Most BC residents know that the province’s natural beauty is one of its key attractions, but what hidden benefits make it worth the cost of living here?
That’s something that led to a discussion on the BC subreddit.
We also found some of our own, courtesy of a former Ontario resident.
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Reddit user mobi_brandon1 told the subreddit that he was eyeing a move to BC from his home in Manitoba, “but the housing situation is freaking me out.”
He acknowledged the gorgeous mountains and the ocean but asked what else makes BC worth the extremely high cost of living.
Someone we asked who originally hailed from Ontario suggested one of the benefits is the online court services BC offers because “you can see if your Tinder date has a criminal record easily.”
She also mentioned the free provincial parks and the lack of mosquitoes compared to Ontario.
In the Reddit thread, someone responded, “In Metro Vancouver and southern Vancouver Island, there are very few bugs compared to anywhere else I’ve been. It’s glorious.”
User stonetime10 said, “The biggest advantage I find living is that I actually live and work in a place I would pay to vacation to.”
Others resonated with that idea. One person said, “You get to point at the TV and shout ‘that was filmed here’ at every second TV show.”
“We are currently [enjoying] all the ‘Japanese’ scenery in Shogun.”
Metro Vancouver has a reasonably reliable transit system, and Vancouver is one of the most walkable cities in North America.
“It’s possible to not own a car living in certain areas in Metro Van,” one resident said, adding that transit is safe, reliable, and relatively cheap.
BC’s restaurant scene and wineries in the interior also received a shoutout. Some also commented on BC’s relatively mild weather despite some obvious extreme exceptions.
What about the water?
“For me, one of the things that makes it worth it is the soft water. I get really bad eczema (and really bad hair) when I live in places with hard water, even with a water softener,” another Redditor said.
One more Reddit user has no plans to leave anytime soon despite BC’s reputation as a costly place to live.
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byu/mobi_brandon1 from discussion
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What are your hidden benefits of living in BC?
With files from Megan Devlin
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