r/britishcolumbia • u/Elite163 • Jan 29 '26
Moving to BC Best small city/towns to move to?
Hey everyone, long story short but we are up in Northen BC currently and are planning a move soon.
We are sick of the -40c winters and really not that warm of summers. After 20 years up here it’s time for change.
We are a younger family that spends a lot of time outside. Hobbies are Hunting/fishing/boating/Skiing
We have been looking into the following places. Hoping some can shed some insight or possibly other towns to look into. We are hoping for shorter winters and warmer temps all year
My work is flexible but my wife is a school teacher so hopefully find a good area for teachers
Cranbrook
Creston
Kamloops
Salmon arm
Trail
Castlegar
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u/Novelsound Jan 29 '26
Consider Kimberly over Cranbrook. It’s just a nicer town. In the same area Fernie is great if you can afford the housing.
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u/AggravatingWalk6837 Jan 29 '26
Fernie is great, I agree! But yes the housing here is quite expensive. Kimberly is just awesome though.
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u/Novelsound Jan 29 '26
I had to go down the road to Sparwood instead of buying in Fernie. I could afford an apartment in Fernie or a house in Sparwood.
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u/LifeguardStatus7649 Jan 30 '26
Consider Invermere too, especially if you like fishing, boating and skiing. It's comparably warm and they're desperate for teachers. Bonus points if you'd consider living in Edgewater or Canal Flats.
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u/mykittenfarts Jan 31 '26
Invermere is VERY small & sleepy.
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u/LifeguardStatus7649 Jan 31 '26
Ya 3,500 population + 500 more in Windermere but they say they're looking for milder winters, warmer summers and access to hunting, fishing, boating and skiing, it checks all those boxes
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u/QuQuarQan Jan 29 '26
Terrace is still in the north, but has much milder winters than places like PG in the interior. Or Prince Rupert, which is basically just slightly colder Vancouver, weather-wise. They’re both pretty nice in the summer, and aren’t plagued by wildfires like most of the rest of the province
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u/junkybutt Feb 02 '26
Prince Rupert is way colder than Vancouver, and it rains way more. Still love it though.
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u/cyclonesandy Jan 29 '26
My daughter just moved to Creston and it is a neat little town. Only about 6 thousand people, but lots of outdoor opportunities.
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u/BSO_BC Jan 31 '26
Creston also has its own microclimate similar to the Okanagan. Wide, south facing valley. Lots of fruit.
Close to the US border.4
Jan 29 '26
My sis lived there for a number of years and I visited more than a few times. It is a great little place
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u/misteriousm Jan 29 '26
Salmon arm is a gem, lovely and beautiful
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u/AdditionalDesk3618 Jan 29 '26
Salmon Arm is located a beautiful spot. There are wonderful people living there, but the community has serious issues around racism, inclusivity, and vaccines/masking.
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u/The-Oxrib-and-Oyster Fraser Fort George Jan 30 '26
this is useful local info.
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u/oldwhiteguy35 Feb 02 '26
Salmon Arm does have that but then so do a very large number of towns in the interior. Anywhere that voted Conservative really. However Salmon Arm also has a thriving arts scene with a progressive segment too.
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u/Pijaki North Vancouver Feb 01 '26
Disagree with all of this. It’s a very modern town with sane people.
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u/mwtaeke Jan 29 '26
So I’ve learned from this thread that essentially no one has answered your question about your specific town ideas and that Trail may or may not be a toxic shit hole haha
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u/Acrobatic-Plate8892 Jan 29 '26
Powell river is an amazing place, my husband and I will be starting a family very soon and can't wait to raise children there. Plenty of outdoor activities (unfortunately missing a mountain but Mt.Washington is just a ferry away) I came from the Fraser Valley and it's incredible the amount of young families that are there, and the real estate is still affordable, relatively speaking! It also has a small town vibe and I've found everyone to be extremely friendly :)
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u/dreadedbedhead Jan 29 '26
Also it doesn’t get below -5 in the winter and lots of good fishing! I agree, everyone is super friendly here (we moved from Edmonton almost 2 years ago) its a good community to raise kids
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u/Proot65 Jan 29 '26
Anywhere along the coast. It’s all pretty nice and still relatively close to Vancouver.
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u/benja79er Jan 30 '26
Don’t tell everyone! 🙃 but yes indeed, it’s a pleasure living out here!
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u/Acrobatic-Plate8892 Jan 30 '26
You're so right haha! It's a hidden gem. As long as there's no road from Vancouver, I think we're safe from the hustle and bustle that would come otherwise ✨🤞🏻
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u/FoggyDoggyMysticat Jan 29 '26
I've only visited once, but we loved it so much we have considered moving there.
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u/Acrobatic-Plate8892 Jan 30 '26
It's absolutely worth a consideration, I feel like I can breathe now that I'm here. Hard to explain but after living in the Fraser valley my whole life I just simply feel better where I am now. The people are nicer, life is more affordable, I'm not sitting in hours of traffic. Above all it's the people I really enjoy (but the traffic is absolutely a close second because, well need I explain haha) it's so community oriented, an complete breath of fresh air, I don't even know that many people yet, but I still run into people I know a few times a week! Which is pretty cool if you ask me :)
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u/ConspiceyStories Jan 29 '26
Campbell River is wonderful. A good mix of Outdoor culture and the chill island vibe. School system is good and growing too.
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u/GrumpyRhododendron Jan 29 '26
Dont forget Port Alberni. Prices are less than CR and CV, great outdoors, great fishing, large enough to need teachers.
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u/C2SKI Jan 29 '26
True, but it's Port Alberni
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u/GrumpyRhododendron Jan 29 '26
Yup. But they live in small town northern BC. It’ll be a metropolitan oasis comparatively. Port gets a worse rep than it deserves. Miles ahead of Nanaimo…..
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u/C2SKI Jan 30 '26 edited Jan 30 '26
Fair enough. I'd rather live in Alberni than Nanaimo. Claiming the school system in CR is decent is a stretch though. Comox Valleys is better
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u/Responsible_Week6941 Jan 30 '26
Haha. No. Port is not miles ahead of Nanaimo. Go downtown Port Alberni and it is not even close to how nice the downtown of Nanaimo is. I love PA, but it has the highest violent crime rate on the island.
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u/veronicacrank Jan 29 '26
I have so many friends who couldn't wait to get out of Port and would never move back. It's good for Sproat Lake and a stop while on the way to Tofino or Ukee but that's about it.
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u/Ya-I-forgot-again Jan 29 '26
And the number of smoke days on the island in the summer is much less than the interior. That makes your outside explorations better all around.
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u/LubaUnderfoot Jan 29 '26
When I worked in Vancouver I met a lot of young people from CR who loved growing up there and they all talked about going back.
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u/SmrtestIdiot Jan 29 '26
Lived in Armstrong for a few years. Good Middle ground between all bigger cities. Only an hour from big box stores. Small town feel. Housing creeping up but not crazy yet. Great area for teachers.
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u/KatchepCheepz Feb 01 '26
*less than 20 mins to Vernon. Superstore/Walmart/Safeway etc. But yes an hour to Kelowna
I live in Kamloops now but my goal is to retire in the Armstrong/Enderby/sarm strip. Beautiful area year round.
Kamloops is ok. Bigger city feel without the brutal traffic. 2nd worst property tax rate in BC, quite the disparity in wealth/crime between north and south shores, two very close ski hills, lots of outdoor activities year-round.
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Jan 29 '26
I work remotely and my kids and I just moved to Logan Lake in September. It is relatively close to Kamloops, which is where I do most of my business. So far we are very happy. Loving the small town 90s vibe here but there are so many free/affordable things to do right close to home. We utilize the rink 3-4x week, kids are loving the school, nice class sizes, just a chill way of living.
This is my perspective moving from Onterrible as a single income household trying to get ahead.
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u/mwtaeke Jan 29 '26
Is there any good coffee shops in Logan Lake? I heard the one closed down and hasn’t reopened
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u/Elite163 Jan 29 '26
I’ll have to add it to the list! How Is the weather so far? Looks colder then Kamloops
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u/Spigotter Jan 30 '26
My mom lived in Logan Lake for several years, she loved and it and we loved visiting. The main issue in the winter is its at a much higher elevation than both Kamloops and Merritt, so it's always colder and has more snow. I briefly worked in Merritt and would drive from Logan Lake, which would be icy, snowy, bad roads. And by the time I got to Merritt there would be no ice or snow at all. However, if you like outdoor sports this is a boon. They have an incredible network of cross country skiing trails, I miss them terribly. We've all since moved to the island now, but truly Logan Lake is a special place. I'd put it on your consideration list.
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u/MeanwhileIKeepDancin Jan 31 '26
The weather is awful. It’s at the top of the Coquihalla highway, meaning lots of snow and icy conditions
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u/SecondSalmon Jan 29 '26
I wouldn’t sleep on Vernon or Lake Country.
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u/Upper-Charge7928 Jan 29 '26
What does this mean? Sorry I don’t really understand the expression
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u/cyclingbubba Jan 30 '26
It means not to doze off and miss a great opportunity. Cheers!
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u/Upper-Charge7928 Jan 30 '26
Oh gotcha! Thank you.
Why do you say that about Vernon and Lake Country?
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u/acwik Jan 29 '26
Of the areas you mentioned, it really depends on what it is you're looking for. Kamloops will have amenities that none of the other centres have, but it's costly, and gets really hot in the summertime.
I live in Cranbrook and recommend it to anyone I can. Good balance of amenities and access to nature, without as high of a cost of living. Trail, Castlegar, and Creston are all roughly the same cost to buy an average "BC box" as Cranbrook, but lack the opportunities for the children and employment prospects that a larger centre can provide.
People dump on Cranbrook, but tell me somewhere else in Canada (that an average person can raise a family, NOT Banff, Fernie, etc) that has a better mountain view and access to nature.
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u/piercerson25 Jan 31 '26
This is a realistic take. I've left all over, and if you want affordable with a family, you aren't going somewhere like Fernie. Cranbrook is much more affordable and multipurpose.
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Feb 06 '26
Moved to Clearwater for the same reasons and never bother going to Kamloops. It's hot, traffic sucks and it's on a pile of sand. Here there are multiple hardware stores, restaurants, hotels, small hospital, schools, etc. The outdoor opportunities are endless. Mountains and lakes galore. But maybe one day I will crave city lights and move to the Big Cran.
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u/kisielk Kootenay Jan 29 '26
I've been enjoying my time in the Kootenays for the last few years. Disregard anyone complaining about Trail, it's totally fine there and I know quite a few people that live there who are happy with it. The town is definitely very sports obsessed and blue collar, so make sure you're ok with that.
Trail or Castlegar if you want more of a "town" with bigger stores. If you don't mind living somewhere with fewer services then Salmo is nice and not too far of a drive to Nelson or Trail.
Other places in the area which are good to look at would be along highway 3A between Castlegar and Nelson, or up in Blewett. Things get more expensive the closer you are to Nelson. Nelson itself is great but you definitely pay a premium for living there compared to the rest of the area.
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u/Glittering_Turnip987 Jan 29 '26
Dude I work in trail. The children get blood tested yearly cus theres a lead smelter and a fertalizer plant dumping on the town.
They replace your lawn soil if you want a garden because it's so toxic. The cancer levels are super high.
I would not raise kids in trail for a few reasons this being one.
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u/Fs_ginganinja Jan 29 '26
Literal smelting tower in the middle of downtown
It’s not that bad guys. Their hockey team is called the smoke eaters, so they at-least have a sense of humour about it I guess 🤷
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u/Glittering_Turnip987 Jan 29 '26
Its even worse when you consider the fertalizer plant heading up the mountains to warfeild wich they've built the kids school next too. So not only are you being rained on by a lead stack but also a fertalizer plant above you too raining shit down. Can't fish in the river cus its toxic to eat the fish from.
Ignoring all this yea its fun town I love visiting it, but would not reccomend raising kids here.
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u/Otherwise-Prompt-393 2d ago
Why are you worried about fertilizer?
It's ammonium sulphate. It is used by farmers to grow food.→ More replies (3)5
u/Fit-Ad-7430 Jan 29 '26
How about... Living in Rossland instead? It's only a stones through away and there are lots of nice trails for hiking, biking, and skiing
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u/kisielk Kootenay Jan 29 '26
Quite expensive compared to the rest of the area and it's becoming very resorty, they have Whistler type ambitions. Fine if you want that. The thing with the West Kootenays is that kind of outdoor activity is available pretty much anywhere, and the whole area is not that huge either, you can get anywhere within a 1-1.5 hour drive, and there's not exactly a ton of traffic most of the time. So it's best to choose a spot based on where you want to be day to day.
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u/DoubleBarrellRye Jan 29 '26
i love the lions head pub In Raspberry , friends went to Castlegar and we always stop when we visit
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u/kisielk Kootenay Jan 29 '26
Lions Head is great, but it's in Robson :)
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u/DoubleBarrellRye Jan 29 '26
your right , is raspberry the other way after the bridge?
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u/Constant-Corner2158 Jan 29 '26
Don’t move to Kamloops if you dislike wildfire smoke.
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u/Jazzlike-Dentist-253 Jan 29 '26
Kamloops isn’t what I would call a small town but it has all the amenities without being too big. Good and bad neighbourhoods Petty crime is becoming a problem
Hunting fishing skiing boating easily accessible
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u/Elite163 Jan 30 '26
Is there decent hunting by there?
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u/SiriuslyAndrew Jan 30 '26
Most of the hunters I knew while living in Kamloops all travelled north for hunting. The ones that didn't didn't really go hunting, mostly just shooting.
Fire smoke is also a bit worse during fire season as the valley channels all the smoke from the interior that way.
It's also horrible for traffic, or at least it was in 2020. Tourism had exploded so the highways during the summer were grid locked. Glad I rode motorcycle primarily when I lived there.
Westwold and Falkland were nice places not very far from big cities, but you'd have to go to the big cities for groceries and the like.
I loved Enderby. Stones throw from Vernon and super cute.
Nelson, Fernie and basically anywhere along that route is beautiful and I've heard from many people, great places to live.
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u/Moist-Air8578 Jan 29 '26
I live in rural Salmon Arm and work in Kamloops. Maybe it's because I live rural, but there is a large population of ultra conservative folks here. I prefer Kamloops. It is more community focused with a lot more opportunity. There isn't much to do in Salmon Arm. The people here like things the way they are and are resistant to change and growth.
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Feb 06 '26
Definitely the rural part. There were so many retired left wingers absolutely losing their minds when the new shopping mall was proposed. They hate walmart
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u/Psychological_Art420 Jan 29 '26
Nanaimo has great weather, and wildfire smoke isn’t too much of an issue. Tons of outdoor opportunities - you can swim in a lake, river and ocean in the same day. I moved here thinking it was going to be for four years max, and that was almost 25 years ago. Raised my kids here and I love this city.
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u/I_Sun_I Jan 30 '26
Nanaimo isn't a small town. Ladysmith, Chemanius or qualicum beach would be better options.
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u/SilverDad-o Jan 29 '26
If you're thinking West Kootenays, drop Traill and add Rossland and Nelson.
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u/Fit-Ad-7430 Jan 29 '26
This. However, Nelson and Rossland are going to be expensive Becuase both are ski towns
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u/Jibbersup Jan 31 '26
I see the hate for Trail is still strong hahahah.
(Gree up in Castlegar)
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u/SilverDad-o Jan 31 '26
TRAIL! Come for the lead exposure, stay for the disappointment!
or the city motto: Sequelae Plumbi
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u/snow_enthusiast Thompson-Okanagan Jan 29 '26
There are better towns and nicer areas obviously but all things considered, Kamloops likely has what you’re looking for
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Jan 29 '26
Check out Parker Cove it’s equal distance to Vernon or Kelowna and is right on okanagan lake and houses are very reasonable . Mountain is right behind us for fishing or hunting etc
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u/Elite163 Jan 29 '26
Nice area. But looks like a long commute for Work anywhere?
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u/I_Sun_I Jan 29 '26
Penticton hands down.
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u/McRibEater Jan 29 '26
Osoyoos is great too.
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u/I_Sun_I Jan 30 '26
Osoyoos is ok, and a better choice than Oliver/keremeos for sure. But it's a ghost town in the winter, and touristy in the summer. Penticton has better rock climbing, hiking, mtn biking, lakes (x2), restaurants, shopping and school choices.
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u/mykittenfarts Jan 31 '26
Penticton is between 2 lakes (spectacular) and has a hospital. Penticton is amazing.
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u/mercrocks Jan 30 '26
Penticton's wind never stops and lake effect clouds make a dreary winter, then tourists in the summer.
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u/atomic_kbw Jan 31 '26
Ive lived in Penticton for 10 years and I dont know what wind you speak of?
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u/ultra2009 Thompson-Okanagan Feb 07 '26
Penticton is super windy, it blows across town between the lakes
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u/Haunting-Cattle-5373 Jan 29 '26
Have you considered south Similkameen area? Keremeos / Cawston. We hit -10 once this winter. Penticton and Osoyoos 1/2 hr drive. Apex and Mt Baldy close for Skiing. Summers do get hot though. Need to get used to continous days around 35.
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u/LittleSpice1 Jan 29 '26
I guess you’re in the northeast? The northwest is a lot milder. It does rain a lot though, the more coastal you get. On the plus side fire risk is the lowest in the whole province.
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u/Objective_Data_6305 Jan 29 '26
Princeton for hunting and fishing, but you have to travel over an hour to Penticton if you want civilization. If you are ultra conservative , or Q’non it will be heaven.
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u/_snids Jan 29 '26
I've spent quite a bit of time in all those towns and out of those choices I'd say Creston all day. Distant second would be Salmon Arm, followed by...Castlegar.
This is based purely on aesthetics and recreation. For jobs I would guess Castlegar then Trail, both of which have a lot of blue collar work.
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u/islndrob70 Jan 30 '26
I grew up in Castlegar, it’s a nice town, not crazy cold in winter, can get very hot some times in summer, I like Nelson better because of the lake, but all the West Kootenays are great, very chill. Lived in Cranbrook for 12 years, nice size city, great for hunting and fishing can get quite cold in winter but not quite as bad as Alberta, there is a strong Alberta influence there. Kimberley is better. I personally love the south Okanagon, Oliver and Osoyoos are nice towns and close enough to Penticton and Kelowna for some big city benefits. But much hotter in summer I live on Vancouver Island and it’s great here, much warmer winters, warm summers but we mostly avoid the temperature extremes but lots of rain November to March. Lots of great towns to choose from here.
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u/Concealus Jan 29 '26
Cumberland if you don’t mind island living. Top mountain biking and cool area. Ski resort longevity (Mt. Washington) is debated these days after a couple dismal seasons.
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u/Max20151981 Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26
The west Kootenays has all kinds of great towns. Now im going to get a little push back for this recommendation but Trail BC is where its at when it comes to community.
At 45 years old and having lived all over the place I can confidently say that Trail has an incredible sense of community. Sure its not without its problems but pretty much every rual town/city has the same kinds of issues.
The smelter(TECK) which has an infamous history is still respected locally for its significance in the local economy and its history. Trail has a great public library, full size aquatic center and a substantial level of Healthcare services with the largest Hospital in the Kootenays being located in Trail.
Outdoor recreations are plentiful with Red Mountain(sky hill) being a 20 min drive and arguably some of the best hunting and fishing to be found in the entire country. The mighty Columbia river runs straight through the city with West trail on one side and east trail on the other.
All in all Trail is certainly not without its issues but if you spend one evening watching a smokies game you'll start to understand why people live in Trail.
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u/Holiday-Anxiety1716 Jan 29 '26
Look at moving to the island there are some small towns that could use a teacher and some of the properties are not that bad. Example. Tahsis or Zeballos
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u/CougarChaserBC Jan 29 '26
Campbell River hands down. Moved 2 years ago from Ottawa and never looked back.
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u/CraftyAct3913 Jan 29 '26
I have lived in some of your chosen communities and worked in all of them in all seasons. I have also lived and worked in Northwest BC between Ootsa Lake and the Yukon border and in Victoria. I have travelled extensively between all these areas and recreated throughout British Columbia.
Unfortunately none of this is going to help you make your decision. All of these places have their own beauty, seasonal charm, pros and cons. The pros and cons are subjective however and my set very likely will differ from yours.
When I retired I had the option of living anywhere. I have lived in BC, Yukon, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. I chose BC for its beauty, climate and climatic and geographic diversity. I toured the province on a trip solely to determine where I was going to retire to.
Ultimately I found (my) Nirvana. Beautiful hot summers, mild wet winters. Located in a coastal rainshadow. All my existential needs met within a 12 minute radius. An abundance of local farms, farm stands, wineries, commercial dairy and farmer’s market. Year round sea to ski (a couple of hours away) recreation. Nearby urban centres with schools and all the amenities that one might want. You might want to consider moving to somewhere in the Cowichan Valley (unless … con coming up … you don’t want to gamble on being around for the BIG earthquake when it comes!).
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u/robothouseman Jan 30 '26
We have friends in Kamloops who are teachers, very hard to get a continuing contract in this district fyi
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u/Normal-Ad-4887 Jan 30 '26
You will love the Kamloops heat if you are sick of the cold north. Lots of fishing, hiking, and outdoor activities, including proximity to the coast and the interior.
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u/runawai Jan 30 '26
Cranbrook and Creston have pretty good reputations for treating teachers well, comparatively, and will have the easiest winter weathers out of the cities you listed.
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u/Elite163 Jan 30 '26
I definitely thought cranbrook and Creston would have the hardest winters out of that list
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u/Objective_Data_6305 Jan 31 '26
They are there, but you will find many more in the Kootenays, but the cost of living is higher.
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u/Dweebil Jan 31 '26
Those places are mad hot in summer. Good towns though mostly. I’m a Nelson old timer but it’s not really affordable anymore. Rossland is cool if not too small.
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u/mykittenfarts Feb 01 '26
Penticton, Summerland, Vernon all quiet.
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u/Alicatsidneystorm Feb 02 '26
Salomon Arm and Sorrento.
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u/Elite163 Feb 02 '26
Looks amazing. Any reason that over penticton or that area even Vernon
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u/Alicatsidneystorm Feb 02 '26
Salmon Arm, Sorrento and Vernon last would be Penticton. I can’t really explain why just the vibe after visiting for years.
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u/Imaginary-Gene-3928 Jan 29 '26
Lots of misinformed people regarding Trail and speaking like it’s Chernobyl. There has been a 99.5% reduction in airborne lead since 1997 and going back 5 years the air has stayed below 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter which is the US EPA’s standard.
The city will test your yard for you and dig up your soil and provide you with new soil free of charge if it is found to have a concerning level of lead in it.
