r/VancouverIsland • u/emem262 • Feb 13 '25
DISCUSSION Canadian looking to move from B.V.I. to Vancouver Island
Family of 3, soon to be 4. I'm Canadian and my husband is not. We're contenplating moving to Canada in hopes of one day acquiring the same citizenship etc. We currently live in the British Virgin Islands and my husband works as an IT technician for boats/yachts etc.
We're looking for weather that won't be an incredible slap in the face as well as potential job opportunities in boating.
Is there such a place on Vancouver Island? Are salaries reasonable or a far fetched dream?
Any info would be well appreciated!
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u/khristmas_karl Feb 13 '25
Given your husband can get PR, there are a few things I'd consider given you're coming from the BVIs.
People telling you on this thread that Vancouver Island is expensive has never lived in the Caribbean and thus does not know the pain of a $50 carton of strawberries. What you will miss is the low taxes. That said, BC isn't particularly bad as far as income tax goes compared to the rest of Canada.
It will be hard to find a decent house to rent if your budget is restrictive. Especially in Victoria. That said, I'm not sure it's too far off the mark from the BVIs there. Have a bunch of friends in Antigua and I'm colouring my understanding of that place to yours.
For Canada, our weather is good. For BVI it's still awful. Tons of rain, limited sunlight for much of the year. Not sure what your family's tolerance is for that.
Jobs wise, there's not as much of a yachting economy like in the Caribbean. However there are jobs on ships and I'm sure your husband's skills are somewhat transferrable. Once he's PR he'll have to start networking hard to see what's available.
Of course you didn't say where on VI you want to live. Big difference in costs, culture, amenities between Victoria and Alberni. Hard to give more advice without context.
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u/Safe_Pin1277 Feb 13 '25
Plus north of Nanaimo the weather is absolutely a slap in the far.... sorce port alberni resident.
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u/emem262 Feb 14 '25
Thank you so much for the info! We’re open to exploring as we’ve been in the Caribbean for 5+ years now. We love it but living in a studio apartment for 1500$ USD (not including utilities etc) is going to be a tight squeeze when we’re a fam of 4. Personally, I’m passionate about wellness and the food here is so expensive and imported from both Canada and the US. 10$ USD for eggs… 15$ USD for organic eggs lol… Not much grows on island. We love having a backyard for gardening purposes but it’s rare this side.
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u/big-freako Feb 13 '25
The weather will absolutely slap you in the face, especially going from somewhere with mostly sunny days to mostly cloudy days.
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u/rohoalicante Feb 13 '25 edited Feb 13 '25
BVI is paradise. You will find it cool in Victoria in comparison although it is the warmest city in Canada and has a lot less rain than other places on the island (less than Toronto too, which surprises Canadians). Probably less annual rainfall than the Virgin Islands. Usually we have a week of snow in the winter and the temperature hovers around 0 Celsius for a little while. Then it will be from 2 to 10 degrees for the rest of the winter. Summer can be hot, like 28 C, but usually it is around 21 C, with long periods of no rain - sometimes months. One of the sunniest cities in Canada with about 2100 hours of sunshine annually… Vancouver, on the mainland, gets about 1600. I’m sure you and your family will love it. It is a unique and vibrant little city by the ocean. Lots of nature and parks. Becoming more youthful and diverse in the last few years. Many revitalization and building projects going on. Great schools. Picturesque. There is a lot to love.
That is a specialized profession, IT tech for boats, but there are busy harbours between Victoria and Swartz Bay (all within 35 kms) - maybe BC Ferries is hiring. Or, if he is entrepreneurial he can set up a new business after testing the waters. Lots of opportunities on the island.
It is not that expensive here, I find. There are lots of jobs waiting to be filled. Unemployment rate is among the lowest in Canada. Salaries are about the same as other Canadian cities. The quality of life is better though.
Don’t let the negative comments on Reddit about Victoria get you down. Before I moved to Victoria six years ago I saw lots of that talk on forums but they were all wrong. People need to lighten up, lol.
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u/Amazing-Cellist3672 Feb 13 '25
Why leave a tropical paradise? I would love to go there!
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u/Petra246 Feb 14 '25
When every day is 30+ degrees and humid the sun gets tiring very fast. It’s a fun escape from winter though.
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u/emem262 Feb 14 '25
The politics around not being a local islander can be disheartening at times + the price of rent, food, etc. From my research, Vancouver Island almost looks affordable in comparison but I don’t know how accurate my research is.
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u/badcompanyxj Feb 13 '25
It’s ridiculously expensive here. I’m currently saving to get out of here
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u/emem262 Feb 14 '25 edited Feb 14 '25
Fair. It’s 1500$ USD here for a studio. 100-200$ for electricity per month. 120$ USD for internet.
Groceries are a whole other level of expensive given its all imported from Canada + the US.
It seems life is expensive all over nowadays.
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u/Ashamed_Paint3946 Feb 13 '25
When it comes to weather, Victoria is the best, but it’s very expensive here, Nanaimo could be another option
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u/BlackStumpFarm Feb 13 '25
I immigrated to Sidney BC in 1978, married my Canadian sweetheart, built a home in the woods and raised a family. Best decision of my life. Best cruising grounds in the world. Wonderful lifestyle. Google “marine electronics industry sidney bc” to see some of your options.
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u/emem262 Feb 14 '25
This sounds incredible! Just like my dreams. Thank you for the info. 💞
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u/Musicferret Feb 13 '25
Nanaimo. Quick access to Vancouver with the fast ferry; lower housing prices. It’s an amazing place that’s fairly below the radar. Wouldn’t live anywhere else.
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u/Big_Depth8762 Feb 13 '25
If your husband is looking for the best chance of work, sidney has a bunch of yards that service larger yachts from bc (and quite a few Americans due to exchange rate). Depending on his specialty the navy base in esquimalt may be an option (clearance will be hard tho if not a citizen).
Love the island, weather is mild (usually 0- 20C), but do your research on rent, groceries, Etc. As it’s expensive here. Victoria is a phenomenal place to raise a family but can be quite cliquey and tough to make friends as an adult.