Unaffordability among top 4 reasons why people in B.C. are looking to leave, says report

B.C.’s business council looked into the reasons why people say they’re leaving for other provinces, and found affordability was the primary motivator.

People are leaving B.C. for greener pastures and the reason behind the move, unsurprisingly, is the price tag that comes with living in the costly province, according to a new report.

The report, titled Stay With BC: Voices and Solutions for a Brighter Future, compiles the results of the Business Council of British Columbia’s Stay With B.C. campaign from December of last year. Launched in response to the neighbouring province’s “Alberta is Calling” ad campaign, which attempted to lure skilled workers across the border in 2024, the project had more than 3,000 British Columbians across 100 communities discuss the reasons why they would jump ship if Alberta were to call.

The report highlighted real experiences from a wide-reaching selection of people, including families, young professionals, retirees, and business owners, and identified four common themes pushing them to look at living elsewhere.

B.C.’s housing and affordability came in as the number one reason, with 36 per cent of those surveyed citing the province’s soaring cost of living and the chance of home ownership being increasingly unattainable. Twenty-eight per cent nodded to the layers of red tape and the province’s rising taxes that are making it more difficult to save for retirement or successfully run a business.

Stagnant salaries and a lack of job opportunities has led to some people feeling as though they’re working harder than ever but still falling behind, with 23 per cent citing it as the reason B.C. living is unsustainable, according to the report.

Just under a quarter of those polled also touched on B.C.’s health-care system and transportation services, with 18 per cent pointing to the long wait times of medical care facilities and the widespread difficulties in securing a family doctor as the reasons pushing them to leave.

“It’s clear from what we heard that people are proud to call this province home, but far too many are being priced out of staying,” said Laura Jones, President and CEO of BCBC.

“It’s a stark reminder that without a strong economy and the opportunity to build a future, many of our young and skilled workers will pick up and leave, not by choice but by necessity.”

Describing economy as being “the foundation of affordability,” Jones said it needs to be easier to invest, build and work in B.C. if we want people to stay in the province.

“If we don’t, we’re at risk of losing the next generation,” she said.

The report combined first-hand accounts of people from all corners of B.C., with respondents hailing from the village of Clinton in the Interior to as far north as Fort Nelson, and from coastal regions like Port McNeill to the city of Vancouver.

Braden McMillan, BCBC’s senior director of communications and public affairs, said it was “heartbreaking” to read so many personal and deeply moving stories from people across the province.

“But it was also a powerful reminder of how much work is needed to get the economy working for British Columbians again,” he said.

“People are struggling, and they need all the help they can get.”