B.C. will be Canada's fastest growing province

[DKaz]

If Seattle's economy is so great and diversified, explain their high unemployment rate. I agree I would love to see some big high tech players in Vancouver but I think the technology sector is particularly vulnerable to recessions as people clamp down on discretionary spending. Except Apple.

[Millennium2002]

Hmm...

I'll admit that I'm not very educated when it comes to the types of jobs that we have here. Does anybody have a list of categories / industries / offices that people here seem to work most in?

Diversification seems like a good policy to follow to shore up the local economy in the case that one industry collapses or fails.

Now that this is mentioned... (creates fantasy map)

[SpikePhanta]

Originally Posted by allan_kuan

Hmm...

I'll admit that I'm not very educated when it comes to the types of jobs that we have here. Does anybody have a list of categories / industries / offices that people here seem to work most in?

Diversification seems like a good policy to follow to shore up the local economy in the case that one industry collapses or fails.

Now that this is mentioned... (creates fantasy map)

Sometimes it is an industry collapsing for major diversification.

Like what happend in the 80's with the lumber industry.

Also IMO the possibilities of possible industries in vancouver is endless or at lease very vast looking at how we are the gateway to the pacific!

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

If this prediction is indeed the case,

1: Make sure we get the political representation in Ottawa we deserve to compete with Ontario

2: Plan for a city of over 5 million in Vancouver. Other cities will also grow (Kamloops, Victoria, Kelowna, Nelson, Prince George etc) but the bulk of the population increase will be in the Lower Mainland.

This is going to mean the need to DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY to provide jobs, and to provide SUFFICIENT HOUSING, not the least of which will be for retired people, including very elderly people, as the population ages.

Housing, transportation and medical care are already front-burner issues; wait 30 years; they'll be critical issues, unless we start proactively working on them now.

Nelson will not grow that much. Because they are a relatively "old city" in BC terms they are basically "built out" unless they start clear cutting the mountainside which the local population wouldn't tolerate. There's lots of room for people here in Castlegar a half hour away. Regional airport here as well. 3x daily Vancouver main terminal flights and daily Calgary via Air Canada. Lots of cheap flat land on all sides of the rivers, Okanagan summers etc.

[SpongeG]

go pick up BIV (business in vancouver) every year they release a "book of lists" which lists the biggest companies in BC in all sectors

Research is large here in vancouver - for instance the Canada arm was developed here in BC...

there is a lot going on here I was quite surprised

[Rusty Gull]

Originally Posted by Denscity

Nelson will not grow that much. Because they are a relatively "old city" in BC terms they are basically "built out" unless they start clear cutting the mountainside which the local population wouldn't tolerate. There's lots of room for people here in Castlegar a half hour away. Regional airport here as well. 3x daily Vancouver main terminal flights and daily Calgary via Air Canada. Lots of cheap flat land on all sides of the rivers, Okanagan summers etc.

Denscity - I am not a Castlegar-basher - in fact I love the entire West Kootenay region - but it is Nelson which has the infinite potential because of LIFESTYLE. It is probably one of the finest towns in the country - with a ridiculous abundance of stunning architecture, scenery and culture for a community its size.

If our provincial government was smarter, they would have stuck a provincial university there years ago - and Nelson/Castlegar/Trail could actually become an economic player (ala Bellingham).

As it stands, the future economic prosperity for the province lies with pushing Metro Vancouver to mega-city status - and that means more density, more transit, more highways, more of everything. As such, municipalities that "get it" such as Richmond are poised for incredible times ahead - while areas that embrace Nimby-values (Vancouver, North Shore) will accrue more residents but fewer and fewer jobs and economic activity.

There is vast potential for Surrey if Diane Watts can figure out a way to rebrand the city and do away with the old stereotypes.

Metro Vancouver needs to be comfortable with being the LA of the North - NOT the San Francisco of the north. LA, as you know, has not one definable industry besides entertainment, but is sustained rather by a myriad of industries and offshore players (from the Port to Honda to publishing).

As for Kelowna? Sorry - I just don't see it. I have been there for one boom-bust cycle, and it's the same group of boosters there always hyping Silicon Vinyard or whatever they call it. Frankly, the Okanagan holds novelty value for Canadians who haven't experienced desert-like weather, but the urban planning in the valley is a mess, the university is in a remote location, and its location is increasingly less desirable as a hub for industries such as mining or resource extraction (compared to Kamloops or Prince George).

Sorry for the long-winded rant.

[trofirhen]

I think Nelson is a dynamite place, too, for all the reasons you stated, and one or two more. At any rate, it is, and will be, a desirable - and expensive - place to live.
Incidentally; during the Viet Nam War period (roughly speaking), it did have a prestigious, small university: Notre Dame university, with a small enrollment of about 2,000 students, and professors from the world over.

This then became "downgraded" somewhat into the David Thompson University Centre, and now, although still an academic establishment, is a language school, mainly geared at teaching ESL for summer visiting students from Asia.

If Notre Dame University could be restored, Nelson would gain some of its former prestige. It was, at one time, designated to be the capital city of a British Columbia divided into regions - in this case the Kootenay region. However, plans for that were scrapped and Victoria became the provincial capital of BC when mainland British Columbia and the colony of Vancouver Island merged.
(before Vancouver Island and British Columbia merged, New Westminster had served as the capital of the Crown Colony of BC)

The fine colonial architecture of all three cities is testimonial to their administrative importance, past and present.

[Denscity]

Nelson is a very expensive place to live. It has no major industry to pay for most of the taxes (which makes it a pleasant place to live) but has aging crumbling infrastructure and no money to pay for it so taxes are set to rise from high to very high. It is like a resort town kinda like Whistler :Expensive, popular, full of tourists who have since moved there (mostly people from Ontario), and have to rely on its next door city (Castlegar) for its airport, commercial radio station, main college campus (Selkirk College), name brand shopping, etc. Its best to live in Castlegar (cheaper, nicer weather, more centrally located, airport, etc) and make semi frequent visits to Nelson (only a 30 minute drive).

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Denscity

Nelson is a very expensive place to live. It has no major industry to pay for most of the taxes (which makes it a pleasant place to live) but has aging crumbling infrastructure and no money to pay for it so taxes are set to rise from high to very high. It is like a resort town kinda like Whistler :Expensive, popular, full of tourists who have since moved there (mostly people from Ontario), and have to rely on its next door city (Castlegar) for its airport, commercial radio station, main college campus (Selkirk College), name brand shopping, etc. Its best to live in Castlegar (cheaper, nicer weather, more centrally located, airport, etc) and make semi frequent visits to Nelson (only a 30 minute drive).

Nicer weather? How so?

[Denscity]

Nelson seems to be a bit of a cloud magnet like the north shore of vancouver. Many of the storms i can see in the distance seem to bend away from Castlegar and head for Nelson. It also is more mountanious so the sun goes down quicker. And it is higher in elevation so is slightly colder. Their lake and river is colder as well (not a big deal). Castlegar has more of an okanagan climate with 100F summers and low humidity while still being surrounded by green and tall mountains on all sides. We also have 4 valleys in 4 different directions (bigger sky) so the sun stays out longer resulting in more hours of sunshine.
Stuff like that.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Denscity

Nelson seems to be a bit of a cloud magnet like the north shore of vancouver. Many of the storms i can see in the distance seem to bend away from Castlegar and head for Nelson. It also is more mountanious so the sun goes down quicker. And it is higher in elevation so is slightly colder. Their lake and river is colder as well (not a big deal). Castlegar has more of an okanagan climate with 100F summers and low humidity while still being surrounded by green and tall mountains on all sides. We also have 4 valleys in 4 different directions (bigger sky) so the sun stays out longer resulting in more hours of sunshine.
Stuff like that.

Sounds good to me!! Haven't been to Castlegar since I was a kid of 9, but maybe I'll retire there when I return to Canada.

[Rusty Gull]

Great posts trofirhen and denscity.

Yes, Castlegar is just a bit closer to that Boundary region (Grand Forks etc) that has a touch more of that Okanagan weather, whereas the Nelson part of the West Kootenay really reminds me more of the coast - greener and more beautiful, but also wetter.

I suppose there is a bit of a Whistler/Squamish relationship between Nelson and Castlegar. But Nelson is a far more interesting and dynamic place than Whistler ever will be.

This Notre Dame thing is fascinating. Considering all of the excellent Catholic high schools in BC, I can't believe the province doesn't have one full-fledged Catholic university (in the states there are many, including Notre Dame, Boston College, Georgetown and Santa Clara). Too bad it's now an ESL school, of all things.

Here's the information I pulled up from Wikipedia:

"Notre Dame University College was a private university in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. It was established in 1950 by the Roman Catholic diocese of Nelson and opened with twelve students. In 1951 Notre Dame became affiliated as a junior college with Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, USA, and in 1961 it became affiliated with St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. In 1963, it was chartered as a private university by the Province of British Columbia. Shortly thereafter, it adopted the name Notre Dame University of Nelson (NDU).

