Moving to BC

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by indes

As someone who grew up in Calgary (18years) and moved in between Castlegar and Nelson I can tell you, you won't look back. As much as I love Calgary there is no comparison in quality of life.

Getting out of the hustle and bustle of a big city is extremely satisfying, no one around here is too worried about 'keeping up with the Jones' or getting indebted to the hilt to have the newest and greatest stuff.

Outdoor recreation is within 10 minutes in every direction. No need to book anything or make plans to go hiking, camping, atving, snowmobiling, swimming, tubing down the river. Just go. You'll start laughing when people brag about Calgary being only hours from the mountains. No more traffic jams, leisure activities are affordable.

Honestly the way of life is a lot more down to earth and I can't imagine living anywhere else. The problem with 'world class' cities, is that they're cities. Sharing world class man made buildings and costly entertainment venues with a million other people seems crazy to me after my new perspective. Give me a side by side, 100s of kms of mountain trails, some good friends and a cooler of beer any day.

Trail isn't too bad but I would recommend living outside the city itself.

If there's anything else you want to know about the area, fire away.

Do you have kids? And if so, what approx age range? I always wonder about kids having enough "to do" in small towns to keep themselves out of trouble. Or having enough diversity of people around that if they run into bullying or whatever from one group, that there are actually other "groups" they could hang out with instead.

[DylanScores]

Originally Posted by Peanut

Do you have kids? And if so, what approx age range? I always wonder about kids having enough "to do" in small towns to keep themselves out of trouble. Or having enough diversity of people around that if they run into bullying or whatever from one group, that there are actually other "groups" they could hang out with instead.

My kids are 10 and 5. That's our concern too but I think that our oldest is resilient enough to adjust and "fit in" with every one else.

[indes]

Originally Posted by Peanut

Do you have kids? And if so, what approx age range? I always wonder about kids having enough "to do" in small towns to keep themselves out of trouble. Or having enough diversity of people around that if they run into bullying or whatever from one group, that there are actually other "groups" they could hang out with instead.

I only have a 1.5 year old right now, my wife has family that she's close with that have a 10 year old and a 6 year old. I'm not sure there's anything you can't do here that a big city would offer. There's always tons to do if you get your kids into outdoor activities.

Off the top of my head with my wife's cousins we've built forts in the woods, we go side by siding, skiing, fishing, hiking, mushroom picking (not the good kind) have fires, go swimming in the river, go tubing down the river. I think 'small town' is a relative term as between Trail, Nelson and Castlegar there's all the amenities and 30,000 people.

It's definitely a different lifestyle but once you get into it I find there are way more things to do in the kootenays, especially on the cheap or for free. We lived together in Edmonton 8 years ago and it seemed like every time you want to do something you have to shell out a bunch of money.

It might sounds like I'm really talking it up but the fact is my life changed big time for the better once I moved to the Kootenays. I'm outside all the time, I'm not in a rush, I've become way less materialistic. I've gained real life skills in gardening, foraging, hunting, fishing, raising chickens and cows. There's no way in Calgary I would be eating all my own meat and vegetables.

Not everyone lives like that either around here, but the options are available!

[Amethyst]

I don't think you can say it will be great or it will be awful. Some people like the amenities and availability of services that cities offer, while others like to be out in nature and avoid the hectic life of cities.

Do you now go to small towns to visit and what do you think while you're there? Sure, you avoid some negatives of the city, but small towns also have drawbacks. Would you need to drive to a bigger city for medical appointments? What if you run out of milk on a Sunday - is there a store open? What kind of recreation do you enjoy? If it's hiking, you might be happy. If it's going to the symphony, you might not. Do you like to travel? If driving in the mountains is your thing, it would be a positive. If flying off to wherever is your thing, it becomes an extra nuisance.

I grew up in a small town but wouldn't go back to one. It's nice to "get away from it all" every once in awhile, but I wouldn't give up on the conveniences of city life. Watching my elderly parents having to drive through bad weather for medical appointments several times over a winter has pretty much changed my idea that someday I might go back to small town life.

