While Canada is involved in political turmoil with the USA in the form of a trade war, some American residents are looking to escape the States for greener pastures, with B.C. cities as a potential option for a move.
On the British Columbia subreddit, one person posting on behalf of her and her partner suggested they were looking for places in the province where they could “avoid MAGA pockets.”
“My partner is an Emergency Medicine Physician, and we are in the process of applying [for] jobs in B.C. from the U.S.,” they said.
They added that they were looking to avoid Vancouver proper but had some interest in Metro Vancouver cities. In response, she received over 600 comments with helpful suggestions on where to go and some opinions that readers might find interesting regarding what parts of the province might be considered MAGA territory.
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Why leave the States?
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If you were to Google “Americans moving to Canada,” you’d see many results and news stories from the last eight to ten months. Some Americans are very interested in living in Canada if those stories are any indication. That interest seems to have grown over the past few months, potentially in response to what Americans have seen from their leader.
On Reddit alone, there are numerous threads in Canadian subreddits with Americans inquiring about living here.
Even three months ago, before things started to get really divisive politically, this thread on the AskCanadian subreddit asked American Canadians what made them choose Canada.
“Increasing political polarization in the U.S. had me very nervous and angry most of the time,” was part of one user’s response. “The Canadian government seemed to actually be able to govern and be responsive to its citizens,” they added.
Gun violence was one Redditor’s concern.
“I couldn’t send my kids to school in America. The mass shootings are only increasing, and the only response seems to be to make school function more and more as a prison for children.”
Another Redditor said, “At this point, and since before COVID if I’m honest, I’d be uneasy just visiting the U.S. That entire country feels a lot like a pressure cooker to this Canadian.”
On the flip side, many Canadians chimed in and said they would never move to America.
B.C. MAGA-free zones, according to residents
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Back to the original thread where Redditor shipm724 said they were searching for MAGA-free places in B.C., politics are a big reason for leaving the States.
“I see MAGA in the U.S., and I’m scared. I assume they have guns. (All our MAGA family have crazy amounts of guns.) I’m happy to not talk politics,” the original poster said.
A B.C. resident said they hoped more medical professionals would move to Canada from the States.
“I think things will have to get a little worse here before people leave their bigger paychecks,” the original poster replied. In response to figuring out a safe place in B.C., many Redditors shared their opinions on perceived safe zones in the province. Many Redditors suggested Victoria on Vancouver Island.
“Not much MAGA territory in B.C., and Vancouver Island is generally more progressive voting than other parts of B.C. Also, we need doctors!”
The government of B.C. is also seeing an opportunity to recruit folks from America due to the political upheaval. Recently, the Ministry of Health announced that it was taking steps to attract doctors and nurses from the U.S.
“With the uncertainty and chaos happening south of our border, we have an unprecedented opportunity to attract skilled healthcare workers interested in moving to Canada,” said Minister of Health Josie Osborne.
In terms of places to avoid, one resident said, “I’d avoid Duncan, Mission and parts of Chilliwack and Abbotsford. Maybe not complete MAGA, but definitely leaning much farther right wing.”
“New Westminster, Victoria, and Delta are pretty good. The smaller communities are generally more right-leaning,” someone else replied.
One user sent the original poster a link to the recent provincial election results.
How do you feel about a potential influx of Americans moving to B.C.?