Live on the Sunshine Coast

The truth about living with BC Ferries

Val & Paul — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:56:35 GMT

Ferry arriving at the BC Ferries Langdale terminal

If you’re thinking about visiting BC’s Sunshine Coast, or maybe even moving here, there’s one question that always comes up: what’s it like relying on the ferry?

At first, it can feel like a barrier. After all, getting to and from Vancouver means planning around BC Ferries. But the reality is much simpler than most people expect. My experience is that you’ll probably use the ferry far less than you think.

Local living becomes the norm

Most people arrive assuming they’ll head into the city all the time. In practice, that quickly fades. Life on the Sunshine Coast fills in with local shopping, local routines, and local activities. Trips to the Lower Mainland become occasional, not constant. For many residents, it’s just a handful of crossings each year, usually for things like flights, appointments, or visiting friends.

This, of course, depends on your lifestyle. If you commute for work, have family in the Lower Mainland, or your kids participate in organized sports, you’ll likely use the ferry more often. But for those living and working locally, it rarely feels like a burden.

Queen of Surrey leaving the BC Ferries’ Langdale terminal

Plan in advance

The key to making it all work smoothly is simple: plan ahead.

Reservations are your best friend, especially in the summer. Showing up without one can mean long waits, sometimes multiple sailings. Booking in advance turns the experience into something predictable instead of something stressful.

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It’s also smart to build in extra time when it matters. Whether you’re heading to the airport or a time-sensitive appointment, ferries (like any form of travel) can be affected by delays. A little buffer goes a long way.

Ferry passing Bowen Island on its way to Horseshoe Bay from Langdale

When things go wrong

Every now and then, things do go sideways. Sailings can be delayed or even cancelled, though it’s not common. When it happens, flexibility, and a bit of patience, make all the difference.

Over time, you’ll pick up small habits that improve your ferry experience: bring snacks, arrive early, and consider walking on if you don’t need your vehicle.

Are ferries a deal breaker?

Living with a ferry requires a bit of planning. But in return, you get a lifestyle that feels slower, calmer, and more connected.

So, is the ferry a deal breaker? For most people, not even close.

FOR SALE: 5726 Emily Way, Sechelt, BC - $747,000

Listing courtesy of REALTOR® Laara Sinclair with RE/MAX City Realty Sunshine Coast

This bright 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom rancher in West Sechelt offers comfortable single-level living in an excellent location. It’s ideal for a small family or retirees.

I’ve been in this home and the updated kitchen is gorgeous! There’s a tiled backsplash that makes the space chic and modern, as well as new appliances and countertops.

Beautifully updated kitchen! 🤩

Both bathrooms have new vanities, and there’s a separate laundry area PLUS a new water heater and closet organizers!

You’re only minutes to downtown Sechelt and its shops, schools, restaurants, beaches, and recreation centre.

Call Val for your viewing

If you’d like to see 5726 Emily Way in person, I can give you a tour and show you how this home ties into the bigger picture of life on BC’s Sunshine Coast.

Val Labrecque - REALTOR®
RE/MAX City Realty Gibsons
Call or text Val: 604-399-8935
Email Val: info@vallabrecque.ca

Connect with Val & Paul

Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

We’re Val and Paul and we’re a married couple who live on BC’s Sunshine Coast! We moved from Alberta to Gibsons in 2014 and love our life on Canada’s West Coast! Subscribe to our YouTube channel and email newsletter and you’ll learn what it’s like to live in the most beautiful place in Canada.

Val Labrecque is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX City Realty Gibsons.

Val’s real estate website

Movies and TV shows shot on BC's Sunshine Coast

Val & Paul — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 17:58:10 GMT

If you’ve spent any time on BC’s Sunshine Coast, you’ve probably walked past a filming location without even realizing it. Long before social media and YouTube channels, the Sunshine Coast was building a quiet legacy on screen.

The Beachcombers

For many Canadians, that legacy begins with The Beachcombers. Running from the early ’70s into the ’90s, the show didn’t just film in Gibsons, it was about Gibsons.

Coastal work, small business, and coastal life baked into every episode. Even today, Molly’s Reach (now the Black Bean) draws a steady stream of visitors snapping photos and soaking up the nostalgia. Love it or roll your eyes at it, there’s no denying that The Beachcombers helped put Gibsons on the map.

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Murder in a Small Town

Fast forward a few decades and the town has taken on a very different role in Murder in a Small Town. The series is in a fictional version of the Sunshine Coast that exists in Washington state, but much of the series is filmed right here on the real life Sunshine Coast in British Columbia.

Watching episodes of the show has become a bit of a game for us when we try to spot familiar buildings, streets, and landmarks when they’re transformed into police stations, special events, or crime scenes. It’s a big contrast to the wholesome tone of The Beachcombers.

The Last Mimzy

Then there’s The Last Mimzy, a lesser-known but entertaining family film that used Roberts Creek Beach and the pier as part of its setting. It’s one of those movies you might never watch unless you realize a piece of home is hiding in the background.

Other Sunshine Coast productions

And that’s only scratching the surface. By our count, there’ve been eight other major productions shot at least partially on the Sunshine Coast, BC. From darker productions like Stephen King’s Needful Things to a visit from The Amazing Race Canada, the region has more screen history than most people realize.

The full list

See all 11 productions that have filmed here on our YouTube channel, or you can read the full list on Val’s website.

Oceanfront castle in Roberts Creek, BC

Did you know there’s a castle on the Sunshine Coast? Located in Roberts Creek, it’s a true fairytale home with oceanfront views and unexpected architectural touches.

It’s in an excellent location right on the beach, and has spectacular views along with tons of intrigue! From the circular bathroom to the working church bell, this home has a ton of unique features you won’t find anywhere else!

👉 You can see the full listing (with photos) here: https://t.ly/3581BeachAveRobertsCreek

Call Val when you’re ready to relocate to Roberts Creek!

This castle is currently for sale! If you’d like to see it in person (and if you’re not already working with a REALTOR®), I can give you a tour and show you how this home ties into the bigger picture of life on BC’s Sunshine Coast.

Connect with Val & Paul

Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Val Labrecque is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX City Realty Gibsons.

Val’s real estate website

Real estate predictions for 2026 on BC's Sunshine Coast

Val & Paul — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:02:39 GMT

Looking down on Gibsons beaches and the Bluff.

As we head into 2026, one thing is very clear about the Sunshine Coast, BC real estate market: realism matters more than ever, both for buyers and sellers.

Move-in ready homes that are priced properly continue to sell. That’s been true for the past year and a half, and it’s not changing anytime soon. What’s sitting on the market are fixer-uppers, dated homes, and properties priced based on yesterday’s expectations. Buyers today are doing the math, and renovation costs can often climb into the six figure range once modern finishes are considered (and could be higher if you’re dealing with asbestos). This changes how buyers make decisions.

Spring 2026 will likely bring a surge of listings as homes pulled over the holidays return and sellers attempt to get ahead of economic uncertainty. Buyers, meanwhile, have been watching from the sidelines. Many are ready to act but only when the right property comes along. The challenge is supply: there simply aren’t many smaller, move-in ready homes, particularly bungalows, and especially those with ocean views.

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Investors are largely absent from the market, which has taken pressure off fixer-uppers and sweat-equity homes. Younger buyers and retirees are often chasing the same product: smaller, single-level, easy-living homes. Townhouses tend to suit families more than retirees, while strata fees can complicate affordability for younger buyers.

Condos and townhouses saw sharper price drops than expected over the past year, likely influenced by headlines from larger urban markets. On the Sunshine Coast, supply remains limited, and I expect those price declines to level off in 2026.

Above Highway 101 and looking towards Pender Harbour

For sellers, especially retirees, timing and pricing are critical. Holding out for a few extra dollars may mean waiting far longer than expected in a steadily softening market.

If you’re buying or selling on the Sunshine Coast in 2026, understanding these dynamics (and acting accordingly) will matter more than trying to “test” the market.

Call Val today!

If you’re not already working with a REALTOR®, I’d love to guide you through 2026!

📲 - 604-399-8935
💻 - https://vallabrecque.ca
📧 - info@vallabrecque.ca

Aerial footage of Howe Sound Pulp & Paper Mill

There wasn’t enough footage to make a full video but we thought the bird’s eye view of Howe Sound Pulp & Paper Mill was worth sharing.

This is a beautiful piece of the Sunshine Coast that’s often overlooked because unless you work at the mill, there’s not much reason to drive all the way to the end of the highway. But there is a beach access at the end of Dunham Road that’s worth visiting on a nice day!

Christmas on the Sunshine Coast

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Every December, businesses and boats in Lower Gibsons (and specifically Gibsons Marina) go out of their way to decorate with holiday decorations.

Here’s a short highlight reel of some of the lights as seen just a few days before Christmas 2025!

Connect with Val & Paul

Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Val Labrecque is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX City Realty Gibsons.

Val’s real estate website

Mount Elphinstone was covered in snow

Val & Paul — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 18:45:52 GMT

Hiking Mount Elphinstone in the fall

It's late October 2023, and the temperature is barely 2°C right now, with a high of only 9°C expected later in the day. Earlier this week, there was a sprinkling of snow up in the mountains, but nothing in Gibsons. That snow is mostly melted so we shouldn’t run into much of the white stuff as we make our way up.

Early start

In an effort to maximize the daylight, we were on the trail early. Not long after starting, we encounter a light dusting of snow, but nothing major. Ninety minutes in and we’re about at the halfway point.

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As we continue, I notice the snow gradually increasing on our path. I come to a bridge that’s too icy for my liking, so I chose to walk across the creek bed instead. At this point, I put my crampons on by boots and I’m once again amazed by how much of a difference they make!

Gibsons and Georgia Strait from atop Mount Elphinstone

Dress for the weather

My mouth is a little frozen, but the temperature in the rest of my body feels just right. Believe it or not, I still don’t regret wearing shorts (and I did bring long pants with me, just in case). The only amateur mistake we made today was forgetting our gaiters. We have crampons and you’d think that would’ve reminded us to pack gaiters, but oh well. Too late to do anything about it now.

The sun has come out and it’s peeking through the trees here and there. It’s a beautiful day. I reach a little clearing along the logging road, and I can see a bit of Gibsons below. There are eerie sounds every now and then but it’s only snow and ice falling off the trees. But on more than one occasion, I find myself wondering if that’s a bear I hear wandering through the brush!

Snow getting deeper

As we get higher, the snow gets deeper. This is our first hike of the fall season, and I usually don’t hike this trail in the winter. This amount of snow is pretty much the limit of what I’m willing to deal with. We’re about 45 minutes slower than we would be on a nice summer’s day, but I’m happy with our pace. We take lots of little breaks to adjust our gear or to have a small snack. Another half hour and we’ll be at the top.

Snowier and icier as we ascend Mount Elphinstone

This last stretch is strenuous and I’m finally starting to heat up. I could almost switch to my tank top and I’ve already taken off my headband because I’m just too hot. It maybe seemed crazy to wear shorts for a fall hike but now I’m glad I did!

Mount Elphinstone summit

Two minutes from the summit and I can see Mount Baker in the distance. The sunny weather and clear blue sky have made this hike amazing. Yes, I’m tired but it’s a good tired. This is what the Sunshine Coast is all about – hiking a mountain on a beautiful fall day at the end of October!

It took about 3.5 hours to make it to the top, whereas in the summer, that’d be closer to two hours and 45 minutes. We didn’t want to push ourselves too hard, and the pace has been just perfect. Now it’s time to have a snack at the top and enjoy the views!

Crisis averted! 🙂

As I’m getting ready to leave, I realize that I’ve lost a crampon somewhere along the trail. I could get back down without it but I’d be forced to move slowly and really watch my step. Thankfully, another couple was heading back down, and I told them about about my missing crampon. They started back down and almost immediately, he returned to the top with my lost crampon! How lucky is that? And how nice of him! I’ve got both crampons now, and I’m ready to make my way back down. But even with both crampons, I’ll need to be careful on the first part of the descent.

Mount Elphinstone map from All Trails

Bring a buddy and make good decisions

On our way down, we met a solo hiker coming up. It was a little late to start, given the shorter fall days, and it’s not advisable to hike alone, even in the summer. Go with a friend, stick together, and don’t leave each other behind.

We did see some hikers turn back at the snowline. That’s a great decision if you’re not prepared. It’s better to turn around and play it safe.

Looking forward to a hot shower

We get back to where we parked. When we started this morning, our cars were the only two in the lot. Now, there’s a lot more. Back in my car, I’m so happy to be off my feet and I can’t wait to get home for a hot shower and some well-deserved couch time!

Cozy single-level rancher for sale in Langdale, BC

Nestled in the heart of Langdale, BC, this charming rancher is an absolute gem, and I’m excited to give you a tour. A special thanks to REALTOR® Sandy Bellamy for allowing us to showcase her listing.

61 Newman Road is a single-level home boasting 1,140 square feet of living space. There are two spacious bedrooms with the potential to transform a flexspace into a third bedroom. This property is perfect for retirees, investors, or small families looking for a slice of paradise in one of the Sunshine Coast's most welcoming communities.

