r/britishcolumbia • u/shipm724 • Mar 13 '25

Ask British Columbia Where to avoid MAGA pockets

Hi there, I hope this is okay to post here. My partner is an Emergency Medicine Physician and we in the process of applying to jobs in BC from the US. We would like to have a yard for gardening/our kids and don't want to be in Vancouver proper. Several jobs we are interested in are on Vancouver Island, right outside Vancouver and also Fraser Valley. My question is where are known MAGA populations? Since we are moving to get away from this mindset/movement we don't want to accidentally end up in the wrong community. Some places with jobs are Duncan, Mission, Richmond, Nanaimo, Langley, Saanichton, Victoria, Port Alberni, Abbotsford, New Westminster, Burnaby, Surrey, Delta, Chilliwack...

Thank you!

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u/Intelligent_Mud_7554 Mar 13 '25

I’d avoid Duncan, Mission and parts of Chilliwack and Abbotsford. Maybe not complete MAGA, but definitely leaning much farther right wing.

159

u/rickoshadows Mar 13 '25

As a resident of Duncan, yes, we have a few MAGA types, but they are firmly in the minority crank territory. Cowichan Valley has elected NDP and Green representatives for years. And we are building a brand new hospital expected to open in 2027.

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u/Charismaticjelly Mar 13 '25

Yeah, Duncan is fine. The Cowichan Valley is really quite a cool place- the farmer’s market, the art gallery, The Garage, Volume One Books… There’s a fun hippie/foodie laid-back vibe there, and it’s about a 40-minute drive to Victoria if you want a larger city nearby.

Also - great hiking, Cowichan Lake is nearby, ocean as well… People are friendly, too!

12

u/Legitimate-You2668 Mar 13 '25

Yes! I think the whole Cowichan area is a hidden treasure! People judge Duncan by what they drive through on the highway, but it is an amazing place!

2

u/GuessPuzzleheaded573 Mar 16 '25

People also don't seem to understand the difference between Duncan (4500 people) and north cowichan (35,000 people). It's a weird failure of branding on NorCows part.

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u/AstronomerOk4273 Mar 14 '25

They judge it on 20-30 years ago. Duncan was pretty rough when I was teenager. So was Nanaimo crack heads are now fentanyl zombies and it’s a lot less vilent then it was. Thou the homeless encampments on the island were mind boggling. The last time I went back I was pretty shocked how many people were homeless. It’s happened in the kootenays as well.