At the height of its operation, it enrolled 2,000 students in a variety of academic disciplines. The university granted both Major B.A. Degrees, with intensive work in one subject area, and B.A. Degrees with Concentrations in two subject areas. It hosted a wide range of foreign students, including many from Hong Kong, Indonesia, and the United States.

Dr. Hugh L. Keenleyside, a noted Canadian civil servant and scholar, served as Chancellor and Chairman of the Board of Governors of Notre Dame University College from 1969 to 1977.

Prominent Faculty members included Dr. P.J. Micallef, Professor of Philosophy, a Laval scholar, and Dr. L.A.D. Morey, Professor of English, a former student of J.R.R. Tolkien at Oxford University, among many other highly regarded academicians. NDU served as the headquarters of the Canadian National Ski Team and embarked on a student-inspired scheme to finance a new student union building independently of university funds.

Although the University attracted sufficient numbers of students, it encountered financial difficulties, partially as a result of being the first university in Canada to endorse a faculty labour union,[citation needed] and in 1977, at the request of the Notre Dame Board of Directors, the Province of British Columbia assumed control, renaming it the David Thompson University Centre and placing it under the administration of the University of Victoria. In spite of its local and regional popularity, the provincial government found the per-student cost too high and closed it in 1984."

[Denscity]

Can't Selkirk College main campus here in Castlegar me made into a university level institution just as easily. After all it sits on its own peninsula of sorts just like UBC .

[red-paladin]

Nelson is indeed beautiful.
It's really like a little New Westminster with the big orange truss bridge, old stone buildings, streetcar. I was very impressed at how great the view was from the beach.


By the way, I just came across this MoT project page.
http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/highwayprojects/Hwy1/index.htm

"The highway is being improved to a modern four-lane standard with a design speed of 100 km/hour to move traffic more safely and efficiently. Sharp curves and steep grades are being reduced, and narrow bridges are being replaced to increase capacity, improve traffic operations and reduce hazards."

This is the first time I've ever heard the Ministry of Transportation commit to 4 laning the TCH from Kamloops to Golden (Where 4 laning to the border with Alberta is already under construction).

If anything gets a Go Gordo Go from me it's this.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Denscity

Can't Selkirk College main campus here in Castlegar me made into a university level institution just as easily. After all it sits on its own peninsula of sorts just like UBC .

It probably could, provided there's the money, but it also depends on the amenities of the community, like housing, shopping and so forth. I know Castlegar has the airport connections, but Nelson was, and is bigger, more interesting, and offers more in the way of accomodation, etc. I see you're proud of Castlegar. I'd live there over neighbouring Trail any day!!

[Conrad Yablonski]

Last I was in Castlegar the smell was revolting/nauseating-has the mill closed down?

[Denscity]

The mill is still up and running. The sawmill is about to open back up too which should help the local economy. No it doesn't smell everyday. Just ask Kamloops, Nanaimo, etc about pulp mills. They seem to be fine with quality of life. They're closing down everywhere so you never know. Ya im proud because i live here but the potential here is extra large. The best kept secret in southern BC. Vancouver and Calgary are exactly the same distance from here. And each only 1 hour away by plane daily, main terminals.

[twoNeurons]

I love Fort Steele, just outside of Castlegar. Is it still as popular these days?

I also love Fernie. Now that's a beautiful little town.

[trofirhen]

Vernon is one of the nicest towns in BC. It has a landscaped civic centre with plazas and groves of trees, and a central street with huge shade trees that lead down to a fountain - statue type of thing, giving that piece of the city an almost-old world feeling. And it's not a heavy-duty tourist town like Penticton, which is nice enough, but very much "in yer face!"

In fact, the North Okanagan region is really nice. Armstrong and Enderby are pleasant towns in beautiful settings, with just a little more rain that Kelowna or Vernon.

I hope they don't become "suburbanized" in the sense of being chopped up for retirement communities or such like.
They probably will, nevertheless.

[240glt]

Grew up in Vernon, & lived in Nelson for several years while going to school @ Selkirk.

Both great towns, I prefer Vernon to Kelowna (always have) The North Okanagan is such a great place... in the summer it really can't be beat except the traffic gets crazy and a lot of the Albertan tourists act like total douchebags, but spent many a summer on the lakes, or up in the hills around the valley & am alway thankful that I got to grow up there. No big city offers that kind of environment to grow up in.

I hope Nelson never grows. It's perfect the way it is (although some ugly condo developments have sprung up as of late) But Nelson is a prime example of how a city must develop when it is constrained by its' geography. Much like Vancouver in that regard.