Langdale and Howe Sound

Welcoming entrance and a practical layout

As we step inside the front entryway, the first thing you'll notice is a big coat closet, which is ideal for storing rainy-day essentials. Directly across the hall, there’s a convenient space for the washer and dryer, making laundry day a breeze.

Kitchen filled with sunshine

Practicality meets charm in the kitchen. A large bay window floods the space with natural light and creates an open, airy atmosphere. The kitchen offers ample cabinet and counter space, making it easy for more than one cook to work together without getting in each other's way.

An island with a breakfast bar provides the perfect spot for casual meals or a morning cup of coffee.

Langdale, Gambier Island, and North Shore Mountains

Bright open concept living space

The dining area has a skylight overhead and is perfect for family meals or entertaining. The space flows seamlessly into the living room, which features laminate floors. Large windows offer a view of the backyard, so you can keep an eye on your pets or kids while they play outside.

The living room also has direct access to a covered patio, making indoor-outdoor living a joy.

Four-piece bathroom

Next, we come to the four-piece bathroom, with its separate shower and tub. The vanity includes storage space underneath, and a skylight brightens the room with natural light.

Langdale, Mount Elphinstone, and BC Ferries Langdale Terminal

Bedrooms 1 and 2

The primary bedroom is spacious and inviting, with plenty of storage thanks to a closet on each side of the room. There’s more than enough space for a king-size bed.

Bedroom number two is right next door. There are more laminate floors and front and side-facing windows. Use this space as a guest room, home office, or a kid’s room.

Flexspace provides options

Back in the kitchen, we find a versatile flex space. This area could be transformed into a third bedroom, a workshop, or an artist’s studio. If you prefer, you could even revert it to a single-car garage.

Langdale Elementary in Langdale, BC

Covered patio

One of my favorite features of this home is the outdoor space. The covered patio acts like a sunroom, offering a bright, protected area where you can enjoy the outdoors regardless of the weather. Stepping out into the yard, you’ll find a little garden space protected from the local deer. The whole yard is fenced, providing a wonderful, safe area to relax and enjoy.

Lots to love in Langdale

Langdale is full of friendly people. Maple Park is just a block away, and Langdale Elementary is a short 10-minute walk from home. If you commute or make regular trips to Vancouver, the BC Ferries Langdale terminal is only four minutes away by car.

Port Mellon Highway and Langdale, BC

There are endless hiking trails around Mount Elphinstone and stairs at nearby Smith Road give you access to the beach. For golf enthusiasts, the Langdale Heights Golf Resort is just down the highway. Plus, the shops, restaurants, and amenities of Gibsons are just a five-minute drive away.

Whether you're looking to retire, invest, or raise a family, 61 Newman Road in Langdale, BC offers an excellent blend of comfort, convenience, and community.

Call Val today!

If you have questions about this home - or any other home on BC’s Sunshine Coast - call or text me today!

📲 - 604-399-8935
🏡 - https://t.ly/61NewmanRoad
💻 - https://vallabrecque.ca

Connect with Val & Paul

We're Val and Paul and we're a married couple who live on BC's Sunshine Coast! We moved from Alberta to Gibsons in 2014 and love our life on Canada's West Coast! Subscribe to our YouTube channel and email newsletter and you'll learn what it's like to live in the most beautiful place in Canada.

Val Labrecque is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX City Realty Gibsons.

Val’s real estate website

Keats Chop in Gibsons, BC

Val & Paul — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 18:45:52 GMT

Keats Chop in Gibsons, BC

On August 26, 2023, excitement filled the air in Gibsons, BC as paddlers gathered for the inaugural Keats Chop. The event, organized by the Gibsons Paddle Club, featured a variety of watercraft, from OC1s and OC2s to paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes. There was a short course and a long course, with both courses starting from the Gibsons Sailing Club dock. The long course went around Keats Island, and the short course went towards Granthams Landing/Soames Point before heading back to the starting area.

Remembering the Howe Sound Iron

Manfred Hartman, the race director, reflected on the journey that led to this moment. "We are trying to resurrect the Howe Sound Iron experience," he said. "In 2018, that was the last time we hosted, and we had such a great experience, especially with the small boats. We had over 50 canoes out, and we thought, 'Let's continue this.' That was five years ago, and with COVID and everything, it's been a long time getting this ready, but this is very exciting. We're really, really happy to be able to bring this to our community."

Wide variety of participants

Breakwater Beach in Gibsons, BC

The race attracted a diverse group of participants, including seasoned paddlers and first-time racers. Among the competitors were two world-class athletes who had just returned from competing in Samoa, where they had won multiple medals for Team Canada. Their presence added a touch of prestige to the event, showcasing the high level of talent that the Keats Chop attracted.

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Tough but fun

As the racers crossed the finish line, the atmosphere was a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. Stewart, a local paddler, described the race as "tough" but ultimately "lots of fun." He and his partner each raced in their own kayak, and took advantage of their familiarity with the area. "I felt pretty good. I knew where to go. I know the area, so it makes it a bit easier," he said.

For others, the race was an opportunity to test their limits. Dan, a seasoned paddler who hadn't raced in a while, decided to "pull it out of the hat" and give it a shot. "It's great. It was good fun," he said with a grin. "I haven't been paddling, but I thought, 'Can I still do it?' But anyways, we did okay."

Some extremely attractive people spectate from the beach

The race wasn't without its challenges. Deb, another competitor, noted that the conditions changed as the race progressed. "It was nice and calm at the beginning, and then we got a lot of boat waves, a lot of slop to paddle through, but it was really good. All in all, it was so fun," she said, expressing her gratitude to the organizers. "Thank you to the Gibsons Paddle Club for putting it on. Hope we do it again next year."

Oliver, a local stand-up paddleboarder, found the long course particularly demanding. "The last few kilometers was really tough," he said, adding that despite the challenges, the scenery made it all worthwhile. "It was a really good weather. There was a big pod of seals around the other side of the island."

Excited to return to Gibsons

Start line at the 2023 Keats Chop in Gibsons, BC

Leanne Stanley, a world champion paddler from West Kelowna, made a special effort to participate in the race. "I'm so excited that Gibsons has a race again, and I love this community," she said. Leanne had just returned from the IVF International Federation World Championships in Samoa, where Team Canada had a record-breaking performance. "I was really hoping for a little bit more bump on the outside, but it's just so nice again to be back with people that I haven't seen in a while.”

As the event drew to a close, there was a sense of accomplishment in the air. Dean, the safety coordinator for the even, summed it up succinctly: "Everybody who went out came back alive. Which was the idea."

New summer tradition begins

Ed Hill performs the closing ceremony at the inaugural Keats Chop small boat race

The Keats Chop's inaugural race may have been a revival of a beloved tradition, but it also marked the beginning of a new chapter for the paddling community in Gibsons. Keats Chop is poised to become a staple in the local summer calendar, bringing together paddlers from near and far to test their mettle against the stunning backdrop of Howe Sound.

Ed Hill, the godfather of paddling on the Sunshine Coast, wrapped up the event by welcoming the paddlers to the traditional waters of the Squamish people. He said that this race was not just about competition, but about community, tradition, and the shared love of the water.

Connect with Val & Paul

Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Val Labrecque is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX City Realty Gibsons.

Val’s real estate website

Hiking Mount Killam and Pender Hill

Val & Paul — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 18:55:57 GMT

Mount Killam hike on BC’s Sunshine Coast

On the day of the hike, my trip begins with a ferry ride to Gambier Island. Once I'm off the boat, the actual hike starts on Gambier Road, with the first real trail section branching off West Bay Road. It took about 25 minutes to get to that point, and from there, the real adventure began.

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At the first fork in the road, I took a right and followed the Maple Leaf Trail. This section was straightforward, with a well-marked path that eventually transitioned to the Green Maple Leaf Trail. It was here, after about an hour of hiking, that my group paused for a snack, which was a welcome break before tackling the more challenging uphill portions ahead.

Mount Killam hike on All Trails

One thing to note about Mount Killam is that it can be a pretty dry hike. The creeks that crisscross the area are often dry, especially after long periods without rain in the summer. Bring lots of water with you as the uphill climb is a grind.

One of my favorite sections of the hike was a mossy stretch where the trail softened underfoot and the dense forest opened up just enough to let in a bit of light. Hiking with three people has its perks; with an odd number, two people can chat while the third lags behind and is able to enjoy a bit of personal time on the trail. Or, in my case, talk to the camera. 🙂

We finally reached the top after a grueling 2,400 feet of elevation gain over 4.2 miles. It took us about two and a half hours to get there, with three short breaks along the way. The view from the summit was stunning and provides a sweeping panorama that makes the climb worth it.

Three times is enough

Lower Mainland (far left), Bowen Island (middle), Keats Island (far right)

In the end, while Mount Killam offers a sense of accomplishment and some beautiful views, it’s not a hike I’ll rush to do a fourth time (video of my first time and my second time). Nor is it the a hike I’d recommend to people visiting the Sunshine Coast, BC.

First, you need to take a ferry to Gambier Island, which is an extra expense and means you’ll be trying to time the hike down to coincide with your boat ride back. Next, you spend a not insignificant amount of time walking a logging road and that's not amazing. Lastly, it's also easy to get turned around on the way up to the lookout so ideally, you'd want to go with someone that knows the way.

Better choices for Sunshine Coast hikes

There’s a great view at the top but overall, Mount Killam doesn’t measure up to some of the other trails on BC's Sunshine Coast. There are a lot of hikes I'd recommend before this one. Start with Soames Hill, and work your way up to Pender Hill, Mount Daniel, and then Mount Elphinstone. If you have your heart set on hiking to the top of an island, check out the Keats Island Lookout instead.

And speaking of Pender Hill…

Here’s a short video of hiking up Pender Hill

We're going to hike up Pender Hill in Pender Harbour and have lunch at the top. We've done a video of Pender Hill already, so this isn’t a full video about every step of the hike, but instead just a short summary of a fun outing!

Pender Hill Park map

This hike is pretty much all uphill. There’s only a short part at the start that’s level but beyond that, it’s all elevation.

After making our way up the trail, we reach the top alive and well. Pender Hill is a gorgeous spot with incredible views that make the trek up worth the effort.

The view from from atop Pender Hill.

We did this hike in 45 minutes and feel pretty good about ourselves. I'm sure there are lots of young people that could sprint to the top in 20 minutes but if we allow one minute for every year old we are, we did fine.

It took us 22 minutes to come down. Obviously coming down is faster.

Connect with Val & Paul

Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Val Labrecque is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX City Realty Gibsons.

Val’s real estate website

A warning about moving to the Sunshine Coast, BC

Val & Paul — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 18:45:58 GMT

There’s a lot to love about living on BC’s Sunshine Coast but we’re sometimes told that we paint too rosy a picture about what life is actually like. While we think there’s more good than bad, here are four negative things to consider before relocating to the Sunshine Coast.

1. Housing is expensive

When we moved to the Sunshine Coast in 2014, the average detached home was $360,000. When we made this video in July 2023, it had climbed to a whopping $917,000. Vancouver's prices are even higher, with detached homes often exceeding $2M, which means if you're leaving the city for the Sunshine Coast, our prices seem downright affordable. But if you’re relocating from a city with a normal real estate market, you’ll be shocked by our housing prices.

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The situation is also challenging for tenants. Rents are high and there's little stability. When landlords sell their properties, tenants often find themselves scrambling for a new place. Not only is rent high, but frequent moves add to the cost (and stress) of being a tenant on the Sunshine Coast, BC.

2. Hard to find a doctor

Healthcare on the Sunshine Coast, like many places in Canada, is at full capacity. There’s a big recruiting push to attract doctors to the Sunshine Coast but despite what should be an easy sell, the high cost of housing poses a significant issue, even for well-paid professionals. Because healthcare professionals have a hard time finding affordable accommodations, Sunshine Coasters have a hard time finding a family doctor.

Now, that said, if you’re a healthcare professional and you’re even casually considering relocating, it’s worth your time to check out BC’s Sunshine Coast. The weather is great, people are friendly, and there’s no prettier place in Canada to live.

3. Expect ferry delays

BC Ferries Langdale terminal

While we personally don't make frequent ferry trips to Vancouver, many locals do, and the service has become increasingly unreliable. The ferries themselves are past their prime and staff can be hard to find because of our cost of housing. (Noticing a theme?)

Ferry reservations have become essential even for midweek, off-season trips. During peak times, the system can often become overloaded. Long weekends in the summer can be particularly chaotic. It’s not unheard of for travelers to have multiple sailing waits because of the volume of people visiting the Sunshine Coast.

The ferry service's unreliability affects everything from personal travel to commuting to the transport of goods and construction materials. If you move to the Sunshine Coast, you’ll need to make peace with waiting for the ferry.

4. Tough on novice business owners

Gibsons Harbour in Gibsons, BC

Running a business on the Sunshine Coast is a tightrope walk. Commercial rents are high and finding staff is a significant challenge due to (say it with me) the high cost of housing. The business climate here is highly seasonal, with summer bringing big crowds while winter slows to a crawl.

Many people romanticize the idea of owning a business in a quaint seaside town, but the reality is being an entrepreneur on the Sunshine Coast requires tons of preparation and an excellent business plan. You need to understand our local demographics and seasonality, and plan for staffing challenges. Businesses managed by knowledgeable, experience operators can thrive, but there’s a harsh learning curve for newbies.

The Sunshine Coast is still awesome!

Sechelt Inlet

Despite those complaints, there’s no place we’d rather live than on BC’s Sunshine Coast. The weather is mild, the surroundings are beautiful, and the pace of life is more civilized.

If we haven’t scared you out of relocating to the Sunshine Coast, know that the window of affordability is closing. In summer of 2024, our local real estate market is slow with prices softening each month so there’s not quite the urgency to buy that there was a few years ago. But we believe that the long-term pricing trend is up.

Selling a house on the prairies and buying here was feasible when we moved a decade ago, but even with our current soft market, your housing dollars won’t go as far as they used to. You can still sell a normal house in a normal city and use the proceeds to buy a townhouse or a condo in Gibsons or Sechelt, but you’re likely priced out of single family homes. In 5 to 10 years time, we think breaking into the Sunshine Coast market with less than a million dollars will be very difficult.

Connect with Val & Paul

Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Val Labrecque is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX City Realty Gibsons.

Val’s real estate website

Is BC's Sunshine Coast too small?

Val & Paul — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:45:43 GMT

Davis Bay pier on the Sunshine Coast, BC

We recently received an email with some frequently asked questions.

Q: My husband and I want to move to the Sunshine Coast. Our adult daughter and her partner won’t even consider it as they think it’s too small. They love the outdoors but are concerned about giving up things like restaurants and live music. They’re also worried there aren’t any young people on the Sunshine Coast.

A: When we moved to Gibsons, we traded the unlimited choices of a big city for easy access to the beach and the ocean and waterfalls and hiking. Really, the main draws of the Sunshine Coast are the proximity to the outdoors, and the beautifully mild winters. I like the smallness because there's not really any traffic and what's considered busy or crowded in Gibsons is light years away from busy and crowded in Edmonton.

What we gave up when we moved

There were endless options in Edmonton but we rarely took advantage of them. We found ourselves driving on the same roads to shop at the same stores and eat at the same restaurants. Even though we lived in a big city, we only used the small town-sized portion of it that was closest to home.

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There's no Boston Pizza or Best Buy or Costco or Superstore on the Sunshine Coast. There aren't any nightclubs or trendy bars. There are no professional sports teams. Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift are never going to do a concert here.

What we got in return

But the Sunshine Coast does have Domino's Pizza and London Drugs and a Your Independent Grocer. Amazon delivers here. There are local pubs and craft breweries and Mexican restaurants and sushi and food trucks. The local Legions host live music and events like Name That Tune and Bob Ross painting parties. There's a movie theatre in Gibsons and another in Sechelt.

The Sunshine Coast has local sporting events like Keats Chop, drag racing three times each summer at Sechelt Airport, Attack of Danger Bay, and this will be the first season of Gibsons' new PJHL hockey team. The Sleepy Hollow Rod Run is each August. There are badminton clubs and paddling clubs and hiking clubs. Lots of clubs. So many clubs.

You can't throw a rock on the Sunshine Coast without hitting a musician. Gibsons has a jazz festival and Pender Harbour has its Blues Festival. Each summer, Gibsons has Music in the Landing which is free music in the park performed by local artists.

Proximity to Vancouver

Lower Gibsons and Gibsons Harbour.

If big concerts and top tier pro sports and outlet malls are important, Vancouver's a ferry ride away. When we moved here, we thought we'd regularly spend time in Vancouver. I think we've had two "hang out" days in the city since we moved here 10 years ago. Most of our trips to Vancouver are to run a specific errand and we can't wait to drive onto the ferry and get back to the slower paced Sunshine Coast.

What about “young people?”

You'll find people of all ages on the Sunshine Coast but there are more middle-aged and retirees than "young" people. My friend group is 40 to 60+ years old. Val's more social and outgoing and has friends in their 20s up to 80+. People here want to be friendly and make connections so a little effort goes a long way. If you want to meet people around your own age, you’ll find them, but you have to take it upon yourself to join clubs or groups. If you have kids, you’ll quickly make friends with other parents.

Test drive the Sunshine Coast

Davis Bay beach on the Sunshine Coast, BC

Take a one week holiday to the Sunshine Coast. Start by checking out hikes and beaches and then use the weekend to check out our version of local nightlife. Strike up conversations at restaurants and at hiking trails and on the ferry. Ask people how hard it is to make friends and where young people hang out and what they like and don't like about the Sunshine Coast. You'll quickly find out if the Sunshine Coast is for you.

The (unsolicited) piece of advice I'd offer anyone considering moving to the Sunshine Coast is that wherever you live now isn't going anywhere. If you visit and think, "Well, MAYBE the Sunshine Coast would be OK," you should try it. Rent a place and escape winter for a year. If you don't like it, you can always go back home.

When you’re ready to make the move

If you spend some time here and decide it's the answer to your relocation prayers, Val's a REALTOR® and would be happy to answer any of your questions about housing on BC's Sunshine Coast. 👉 https://vallabrecque.ca

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Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Val Labrecque is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX City Realty Gibsons.

Val’s real estate website

May Day in Pender Harbour, BC

Val & Paul — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 17:00:16 GMT

Gibsons b-roll using the drone

Local schools

When we're making videos, we often cut supplemental footage into the project. Sometimes we'll shoot specific b-roll for a specific video but more often than not, we go to our library of local footage and use something we already have on hand. That means that on nice days, even when we don't have a specific project in mind, we'll fly the drone and get video of local places and landmarks for future use.

In our day jobs, we shoot listing videos for Realtors and a selling point for many homes is its proximity to a certain school. It's better to get this footage in the summer when plants are in bloom and there aren't kids at the schools. We started at Gibsons Elementary and later got some footage at Cedar Grove Elementary.

Soames Beach

Soames Beach with the North Shore Mountains in the distance.

Our next stop was Soames Beach. It was a gorgeous day with blue skies and blue ocean. But there are also people in the water and on the beach. It's weird getting footage of people at the beach because it's nice to have activity and motion in the b-roll, but at the same time, we don't want to look like we're spying on people. We keep our distance so you can see there are people but they're too far away to make out anything specific.

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Working near Francis Point Provincial Park

Near the end of May, we need to head up-coast to make a video for a vacant residential lot up in the Pender Harbor area, Francis Point Provincial Park. Paul and I get what we need at the property and then we go down the street and get some b-roll to show the proximity to the park. We get some footage of the park entrance and some walking trails but we don't go much further.

May Day in Pender Harbour, BC

May Day 2023 in Pender Harbour, BC

At the same time we're making the real estate video, Pender Harbor has its annual May Day celebration going on. Once we wrap at the property, we go into town to check out the festivities.

May Day is a huge community event. We only spent a few hours in the afternoon, but it goes all day and it starts early. There was a fishing derby and a five kilometer run. There was also a pancake breakfast, there's face painting, a parade, beer gardens, crowning of the May Queen, petting zoo, pony rides, barbecue, live music, and a kids' dance in the afternoon, followed by an adult dance. It's a really full day. We limited ourselves to a few hours in the afternoon so we could get some food at the Salt & Swine food truck before wandering around.

Another job in Sechelt

Sechelt Inlet from Timbercreek beach access.

We've got another property to shoot, this time in Sechelt. Like our last job, we're going to fit in a little bit of work and a little bit of fun. First, we'll fly the drone to get photos of a residential lot near Sechelt Inlet.

It's a nice day, just a little windy. After the photos of the lot, we decide to get some b-roll of Sechelt Inlet. There's not a lot of air traffic today due to an event at the airport.

Sunshine Coast Drag Racing

Three times each year, the Sunshine Coast Drag Racing Association hosts three separate drag races at the Sechelt Airport. There's no air traffic and local race cars and street cars take over the runway. We don't race, but we wonder around, have some mini donuts, and record some of the races. It's turned into a super hot day so we only last a couple of hours before calling it a day.

Lunch at Georgia Beach

Keats Island as seen from Georgia Beach in Gibsons, BC

Is a gorgeous Friday in June. Paul and I were working away, editing videos at home. We decided to make lunch a picnic at Georgia Beach. We see a lot of boats passing by and watch what turns out to be a busy day on the water. After a long lunch, we pack up and go home so Paul can keep editing a real estate video and I finish the listing photos.

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Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Val Labrecque is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX City Realty Gibsons.

Val’s real estate website

5 easy to walk to waterfalls on BC's Sunshine Coast

Val & Paul — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 21:00:57 GMT

Here’s my guide to five easy-to-access waterfalls that showcase the natural beauty of the Sunshine Coast. I’ll tell you how to get there and how long it takes to walk to each one.

Cliff Gilker Park: The Twin Waterfalls

Waterfall #1: Cliff Gilker Park Bottom Waterfall

Just off Highway 101 near Roberts Creek, Cliff Gilker Park offers two separate waterfalls. Start with the bottom waterfall, a mere 5-minute walk from the parking area. At the time of our visit, the bridge was down, so I had to take the higher trail and cross on the other side. There’s talk that the damaged bridges will be rebuilt in 2025. Standing near this waterfall, you can feel the power and hear the thunderous noise of the cascading water.

Top waterfall at Cliff Gilker Park

Waterfall #2: Cliff Gilker Park Top Waterfall

Next, drive up to the top parking area where you’ll find washrooms and trails just steps away. A short 3-minute walk brings you to a viewing platform with various angles of this gorgeous waterfall. Though the bridge has been damaged by storms you can still enjoy spectacular views from the top. The combination of the waterfall's beauty and the surrounding forest makes this spot a must-visit.

Waterfall #3: Burnett Falls

Located about a 5-minute drive from Sechelt, turn onto Burnett Road and follow it to the park entrance. There’s limited parking and no bathroom facilities. An easy 8-minute walk along a well-groomed path brings you to Burnett Falls. This tall, majestic waterfall feeds a creek that adds to the beautiful setting. It’s a lovely spot to spend a rainy afternoon.

Waterfall #4: Roberts Creek Waterfall

Park at the end of Day Road and follow the trail marked by signs. The walk to the falls takes about ten minutes, but the first time might be a bit confusing as some signs are posted high up in the trees. If it’s your first time walking to these falls, maybe consider going with someone familiar with the area because there are many intersecting paths and it’s easy to not know the correct trail. The trail has the most elevation of the hikes on this list, but the effort is worth it. There’s a high viewpoint offering a great look at the waterfall. For the adventurous, there’s a goat trail carved into the hillside which leads to a lower viewpoint closer to the waterfall.

Waterfall #5: Homesite Creek Falls

This final gem is accessible from a parking area just off the highway. There are trailheads on both sides of the creek, and each will lead you to the waterfall within about eight minutes. The waterfall’s size varies with the season and the amount of rain we get. But it’s still worth the trip, even in the summertime.

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Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Val Labrecque is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX City Realty Gibsons.

Val’s real estate website

Homesick on the Sunshine Coast, BC

Val & Paul — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 21:25:51 GMT

Dreaming about relocating to BC’s Sunshine Coast is one thing, but actually doing it is something entirely different. Paul and I weren’t prepared for the loneliness that hit us during the first six to 12 months. Moving to a new community where we didn’t know anyone was a major adjustment, and I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to meet people and build a new support system.

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Finding community

As photographers/videographers working from home, our opportunities to meet new people were limited. For the first six months, I really struggled. It wasn’t until I discovered a badminton drop-in group that I started to feel like part of the community. Making friends through badminton was a turning point for me, even if it was just casual acquaintances at first.

On more than one occasion during that first year, Paul and I took turns wanting to move back to Edmonton. But if you can push through that initial period of loneliness, you’ll eventually start to make new connections and build a new support system.

Gibsons Harbour.

Experiencing loneliness in different ways

I found my footing faster than Paul. I made new friends relatively soon but it took over a year for Paul to do the same. He’s more solitary and didn’t miss having friends as quickly as I did. He stayed connected with his friends back home through phone calls, texts, and emails, but eventually, he did start to miss that personal connection.

For me, the loneliness hit harder and sooner. But when I was down, Paul reassured me that things would get better and that I’d make friends. When Paul eventually reached that same point, I gave him that same support. Having each other to lean on made a big difference in making the transition from Alberta to BC.

How to make friends as an adult

We don’t have kids or pets so finding ways to meet new people took some creativity. I was more proactive than Paul and I went out of my way to find groups and activities that I interested me. Back in Edmonton, I played volleyball and soccer, but on the Sunshine Coast, I couldn’t find equivalent groups. I did fine badminton (which I now love) and joined the Gibsons Paddle Club. Between badminton and paddling, I made a lot of new friends.

Canada Day at Winegarden Park in Gibsons, BC

Finding friends in odd places

If you own a business, the Chamber of Commerce is another way to meeting people. I attended a chamber meeting and said that I didn’t need any business help but I did need a hiking partner. After the meeting, a woman approached me and said she’d happily show me some local trails. Many years later, I still hike regularly with Donna.

