Originally Posted by
604ksmith
I moved from Vancouver to PG for 2.5 years, recently moving back to Vancouver last August.
You mentioned you didn't like Victoria for the rain and PG certainly gets much less. The winters have also become much milder as of late with the last two averaging around -5 to -10 with the one or two weeks of -30. But, make sure you know what you're up for when moving to a "small town" like PG. Everything is a far drive, or an inconvenient flight away. The closest major city is Edmonton at 5-6 hours east. Entertainment in PG is hard to come by, and restaurants are limited, you'll have to get used to making your own entertainment in the bush or in the city. In my opinion passive residents don't do well in cities like PG. Also, if you're bringing kids make sure to keep them busy as the winters are long, dark, and can be boring if you don't like the cold or skiing/sledding, snowshoeing etc. PG still has a rough/dirty downtown area as well, so coming from Victoria where there really is no "rough" area could be hassle, however most responsible residents steer clear and never have any issues. That being said, while I don't regret my time in PG, the hunting and fishing was phenomenal, I knew I wanted to get back to the lower mainland. For all the traffic hassles, and crazy real estate, I just prefer to spend M-F in the city with weekends outdoors.
As for places to live, I agree with the post above. West is best, and assuming you're selling a home in Victoria you'll be able to afford to get into all the areas but maybe the custom homes on the river. If you want a nice suburb-style home University Heights is the best in town. HOWEVER, be warned to do your due diligence just across the street if looking in the Parkview Crescent area. I won't mention the name of the builder of that area but the company doesn't have the best reputation. I rented in the area during much of the construction and corners were cut, and crews were very junior. Multiple homes ended up having complaints and issues that were outside of the normal "nothings perfect" idea. If you'd like to live a bit farther west of town go for the Beaverley area about 15 minutes SW of town. It's made up of some very nice 5 acre lots and large homes. There are also some really nice places north of town that tend to be a bit older. The Hart Highlands is one such subdivision, and Chief Lake Road with larger lots. All the areas above will limit the amount of smell you'll notice from the local oil refinery and three pulp mills.
Hopefully that helps, if not, I'm sure others with more experience than mine will chime in.
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