Also, what are the employment prospects like. I currently work in Banking /finance, but am open to offers (the move is not about work, its more about lifestyle) including working for myself.[/QUOTE]

Professionally not too good, small professional market, employers are generally not the most progressive and open minded. Even the placement agencies are pretty much backward in their approach to candidates. You may get lucky and carve out a niche, I did, no reason why you can't. If just lifestyle, the Okanagan has options for financial sector, real estate, self employment. Someone with great business/finance skills and customer service/marketing savvy, could make good money here. But ROI is usually low and SB's have a high failure rate due to lack of business savvy and likelihood of owner being on ski-hill/golf course most the time leaving lazy dope smoking staff in charge day 2 day. Service and business management is generally the dogs hairy ass.

[/QUOTE]Whats Clown like for children. I suspect its not an issue for my kids at their young age, but are they likely to want to move away as soon as they are old enough ?[/QUOTE]

WTF is Clown ? Maybe you mean K-Town ? or Klowntown ? Both alternative names for Kelowna. Plenty to do leisure wise, more than you can shake a stick at. Maybe they'll take the chilled out BC lifestyle approach. Bum out, ski, sunbathe, smoke roach etc. UBC has a good campus here, no need to move, some courses linked to BCIT. Or go to UAB/UC or UBC/BCIT at Vancouver and get to see the big city, electricity, non-white people

I can put you in touch with a great realtor should you need it. And of course I'm more than happy to help and advise but please remember it's just my 2c.

Of course, The Okanagan is the pits, don't come here

Rich.[/QUOTE]

Rich

Many Thanks for your response - very helpful. I think we need to do a bit more research. Kelowna does have a great deal going for it, but I am a little concerned about what to do for a living. Can I ask what your line of work is ?

Clown - I think this must have been Kelowna via spell check !

Many Thanks

Mark

[/quote] Many Thanks for your response - very helpful. I think we need to do a bit more research. Kelowna does have a great deal going for it, but I am a little concerned about what to do for a living. Can I ask what your line of work is ?

Clown - I think this must have been Kelowna via spell check !

Many Thanks

Mark[/QUOTE]

Hi Mark,

I am in general management/project management with a speciality/interest in business improvement (process/efficiency/HR etc). I got lucky, not too much of this kind of stuff here, professional/management market is small, growing slowly, is mainly mom-pop stores, small startups, retail and service sector employment.

Luckly I can get by in most everything management related and could work in contruction if need be to pay the bills, prolly have an easier more hassle-free life if I did that

If you want to speak to someone direct about the market try links here:

www.okanaganstaffing.com
http://www.platinumpersonnel.ca/

IMHO Platinum are the best in town, we use them quite a lot...ask for Heather or Carole. And of course check the local online media (I can give links) and other resources for latest market/industry news. let me know if you need more info or links/contacts. Anyways if you're not looking for seniority, jobs aplenty at lower and medium range, walk in to a job tomorrow here.

Rich

NB they call it Klowntown cos of the crazy/old drivers hereabouts. It's not really bad at all. Just feels bad when there's a skew of cowboy-hatted 'Bertans in trucks and myopic old peeps taking over the highways down the strip and it's 38 degrees and you're late home for supper and have to call for gas too.

Random K-Town pix below.

Rich

Check out this site, great place to live and NOT overly wet as some people think, in fact they get 50% less rain than Vancouver.

http://www.city.parksville.bc.ca

Qualicum and P/v always sound nice...but given the OP's line of questioning, exactly what is there to do [work] there ? Plenty retirees and peeps with money ? Much smaller than Okanagan region, knowing the challenges we have here socially/economically/employment related, I can't imagine having much opportunity over there ? Real estate is prolly half the price or so, for a reason. Great if you're financially self reliant, sucks hairy ass if you need to earn decent regular $.

Rich.

I have to agree with all Rich says here.

Simply put Qualicum Beach and Parksville are retirement communities.

We have vacationed in the area for the last 10 years, a great place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there and I'm retired.

Does the phrase "Waiting for God" mean anything to you.

I agree with the "parksville" comments, we went there on the way back from a vacation in Tofino (awesome place). We had planned to stay there one night. We changed our minds on arriving there, as there was very little there so we cancelled our hotel, caught an earlier ferry and spent a night in Whistler instead - way better. Anyhow if we couldn't find enough to do to fill just one day how on earth could you last a year or more?
We also live in Kelowna; we got up late today so couldn't go skiing however we just nipped up to telemark on the Westbank and had an hour or so shuffling around the trails on some snowshoes whilst enjoying the dizzying smell of pine and enjoying the crisp cold weather...if you love being outside the Okanagan is pretty hard to beat.

ps Off to Big White tomorrow as I said 'hard to beat"

You were selling it so well then you go and mention Blackhole and pieland

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Yup...... always telling it as it is - even paradise has it's retail hell hole, the dark side to be avoided/escape from

Rich.

Rich

It looks fantastic - it looks like we're going to spend a bit of time doing more research on Kelowna. How long is the drive from Kelowna to Big White ?

Mark

About 45 mins. 45-60 mins to Silver Star, Vernon, XC ski-ing at Sovereign Lake (Silver Star) and MCCulloch about same distance as Big White. Night ski-ing at Telemark and Crystal Mountain on Westide (20 mins away). Apex at Penticton 1 hour or so away. Sun Peaks resort at Kamloops 2.5 hours away.

We're never short of things to do, life here is "everyday amazing" more various area pix attached to interest you.

Rich

I've gone off it now, it looks and sounds terrible !!

Here's a few more photos of Kelowna and environs:

Ah yes, the beautiful Mission Hill Winery?

Prefer Quail's Gate for a night's dining I must confess.