People are running away from BC not because they want to but because they have to.
Two recent reports outline how a record-high number of British Columbians are exiting the province for jobs and cheaper housing.
"Perhaps this sentiment (the famous 'So Long, Farewell' song from the movie The Sound of Music) was on the minds of the nearly 70,000 residents who left beautiful British Columbia for other parts of Canada over the past year," wrote David Williams and Jairo Yunis in an economic perspective for the Business Council of BC.
"Alberta alone has drawn about half of all out-interprovincial migrants, likely reflecting its higher average incomes, lower taxes and cost of living and close geographical proximity."
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BC has long prided itself on being a primo province, one people want to move to and live in for the mild climate, stunning scenery, exceptional quality of life and opportunities for entrepreneurs, workers, families, couples, singletons and retirees.
Only some of that is true now.
Nice weather and a lake-and-mountain views aren't enough to keep many British Columbians tethered to a province with fewer opportunities and skyrocketing cost of living.
For the last few years, KelownaNow has been reporting on how BC has lost its lustre as a place to live, work, play and invest.
One of the stories, based on an Angus Reid poll, indicated 36% of British Columbians were considering moving out of the province, mostly to Alberta and Ontario, for career options and more affordable housing.
That number jumped to 50% for millennials, the generation aged 28-43, the very backbone of the working population, who are falling behind in wages and home ownership.
Let's look a little deeper into the numbers.
The Business Council of BC report bandied about the 70,000 British Columbians leaving the province as record-high.
And it is and it's true that 70,000 British Columbians moved out of the province in 2024.
But, the net loss is different.
While 70,000 British Columbians abandoned the province, about 61,000 people moved to BC from other provinces.
So, the net interprovincial loss is around 9,000.
"BC lost 9,199 residents (net) to other provinces in 2024 and natural growth was negative for the third year in a row," stated Chartered Professional Accounts of BC CEO Lori Mathison in the group's BC Check-Up annual report.
"It has been a challenge for BC to attract and keep residents who are already living in Canada (and to retain British Columbians). A lack of affordable housing is a major reason for that."
The BC Check-Up cited the benchmark price for a typical home in BC at $945,800, which is down 10% from its peak in March 2022.
However, that drop is not enough to make housing affordable in BC and keep British Columbians from moving out seeking higher-paying jobs and cheaper housing.
The benchmark price for a typical home in Alberta, meanwhile, is about $600,000.
To further complicate the population formula, the BC Check-Up shows the province grew 0.9% year-over-year as of April 1.
That's due entirely to a record-high 178,00 new residents from other countries moving to BC in 2024.
That number has already started to drop as the federal government's 2025-27 immigration plan cuts the number of admissions because there's a shortage of housing and competition from arriving immigrants helps drive up the cost of housing.
"Population growth has contributed to recent affordability issues, but the greater and longer-term issue is that we are not building enough homes," pointed out Mathison.
"It's a problem that our members have routinely identified as an obstacle to business success in the province."
On a similar topic, Kelowna-Mission Conservative MLA and official opposition critic for jobs, economic development and innovation Gavin Dew has pointed out how small business confidence has fallen off a cliff in BC.
Dew also spoke about that and more in an interview with NowMedia Group video host Jim Csek here:
