British Columbia is one of the best places to live in the world, and there are many reasons why this statement is true. The province has large, safe, and prosperous cities and towns alongside excellent healthcare, rich heritage, diverse culture, and a world-class standard of living.
British Columbia lies at the western tip of Canada and is defined by its prominent mountain ranges and the Pacific coastline. The province is famous for its natural beauty, Glaciers, hiking and biking trails, campgrounds, and ski resorts. Vancouver, it’s one of the most famous cities globally, is known for its booming film industry If you’re still in doubt regarding why most people believe British Columbia is the best province in Canada, here are ten additional reasons.
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Why Columbia is the Best Province in Canada
1. Great Cities
From Vancouver to Whistler BC, Fort St John, Delta, and Oak Bay, the province is blessed with beautiful cities that offer significant economic and leisure opportunities to residents and tourists. Some towns like Fort St John blend rural and urban areas and experience little or no traffic jams and long queues. Whistler is known for its skiing, camping, and mountain biking facilities, and Vancouver is known globally for its high standard of living and is home to the largest port in Canada.
2. Economic Opportunities
British Columbia has one of the most prosperous economies in Canada and has the second largest population in the country. The province has numerous business and employment opportunities in manufacturing, construction, education, health, agriculture, entertainment, and forestry. The port at Vancouver is also a huge revenue earner for the province and handles about $200 million worth of cargo every day. The region is also home to companies that specialize in biotechnology, alternative fuel, and software development. Foreign companies like IBM, Microsoft, Nokia, and Intel also have a significant presence in the province.
3. World Standard Education
British Columbia is home to some of the best educational institutions in the world, including The University of British Columbia, Simon Frazer University. The province is home to 11 public and five private universities alongside the British Columbia Institute of technology that offers diplomas and degrees in various fields, community colleges, and government-run secondary and primary schools. These educational institutions are respected across the world and attract students from all corners of the globe.
4. Outdoor Activities
Residents of British Columbia are blessed with an abundance of mountains, glaciers, parks, hiking and biking trails, and other outdoor activities that make the province one of the best places in the world to live. Thousands of tourists are attracted to the region during the summer, where outdoor activities such as golfing, sailing, mountain climbing are popular, and the winter where people ski in the numerous mountain resorts that abound in the area or snowboard down the snow-covered peaks of Whistler-Blackcomb.
Furthermore, British Columbia is home to the Glacier National Park, full of ancient cedar trees and exotic wildlife. The national park is one of the ecologically significant regions of Canada. The province also has warm springs and several horseshoe caves at Ainsworth Hot Springs.
5. Universal Healthcare
Residents of British Columbia enjoy public-funded universal healthcare, where every legal resident enjoys essential healthcare services at zero cost.
6. Culturally and Ethnically Diverse Population
The people of British Columbia are open and welcoming, so most of the communities in the province are culturally and ethnically diverse. About 27% of the total population in the region are migrants, while Aboriginals make up 5%. It is not uncommon to hear residents speak Aboriginal and foreign languages from Asia, Europe, the middle-east, and other parts of the world asides from the official national languages; English and French. The diverse environment is one of the attractions of the province for international students.
7. Efficient Public Transport
Cities and towns in the province have efficient public transportation systems from trains to city buses which cover most of the routes in the suburbs of the cities and towns that make up the province. Furthermore, the province is a fertile ground for private taxi companies like Uber, preferred by the urban population. Ferries are also a common sight, and they are mostly preferred by tourists who use them to move around on the creeks and the ocean to observe breathtaking views of the province.
8. Fantastic Food and Wine Culture
Every year, thousands of tourists from different parts of the world linger in British Columbia because of the many food delicacies that restaurants working with world-acclaimed chefs produce. The province is home to lots of rural farming communities that ensure that most of the food delicacies in the region use fresh local ingredients for meals. Restaurants also provide different dining options for diverse international treats; wherever you come from, you will find a delicacy that agrees with you in British Columbia. Furthermore, the province is also home to more than 200 wineries and breweries run by individuals, families or large estates.
9. A deep sense of History
The original settlers of the area, the First Nations Peoples, were there for 10,000 years before the first British settlement was established in 1843. The people of the area value the extended History of the province and strive to preserve it through environmental conservation and cultural celebrations.
10. Friendly Immigration Policies
One of the keys to the economic growth and development of British Columbia is the influx of migrants from different parts of the world. Some of these people come to get quality Canadian education from its universities, enjoy the beauty and scenery of the province, exploit economic opportunities and invest in the provinces’ economy, or contribute their knowledge to the growth and development of the region. Furthermore, more than half of the present legal population of the area was born outside it.
Final Words
From education to public health, business, and infrastructure that abound in the region, we can see that British Columbia is one of the best provinces to live in Canada. The city welcomes immigrants who are ready to put in the work and rewards them most handsomely. Perhaps the only downside to living in British Columbia is the high cost of living which is affordable if one has a high-end paying job. However, one of the best things about this province is that income from one job is usually enough to take care of the bills and lead a relaxed lifestyle.