Making adult friends is tough

We carry the baggage of past experiences and we fear not fitting in. But in a small community like Gibsons, people are almost universally welcoming and eager to make new connections.

Relocating often means feeling lonely. Know that that’s a normal part of moving to a new community. But even a modest effort to make new friends will go a long way.

If you’re new to the Sunshine Coast, (or you’re deciding whether or not to make the move), feel free to reach out – Paul and I might be able to refer you to groups or clubs specific to your interests.

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Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Val Labrecque is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX City Realty Gibsons.

Val’s real estate website

Easy Gospel Rock hike in Gibsons, BC

Val & Paul — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 15:05:42 GMT

We shoot real estate photos (Val) and videos (Paul) all along the Sunshine Coast. Spring has been busy and our fun updates have fallen off. Visit our real estate channel for more Sunshine Coast content: https://www.youtube.com/c/BurntBoatMedia

Watch the video on YouTube.

It's a Saturday afternoon in February in Gibsons, BC. The sun has come out between rains and Paul and I jump on the opportunity to go for a short walk where we'll explore an area that locals call Gospel Rock.

I know we're not suppose to complain about winter when living on BC's Sunshine Coast. Our weather is much milder than in most of Canada but we suffer through short days and (relatively) cold temperatures. We look forward to spring and warm weather just as much as anyone else!

The forested trail on the way to Gospel Rock.

The trail begins near the corner of Charman Road and Stewart Road in Gibsons, and starts with a little bridge over a creek. It's a gradual uphill trail through a forested area full of fern underbrush. Soon we come to a flat area and lookout point. Here we see past Gibsons to the Salish Sea and the North Shore Mountains. BC Ferries is seen doing its route from Langdale to Horseshoe Bay, Vancouver. This lookout is a very nice little spot. I didn't grow up on the Sunshine Coast but I'm sure the high school kids come up here to hang out and have fun.

View from the lookout point on the way to Gospel Rock in Gibsons, BC.

We continue along the trail. It takes us past abandoned vehicles that are old and junky and mossed-over!

Lastly we arrive at the newly cleared Gospel Rock area where a future development is in the planning. At the far end there’s a beautiful natural area with trees, rocks, ponds and views of the Pacific Ocean. There is a white vein of rock that runs through the darker surrounding rock and it looks like a cross. I'm assuming this is how the area is called Gospel Rock.

Drone photo of the cross in the rock. The cross is very pronounced in person but I’ve highlighted in the drone shot to make it easier to pick out.

Paul get's the drone set up and we take turns flying it. We're just loving this light! The ocean's so blue and the trees are so green. The deciduous trees don't have their green leaves yet, but it's still very pretty with all the evergreen trees. The North Shore Mountains are again in the distance, and they look soooo gooood. From up high, we can see Keats and Gambier and Bowen Islands. Looking west, we see the outline of Vancouver Island against the horizon. The evening light is lovely and the quietness of the area is welcoming.

It's pretty here! We're surrounded by all this coastal scenery and even though we get to see and enjoy it everyday, it never gets old.

Gospel Rock below and Gibsons to the left. Keats Island in the middle with Bowen Island behind it. In the background are the North Shore Mountains.

The wind stayed away which is good when flying the drone. We shot a lot of nice footage and photos that we can use for this project and for future projects. It's been a nice time out and now with that sun setting, it's probably just time to land the drone and get it tucked back in our backpack before heading home.

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More drone photos from Gospel Rock

Gibsons Harbour with the North Shore Mountains in the distance.

The Bluff, one of Gibsons’ most desirable neighbourhoods, as seen from the sky.

Gower Point Road curving through the very edge of the Gospel Rock property.

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Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Pros and cons of buying a townhouse in BC

Val & Paul — Sat, 05 Feb 2022 18:02:41 GMT

PAUL: Your dream to own a big house comes with a big price tag, especially on BC’s Sunshine Coast. Is a townhouse a viable option? Or are there too many compromises?

PAUL: Compared to Vancouver, the relative affordability of buying a house on the Sunshine Coast is a big draw for people that want to move to the region. But house hunters from Port Mellon to Egmont soon find themselves faced with two challenges:

One, that property prices have appreciated a lot in a short period of time.
And two, there aren’t a lot of single family homes to pick from on the Sunshine Coast.

Condos vs. Townhouses vs. Houses

VAL: Because of their lower price point and smaller size, apartment-style condos are often seen as an entry point for first-time buyers, but a lot of people really want a single family home.

PAUL: A single family home is the Gold Standard of residential real estate and an apartment-style condo is seen as first step towards that goal. But in between condos and single family homes are townhouses. They’re typically part of a strata, but share some similarities with detached homes.

VAL: If you're frustrated by prices for single family homes, a townhouse may just be a viable option.

PAUL: We're going to talk about townhouses as they relate to us here on the Sunshine Coast. But a lot of what we’ll talk about also applies to larger Canadian markets. Much of this advice would apply in Edmonton or Toronto or the Maritimes.

PRO: Value for your money

PAUL: A major benefit of buying a townhouse on the Sunshine Coast is bang for your buck. If you're ready to spend $600,000 dollars, you'll probably be able to find a pretty decent move-in ready townhouse. But if you spend that same $600,000 on a single family home, it's likely going to be a fixer upper.

VAL: A townhouse could be a great entry point to get into the Sunshine Coast market. If a single family home is out of reach, maybe a townhouse is a better fit for your budget.

PRO: Less exterior maintenance

VAL: Another pro about owning a townhome is that there's less exterior maintenance. Usually the strata has a maintenance person or a gardener which means you won't have to cut your grass or shovel your walks.

PAUL: When we owned a house, exterior maintenance was a big responsibility. Upkeep fell on us. We cut grass, cleaned gutters, and being in Alberta, we shovelled sidewalks in the winter. But here in a townhouse, we don't do any of that. The strata has somebody that cuts the grass a couple times each month. Trees get pruned, gardens get weeded. This means that we can enjoy the exterior of the complex without any of the responsibility.

PRO: Outdoor space

Fawn exploring our strata complex.

VAL: Another pro with a townhouse is that you probably don't have to give up a backyard or an outdoor space. A lot of townhome units have their own specific little backyard, and often the strata has additional shared outdoor spaces as well.

PAUL: When we lived in a city, owning a house with a yard was really important to us. Even though cities have parks and other outdoor amenities, they’re not always easily accessible. So while we don’t have a huge backyard, our townhouse does give us some space to have a barbecue and to have a few people over. Specific to the Sunshine Coast, we are so close to the outdoors, we don't really feel like we've sacrificed by not having a big yard. The whole Sunshine Coast is our playground and we don’t need to limit ourselves to our backyard.

VAL: Exactly. We don't have to maintain a lawn or plants which means our outdoor time can be focused on going outside and playing in nature.

CON: Dealing with strata councils

PAUL: That's a pretty rosy picture of what it's like to live in a townhouse. While there are many benefits to townhouse living, there are also a few cons.

VAL: Living in a strata condo means you have to pay monthly strata/maintenance/condo fees and that you’re part of a mini-government. Your complex will be governed by a Strata Council, which is comprised of owners and then these owners make decisions on behalf of the strata. If you’re part of a strata, you should probably volunteer your time and be on council at some point. You won’t be expected to perform exterior maintenance yourself, but your input will help the council make choices like hiring contractors and deciding what needs to be done to care for the complex.

PAUL: In our experience, a good strata (or as every place outside of BC calls them, a condo board), is what's going to make or break your townhouse investment. If you're in a complex that’s well looked after and well cared for, and you can see there's a lot of pride of ownership, you shouldn't have any more to worry about than you would a single family home. I think finding a townhouse complex with an active strata council and knowledgeable management to be the biggest challenge in buying in this property class. You want to buy into a strata that’s planning for the future of the entire complex and not just on a few individual units. Planning for the future means collecting enough money for future maintenance and repairs and not just keeping monthly strata fees artificially low.

CON: Following strata bylaws

@FHPhoto via Twenty20

PAUL: Stratas all have their own set of bylaws and these bylaws govern how owners and occupants are expected to use the property. That might mean something like rental or pet restrictions or rules against smoking in common areas or saying that owners can't have a hot tub in their backyard. This is why you want to ask for a copy of the strata’s bylaws BEFORE you buy so you know what you're getting into. When you're dealing with a Realtor or a builder, asking to see the strata bylaws is a common thing and isn’t a weird request. The bylaws are something that should be readily available for you to read through so that you know what is and isn't allowed before you commit to buying.

VAL: Another common bylaw that I think is worth mentioning is that some complexes may have age restriction. For example, a complex might be limited to owners that are 55-years-old or older. While a townhouse might mean you’re less responsible for exterior maintenance, it also means there's less autonomy. For example, you can’t decide to paint your door red without the permission from the strata.

CON: Neighbours are nearby

PAUL: Another adjustment you’ll need to make when living in a townhouse compared to a detached home is that you're going to be in much closer proximity to your neighbours. Depending on the complex, you're probably going to share at least one wall with a neighbour, if not two. And while that's perfectly fine, it’s different than living in a house where all four walls are yours to do with it as you please.

VAL: When buying a single family home, you want to research the neighbourhood and the same is true for a townhouse complex. You want to research that strata, the neighbours, and what type of little community you're moving into.

CON: Monthly strata/condo fees

VAL: The last con we're going to talk about is monthly strata/maintenance/condo fees. Condo fees subtract from your buying power when qualifying for a mortgage. When you qualify for a mortgage, your lender will calculate how much debt your income is able to service and then they’ll calculate the additional expenses of owning a specific home. One of the expenses of owning a home is the mortgage, and along with that mortgage, lenders need to know what other home-related reoccurring expenses you will be responsible for. One of the additional costs lenders take into consideration are monthly condo fees.

PAUL: Does that mean that when you apply for a mortgage, lenders see condo fees as an extra payment? They see it the same as if you had an extra car payment or something like that?

VAL: That’s right. You've got to be able to cover not only the mortgage amount, but also that extra strata/condo fee amount.

PAUL: So an additional dollar spent on condo fees means, in theory, that I have a dollar less that I can spend on a mortgage?

VAL: Yes. Talk to your mortgage broker when you're pre-qualifying and see how strata/condo fees will impact what you can afford.

CON: Reserve fund expenses

VAL: Monthly strata/condo/maintenance fees cover the operation, maintenance, and the regular day-to-day expenses for the strata to exist, but a portion of those fees also cover the contingency reserve fund. This is money that the strata council is putting aside for future repairs and maintenance (EX – the roof of the complex needing to be replaced in 15 years). You want to be sure that the monthly fees are high enough to ensure there’s sufficient money set aside for these items.

VAL: If there's not enough set aside in the reserve fund, when the roof does eventually need to be repaired, there’ll be a cash-call or a special assessment. A special assessment is a one-time expense that owners need to cover, sometimes on short notice. Again, using the example of having a roof replaced, a special assessment could see owners needing to pay thousands of dollars up front to cover repair.

PAUL: Special assessments can be a real heartbreaker. It’s fairly uncommon to get one single special assessment. Usually there’s a series of special assessments because a strata typically won't ignore one part of the complex while maintaining everything else. Usually they slough off everything and then you’re paying a special assessment for the roof and another to redo the parking lot and another to replace all the windows.

VAL: Ideally, you’ll buy into a well run condo/strata that collects the right amount of fees and puts enough aside and so that the complex can be properly maintained and looked after. If this isn’t happening, don’t be surprised if you get a big bill for a special assessment.

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Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

SNOW on the Sunshine Coast, BC?!

Val & Paul — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 18:02:38 GMT

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We had snow on the Sunshine Coast for two or three weeks over Christmas and into 2022. I always show you sunny weather and hikes so I feel like it's only fair to also show you the snow and the ice.

This is the longest stretch of winter and the most snow we’ve had since we moved to BC’s Sunshine Coast. It’s been an anomaly of a winter. We usually don't get this much snow and have it stick around.

The Bluff covered in snow.

For the last few weeks, we've kind of been averaging at +2ºC during the day and -2ºC at night. Recently, it’s been snowing every second day with some rainy days in between. The temperature is always right at the point where it can’t decide between rain and snow, which means there's a lot of ice on the road and driving isn’t recommended. A big part of Gibsons is built on the side of a steep hill so a lot of locals are just staying at home. Our road maintenance people aren't keeping up because the weather is so extreme.

Because the weather is so miserable, I decide that I’ll hide inside where it’s warm and make herb bread using fresh rosemary from my backyard. I got this recipe from my cousin, Lauriane, and I think she discovered it on a trip to Europe. I’ll post the recipe here but I’ll also include a link to a PDF in case you want to print it out.

