Number of people leaving B.C. for Alberta reaches 20-year high
Number of people leaving B.C. for Alberta reaches 20-year high
The number of people moving from British Columbia to Alberta has reached a 20-year high, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada.
Data from the 2021-2022 year shows that more than 28,000 people migrated from B.C. to Alberta, the highest total in the past two decades.
Some locals who made the move say affordability was the main reason.
"I wanted to retire and I just couldn't in Victoria," said Kathy Blanchard, who moved to Spruce Grove, Alta.
Meanwhlie, Debra Kahl also transplanted from B.C. to Alberta and has settled in Edmonton.
"It sucked. I left all my friends, all my family, behind except for my one son that came with me," she told CTV News on Thursday.
However, both women say they have no regrets on their choice to leave.
"People need to be able to afford to live," said Blanchard.
Alberta continues to advertise for potential migrants.
"Every jurisdiction is trying to do this, not only in Canada or in North America," said Rajan Sawhney, Alberta’s Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism.
"It's a global phenomenon now because we have a labour shortage," she said.
Calgary, Alta., is shown. (File Photo)Some B.C. residents have named housing as one of their main frustrations, and that moving to Alberta has meant more money in the bank.
"Who wants their kids to look after them when they're old, right?" said Blanchard.
In Edmonton, Kahl estimates that the home she's has now would rent for about $4,000 a month in the Victoria and Vancouver areas.
Downtown Victoria is shown in this file photo. (CTV News)A recent rental market analysis from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation shows housing availability has improved in Greater Victoria. But vacancy rates suggest it's still easier to find a place in Calgary, and that it will likely cost you less.
"I think it is an evidence to reiterate the fact that we need more supply in the rental market in B.C., in Vancouver and also in Greater Victoria," said Pershing Sun, senior analyst with CMHC.
If you do leave the West Coast for Alberta, you may find there are some trade-offs.
"The produce is not as fresh," said Blanchard.
"The utilities, which was misleading, are horrendous," said Kahl.
While the number of people leaving from B.C. to Alberta has reached a 20-year high, the number of people moving from Alberta to B.C. remains higher, with 29,413 people moving from Alberta to B.C. last year.
However, those who have felt pushed out of B.C. hope policymakers are listening.
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in a leaked cellphone call, commiserated with a COVID-19 protester about his trial while divulging to him there was an internal dispute over how Crown prosecutors were handling COVID-19 cases.
The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don't file their taxes get their benefits. This week's federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations.
Months after Canada's ban on foreign homebuyers took effect on Jan. 1, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has made several amendments to the legislation allowing non-Canadians to purchase residential properties in certain circumstances.
When the doors close at night at the administration office at Yukon's Carcross Tagish First Nation, a van hits the road and drives through the communities to offer naloxone to reverse overdoses, drug testing kits, food and even a friendly face to help those struggling because of the opioid crisis.
To help offset rising living expenses, the Government of Canada has introduced a one-time grocery rebate for low- and modest-income Canadians. Here is what we know about the rebate.
After a man was fatally stabbed outside of a Vancouver Starbucks in front of dozens of witnesses, video of the attack is circulating on social media, raising questions about why nobody stepped in to help.
The Riverview Hospital itself has been closed for more than a decade, but 289 people are currently receiving treatment for mental health, addictions or both at the old site.
Vancouver city council has asked staff to shape a policy that would require grant recipients to engage with officials in a "respectful manner," a move that one political scientist says suggests an attempt to prevent or punish criticism.
After a man was fatally stabbed outside of a Vancouver Starbucks in front of dozens of witnesses, video of the attack is circulating on social media, raising questions about why nobody stepped in to help.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
Alberta's energy regulator has defended its finding that the province's largest recorded earthquake was caused by oilpatch activity, saying the pattern of temblors since last fall clearly points to a water disposal well even though there's no suggestion rules were flouted.
Cloudy skies in the Edmonton area this morning. But, after a bit of light snow overnight, it looks like the city and surrounding areas are pretty much done with the precipitation for today.
Toronto city council will decide Thursday whether to grant the TTC the authority to withdraw up to $15 million from its reserve funds to deal with “unbudgeted measures” addressing health and safety.
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
Calgary police say they've arrested a woman in connection with a stabbing at the Lions Park LRT station that stemmed from a fight between several people.
A United Conservative Party candidate in Lethbridge claims teachers are exposing students to pornography and gender reassignment without parental knowledge.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
The CAQ government has unveiled its long-promised plan to improve Quebec's public health network. Tabled at the Quebec legislature Wednesday by Health Minister Christian Dubé, Bill 15 promises a major shakeup.
A young man found wounded late Wednesday night in the parking lot of a shopping centre in northeast Montreal is believed to be the victim of an earlier shooting in the same area. Montreal police (SPVM) reported Thursday morning that the 18-year-old man's life was no longer in danger.
The eve of the release of the final report from the inquiry into Nova Scotia’s 2020 mass shooting is a reminder for residents of Portapique of their small community’s traumatic past.
After British Columbia singled out a Nova Scotia practitioner for writing thousands of Ozempic prescriptions to Americans through pharmacies in metro Vancouver, officials in Nova Scotia began looking into the matter.
A Manitoba family has launched a lawsuit alleging their 23-year-old son had a stroke days after receiving a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, leaving him legally blind.
A Winnipeg judge is set to make a court ruling on Thursday in the trial of a retired priest accused of assaulting a woman while she was a student at a residential school more than 50 years ago
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
What the United States Attorney’s Office is calling a “child sextortion scheme” run by a man from Coon Rapids, Minnesota involved a minor from Kitchener, Ont.
To help offset rising living expenses, the Government of Canada has introduced a one-time grocery rebate for low- and modest-income Canadians. Here is what we know about the rebate.
A Saskatoon murder trial is being adjourned to allow police to follow-up on "significant information" that just came to the Crown prosecutor's attention Wednesday.
CTV News has learned a dog that attacked a five-year-old boy last week had been declared dangerous in February 2022, but the city had lost track of the owner a year ago.
A 34-year-old man who used to live in Sudbury is sharing his side of the story after a criminal harassment charge involving former Mayor Brian Bigger in 2021 was dropper earlier this year.
Calgary, Alta., is shown. (File Photo)Some B.C. residents have named housing as one of their main frustrations, and that moving to Alberta has meant more money in the bank.
Downtown Victoria is shown in this file photo. (CTV News)A recent rental market analysis from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation shows housing availability has improved in Greater Victoria. But vacancy rates suggest it's still easier to find a place in Calgary, and that it will likely cost you less.
