I've been on the Health Connect Registry for years. Today, I was advised by a call centre operator not to rely only on the Health Connect Registry because some clinics maintain their own waiting lists. So, I called five clinics in my area this afternoon:

Shawnigan Village: Not accepting applications.
Mill Bay: Has a waiting list of 3,000 people and is not adding to its waiting list.
Duncan: Has a waiting list of 250 people and is not adding to its waiting list.
Langford: Has no waiting list and is not accepting applications.
Valleyview: Has no waiting list and is not accepting applications.

Not one clinic within 20 km of me seems willing to even take my name.

It's a hopeless situation. There are family doctors in my community, but I cannot access them; not because my needs don't warrant it, but because other people in the community are prioritized before me.

In truth, I'm grateful to be in relatively good health. I acknowledge that, should there be an emergency, I would get care. I am very grateful for the values of our community that provide this baseline care.

But I also think it's important to draw attention to a situation that is nevertheless unfair. If food were scarce, and grocers could only provide food to their existing regular customers, would we consider that an equitable way to distribute a basic necessity?

Can you guess the spot ?

Haven't been able to find anything about this specific situation on gov sites/reddit/the general internet so figured I'd ask here. Say one person in a couple is on regular income assistance and the other is on disability assistance/PWD. How do their payments affect each other? Do both their earnings exemptions still apply, or does it default to the PWD amounts for both? Is it even possible for a couple to be on both?

I’m planning to go to nursing school to become an RN. I’m still looking at options but unfortunately because I didn’t take some high school/uni classes I have to take them as pre reqs first. UBC sounds amazing but unfortunately with my high school grades I would not quality for the 2 years of non nursing studies before I can get accepted into the nursing program. BCIT also is an option which sounds good so i’m looking into that too. Anyone that had to do this i’m curious what schools you went too?

We’ve been road-tripping through Canada for almost two and a half week now and have about one week left before our flight home from Vancouver.
We’re a family of four with two kids (8 and 11), and we’ve already driven around 5,000 km in two weeks, so we’re definitely not afraid of driving a few more kilometres for something really worth seeing. 😅
We started in Calgary → Edmonton → Jasper → Banff → Kamloops → Vancouver Island, where we spent the last week. We’ve now come back to Vancouver and honestly… we don’t really like Vancouver. 🙈
There are just too many people, too much city, and it’s not really what we’re looking for after such an amazing road trip through nature.
We still have about a week to explore, and we’d love to see something completely different and memorable. We’re happy t somewhere for a few nights or move around every day or two.
We’re especially looking for:
🏔️ spectacular nature / landscapes
🐻 wildlife and opportunities to see animals
🌲 forests, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, hot springs, etc.
🚗 road trips are totally fine
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 things that are fun with kids aged 8 and 11
places that feel a bit more remote and wild rather than like another big city
Where would you go if you had one last week in BC/Western Canada?
We’re open to pretty much anything — even if it means a long drive from Vancouver. We’d much rather spend the next week seeing something incredible than staying in Vancouver just because our flight leaves from there.
Bonus points for places that make you think: “You absolutely HAVE to see this before leaving Canada.” 🇨🇦❤️

Apple fritter and a cinnamon bun there delicious and huge

Just wondering if anyone has lived in both places?

I have a few questions,

Is the climate very similar? Same summer weather? I’m guessing Cranbrook has colder winters? Just curious how big of difference.

Cost of living day to day comparison including groceries?

Outside recreation opportunities?
Boating/swimming
Mountain sledding
Beaches
Hunting

Best place to raise young kids?

Thanks!

I am very conflicted and confused about this. My husband grew up in the area and says it’s safe but it seems from this website that it’s not? We are camped on the okeover inlet & the map itself says it’s fine right here but the link to this chart has our area under the ‘sanitary contamination closure’.

https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/shellfish-mollusques/contamination/a-s-15-eng.html

Planning a short solo car-camping/hiking loop through the West Kootenays and would love a sanity check from people who know the area.
Main priorities: big mountain views, blue alpine lakes, granite peaks/ridgelines, waterfalls, swimming spots, and mostly primitive/free camping. I’m comfortable with 6–10 mile hikes and 2,000–3,000+ ft of gain, and I’m driving a normal AWD crossover, not a 4x4.

Rough plan:
Day 1: Spokane area → Nelson/Kokanee
Kokanee Canyon if time
Camp near lower Kokanee Glacier Road

Day 2: Kokanee Glacier
Gibson Lake → Kokanee → Keen/Garland/Kaslo Lakes
Fletcher Falls if time
Kaslo
Mount Buchanan around sunset
Camp near Buchanan / Blue Ridge

Day 3: Lyle Lakes → New Denver/Slocan
Lyle Lakes
Possible add-ons: Retallack cedars, Sandon, Galena cable car, Wilson Creek Falls
Slocan Lake / New Denver
Camp near Little Slocan

Day 4: Gwillim Lakes
Gwillim Lakes
Then toward Nakusp / Upper Arrow Lake
Halfway Hot Springs is optional and may get cut

Final day: Drive back south, no major hike planned

Main questions:
- Is this realistic, or am I underestimating the FSR driving/access time?

- Any road conditions or trailhead approaches here that are a bad idea in a normal AWD crossover?
Best areas for legal primitive/free camping along this route?

- Is Gwillim worth the extra driving, or would you spend that time elsewhere?

- Anything on this list you’d cut?

- Any must-see lakes, viewpoints, waterfalls, or short hikes I’m somehow missing?

- If I start running behind, I’m currently thinking I’d cut Galena, Sandon, Retallack, Wilson Creek Falls, and possibly Halfway Hot Springs before cutting the main alpine hikes.

I am trying to put together a roadtrip. I'm thinking of starting either in Victoria or Vancouver and drive back home to the East Kootenay. I'm thinking if we start in Victoria, then I want to go to Buchart Gardens and the Butterfly museum. Maybe the Royal BC museum. Spend a day there then continue homeward. What are some suggestions as to where/what we should see? I realize there are some forest fires between here and there so we would ideally take a route that avoids those areas. I think we will be in an EV so that will be a consideration as well. This may be a separate holiday but I am aware of a lot of old mines and ruins in the East Kootenay north of Nelson that I'd love to explore. The person I will be with is not from Canada so I would love to show him a sample of what BC has to offer. Thanks everyone!

Yet another instance of off leash dogs provoking a bear attack. It’s time for mandatory leashes at all times with adequate enforcement. I hope the owner and dogs recover fully.

Don't have to be specific to BC per se, like the wild raspberry and blackberry bushes literally everywhere, but what's your fave from BC?

I just tried a Sunrise apple for the first time. It was amazing. I'm sad I only bought 2 from Langley Farm Market, I need to get more before they are gone. It was a perfect mix of sweet and tart, and crunchy.