British Columbians are increasingly moving out of the province and heading eastward, as the cost of living rises and access to public services diminishes.
Two reports published by the Business Council of British Columbia examined the emigration of these former residents. The Stay With B.C. report spoke about why locals are leaving, and their article on economic perspectives identified where the province’s expats are headed.
The business council’s Stay with B.C. report suggested the rising cost of living and poor access to public services, such as healthcare, are encouraging residents to book a one-way ticket elsewhere in the country.
StatCan reported the median family income in Fort St John in 2023 was $133,310.
According to the province’s cost of living calculator, a family of two adults and two children who earn this amount, which is $11,094 before taxes each month, would have $793 remaining after covering their expenses.
Of this monthly income, the calculator said $2750 would go towards renting a home and maintaining one vehicle, $4495 paid monthly living and personal expenses – including groceries for a family of four and childcare, and $3,056 covered provincial and federal income taxes.
Access to public services, namely healthcare, in the Peace is also limited. Earlier this week, on August 3, the emergency department in the Fort Nelson General Hospital was forced to close due to staffing challenges.
“Emergency department service interruptions are always a last resort, when all other options to keep the ER open failed,” a spokesperson for Northern Health said regarding the closure.
Northern Health acknowledged the ongoing staffing challenges, but highlighted some improvements the health authority has seen in recent months – such as the organization’s Emergency Department Stabilization Taskforce.
“While some communities continue to experience staffing challenges contributing to emergency department service interruptions, overall the task forces’ efforts have contributed to a 6.2 per cent decrease in the number of service interruptions region-wide between January 1 and June 30, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024,” said Northern Health.
The title of this report, according to the business council, “was a tongue-in-cheek response to the province of Alberta’s ‘Alberta’s Calling’ campaign, which urged B.C. residents to move.”
Inter-provincial migration in B.C. became negative in 2023 – this means more residents have been leaving than coming, migration has ranged from a loss of 5,000 to 9,000 British Columbians per year.
Alberta’s campaign was successful, with most residents heading slightly eastward to the province, over 35,000 residents made the move in 2022, and the trend is continuous.
Some respondents to the Stay With B.C. report said running a business in the province was no longer feasible, and the laxed regulations in some Albertan industries called them – northeastern business owners may be especially susceptible to this due to the close proximity.
“Alberta, with a more competitive tax regime and fewer regulatory barriers, is attracting businesses and workers from the Peace Region,” said Tiffany Hetenyi, the executive director of the Fort St John and District Chamber of Commerce.
Hetenyi compared Alberta’s logging regulations to those in B.C. – the former allows ten-axle trucks, whereas, B.C. only allows nine meaning drivers in the province must carry smaller loads.
Ontario, the country’s most populated province, saw over 15,000 B.C. residents make the cross-Canada move, according to the business council.
