We moved to Prince George 2.5 years ago. Prior to this we were living in Vancouver where we had good jobs and were planning on purchasing a condo. While things were going well enough for us at the coast, we were not completely settled there. We struggled with our long commutes to work and housing affordability. We also found that, while Vancouver has ample opportunities for recreation (camping, hiking, ski hills, etc), we were sharing these spaces with high densities of people.
Ultimately we decided that the Vancouver lifestyle was not for us in the long term, especially as we started to think about starting a family. The question was where to go? We started by making a list of what we were looking for in a place to put down roots. This list included attributes such as a strong economy and work opportunities, affordable housing, access to uncrowded outdoor recreation, basic urban services, etc. We started to look at various towns in BC and Alberta, and Prince George landed on the top of the list. It was also relatively close to Horsefly where we have family and spend many of our long weekends.
We did not know much about Prince George so we decided to go and check it out. We each arranged to meet with two companies in our respective industries as well as get a tour of the town from family who lived there (another bonus). We were very impressed by the number of services Prince George had as well as the endless trails for hiking, mountain biking, across-countrytry skiing and all within city limits. We were also impressed by the number of job opportunities and we both had job offers after our short visit to town. Prince George seemed like a great fit so we decided to go for it!
We moved to Prince George in the fall of 2013, bought a house the following spring, and welcomed our baby girl, Sasha Wren, to the world two years later. We have been very happy with our decision to come north. We met wonderful people right away who have been showing us all the gems in and outside of town, we have both found job security and satisfaction, and the sky is the limit for exploring the outdoors! In the winter, we love to go cross country skiing after work and to the ski hill on weekends. In the summer months it is hiking, fishing, mountain biking, camping, and so much more.
We have never looked back or second guessed our decision to move to Prince George. It is an excellent place to call home and have a family!