Amazing herb cheese bread recipe

🍞+🧈=😋

Ingredients

1 package quick-rise instant active dry yeast
2 ¼ cups warm water
4 tablespoons sugar + (½ tsp sugar for yeast mixture)
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ¼ - 6 ¾ cups bread flour (probably 6 1/4 cup only)
2 tablespoons of herbs (2 tsp basil, 2 tsp thyme, 2 tsp rosemary)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions

In a bowl, dissolve yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until bubbles form on the surface.
In another bowl mix together remaining 4 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, 3 cups of flour and 2 tablespoons of herb.
Add 2 tablespoons oil into yeast mixture. Add flour mixture into yeast mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, ½ cup at a time to form a soft dough.
Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Near the end knead-in 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.
Divide dough in half and shape each into a loaf. Lightly coat with oil and place in 2 greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, 1 – 1 ½ hours. Let rise on counter or preheat oven to 150°F, shut off and place inside oven to rise. Rise until double the size.
Bake at 375°F until golden brown and bread sounds hollow, 30-35 minutes. (35 minutes was perfect.) About half way through baking, cover the loafs with a foil tent so that they don’t darken any further. Remove let cool on wire rack.

This is the best bread ever. I love it! I could eat an entire loaf, making toast after toast with lots of butter! Sooooo gooooood!

Downloadable PDF of the recipe

Snowy Lower Gibsons

Snow on the North Shore Mountains and ice in Gibsons Harbour.

When it quit snowing, Paul and I decided to walk down to Lower Gibsons to check out the snow. Gibsons received a foot of snow last night (about 30cm) which is a novelty for us. Families were out playing in the snow and there were even kids tobogganing at Holland Lands and Winegarden Park.

And there was all kinds of activity around the harbour. People were out enjoying the sunshine, some were building snowmen, and we even saw one guy shovelling snow off a dock and into the water. Watching snow getting pushed in the ocean was a weird visual and something we hadn’t seen before. Even the ducks were out and making the most of this break in the weather.

I don’t often see paths along the waterfront covered in snow. I think the snow looks great up on the mountains, but I don't want it with us down here are at sea level.

Ice at the marina

Snow and ice at Gibsons Marina.

We made our way to the marina as I wanted to see if it was frozen over. You’d think that because the marina is full of salty seawater, it shouldn’t freeze. But there's a lot of fresh water streams that exit out here at the harbour. Combine that with there not being much movement in the marina because of the breakwater and you’ll get big sheets of ice. There’ve been winters where it got cold enough that there was some ice at the marina but nothing like this since we’ve been here.

Life-long Lower Mainlanders will say that the snow is magical and pretty but growing up in Alberta, snowy winters were a regular occurrence for us. Paul says the magic ran out for him around 1987 and now he just sees snow and ice as a pain in the butt. After the volume of snow we received this year, I suspect many long-time residents are coming around to his way of thinking!

Bird’s eye view of the ice at Gibsons Marina during our recent cold snap.

The snow hangs around a few days but we then get warmer temperatures and three days of rain. I typically like the sun more than the rain but not this winter. This winter, I LOVE the rain. The more it rains, the quicker the snow melts which means no more yucky roads or shovelling snow or brushing off the car. When the rain finally ends, we’re back to green grass and sunshine. All is well in BC once more.

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Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Sunshine Coast, BC real estate year-in-review

Val & Paul — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 18:02:37 GMT

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PAUL POULSEN: When talking about living on the Sunshine Coast, there's no avoiding real estate. In the past, we've touched on real estate in a general sense, but today, we're going to review the 2021 housing market with Sunshine Coast Realtor Tony Browton, and I'll put him on the spot and ask him to make some predictions for 2022.

TONY BROWTON: Thanks very much for having me.

Why are Sunshine Coast prices rising?

PAUL: Anybody that's been paying attention to the Sunshine Coast real estate market over the past two years has seen prices appreciating sharply. Between November 2020 and November 2021, housing prices have seen a 26% increase on the Sunshine Coast. If we go back three years, prices have increased nearly 40%. What is driving these huge jumps?

TONY: I think it’s competition from different buyer groups. Traditionally, the main buyer group on the Sunshine Coast has been retirees as the ferries have been a barrier for working people. But since COVID hit, that equation has changed. As the Sunshine Coast has reliable internet service and reliable power, buyers that would have never considered the Sunshine Coast due to the ferry situation are now happily moving to this area. Similar relocation are happening all over Canada and North America and the UK. People are moving to rural areas because they're no longer office bound.

Gibsons, BC

TONY: As such, BC’s Sunshine Coast has become a viable option for a younger demographic. Because the ferries were previously a huge barrier to market, the Sunshine Coast was undervalued in comparison to other regions across the Lower Mainland. I think these relocations to smaller communities are only going to continue. Assuming there are still COVID concerns, I can't see it changing in the short term.

PAUL: But even with a younger demographic moving to the Sunshine Coast and doing remote work, there's still big demand from retirees, is there not?

TONY: That's right. Both groups are competing with each other but it seems to me that the younger demographic has the deeper pockets. They're driving up prices and winning most of the bidding wars. Each community on the Sunshine Coast is seeing different types of pressure. As you said, the Sunshine Coast has seen general appreciation across the board, but it would be much more significant in, say, Gibsons than Pender Harbor. And it diminishes as you move up the Coast. Halfmoon Bay is an area where there's still a lot of demand from retirees. They're looking for bigger properties and rarely have to take the ferry into Vancouver. Whereas younger buyers are typically sticking to homes no further north than West Sechelt. This is typically because they anticipate having to go into town periodically.

Foreign buyers on the Sunshine Coast

PAUL: Sunshine Coasters love to talk about foreign buyers and all this “foreign money” pouring into the Coast...

TONY: I'm starting to see a bit of it now. Up until the last two months, I didn't see a lot of foreign buyers. A few British expats, that kind of thing. But most people think that there's a lot of mainland Chinese money coming to the Coast and I haven't seen that much. What I've found is that we're more influenced by foreign buyers in the sense that they're buying in areas like Richmond or the North Shore, and that's pushing people over to the Sunshine Coast because they can't afford those neighborhoods anymore. By comparison, we're priced very reasonably.

Davis Bay on BC’s Sunshine Coast.

TONY: But I am starting to see people buy stuff on spec. I'm starting to get phone calls from Realtors that see what's happening here, and they're buying anything they can because they know it's going to be a good holding property. It's kind of the perfect storm right now. There’s such low rental inventory that landlords can get a very good return on their investment from an appreciation perspective. At the same time, long term rentals are in huge demand, and as such, landlords can demand a premium for rent. This is why some of the local municipalities are doing what they can to reduce Airbnbs. But price appreciation and high monthly rents mean that people now are buying just because they want to park their money somewhere.

Where do buyers get their money?

PAUL: Whether these buyers are young buyers or older buyers or even foreign buyers, the actual cash to buy has to come from someplace. Where is that money coming from?

TONY: If they're coming from, say, India or mainland China, in my experience, it's family money that they've pooled together to come up with a down payment to help the person moving to buy. People relocating from North Vancouver or West Vancouver, they're either selling a house that they own there and using that equity to buy a house here.

TONY: But a lot of times, it's help from mom and dad. I often see that with first-time home buyers or what I’m calling this new breed of buyers. They’re typically under 40 with a couple of kids and they’re buying for the first or maybe second time. They’ll quite often have family helping out, financially and otherwise. I’ve seen a lot of adult parents coming to the Sunshine Coast to live with their kids. Forty-something parents with two kids move to the Sunshine Coast and one of their adult parents are going to live with them. That's what I'm seeing.

Sunshine Coast real estate predictions for 2022

PAUL: I'm going to put you on the spot now. Look into your crystal ball and tell me what you see happening with the Sunshine Coast real estate market in 2022.

TONY: It's tough to make predictions because last time we did this was pre-COVID, and I was completely wrong. I'd say for at least the first quarter or the first half of 2022, the market will stay the same as it is now. I think spring will be a really busy time. I think the collective consciousness is very aware of the Sunshine Coast now. And I think that people are analyzing the Sunshine Coast and looking at it like they did 10 years ago in Squamish. The Sea to Sky Highway and the upgrades due to the Olympics really opened up that market and drove demand. Now I see COVID and the ability to work from home driving demand here on the Sunshine Coast.

Remote work is causing the Sunshine Coast to boom

TONY: Being able to work from home eliminated the need to commute and as such, the ferry is no longer a barrier to our market. This is going to drive a lot of buyers out our way. I think we've got quite a ways to go before we're at price parity with similar locations. I think that with what's happening with Omicron right now, you're going to continue to see people wanting barriers between them and large populations, provided they can live someplace that still has all the niceties and amenities they’re accustomed to. I think this mindset will continue to drive people to the Sunshine Coast. Where the ferry was once a barrier for younger buyers, almost overnight, our isolation due to the ferry has become a benefit.

Too few homes available

TONY: I think there’ll continue to be inventory concerns. There just aren’t enough properties to meet demand. As someone that has a decent chunk of the local real estate market and does a lot of listing, a big concern for my business is not having any inventory to sell. But I think inventory will continue to remain low because would-be sellers don’t have anyplace to go. What I’m seeing now is that if someone's selling, they already have another property to move into or they’ve pre-negotiated a purchase before selling, or they're moving off-Coast. The Sunshine Coast market is so tight that sellers will end up being desperate if they don’t have somewhere to go before they sell. I anticipate this’ll continue into 2022.

Will real estate prices drop in 2022?

TONY: I don’t see a correction in pricing, not with the supply remaining so low. We need more inventory on the market for prices to drop but I don't see that happening.

TONY: I think that people that got into the market before all of this are pretty happy. But it's scary. If you want to sell, where can you possibly go? And with inflation happening as fast as it is, I think that's also driving a lot of people to park their money in real estate. I think that's contributing to the frenzy, as well. Savvy investors look at 6% inflation and think, “What's the best thing that I can do with my money so I don't lose any buying power?” A hard asset like real estate is an obvious consideration.

North Shore Mountains as seen from above Gibsons, BC.

Interest rates vs inflation

PAUL: If inflation continues and there’s an interest rate increase, do you think that will cool demand for real estate on the Sunshine Coast? Or is demand for housing so high that interest rates are a neutral factor for buyers?

TONY: I'm not a particularly smart fellow or an economist, but from what I can see, the government has the ability to control interest rates, but they've got no handle on inflation. The federal government’s been printing money for two years to stimulate the economy and that's resulted in inflation. They need to get a handle on that so does that mean higher interest rates? I think it does.

TONY: But in that situation, where does a savvy investor park his money? Nine times out of 10, an advisor is going to say, "Put a percentage of your money in real estate." That's what I think is part of what's driving this boom. You've got people looking to relocate out of the city and set themselves up for a nice lifestyle with their families. You've got the traditional retirees that want to go somewhere and enjoy a peaceful life. And now you've got investors looking to park their money in real estate.

No foreign buyers’ tax on the Sunshine Coast

TONY: When investors look around our province, they look at the Sunshine Coast and see there’s no foreign buyers' tax, no empty home tax, and a disproportionate level of property appreciation that's anticipated to continue for a long time. The Sunshine Coast will likely see a lack of rental accommodation and housing for a prolonged period of time because local governments have been so reluctant to allow any planned development.

TONY: In my experience, the response to housing demands on the Sunshine Coast have been reactionary. With the exception of some local builders that seem to do it right, the default reply to a request for development is to say, “No.” But now, local governments have to do something because their tax base isn't generating enough revenue. So, now they realize that need to do something, but it's not necessarily correct, and it doesn't necessarily fill the void in the housing demand.

PAUL: Especially in the short term.

TONY: And there's no infrastructure in place for that kind of a population increase. I mean, we live in a rainforest and yet we have water shortages. That seems to me to be mismanagement at multiple levels of government.

Hallmark movies in Gibsons, BC

PAUL: Changing gears, something that people might not know about Gibsons is that every summer we're inundated with film crews to shoot Christmas movies for Hallmark. And a couple years ago, actually, Tony was in one.

TONY: All Summer Long. Highlight of my career!

PAUL: Now that you have this insight into the film industry, who do you think will be the big celebrity that comes to Gibsons to star in a Hallmark Christmas movie this year?

TONY: This is unconfirmed, but I did hear that when Ryan Reynolds was on Corner Gas Animated with Brent Butt, they were talking about doing a Molly's Reach reboot. In the interview I saw with Brent Butt, he was saying that his Corner Gas had surpassed Beachcombers to become the most beloved sitcom in Canadian history. So, I heard that they're going to do a little bit of a collaboration, like a little half-an-hour special.

PAUL: Beachcombers 2.0?

TONY: Beachcombers 2.0 with Deadpool. That's what I heard. So, that's my prediction. Ryan Reynolds and Brent Butt will be here.

BC Ferries in 2022

PAUL: Fill in the blank. In 2022, BC Ferries will...

TONY: Ugh. continue to be the most hated ferry service in the world. I don't know. I can't see it getting any worse, but they never seem to let you down.

PAUL: You spend a lot of time exploring the Sunshine Coast and showing each community to would-be buyers. What's your go-to spot for lunch when you’re out and about on the Sunshine Coast?

Best lunch on the Sunshine Coast, BC?

TONY: I like Sushi Bar Nagomi down in Lower Gibsons. I think that's a gem down there, and that's where I personally go most of the time. That’s my go-to. The Blackfish Pub is another good lunch spot. They've got a nice big menu and it's not too pretentious. Those would be the two that I visit most frequently in Gibsons.

Underappreciated business on the Sunshine Coast

PAUL: Do you have a local business that you think is a well kept secret on the Coast? Something that’s underappreciated?

TONY: Because I'm in the business that I'm in, I do get quite a bit of dry cleaning done. I appreciate there is only ONE dry cleaner on the Sunshine Coast and I do like their service. That's Bergner Dry Cleaners in Sechelt. And I think the proprietor is Chris Barlett, or Barlow, maybe. He's a good guy, provides a good service.

BC Ferries Langdale ferry terminal. Sunshine Coast, BC

Advice for sellers in 2022

PAUL: If somebody watching wants to sell their home during the first part of 2022, what is your advice?

TONY: I say this to everyone: “Where are you going to go?” Don't just list your house thinking, "Oh, the prices are good and I'm going to be able to sell it." Because if you do sell without having a plan, and you end up taking a few months to find somewhere, you could conceivably price yourself out of the market.

TONY: I had clients this year who sold but didn’t take my advice when I suggested properties to write offers on. They were happy getting top dollar when they sold, but then they wanted to lowball everyone, and have ended up in a situation where there's a ticking clock for them to be out of their home before pulling the trigger on buying. That's what my main advice to sellers: Have a clear plan, understand why you're selling, and have a realistic plan for making the transition from seller to buyer.

Advice for buyers in 2022

PAUL: If somebody is getting ready to buy in the first part of 2022, what would your advice be to Sunshine Coast buyers?

TONY: You need to be working with a local agent. The Sunshine Coast is a pretty big area and you’ll see that even local agents specialize in specific areas. I'll work all the way up to Halfmoon Bay, but 90% of my businesses is in Gibsons. I'm super dialed into that market.

TONY: I would never presume to go to Commercial Drive in Vancouver and claim to be an expert. Even if a friend of mine wanted to buy a condo there, ethically, I wouldn't be able represent them adequately because I just don't know that area.

Work with a local expert

TONY: With the exception of maybe a spouse or a significant other, why would you work with someone that’s not an expert on the region where you’re buying? Most Realtors have referral networks so they'll have access to good agents in different areas right across Canada. So, if I’m buying, the first thing I'd do is make sure I'm dealing with a local agent that does a decent amount of transactions in my target area and knows what they're doing.

Get pre-approved

TONY: The second thing is, talk to a mortgage broker and get pre-approved. Like with an agent, you need to work with a mortgage broker that understands the local market conditions.

TONY: I saw this happen a lot this year. Some out-of-market mortgage brokers don't understand that the Sunshine Coast pretty much only has appraiser for the entire region. When it’s busy, the appraiser will be booking three weeks out. I'll get an accepted offer on one of my listings from a Vancouver agent that is working with buyers that are relocating. Quite often, in a market where property is appreciating much, much faster than the average, the property report, or the BC Assessment on the property, is going to be lower than actual market value.

TONY: Banks see that low number and go, "Whoa! We need to get an appraisal!" And if it doesn't appraise right, the buyer has to come up with a larger down payment. But if you've already put down your deposit and removed subjects without that appraisal, buyers might find themselves being unable to qualify for the mortgage and lose their deposit.

TONY: The appraisal's the key part of that process. So make sure that your mortgage broker is aware of the nuances of this particular market and make sure that they have a direct line to the underwriter or whoever they need to deal with at the mortgage company, to get that appraisal done.

Be ready to act quickly

TONY: If you are looking from out-of-market, you need to be ready to jump on a ferry or a seaplane and come over here and see the property. Get your agent to pick you up and go see the place. If you like it, write an offer, and have your mortgage broker on standby.

TONY: Lastly, spend some time figuring out if the Sunshine Coast is where you want to live. If you can find a rental, maybe try renting here before buying. The Sunshine Coast is not for everybody. Really suss it out and figure out if this is where you want to be.

Call Tony today!

If you’re not already working with an agent, call Realtor Tony Browton when you’re ready to buy or sell and he’ll guide you through the busy and competitive real estate market on BC’s BEAUTIFUL Sunshine Coast.

Tony Browton - TrueBlueRealty.ca
Personal Real Estate Corporation
RE/MAX City Realty (Gibsons)
Mobile: 604-418-2695
Email: Click here to email Tony

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5 things you'll LOVE about small town life

Val & Paul — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 23:21:16 GMT

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PAUL: Previously, we talked about things you will NOT like about living in a small town. Now we’re going to talk about things that you WILL like about living in a small town.

VAL: Sounds fun!

1. Less traffic in small towns

Highway 101 which slices through Gibsons, BC.

PAUL: When we lived in Edmonton, we accepted that going someplace meant spending 20 minutes in the car. That's not really the case in Gibsons, BC. Everything's pretty close and if I wasn't so lazy, I could walk most places. When I take the car, it just takes me two or three minutes to get there. As a portion of my day, the time I spend in a vehicle is far, FAR less in a small town.

VAL: There are no freeways here. The flip side of that is that we only have one highway which can get busy because it’s the only route. Especially when there's ferry traffic.

PAUL: I think that's pretty specific to the Sunshine Coast. I don’t think there are too many small towns that have to deal with a regularly scheduled influx of traffic.

VAL: Ferry traffic aside, I'm five minutes to everything in town. I like it.

2. The safety of a smaller town

Photo by Angie Birmingham on Scopio

VAL: It’s safe for kids to walk around because there's less traffic and there's not a big highway with cars travelling 130 kilometers an hour. And because Gibsons is smaller, there’s less gang violence than in a big city.

PAUL: I don’t think that every city is run ragged with gang violence. I would say that we have a different type of crime here on the Sunshine Coast. Larger centres have big city crime. Things things like violence and gangs and robberies. It’s not that we don't ever experience those things in a small town, but there’s a far lower instance of it. I'm much more worried about somebody stealing something out of my car than I am of a random shooting.

VAL: Gibsons is also a smaller community. You know your neighbours at least a little bit and you look out for each other’s property. Maybe safety on the Sunshine Coast is less about other people and more about wildlife. You could be walking up the driveway and there's a bear waddling toward you. On the Sunshine Coast, you need to be bear aware.

PAUL: It comes down to what type of safety you’re prepared to accept. You might be worried about a bunch of different threats in a city, but you're probably never concerned about stumbling onto a black bear as you're walking through downtown Calgary. Whereas here in Gibsons, or whatever small town you call home, interactions with wildlife might be a regular occurrence.

3. Strong sense of community

Gibsons and Area Community Centre, Gibsons, BC

VAL: In a small town, it feels like we're all in it together and we all rally together.

PAUL: In Gibsons, it feels like we’re all paddling towards a common destination. I find that's not always the case in a big city. In a small town, it feels like we’re all pulling towards the same goals with everybody in the community, more or less.

VAL: Here in a smaller community, businesses support each other. They’ll help each other out. That sense of togetherness trickles down to the whole community.

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PAUL: We really have to rely on each other in a small town. In a bigger city, you take for granted that there's going to be somebody in that mass of people that can help you or serve you or provide you a service. In a small town, that’s not always the case. Smaller communities have a smaller pool to draw from. We really rely on each other and you end up being extremely appreciative when somebody comes through for you. It makes you want to return that favour for when the community needs something from you.

4. A lack of busy-ness

Sunnycrest Mall, Gibsons, BC

PAUL: It's less hectic in a small town. We don't have a long way to go to get to our next appointment. That means things are a little more laid back, a little more chill. Parking lots are smaller, you probably don't have to park waaaay in the back of one except at Christmas time. It's just a more relaxed pace of life.

VAL: When you do have an appointment, it usually goes pretty quickly. You can be in and out before you know it.

5. Proximity to nature

Cliff Gilker Park, Sunshine Coast, BC

PAUL: The Sunshine Coast is really spoiled with this one. Not every town has the abundance of natural beauty that we have, but I do think small towns - in a geographic sense - are closer to nature. You're not surrounded by miles of city, but you’re surrounded by something. Small towns are surrounded by the outdoors.

PAUL: Here in Gibsons, we're really lucky that we're surrounded by oceans and mountains and lakes and forests. But even when we were living in small towns on the prairies, we were surrounded by lakes and fields and open spaces. Living in a small town makes it easier to appreciate the outdoors in that way. You just go outside and enjoy nature without having to go to a park or a specific destination.

PAUL: Something that I really liked about growing up in a small town, but I forgot about once I moved to the city, but then rediscovered when we moved here, was going outside on a clear night. I can go outside and look up and see sky and stars. Living in a city, I would have needed to leave the city to see that kind of thing. It’s a special thing to go into the yard and look up and see something really pretty above you.

VAL: All right. So those are the top five things that you will probably like about living in a small town. Leave a note in the comments about something you like about your small town.

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Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

5 things you'll HATE about small town life

Val & Paul — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 23:59:20 GMT

We’re a bit behind schedule on the newsletter so this edition is a catchup twofer. First up are the five things you’ll hate about moving to a small town from a big city. In the second video, you’ll get to see Paul fix a car in the rain and watch Val take a truncated hike on Mount Elphinstone.

Things you'll HATE about moving to a small town

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PAUL: In 2014, we moved from the big city of Edmonton, Alberta to the small town of Gibsons, BC. We feel like trailblazers because in the past couple of years, leaving the big city for a small town seems to be the trendy thing to do. There are lots of things we like about living in a small town, but if you’re coming from the city, there are some things to be aware of. So here are five things that you might hate about living in a small community.

1. Limited choices

VAL: Number one is having fewer choices. This can include things like restaurants, shopping, and car dealerships.

PAUL: We never feel like we have no choice when we go out to eat or to go shopping. But if you're living in a big city, you might literally be used to having the choice of a hundred different places to go eat. Here on the Sunshine Coast, we have dozens of places to choose from. That doesn’t mean that we can't go out for dinner, it doesn’t mean that we go hungry, and it doesn't mean that we don't have fabulous restaurants. It just means we don't have hundreds of restaurants to pick from on the Sunshine Coast. And if you're moving to a small town, that might be your experience as well.

VAL: I really didn't think about it until the friend said that fewer restaurant choices was the one thing they couldn't stand. This friend moved from Vancouver to Gibsons and it was our comparatively limited choice of restaurants that really jumped out at them.

PAUL: It's not just restaurants - it goes down the entire list of services. For example, we have three car dealerships on the Sunshine Coast and they're all American. If you want to drive a Honda or Toyota or something like that, then you need to go to the city. You can definitely buy a new car here and our three dealerships will take very good care of you, but you don't get to pick from every brand of car that exists. Same with pretty much any category of retail store. You won’t have the entire catalog of possible businesses to choose from.

2. No big events

VAL: Second on our list is the lack of theatres, concerts, and big events. You could even include movies in this category, because in Gibsons, there's only one movie that plays for a week at a time.

PAUL: In a bigger centre, you have lots of choice. Here, your choice with the movie theaters is take it or leave it. If you don't like this week’s movie, maybe you'll like next week’s.

VAL: With big events in small towns, you’ll likely end up missing big concerts. You’ll probably have to go into a nearby city for a big concert, or big sporting events.

PAUL: It also depends on your specific location. In Gibsons, we're fortunate that we're close to Vancouver. For us to say, "Oh, we're going to go to a concert,” or, “We're going to go to a hockey game," it's not really a massive undertaking. But if you're living in a more remote or isolated region, or your next nearest big centre could be a day away by car (or more). In those cases, you likely don’t have the luxury of running to the city to see a hockey game or go to see a concert without it turning into a multi-day trip.

PAUL: That said, on the Sunshine Coast, and I'm sure in a lot of other small towns, you have a lot of local events. There are local bands and local plays and local art galleries. But we're never going to see Lady Gaga come to the Sunshine Coast. If seeing big shows and professional sports are something that's important to you, you're going to miss them living in a small town.

3. Limited (or no) public transit

VAL: Number three has to do with public transit. On BC’s Sunshine Coast, our local transit system has less frequency than you’d expect in a big city. The outlying areas which transit can reach is also limited. There can only be so many busses and they can only go so far and run so often.

PAUL: We're fortunate here on the Sunshine Coast that we have any type of transit at all. I think the bus only runs every hour-and-a-half or two hours. That means if you miss your bus, you don't just wait 10 minutes for the next one.

PAUL: There can be long waits between busses but I think that's a big step up over what a lot of smaller communities have. We've talked about it before but we do have a local version of Uber here on the Sunshine Coast which means we even have ridesharing, which is a bit of a luxury for a small, rural community. Val’s from a small town in Northern Alberta. Did you have public transit growing up?

VAL: No, just the school bus.

PAUL: I grew up just south of Edmonton in a small town and we didn’t have bus service, either.

VAL: There was no transit where you grew up?

PAUL: Nope. For a little while, I think there was a bus that would take you into Edmonton but that was it. There was no transit in town. You either walked or you got mom or dad to drive you.

VAL: Oh, boy... The good old days!

PAUL: If you rely on transit to get around, that might be something you really miss if you move to a small community.

