WHY Prince George?
In March of 2011 I decided to make the move up to Prince George. I was born and raised in the Lower Mainland and had put in 18 years as a paramedic for the BC Ambulance Service there. I had always wanted to live outside of the Lower Mainland as it was just too busy and barely affordable to really live the lifestyle I wanted. I had been up to the Prince George area while hunting at Stuart Lake back in 1999 and fell in love with it, so PG was where I headed to carry on my career as a paramedic.
Traffic? What traffic?
One of the first things I noticed about Prince George is that there’s barely any traffic. When I head out on the road with my trailer to go camping, fishing or hunting, it takes me all of 5 minutes from anywhere in town to be out on the highway, in any direction, again with barely any traffic on it. I don’t miss the bumper to bumper traffic on the freeway for 2 hours in all directions just to “get out of town.”
Did I mention the affordability?
I was able to purchase a home for a fraction of what I had paid in the Lower Mainland. My fiancé and I have also been able to purchase recreational property, not something I would have ever dreamt of living down south. Saving so much on housing means I can now also afford big boy toys. Oh, and the gas to put in them! It’s cheaper here too!
10 minutes to anywhere
Everything I need in life is so close (literally less than 10 minutes) to the CN Centre to catch a Cougars game, so many great concerts, Cirque du Soleil shows, grocery shopping, restaurants, coffee houses, pubs, sport centres…. I could go on and on! And get this! Work is only 5 minutes away (1 light, and it’s an advanced left.) The convenience makes life that much easier in so many ways as you are not living in your truck to take on any task.
I no longer own ten umbrellas!
The weather surprised me, I knew it was cold in the winter but the whole “dry cold” sounded like a cliché. Sunny and -10 seems to be an average with the exception of a few cold fronts that can linger but you dress and plan for it. I don’t even own an umbrella anymore as it just doesn’t rain, sure it monsoons for 20 minutes but then the sun comes out and all is fresh and clean, that I’m quite enjoying!
Winter driving surprised me as well as everyone here is seasoned to slow down and take it easy, leave some room. I’m used to multiple car crashes when 5 cm of snow falls. Did I mention parking? The first time I went to the doctor here I brought out about $6.00 in change only to find out it costs .50 cents!
Finally…
Lastly the best thing that ever happened to me after moving up here was meeting the absolute love of my life and best friend, we are due to get married in 2020! Prince George has always been her home and now it is OUR home.
