as if ready to say..dont' you dare!!!