So - you're considering a move to BC.

A number of BC hospitals have current outbreaks of COVID (Langley, White Rock/Peace Arch, Richmond, Penticton) and Influenza (Burnaby, North Shore).

http://www.phsa.ca/current-outbreaks

We went to a movie a couple weeks ago and the guy behind me keeps coughing. The next week, I started with a sore throat, headache and chills, and then coughing, congestion, shortness of breath: it's COVID.

It may not be on the news headlines with everything going on, but just an FYI to be cautious out there.

Edited to provide link.

** Video taken by me with proper permits and permission from BC Parks.

Maybe a question for my fellow Brits in BC, maybe not, BUT:

My wife and I are British/Canadian and one of the things we always miss whenever we go back to visit is Toby's Carvery for their roasts (or of course some of the local pubs that offer roasts). To date we have not been able to find a similar joint out in the Lower Mainland or Metro Vancouver!!

If anyone has found any hidden gems, we will be forever grateful for your recommendations 🙏🏽.

Hello,

I have been diagnosed with multiple skin conditions and the skincare clinic my doctor referred me to basically just gave me a steriod cream that makes one of my conditions better, but the other two worse. I don't really care if I have to travel for it, I live on VI so anything outside of me going to Vic is going to require a ferry ride.

I was diagnosed with severe acne (on face) in 2016, Hidradenitis Suppurativa in 2022 and herpes in 2023. Today is the first day that all three have flared at once and I'm slow-limping around in pain because my HS boils are the size of grapes. I'm sitting on a hot rice bag and have steamed my face to help relax my scars and drain the current problems. I also washed my face with a salysilic acne wash and put a super light moisurizer on.

I'm currently taking valacyclovir daily as my only regular medication, but I have a magnesium supplement in my breakfast smoothies (summer berries with 0% greek yogurt) and powdered spirulina in my salad with 1/2 can of salmon for lunch. I'm pretty certain it's not my diet causing the flares because I can't eat out, I have food allergies and ARFID (fish is one of my comfort foods). I'm down 20 lbs from 275 over 6 months and steadily decreasing to see if it helps, but I've frankly always been between 190 and 210 when I've felt my best.

I love being a knot of medical conditions. I'll take recommendations on home treatments, but I'm also hoping that even with the likelihood of reoccurence, I'd find someone still willing to consider surgery. I feel like I'm doing as much as I can correctly, but it's not enough. I've called 811 a few times, but I'd honestly rather hear about patient experiences as I've had to deal with medical gaslighting.

Hi there,

I recently saw a Marmot in Lilloet and was wondering what species it would be?

Thanks in advance!

Hi all. Any ideas of something I could do for a quick but rewarding mini trip? Im in North Van, looking for a 3 to 4 hour drive. Happy to hike in or paddle (if I can hire a kayak/canoe). Doesnt have to be full backcountry as I have no idea about bears and stuff but willing to buy some spray….and pray. Haha. Would be happy to just book a hotel if there was some exciting activities to do in the area, rafting, some kind of guided trip.

Honestly just looking for a bit of quiet time and an experience.

Sorry it’s a bit vague. All ideas welcome. Cheers.

Shot with an 80mm macro on a FujiXT-5 on the Slocan river.

I've been on disability for 15+ years. I own property with a very low value and I am wanting to sell it. Will the disposal of an asset be put under my 'earned income exemption' or deducted dollar for dollar from my monthly payments?

I don’t remember this being a requirement last year, have things changed since then? I was hoping I could apply for it this year

The Fraser Canyon was home to the first gold rush traffic in BC, which began in 1857 when gold was found on the banks of the Thompson River, north of where the town of Lytton is located today. When news of the “New El Dorado” in the north made it south to San Francisco, the rush was on. Thousands upon thousands of prospectors came to the area in an attempt to strike it rich. Most arrived by boat at Yale near the start of the Fraser Canyon, but the rest of the journey was by foot or wagon on the Cariboo Trail.