[squiggs96]

I was born and raised in Trail. I left when I was 18 and moved to Calgary. I couldn't get out of there quick enough. Some people like small towns. I don't. I like the hustle and bustle. I like all the options that are afforded to you in a big city. I think there are better schooling, sporting, employment, networking opportunities in big cities, especially for kids.

Trail has some pluses. If you want to ski, curl, or play hockey there are lots of opportunities in the winter. If you bike or golf you can do that in the summer. Employment and promotions are extremely limited there. Basically nothing is open on Sundays. If you want to travel, the airports aren't great. If you like to camp there are tons of places to do that.

If you like small, one industry towns, Trail is fine. If you want professional sports teams, arts, theatre, restaurants, international airports, etc, then Trail is not for you.

If you want advice on specific places to live there, things to do, schools, etc., ask away in the thread.

[indes]

I guess that's the other side of the coin! I have met lots of people who couldn't wait to get out and move to Calgary, Vancouver or Kelowna. I also work out of town so that probably helps, as good employment is definitely more difficult to come by at home.

Different strokes for different folks!

Also the advantages of living in a small town can't be overstated were the zombie apocalypse to occur.

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by DylanScores

I've never lived in a small town ever, explains why I have so much apprehension on my part. Wife is from the area and she would like to go back around the area, be close to her folks and raise our kids in a smaller town. I've always enjoy it there when visiting but I haven't stayed there more than 1 week.

I was pretty much in the same boat as you, moving to a small town, from Calgary, because of family, wife from there with family in the area.
It's a great move, especially now in your life. Not sure if it makes sense when you're 18, or more specifically, young and single, but when you're married with kids, it's awesome. My commute to work now is 6 minutes, travel to golf course is 20 minutes from work or home. I remember how much of my life I wasted in traffic and think back now, with regret.
Also, if you have free, trustworthy, family babysitters nearby it's totally bonus.

[DylanScores]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

I was pretty much in the same boat as you, moving to a small town, from Calgary, because of family, wife from there with family in the area.
It's a great move, especially now in your life. Not sure if it makes sense when you're 18, or more specifically, young and single, but when you're married with kids, it's awesome. My commute to work now is 6 minutes, travel to golf course is 20 minutes from work or home. I remember how much of my life I wasted in traffic and think back now, with regret.
Also, if you have free, trustworthy, family babysitters nearby it's totally bonus.

Did you also move to the Kootenays are Duff? Living in a small town has definitely has its drawbacks. I know that I will be sacrificing a lot , i.e. Big league sports, shopping and other things available in big cities. I want to have both , peace and quiet and everything close by but I know that I can't have it all. I feel that we as a family are always on the go and I'm not sure if it's healthy for all of us or how long can we sustain this?
I also want to expose our kids to different people and culture with our hope that they will become "well rounded" one day.

[Erick Estrada]

Small towns to me are love/hate. In the summer in the mountains, valleys, etc they are great but I find in the winter they turn into ghost towns.

[DylanScores]

Originally Posted by squiggs96

I was born and raised in Trail. I left when I was 18 and moved to Calgary. I couldn't get out of there quick enough. Some people like small towns. I don't. I like the hustle and bustle. I like all the options that are afforded to you in a big city. I think there are better schooling, sporting, employment, networking opportunities in big cities, especially for kids.

Trail has some pluses. If you want to ski, curl, or play hockey there are lots of opportunities in the winter. If you bike or golf you can do that in the summer. Employment and promotions are extremely limited there. Basically nothing is open on Sundays. If you want to travel, the airports aren't great. If you like to camp there are tons of places to do that.

If you like small, one industry towns, Trail is fine. If you want professional sports teams, arts, theatre, restaurants, international airports, etc, then Trail is not for you.

If you want advice on specific places to live there, things to do, schools, etc., ask away in the thread.

