British Columbians fled for Alberta in record numbers last year

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B.C. saw more people moving out to other provinces in 2023 than coming in the opposite direction for the first time in more than a decade, according to figures from Statistics Canada.

The agency says B.C. recorded a net loss of 8,624 people in interprovincial migration last year, something that hasn’t happened since 2012.

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Just over half of the nearly 68,000 British Columbians who moved to another province went to Alberta.

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“It’s quite possible the combination of economic opportunity and lower cost of living, for now, is drawing people out of British Columbia, into Alberta and the rest of the country,” said Andy Yan, director of the city program at Simon Fraser University.

Statistics Canada’s figures show the number of people migrating out of the province has been growing since 2020, and that the number of residents moving between B.C. and Alberta has ebbed and flowed for decades.

Yan said that since B.C. is a major international gateway to Canada, many new arrivals to the country will eventually move on to other parts of the country.

“Historically, if you’re an immigrant and you land in a gateway city, you get your bearings, you get more and better information on where the opportunities are throughout the country, then you move out,” Yan said.

Asked about the figures at an unrelated news conference in Victoria on Tuesday, Premier David Eby said he was particularly concerned about the impact on supporting young British Columbians.

“Provinces right across Canada are seeing young people move out of their provinces and look at other provinces as a place to go,” he said.

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“We want them to see a future here. We want them to see a place where they can raise a family, where they can build their lives, where they have access to affordable childcare, affordable housing, that they’re able to manage costs, and can continue to build a life here,” Eby said.

Yan and other experts said B.C.’s high cost of living likely plays a significant role in people leaving the province.

“A recent Statistics Canada report indicated that almost half of respondents in B.C. reported being very concerned about their ability to afford housing or rent,” Tingting Zhang, an analyst at the C.D. Howe Institute think tank, said in an emailed response to questions.

Zhang said it was likely that relatively lower prices for housing and cost of living expenses in Alberta as compared to B.C. were a major driver of migration out of the province.

She referenced a cost comparison between Calgary and Vancouver that suggested a lifestyle with monthly expenses of $7,500 in Calgary would cost nearly $9,000 in Vancouver — a $1,500 difference.

Zhang said the number of people who migrated from B.C. to Alberta in 2023 was more than double that in 2020. The number of people moving from Alberta to B.C. also fell during the same time period, she said.

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Last March, Alberta passed legislation offering a $5,000 incentive to draw in workers from other provinces as part of the province’s “Alberta is Calling” campaign, which seeks to attract residents and workers from other parts of the country.

Alberta has earmarked $10 million from this year’s budget toward luring more workers to the province.

Zhang said while Alberta’s $5,000 incentive could be appealing to some people, in general “cheaper housing and lower cost of living play a more significant role in people’s moving decisions.”

@njgriffiths

ngriffiths@postmedia.com

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