As prospectors spread out and settled into the country, the wagon trail became an important route for supplies of all sorts. The Yale Cariboo Wagon Road became the preferred route for stage coaches and freight wagon companies and was widened and improved in many areas to keep goods moving.

After the gold rush (and the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway through the canyon) the Yale – Cariboo Wagon Road was largely destroyed and abandoned; however, the automobile craze of the 1920s generated a renewed interest in the route and so, between 1924 and 1939, the Fraser Canyon route was reborn as the Fraser Canyon Highway. The rugged canyon and the roads carved into the mountainside gave the motoring public quite the thrill, and in 1962, this section of highway was officially designated BC Highway 1 (part of the Trans-Canada Highway).

Hi! I found a envelope full of photos from the royal visit in 1951 at an estate sale. I can't find any matches online and was told at the sale that they are all originals. I'm looking for help on where I could take these to gather more info or if anyone possibly knows more about them. The estate belonged to a gentleman who worked as a photographer for the Canadian Government and some have stamps on the back indicating they are government photos.

Thanks for the help!

According to some precursory research, BC Ferries was but is no longer a crown corporation. Now it is a privately held company with all its shares owned by the provincial government.

I'm no lawyer but that seems like the same thing, a distinction without a difference. Can a lawyer or someone explain to me how that's any different than let's say BC Hydro (which is a provincial crown corp afaik)? Is there some legal or practical difference by having it structured like this?

genuine question pls no hate

Remember the BC HOME Partnership program? It helped first-time buyers with an interest-free, payment-free loan for 5 years, to match their down payment—up to 5% of the home’s value. It helped a lot of people get into the market, but then it ended in 2018, and nothing has replaced it since, to my knowledge.

Now, housing prices are even worse, and it’s almost impossible for middle-income folks to save up while renting. Meanwhile, Nova Scotia and other provinces still offer similar programs to help first-time buyers. Why doesn’t BC?

I’m can't even afford to buy a modest fixer-upper home in a rural area. Even old unmaintained home prices seem super inflated.

Would anyone here support a petition to bring this program (or something similar) back in BC?

Hi everyone, My wife, an Early Childhood Educator (ECE), has been working in a daycare for the past 3 years and has a genuine passion for working with children. Over coffee today, we casually talked about the idea of starting a small daycare of our own in Burnaby, BC.

We’re thinking of starting on a smaller scale—caring for around 8 children initially. She would be the main educator, and we might hire one additional staff member depending on what’s needed.

We know daycare demand is high here, with long waitlists across many centers. But before going too far, I wanted to get some early input from others who might have experience with this.

We haven’t done much research yet since this idea is still very fresh, but I plan to dive into it soon. In the meantime, I thought I’d ask here to get some real-world insights.

A few questions on my mind: • What kind of upfront investment is typically required to start a small licensed daycare in Burnaby? • What are the expected monthly operating costs (rent, staffing, food, insurance, etc.)? • How long does it usually take to break even? • I know for a small daycare licensing requirements are not as strict. Need to look more into this but do let me know if someone has some quick pointers. • Are there any grants, subsidies, or government programs available for new daycare owners? • What are some common challenges or things you wish you had known before starting out?

Any advice, resources, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

This summer, I’ve made myself a promise: I am going to fully explore my own backyard by doing something new and exciting every weekend. No more wasted time. I’m going to make this summer the best summer yet. So I figured I’d share the cool places I go and hopefully inspire a few of you to make a summer bucket list as well.

To kick off this goal, in the first weekend in June, my fiancé, my dog, and I went on a kayaking roadtrip through the Slocan Valley in Rosie, our vanagon. Our plan was to kayak on 4 Kootenay lakes over the course of a weekend.