4. Fewer romantic prospects

VAL: The other thing you might be missing out on is a huge variety of choice in the dating pool. In smaller towns, that pool is a lot smaller

PAUL: Yeah, it can be pretty shallow in some small towns. Thankfully, that's not anything I worry about anymore. A lack of romantic prospects is a frequent complaint about small town life. Also, a lot of relationships are intertwined. You date one person and doesn't work out, so then you date the friend. And then that doesn't work out, so you date the friend’s friend. Maybe that’s fine, maybe that’s awkward. But in a small town, that's just the way it is.

VAL: I think that's part of the reason why young people finish high school in a small town, and then say, “I am out of here!”

PAUL: The flip side of dating in a small community is that I would assume breakups can be a bit awkward.

VAL: Yeah, for sure.

PAUL: If you're in a big city and there's a breakup, you can likely avoid that person. But in a small town, there might not be that choice. Maybe your ex works at the grocery store or one of the restaurants and there’s really no avoiding them.

5. Shorter business hours

VAL: Last on our list is shorter hours for businesses.

PAUL: The theme for all five of the things on our list is that in a small community, your choices are a little bit limited. It's the same with business hours. You’re restricted to when you can shop. In Edmonton, we were spoiled that we could go grocery shopping every night until midnight. Convenience stores and drug stores were open around the clock. In a big city, if you need something, you can likely go get it.

PAUL: That's not really the case in a small town. Here in Gibsons, our grocery stores close at nine o'clock. The drug store closes at nine o'clock. There's not really anything opened too late into in the evening. It's a slower pace of life than it would be in the big city where everything is open all the time.

Paul is a Handsome-Handy-Dandy-Man! Val's Vlog 16

Watch the video on YouTube.

We're into fall here on BC's Sunshine Coast and the fall colours are so pretty. The leaves on the trees are changing colours and we have reds, yellows, and orange. I just love it but I feel like it goes by so fast. In no time, the wind will pick up and blow the leaves and that colour right off the trees.

But it's still very pretty right now and I'm living in the moment! I wish I had more time to play and walk around and take videos and photos but this week has been busy. Work comes and goes and this week is a busy one. There's just more work than play so that's what it is. That's alright.

Fixing the car in the rain

It's pouring rain outside today so it seems like a good idea to go fix the car.

The fan in our car doesn't blow all the time. Paul said that if he had diagnosed it right the first time, he would have saved himself this job in the rain. I’m too intimidated to take the car apart like Paul does but it doesn’t make him nervous. He’s so confident that he’s GUARANTEED he’ll get the car fixed today. Alright, we’ll see about that...

He found instructions on the internet explaining how he can fix the broken electronic part instead of replacing it. He says it can be fixed with a jumper wire before putting the part back in the car. The part was not quite exactly what he was expecting when he disassembled it but it’s similar enough that he thinks he can still fix it.

He uses his multimeter to check the part and yes, it needs a jumper wire soldered to it. Unfortunately, his soldering iron doesn’t want to heat up when he plugs it in. Instead of a relatively easy fix, Paul says this is now the project that'll never end.

“I had a soldering iron but it decided not to work anymore,” said Paul. “Then I thought, ‘OK, I'll just order a new part,’ but the new part won’t arrive until tomorrow. It's pouring rain right now and because the car’s blower fan doesn’t work, I’ve got an inverter plugged into the car so that I use a house fan to keep the windows clear. So even though I ordered the part, I still had to buy a new soldering iron so I can try to scab together the old part so I can safely see out the windows when I’m driving around.”

He solders two contacts on the old part before installing it back in the car. Before starting the car and testing the fan, he says he hopes the car doesn’t blow up. He’s joking (I think) but I cross my fingers. The car starts and... the fan works!

“That'll last me until tomorrow,” Paul said. “I’ll pick up the new part and replace the old one and then button the car back up to make it look all nice. Then we’ll be good for another 200,000kms.”

We picked up the part ten days ago (thanks Kenmac). The part is still sitting on the work bench at home and we haven't put it in yet. I'm not picking on Paul because we've had a really busy time and the part he fixed seems to be OK. He’ll get to it when he gets to it. PAUL’S NOTE: The new part is now in the car.

Short hike at Sprockids

My next little adventure is hiking with Donna up in Sprockids. I wasn’t going to bring my camera but at the last minute I changed my mind. But when I got to the trail, I changed my mind again didn't really feel like filming until halfway through the hike. This means you catch up with me part way through the hike.

We’re on a trail called Wicked Ditches. The name suits this old logging road perfectly: There are lots of wicked ditches to contend with. But then we cross some cute little bridges that carry us over some streams.

We reach the intersection of Tramway Trail before heading back down. Upper Tramway Trail is a nice path with some gradual downhill and is marked with red markers. There are massive stumps left from previous logging. I can’t help but imagine that ancient forest each time I’m out here walking among the trees.

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Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Real estate development & water restrictions

Val & Paul — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 17:00:22 GMT

Watch the video on YouTube.

PAUL: I think that the housing shortage eventually sorts itself out. It's unfortunate that it's not as easy as saying, "Let's build 500, or 1,000 houses, and the housing crisis is over." It takes a lot of time to turn that ship around and point it another direction.

PAUL: I think the Sunshine Coast has been sleeping on the housing shortage for a little too long, and we begrudgingly say, "I guess we'll allow a new development, but we’ll be pretty strict about what it's going to look like." On one hand, we want new development on the Sunshine Coast. But on the other hand, if it's tough for builders to develop, they’ll go someplace where it's easier to develop. Then we get the housing shortage we find ourselves in where a $600,000 house becomes worth $1.3 million in less than two years.

The pace of real estate development

VAL: I'm not okay with developers coming to Council, and Council saying, "Yep. Rubber stamp it. We need more houses. Do it, do it, do it." I think it's okay that we want to keep the kind of community we have.

VAL: There's a reason that people are moving here: it's our sense of community. Developers should be considering the look and feel in what they're proposing so that it fits in to the existing community. It's okay if Council slows down some developments, or outright denies others, because there will be other developers that come along, and will do it right, and will keep the sense of community that we have here.

PAUL: I agree with that, but I think the more stringent we are and the longer we wait, the higher housing prices will go. We don’t want to delay development so long that it makes the housing crunch worse. If we’re too picky and succeed in delaying substantial development for 5-10 years, all we’re doing is pushing up the prices of existing homes. Then 10 years from now, developers will look at the Sunshine Coast and say, "Now it's worth it to jump through these hoops in Gibsons or in Sechelt, because I can sell the house for three million bucks." They’ll get an awesome return on on investment.

PAUL: But what price tag do we put on the community that we have versus the quality of life of the people that are already living here? There are renters that have lived on the Sunshine Coast for a long time, trying to get by. Homeowners and landowners say they’re focused on protecting the current sense of community,” while tenants can't rent a home for $3,000 a month. At some point, we need to ask ourselves what parts of the community are being protected.

VAL: Government could be forward-thinking in what they allow, what type of developments. Maybe tiny home communities, maybe mobile home communities. Different housing types and price points so that people can buy at an affordable price, and not $1.5M.

PAUL: I agree. There needs to be more of an understanding of what affordable housing looks like. Local governments will say, "It's really important that we get an affordable housing aspect to this new development. Some portion of available units will need to be 10%, or 20%, under the market rate." The theory is good but our market rate is a million bucks so they’re saying $800,000 is “affordable.”

VAL: Or the developers will be instructed to make a donation to an affordable housing fund. It’s kind of a joke. Even at $10,000 per unit, you're not able to keep up with escalating house prices.

Tiny homes on the Sunshine Coast?

PAUL: We need to think of some different ideas on the coast. We hear that the expensive part of building on the Sunshine Coast is the land. That you’ll spend $500,000 to $1,000,000 for a lot. Even if you build a modest house, you're still into it for this huge land cost. Maybe the Sunshine Coast starts earmarking properties that can be really chopped up. Maybe there’s a parcel of land that could accommodate 30 single-family homes here and instead, government says, “Let's allow this to be chopped up and put tiny homes on it."

PAUL: Instead of 30 traditional homes, developers will be able to build 100 or 150 homes. Yes, the land is still expensive, but on a per unit basis, the land value is much more affordable for would be homeowners. And because the tiny homes are built off-site, they can be built more affordably.

Sunshine Coast water shortage

VAL: I'm just hearing locals screaming, "Water! There's a water shortage. We can't be promoting more development until we know that we're going to have enough water."

PAUL: A water shortage is akin to traffic. No level of government looks at traffic says, "This place is really going to boom in the next 10 years. We better build a whole bunch of transit, and a whole bunch of freeways, to accommodate the traffic we know we’re going to get." In every city and every town I've ever lived in, you suffer through traffic until it becomes unbearable. The residents scream and complain and make noise, and finally the government acquiesces and says, "Okay, we need to get on this. We left this too long." We saw it with the LRT in Edmonton, we saw it with road conditions, we saw it with a ring road. Calgary saw it with its ring road. These projects were decades past due.

VAL: Well, the big Island Highway took like 40 years to build.

PAUL: Exactly. These things take a long time. As it relates to our water shortage, ideally, we’d say, "Let's pump the brakes, and keep housing prices from going through the roof. Let's keep rents livable until we can figure out the water problem." But that's not what's going to happen. Instead you're going to keep seeing anger about the water shortage build, and build, and build until it becomes a major issue every time there’s an election at any level. Eventually, residents will get frustrated to the point that they say, "Fix the water, and fix the water now."

PAUL: Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like anyone will proactively fix this. We’ve lived on the Sunshine Coast for 7 or 8 years...

VAL: ...and we've had water restrictions every summer.

PAUL: And what’s changed? We don’t even re-evaluate or reclassify the water restrictions in the summer. We have four levels of water restrictions on the Sunshine Coast. The first stage is, “Go crazy!” By the time we get to number four...

VAL: You can't water your garden.

PAUL: And we don’t mean your lawn. Your vegetable garden.

VAL: Local farms can't even water their gardens.

PAUL: It's pretty severe.

VAL: Food and water, isn't that the top priority? Cancel other usage before you cancel people being able to grow food in their garden or farm.

Stopping development is unreasonable

PAUL: So instead of saying, "Let's not develop here, until we get water figured out,” how about we just take that first water restriction stage and get rid of it? Every summer, we’ll start at stage two, or every summer, we’ll start at stage three.

PAUL: How about we say, "No more big developments with big lawns that need to be seeded and watered." Instead, let’s say developers need to use waterless landscaping like you see in Las Vegas, or Phoenix. But saying, "Let's stop development until the water problem is solved," is not a solution.

PAUL: And instead of saying, "There's a water shortage so let’s stop everything else until we can fix said shortage of water,” how about we focus on what we can control locally? Incentivize people to not have lawns, or to be more responsible with their water, or to install a cistern or a tank. Let's do those kinds of things, instead of sitting on our hands and delaying finding a workable solution.

VAL: Well, that's not fair. Local government’s not sitting on their hands. There's stuff that has been started and is being held up by the next level of government. The provincial government is holding back approval on wells that the district has requested a long time ago.

PAUL: I'm not saying that only the town or the district is sitting on their hands. It applies to everybody. But until there is political pain, the Sunshine Coast won’t have its water shortage fixed. In the meantime, we need to figure out how to make better use of the limited water resource we currently have. Saying, "We're just not going to allow additional development," while allowing water consumption to continue without any substantive change doesn't address either problem.

PAUL: If we stop developing, and we stop using more water, the province quits paying attention to us, because we're not a problem, and we’re making do with the system we have in place. And while we’re making do, housing prices just keep going up, and up, and up... To say, “The solution to our water shortage is to stop further development," is myopic and a little bit childish. You're building an exclusionary fence around the town and using a water shortage as an excuse.

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Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Hiking Gambier Island's Mount Killam

Val Labrecque — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 01:44:33 GMT

Watch Vlog #15 where I hike Mount Killam on Gambier Island.

I recently hiked Mount Killam on Gambier Island with my friend Donna. Our journey starts from the BC Ferries Langdale ferry terminal. If you’re visiting from West Vancouver (or beyond), the Langdale ferry terminal is where you’ll arrive on the Sunshine Coast. It’s the same terminal that the big boats use but today, we’ll hop onto the small passenger ferry for the short ride to Gambier Island.

Disembarking from the passenger ferry at New Brighton on Gambier Island. PHOTO BY VAL LABRECQUE.

It’s an overcast morning as we set out. From our spot on the passenger ferry, we see the larger ferry making its way from Horseshoe Bay to the Sunshine Coast. We arrive on Gambier Island and disembark and then the ferry loads passengers for its return trip back to the mainland.

Our trek starts with a half-hour walk on the quiet island road before turning into the trail. The forested surroundings are beautiful and there’s instantly lots to see! We find this darling squirrel eating away and soon after, we spot a colourful woodpecker. We continue to follow the leaf-marked path that takes us through gorgeous rainforest.

This squirrel understands the importance of regular snacks while hiking. PHOTO BY VAL LABRECQUE.

The trail to the top of Mount Killam

There are a couple of ways to get up Mount Killam. In a previous Mount Killam video, we take a different path for the first part of the trail. The first part of the trail that we follow today isn’t something I’ve recorded before. We’ll follow this new-to-you path for half-an-hour before we reach junction where we connect with the other trail.

Where the trail branches off to hike up Mount Killam. PHOTO BY VAL LABRECQUE.

We have a quick snack before heading up for the last one-and-a-half hour hike up. This is where the uphill starts and it’s a bit of a push! I’m tired! We periodically take mini breaks. I’m disappointed in my lack of fitness but Donna does just fine (as usual).

Being in the forest always gives me a special feeling. PHOTO BY VAL LABRECQUE.

Spectacular views from atop Mount Killam

By the time we arrive at the lookout point, we are very much ready for a sit-down-lunch-break. We could hike up a little higher and closer to the top of Mount Killam but this is the best spot to stop and appreciate the amazing views! You can see forever! The North Shore Mountains were a little bit in the clouds but we can see Bowen Island and Keats Island and, of course, Gambier Island below us. In the distance is the Sunshine Coast, the gap in Gibsons, ferries out in the distance, and even Vancouver Island. Turning and looking the other direction, we also see Port Mellon.

Gambier Island below us, Bowen Island to the right, and West Vancouver in the back left. PHOTO BY VAL LABRECQUE.

Donna provided a point-form review of our hike to this point:

Cool breeze.
Definitely fall.
Hazy.
Worth it.
Muddy in places but that’s OK.

The downhill hike

Donna post-review but pre-downhill. PHOTO BY VAL LABRECQUE.

We’re on our way down. The downhill is the easy part of every hike but we still have to be careful because it’s easy to get a little tired and make a mistake. You have to stay alert and make sure you don’t slip. It’s pretty wet today so there’s a lot of opportunity to fall and get hurt. Despite our cautious pace, we know we’re on a bit of a schedule as we want to make the ferry at the bottom. Hopefully we make it on time.

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I stop at a little mossy section to set up the camera for some footage for my video. I don’t get very far before it decides to tumble from its spot! Oh, well - Forget about that idea. At least the moss provided a soft landing and the camera is OK.

Back at New Brighton

The Stormaway IV makes its way towards Gambier Island. That’s Soames Hill in the background. PHOTO BY VAL LABRECQUE.

We arrive at the dock plenty early to make the first ferry. Our brisk downhill pace served us well as a line soon forms behind us. Some of those people will have to wait for the second ferry run back to Langdale.

When we get back to the big BC Ferries terminal in Langdale, Donna’s sweetie is there to meet her. Paul didn’t meet me because he was at home preparing a hot delicious meal! That’s my kind of welcome!

That’s the end of this story. See you in the next one!

Thanks for reading…
~Val

More views from atop Mount Killam

Gambier Island below us, Keats Island to the left, and the Sunshine Coast and Gibsons on the right. PHOTO BY VAL LABRECQUE.

You can also see Port Mellon from the top of Mount Killam on Gambier Island. PHOTO BY VAL LABRECQUE.

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Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.

Why Albertans are flocking to BC

Val & Paul — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 17:00:29 GMT

Watch the video on YouTube.

PAUL: Pretty much anytime we upload a video, we get comments letting us know that Val and I are single-handedly destroying the Sunshine Coast. Apparently, our videos are causing property prices and rents to double and triple.

PAUL: On one hand, it's a little bit flattering to think that people think we have that kind of influence, but the truth is that this housing crisis that we're going through on the Sunshine Coast, is not unique to the Sunshine Coast. It's happening in locations all over Canada. It’s hitting the Maritimes, maybe even harder than it is BC.

Interprovincial migration

PAUL: A thread on Twitter discussed interprovincial migration in Canada, and we thought there was some interesting information that provides context to what we're going through here on the Sunshine Coast, and across BC in general. Trevor Tombe is an economics professor at the University of Calgary, and he was sharing some data about interprovincial migration in Canada, specifically about Q2 of this year, when Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario each saw substantial outflows of population.

VAL: More people left out of those provinces than came in.

PAUL: Combined, those four provinces showed a net loss of 24,000 people between April, May and June 2021. When those people leave, they have to go somewhere. The preferred destination was far and away BC with over 15,000 net new residents in the province during that same time period.

PAUL: The Alberta Treasury Branch posts regular updates about Alberta's economy and discussed similar data points as were on Twitter. ATB said that on a net basis, Alberta lost nearly 7,000 people in Q2 2021 just to BC. When you look at the graphs from Twitter and from ATB, you can see that far and away Alberta and Ontario were the biggest losers. BC got a big chunk, but then the Maritimes saw a lot of net in-migration as well. The number isn't as dramatic in the Maritimes, but you're talking far fewer people.

PAUL: When Nova Scotia takes on 4,000 net new people in a province of under a million people, that's a huge change in their population. They're going through something similar, if not probably worse than what we're seeing here in BC.

VAL: I've had that experience with friends from Alberta. Some have moved to BC, and some have moved back to the Maritimes to be close to family. If their job is non-existent in Alberta, why stay in Alberta?

PAUL: For a long time, people from every place that wasn't Alberta moved to the province for work. You went to Fort McMurray, you worked in the oil patch, or maybe you worked in an industry that supported oil and gas. Those jobs are slowing down, and the same can be said, to a degree, about Ontario. For decades, Ontario was the manufacturing hub for Canada, but as more stuff comes from Mexico or China, a lot of those manufacturing jobs are going away.

PAUL: I think that we're going to see fewer of these high-paying or well-paying jobs in Alberta and Ontario. And if you are not getting paid $8,000 or $10,000 a month to live in Fort McMurray, why would you live there? You had people that grew up on the coast or that grew up in the Maritimes that thought, "I’ll relocate to Alberta for the opportunity." They live their lives in Alberta, but now that the jobs and the money that brought them are going away, they want to go back home to the way of life that they know and recognize. I think this data is pointing this out.

VAL: In another graph from Twitter compares Alberta’s population changes in 2014 and 2021. In 2014, if you're between 20 and 50 years old, you were moving to Alberta. Then in 2021, those same age groups are moving OUT of Alberta. Either you’re no longer finding work, or you're leaving because you're not happy with Alberta.

@CBCFletch has written about the exodus of young people: cbc.ca/news/canada/ca… \n\nLatest data for 2021 shows this continues. Largest net-outflow is among late-20s/early-30s. Stark difference from a few years ago. ","username":"trevortombe","name":"Trevor Tombe","profile_image_url":"","date":"Wed Sep 29 14:35:01 +0000 2021","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FAdbDItVEAEwDs2.png","link_url":"https://t.co/VAJRRQuldD","alt_text":null}],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":0,"retweet_count":38,"like_count":87,"impression_count":0,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

PAUL: There's a lot to like about Alberta and we weren’t hard done by it all by the province. But recently, there's also a lot NOT to like in Alberta.

PAUL: If it gets worse than Alberta, that means it gets a different kind of worse in BC. The more people that leave Alberta due to a lack of opportunity, the more people will come to BC looking for a better life.

VAL: You’re saying BC will experience growing pains if people keep leaving Alberta?

PAUL: That's right. If the Alberta economy slows to a critical stage over the next 10 or 15 years, I can see BC heating up during that same period.

VAL: The oil patch slowed down in Alberta however many years ago, and hasn’t really rebounded. But people stuck around, thinking, “It's going to turn around and I’ll go back to work." But that turnaround never came so now they’re leaving the province. At the same time, if you were working in Alberta, it’s a common aspiration to retire in BC. But because of COVID and the sudden acceptance of remote work, people are making that move sooner. They think, "I don’t want to wait for retirement. I’m moving now."

PAUL: The retirement plan for a lot of Albertans was to work in Alberta for another 10 or 15 years, then retire to Vancouver Island or the Okanagan. Then COVID hits and housing prices go through the roof, and all of a sudden, these same people start doing some arithmetic. They say, "If I work in Alberta for another 10 years, the housing market in other places is appreciating quicker than I earn. Maybe I'm better off relocating now and earning less money, because if I wait 10 years, I’ll be priced out of that market."

VAL: As it is, some have already missed the boat on retiring in BC, because housing prices climbed too much already on the Sunshine Coast and on Vancouver Island. They had plans to move to Vancouver Island and be by grandkids, but now they realize, "Wow, we're going to be spending more on housing in our retirement instead of downsizing and paying less."

BC and Alberta headed in opposite directions

Photo by Frank Busch on Unsplash

PAUL: I think it's going to get worse in Alberta and Ontario. Alberta doesn't want to hear it, but I think it’s on the downward slide with oil and gas. There’ll be a use for oil and gas for decades to come, but it won’t be the end-all be-all like it has been for the last 50, 60, 70 years. The oil patch in Alberta also gets painted with an overly broad brush.

PAUL: Not all of Alberta’s oil is economically feasible to extract. Some sites produce good product. But then something like the oilsands requires a lot of effort to refine that oil. You're either limited to what it can be used for, or you just have to do a lot of upgrading to turn it into something usable, which means it's expensive. As demand for oil shrinks, the oilsands will be the first resource that goes by the wayside.

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PAUL: It's the most carbon intensive to burn. Shell pulled out of Fort McMurray and they’re not the only one. A lot of these bigger companies are pulling out of the oilsands. Maybe they're redeploying that capital someplace where it’s cheaper to extract oil or they're shifting gears and investing in green energy.

PAUL: It's easy to dump on Jason Kenney, because he looks like a little putz, but Rachel Notley, who I quite like, dropped the ball on this energy transition, too. Alberta is still making big bets on an oil and gas industry that will look dramatically different 15 years from now. Even Premiere Justin Trudeau bought a big pipeline with our tax dollars and I don't know how valuable it’ll be 15 or 20 years from now.

VAL: When Rachel Notley was premier in Alberta, she had the chance to turn the province around a little bit and to decouple from oil and gas while reinventing Alberta's workers and focusing on renewable energy. She didn’t make the shift like I had expected she would.

Alberta's overlooked asset

Photo by Shane Cottle on Unsplash

PAUL: Alberta is a huge labour resource. There are so many people there that just want to work.

VAL: Yeah, you're there to work. You'll retire and have fun later, but it's all about working and grinding right now.

PAUL: When political leadership ignores changes to an industry, they’re also ignoring those industrious people. Eventually, those workers move back to their home province or they find better opportunity elsewhere. But if Alberta aggressively said, "In the next 10 years, we'll continue to benefit from oil and gas, but we're going to double down on green energies," they could keep that valuable worker base.

VAL: Instead they’ll leave the provinces.

PAUL: And that’s where BC and the Maritimes will benefit from these skilled Albertans. Not that skilled people don’t exist in these places already, but the new people that are coming from Alberta will disproportionately work like dogs.

Landing spots for Albertans

Photo by Jeffrey Eisen on Unsplash

VAL: When people leave Alberta, where are they going in BC? I would think a lot would go to the Okanagan and Vancouver Island. Maybe smaller centres like Nelson, I guess?

PAUL: There wasn’t any data about specific BC relocation destinations, but anecdotally, we hear about people in Calgary moving to the Okanagan, as that’s relatively close for them. Lots of people from Edmonton dream about living on Vancouver Island.

VAL: And I had two family friends move from Northern Alberta to Vancouver Island.

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

VAL: Going the other direction, I've had friends from Edmonton move back to the Maritimes to be close to family. They think that if they’re not making big money in Alberta, they may as well be in their home province. I'm kind of excited for those people.

VAL: When I lived in Edmonton, I had lots of friends from the Maritimes that came to Alberta for work. The husband worked in the oil patch, and the wife worked with me as a pharmacy technician. They built lives in Alberta, but now some of them have moved back. They always spoke fondly of home and I liked hearing those stories.

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VAL: One thing that’s very disappointing about Alberta is the situation with doctors and nurses and the what United Conservative Party has done to that province’s healthcare system.

PAUL: If we had a week, we couldn't cover everything about what’s not good about living in Alberta right now. It’s a wonderful province filled with wonderful people, but they are being mismanaged to death by an idiot.

What does this mean for the Sunshine Coast?

salalus (Madeira Park) on BC’s Sunshine Coast. Photo by Val Labrecque.

PAUL: That's a lot of talk about Alberta. What does this interprovincial migration mean long-term for the Sunshine Coast? I'm assuming it means that the current housing shortage isn’t a blip, and that housing prices and rents likely won’t return to levels like we saw in 2018 or 2019. While there’ll be ups and downs and ebbs and flows in the market, I think this demand will be a sustained thing. And when we look 10 years out from now, there’ll continue to be a lot of demand.

VAL: There might be some levelling off or even a bit of a dip, because we had CRAZY increases for a year-and-a-half. But generally, we’ll continue to see demand and prices increasing. The desirability of living in BC and the Sunshine Coast is too high.

PAUL: It's Alberta's loss that its government isn’t turning the economy to face a different direction. A lot of BC communities are going to see people that are originally from the province moving back home, or we’ll see new people coming in from other provinces. These new arrivals will be disproportionately motivated, hardworking, industrious people with big ideas and dreams. If that happens, BC might start to see big booms in places that are appealing to Alberta expats.

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Val and Paul at Roberts Creek Falls.