In 2023, the number of interprovincial net migrants in BC was negative for the first time since 2012, with a net outflow of 8,624 people, according to the latest census report from the Bureau of Statistics.
Another poll released by the Bureau of Statistics showed that Vancouver residents were generally less happy. These grievances include a strong sense of belonging, life satisfaction, mental health, and expectations for the future.
Recently, more and more people around me are choosing to return to their home countries, not only among new immigrants, but also for locals to go to the United States, South America or Asia. In this way, there is a kind of "dynamic equilibrium" between the temporary residents who come in and the people who leave the country. However, in the context of high prices, housing prices and low wages, netizens are curious about who stays in Vancouver - if this continues, is it only the rich who deserve to live here?
Income in mid-tier cities, housing prices in top cities
I have a classmate who moved bricks (express delivery) in Vancouver for 3 months after graduation, and later moved to Toronto, originally thinking that it would be better to find a job, but during the Chinese New Year, he went back to China, lived in a big house and drove a luxury car, and was close to his parents, and he could never leave the "gentle township" again.
"I now live in a three-bedroom apartment in China, and my parents just bought me an Audi a few days ago, just to tie me to them. This classmate usually rides and goes to restaurants everywhere, "I feel a little 'on the top' in China."
Indeed, the gap between the wages earned in the country's big cities and those in developed countries is getting smaller and smaller, and the wages of some jobs are even higher than those in cities like Vancouver. However, prices are much lower than in Vancouver. For some people who could have mixed well in China, Vancouver has no advantage in terms of housing prices or prices.
The most discouraged thing is the housing price. Some people say that 7 million yuan is in the top 1% in China, but in Vancouver, it is only enough to buy a suite - a detached house, and it may have to be lined up in the suburbs.
"Safe haven city", a place for the rich to huddle
Just look at where the rich live to know where it is expensive. Encountering celebrities in Vancouver is commonplace.
In Vancouver, the working class who earn more is not considered wealthy. The Chinese owners of some big houses in Wenxi and West Vancouver earn money in China to spend here, and their wives and children can also receive benefits - this is more appropriate for the definition of "rich people" in Greater Vancouver.
For example, some time ago, the melon of a single mother in a West Vancouver mansion raised 5 children here, lived in a large mansion of $840, lived on her ex-husband's annual alimony of $320,000, and received a milk subsidy of $17,000 - this is not comparable to ordinary salarymen.
Canada isn't just Vancouver
Last year, 67,944 Canadians left B.C. Statistics Canada says most of them, about 37,650, moved to the next-door province of Alberta. People always find a place for themselves.
In fact, in addition to Vancouver and Toronto, many other large cities, such as Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton, are still affordable (not to mention places like the three maritime provinces), and there is no need to despair about Canada as a whole.
Of course, those who "escaped" Vancouver may also come back after going around in circles. After all, life is not about material things, and on the premise of being able to make a living, social interaction, weather, and environment can also affect a person's living experience. Ottawa is boring, Toronto is no different from the big cities in China, Calgary scrap cars (salt in winter) are full of mosquitoes, but Metro Vancouver is one of the most livable cities in the world.
"Poor" and happy
Then again, the cost of living in Vancouver is high, can't the so-called "poor" survive? If the "poor" live happily in Vancouver, are they still "poor"?
Tenants are considered "poor", international students from ordinary families are considered "poor", young people who have just entered the workplace are considered "poor", and those who carry loans and repay monthly payments are also "poor". However, the tenants are "debt-free and light", the life of international students is full, the future is full of opportunities and challenges, young office workers "feed the whole family without hunger", and the owners who pay monthly payments have clear goals and own real estate in the most expensive cities... The material condition of a person cannot change quickly, but the state of mind can.
What's more, when you pass by Stanley Park or Spain Beach on a sunny day, you see all the Vancouver residents, the books and DVDs in the library are available to everyone, there are playgrounds and gymnasiums next to any neighborhood where kids can swing and run after each other, and when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, everyone can see them – these are good public resources that are open to all, and maybe that's what people want to stay.