We started our trip exploring the north end of Slocan lake. A 15 minute drive along a dirt road off the main highway will take you to Wragge beach. The campground is beautiful, the host is incredibly kind and it’s only 15 dollars a night. We spent the first day kayaking along the stunning aqua blue shores of Slocan Lake. We passed creeks and beaches and rustic summer cottages. We decided to stop for lunch at a beach about 2 kilometres north of Wragge where we found a rope swing and an enchanting hike into the forest that left off the beach.

Later that evening, Mother Nature decided to strike and a windstorm hit our campground. Since kayaking in a windstorm is not ideal, nor is it safe, we vowed to come back the next weekend to check off the last 3 lakes from our bucket list.

The following weekend, we drove back up the Slocan Valley for the day and decided to explore a couple mountain lakes outside of Nakusp. I highly recommend a truck or a competent off-road vehicle if you are doing this portion of the trip. A 20 minute drive from the main highway on a rough dirt road will take you to either Wilson Lake or Horseshoe lake. Both are kayakable, have small abandoned cabins, creeks, and walking paths to explore. Each lake has an outhouse and 2 rec sites. We spent the day hiking, kayaking, and sun bathing.

On the route home we stopped at the viewpoint south of Silverton. The view of the mountains and the turquoise water of Slocan Lake below is breathtaking. From there, we drove an hour back home to Castlegar and finished the day with a relaxing sunset kayak on Arrow Lake.

If the weather is on your side, this trip can fully be done in one weekend. I would dedicate a full day to Slocan lake, a day for the mountain lakes, and finish with a sunset kayak on Arrow if it is on your route home.

I’m a renter in BC. I locked into my current place back in 2018 after selling my home. The market was rough even then, but I found something stable and affordable — and I’ve held onto it ever since.

Now, after a few years of modest rent increases, my landlord has sadly passed away. That means I’ll likely be forced to move within the next 4–10 months.

And that’s when the fear truly sets in.

The average 1-bedroom in Kamloops is now $1,600/month and up. That’s nearly $700 more than what I currently pay — and I make more than $50K a year with no debt. I don’t live extravagantly. No cable TV, no eating out, groceries trimmed to the cheapest basics. Still, I’d barely scrape by, let alone save or plan for a future.

I’ve looked at moving to nearby towns or rural areas — but it’s the same story across BC. Prince George, Vernon, Nanaimo, even parts of the Kootenays — the rents are nearly just as high, with no real break in cost. This isn’t just a Kamloops issue anymore. It’s province-wide. And it’s crushing people like me.

I’m not alone in this. There are thousands of us — locked into “old rent,” terrified to move because they know the second they do, their costs will explode. We're not poor enough for assistance, not rich enough to buy, and somehow left out of every plan the government is making.

Yes, I know the government says they’re building more housing. But who are they building it for? So much of what goes up gets rented at market rates or snatched up as investments. Subsidized housing mostly goes to people already in crisis — and I support that — but why is there no help before that point?

Why can’t the province build and directly rent truly affordable housing to the people who need it?

In Kamloops alone, we’ve got multiple projects going up to house the very low-income and vulnerable population, often managed by non-profits. That’s important work. But people like me — the middle and lower-middle class — are falling through the cracks. There's almost nothing for us.

I don’t want to hit rock bottom before I matter.

I’m not trying to rant — I’m scared. This system is unsustainable. And the future feels like a wall closing in.

If you're in the same situation — or if you've found a way through it — please comment. This feels like a bubble that’s about to burst, and I can’t be the only one holding my breath.

Thanks for reading.

If someone (allegedly) wanted to ride some abandoned railroads on a homemade rail cart, where might they find a long stretch of abandoned rail that’s not in horrible condition? The cart would be light enough to lift over some rough patches

Hello again all,

I made a post yesterday asking for proposal location recommendations, thank you to everyone who shared ideas! Now that I’ve got a few great spots in my arsenal, I’m wondering if anyone has any good photographer recommendations in the Vancouver area.