Over the snow? Here are six reasons to move to Vancouver from Alberta

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Are you thinking of moving from Alberta and making “The Best Coast” your new home?

While Vancouver is notorious for its rent prices and overly passionate hockey fans, there are so many great things about the city that far outweigh the cons.

We’ve rounded up six reasons to move to Vancouver from Calgary or Edmonton.

The obvious: the lack of snow

A view of Edmonton after last week’s snowfall. (Allison Stephens/Daily Hive)

Vancouver itself has never seen snow before October 28, according to the history book, and that was more than three decades ago.

While lots of northern and eastern parts of the province do typically see flakes fly in the fall, it’s so unusual on the South Coast that a sprinkling in Metro Vancouver or Vancouver Island typically makes headlines.

Warm and sunny at Vancouver’s Seawall this past weekend. (Daily Hive)

Seriously, many people in the city don’t have standard winter tires because of how rarely they are needed. Okay, that does become an issue when it occasionally snows a few inches and freezes in December or January… so maybe we shouldn’t brag about that.

If you move here from ‘Berta and bring your winter tires and winter driving skills with you, you will be super popular.

There are more single people

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We checked the stats on this one because people in Vancouver do complain about the dating scene, but the numbers are all there. There are 987,000 people in Vancouver’s Census Metropolitan Area (meaning outside the city as well) who are unmarried and not in a common law relationship, according to the most recent stats.

Compared to Calgary, where that number is cut in half at 446,000 people in a legally unattached situation, it seems you have a better shot at meeting The One in Van. Edmonton has more unmarried people than Calgary, so it’s slightly better odds.

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All three cities see a trend in more “available” women than men.

We can’t see more details on how good-looking people are within the numbers, but Vancouver’s Kits Beach was once named third in the top 10 of North America’s hottest beaches, according to Forbes. Also, Ryan Reynolds is from Vancouver — so we will let both those points speak for themselves.

Plus, Vancouver has more eligible millionaires.

You can take a boat home from the bar

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While Vancouver is not as equipped with e-scooter offerings as Calgary is, we do have one thing in our favour when it comes to getting home from a night on the town. For the price of a bus ticket, you can take a semi-private cruise ship home from the bar, brewery, club, or what have you, and it’s only a few minutes long. It’s called the Seabus, and it’s magical.

The False Creek Ferry ballet returns this Saturday, July 1! 8:15 am at the Village, 8:45 am at David Lam Park, 9:15 am at Granville Island, & 9:45 am off of Sunset Beach. pic.twitter.com/W6PDOhoyY3

— False Creek Ferries (@FalseCreekFerry) June 27, 2023

And it’s not the only one. Alternatively, if you need to get from downtown to Granville Island or Kitsilano, you can take a smaller ferry from one of the many False Creek locations for just a few bucks. It’s seriously adorable!

You can save money on lotion

Fall Stanley Park Vancouver leaves changing seasons

Vancouver’s Stanley Park rainforest is also the third-largest public park in North America. (Lalune Eak)

The humidity in Vancouver is thanks to its location. The city is within and surrounded by not only coastal water but temperate rainforests, which means a lot more rain. It won’t ever get as dry as the prairies, which have a reputation for destroying our beauty regimes.

That means your skin won’t crack and bleed as soon as the season shifts, and you won’t have to be constantly reapplying body lotion or Vaseline.

A nice humid day in Vancouver. (Lalune Eak)

Plus, the humidity level is also to thank for there being a lot less static electricity, so you don’t get shocked as much when grabbing a door handle or running a brush through your hair.

You can ski after work

Grouse Mountain views. (Pierre Leclerc/Shutterstock)

We know you can technically head to Calgary Olympic Park for some night skiing, but just 30 minutes from Vancouver, you can night ski from an actual mountain all while looking down at the city lights.

It’s seriously stunning and is cheaper than skiing during the day. With several mountains close by, there’s an option to ski every night of the week instead of hitting the gym. Plus, you can get to Cypress, Manning, and Seymour by bus, so you can even have a little apres work nap before hitting the slopes.

You’ll live longer

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According to Statistics Canada, BC has the longest life expectancy in the country, and compared to Alberta, it’s almost like living here will add a whole year to your life! Women in Alberta are estimated to live to 83 years, while in BC, it’s 84 years on average. Men in BC are estimated to live just past 78 years, on average, while those in Alberta are at 77, well below the national average.

Are you convinced? Or is Alberta still calling? Let us know in the comments.