We are thinking around Merryvale,Glenmerry and Fruitvale areas. We are also looking at public schools within those communities as well as St.Michaels which has performed considerably well in provincial standards but I think that they charge monthly fees for each child enrolled as per their website. How reliable is the Trail airport during winter season? Is it better than the Castlegar airport?
I know a lot of people fly out of Spokane and they say it's cheaper, but we will surely miss driving to the airport and get a direct flight here in Calgary.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by DylanScores

We are thinking around Merryvale,Glenmerry and Fruitvale areas. We are also looking at public schools within those communities as well as St.Michaels which has performed considerably well in provincial standards but I think that they charge monthly fees for each child enrolled as per their website. How reliable is the Trail airport during winter season? Is it better than the Castlegar airport?
I know a lot of people fly out of Spokane and they say it's cheaper, but we will surely miss driving to the airport and get a direct flight here in Calgary.

The problem with the Trail airport during winter is they have to follow visual approach rules, because YZZ doesn't have the technology to land without a clear site line. I'm sure some of the flight nerds can better explain this in technical terms. So, Trail can have clear weather for a week, but the day you want to fly in or out might be cloudy, and you don't get to fly. It might even be fine to take off, but if the plane can't land, then it can't pick up the new passengers to leave. They really need to upgrade the technology. I'd love to fly back to Trail during winter months to ski at Red Mountain, but I'm not booking time off, flights, etc. on the chance I might get to fly in.

Castlegar is better, but if there is fog, it's like landing in the bottom of a capuccino cup. There are mountains all around the Castelgar airport, so it's quite a dive into the airport, and climb out of it. It can be unnerving if you aren't a good flyer. We called the airline 'Scare BC' as kids. My curling team was at provincials in Nelson in 2015, and we flew from Vancouver to Castlegar. Our flight was one of 2 flights that got in on that route that week. We were lucky. In 2002 I flew from Calgary to Castlegar for my grandpa's funeral, but the flight couldn't land and we were turned around back to Calgary. When we went home we were flying out of Trail. The rest of the team went home early, and I stayed to ski. The plane couldn't land in Trail, so they chose to drive home, instead of waiting for two days. I left Monday morning, and it was clear, with no problems. In the summer both airports are fine. The only reason for cancelled flights is lack of passengers.

I went to Montrose Elementary from grades K-5, Beaver Valley Middle School in Fruitvale from 6-9, and J.L. Crowe Secondary School in Trail from 10-12. All three schools have been torn down. A new Crowe was built on the same plot of land, but the other schools were just shut down. It looks like if you live in Fruitvale, Beaver Falls, or Montrose, that you'd go to Fruitvale Elementary for K-7, and then to Crowe for 8-12. I'd recommend living in Trail, Sunningdale, or Glenmerry. It's tough as a kid to live in Fruitvale and go to school in Trail. The buses suck, and they don't run late at night, because it's a small town. I would curl in Trail in the men's league, and hitchhike home some nights if I couldn't find a ride.

With small towns, there isn't much you can do if you don't like your school. We had small classes, which is good, but my every class at Montrose from 1-6 was a split class, with two different grades in it. I was a gifted child, so they skipped me a grade, and could have skipped me more, but I was a runt at the time. In highschool I finished math 3 years early. If I was in a big city, I could have gone to a better school and/or had more programs that were better suited for me. I don't know anything about St. Michael's school, as it's the Catholic school, and non-religious people didn't go there when I was there. The students who came out of there and went to Crowe were the same as the rest of the feeder schools.

There are lots of people who came out of Trail, and did well for themselves. There are also lots of people who married someone from Crowe, had some kids, and will stay there their entire lives. Most of the guys work at Teck, and the women work at the hospital or the schools. I just went and looked at the Crowe teachers, and I know most of them, as I went to school with them in the 90s.

Since The Colander is the main restaurant in Trail, you better love it, or make sure you can cook.

[afc wimbledon]

I find Vancouver tiny and parochial!!

[FireGilbert]

I'm very thankful my parents moved us from Trail to Calgary when I was a kid. If we'd stayed I think I would have been constantly bored and developed an alcohol or drug problem.

If I ever moved back to Calgary I would consider that to be moving to a quiet small town.

[Northendzone]

so Dylan after all of these posts, which way are you leaning?

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by DylanScores

Did you also move to the Kootenays are Duff? Living in a small town has definitely has its drawbacks. I know that I will be sacrificing a lot , i.e. Big league sports, shopping and other things available in big cities. I want to have both , peace and quiet and everything close by but I know that I can't have it all. I feel that we as a family are always on the go and I'm not sure if it's healthy for all of us or how long can we sustain this?
I also want to expose our kids to different people and culture with our hope that they will become "well rounded" one day.

No, don't live there, but I wouldn't mind, maybe. People have brought up some really good points, and I think isolation is a huge con factor to consider.

I guess it boils down to, you'll never know unless you try it.

[habernac]

Grew up in Fort McMurray when it was small town, couldn't wait to get out. I like being close to the mountains, but being 4+ hours from anywhere was too much.

Visiting smaller places is great, don't think I could live there. some great mountain biking near Trail. Seven Summits is very deserving of the IMBA Epic ride status it has.

[DylanScores]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

so Dylan after all of these posts, which way are you leaning?

Thank you very much for sharing your first hand experiences living in the Kootenays. A lot of great points has been put forward. Having been a city slicker myself I will miss the hustle and bustle of the city. It will be hard to just pack and up and go and fly out to major cities on a short notice. We have a great family MD here and my kids currently go to a great school. My wife's job requires her to fly in and out of Calgary. If we move, she can fly in and out Trail airport during the summer but I'm leery during the winter. I'm currently working in a highly specialized field. With the new job, I get to learn more and become more specialized making myself more marketable in the future opening more opportunities for me and the family. The downside, I get to lose all my seniority and start from the bottom of the barrel again, so no guaranteed holidays etc.

I like my in laws and my kids love spending time with them. I'm not really outdoorsy here in Calgary but everytime I go there I'm relaxed and at peace!

[indes]

The airport is horrendous from november-january. Even air canada calls it 'cancelgar'.

As for restaurants Trail is pretty brutal but Nelson has a bunch of good places to eat. I'm still not entirely sure what everyone means about having nothing to do in a small town? What activities is there to do in a city as a kid? Growing up in Calgary I spent my entire childhood playing street hockey in front of my house or walking to the school/park.

[Northendzone]

^ I would assume that in a city like Calgary there is more stuff for kids to do like the trampoline park, zoo, etc.

does not matter where you live there are positives and negatives.

personally, I'd like to live somewhere in-between like fernie - but hwo knows, I may hate it after two yrs of living there.

I can see why an adult would want to move to a smaller place, and I can also see why a kid could hardly wait to leave.

[Northendzone]

Dylan - are you a politician - lol. this sounds like a classic non answer that could not offend anyone......

anyways, from what I have read, it can't be an easy decision

Originally Posted by DylanScores

Thank you very much for sharing your first hand experiences living in the Kootenays. A lot of great points has been put forward. Having been a city slicker myself I will miss the hustle and bustle of the city. It will be hard to just pack and up and go and fly out to major cities on a short notice. We have a great family MD here and my kids currently go to a great school. My wife's job requires her to fly in and out of Calgary. If we move, she can fly in and out Trail airport during the summer but I'm leery during the winter. I'm currently working in a highly specialized field. With the new job, I get to learn more and become more specialized making myself more marketable in the future opening more opportunities for me and the family. The downside, I get to lose all my seniority and start from the bottom of the barrel again, so no guaranteed holidays etc.

I like my in laws and my kids love spending time with them. I'm not really outdoorsy here in Calgary but everytime I go there I'm relaxed and at peace!