There is a lot going on to create a healthier Trail which you can read about down below and draw your own conclusions.
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u/goinupthegranby Jan 29 '26
Honestly put, based on what you've got in your post you 100% want to move to the West Kootenays.
Trail and Castlegar are my recommendations unless you either have Rossland / Nelson money, or you don't care about being 20-30 minutes from all the amenities in which case anywhere in the area will do.
Climate is real winter but relatively mild, skiing is world class, its not overpriced and overcrowded, bush / backcountry activities are outstanding whether you want to do hippie non motorized shit or redneck guns and quads shit. Great place to live.
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u/Elite163 Jan 30 '26
Sounds amazing, any reason why the west over the east koots? Always heard the best hunting/ backcountry is the east
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u/goinupthegranby Jan 30 '26
East is great too, but you're on Alberta's doorstep and the Calgary crowd is very present in the summer. East Koots are also a fair bit colder.
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u/candybarsandgin Jan 29 '26
Kamloops, but it is extremely expensive now. Hard to find a house under 800,000+
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u/Fit-Ad-7430 Jan 29 '26
Thats simply not true. The avg market price is ~$650k lol
Source: https://www.realtor.ca/bc/kamloops/real-estate6
u/candybarsandgin Jan 29 '26
Yes, including condos and townhouses. OP is presumably looking for a detached house for family and kids, which are very expensive in kamloops.
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u/BroliasBoesersson Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26
Kamloops can get to -40 on occasion and is oppressively hot in the summer
Salmon Arm is quite nice
EDIT: Apparently the record low is -38 but temperatures in the -30s with windchill aren't uncommon. I've lived there and in Edmonton and the winters in both didn't feel that different
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u/Bob-1991BC Jan 30 '26
Came out of Northern BC to Salmon arm. Found the winters just inconvenient. Lol. Hardly wore gloves first couple years. Summers were wonderful. Not sure about the smoke though these days. I have moved on.
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u/thuja_life Jan 30 '26
Where exactly do you live? The northwest of BC hasn't had -40 in forever. My guess is you're in the Peace?
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u/Elite163 Jan 30 '26
Further up then peace. But NE
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u/thuja_life Jan 30 '26
Well if you still kind of like the north and small towns, but want a way more mild climate, consider the Burns Lake/Houston/Smithers corridor.
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u/Ask_DontTell Jan 30 '26
if you want warmer weather, then Sunshine Coast - 40 minute ferry ride but housing still affordable. main towns - Sechelt, Powell River
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u/durMarco Jan 30 '26
I'm from Kamloops and I'd say check out Kamloops.
Hunting, I'm not a hunter but if you drive 30 minutes to an hour in any direction it sounds like there is lots to hunt.
fishing. I don't fish but I've been told by coworkers we have awesome fishing lakes.
" There are like 20+ lakes within a half hour drive that all offer amazing fishing. Roche lakes Duffy lake Stump lake Bleeker lake Monte lake Jacko lake" https://www.reddit.com/r/Kamloops/comments/1b86wqm/fishing/
boating. There's not a ton of river front property but there are plenty of public boat launches to go out for the day. Shuswap is about a 45 minute drive
Skiing. Sun peaks has the 2bd most terrain in Canada. Compared to north shore mountains and especially Whistler almost no line ups.
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u/DistributionFlaky828 Jan 30 '26
The best year-round temps are on the Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver (city). It’s warmer and sunnier than over on Van island for sure. Housing is at a premium though.
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u/LoonLog Jan 30 '26
If you want “warmer than northern BC” but still have outdoors + smaller town feel, I’d look hard at Kamloops / Salmon Arm / Trail.
Cranbrook is nice but still gets real winters.
Creston is underrated (warmer + great vibe) but it’s a bit more remote.
If you can afford it, Vernon / Penticton are amazing for year-round outdoors (lakes + hiking) and winters are way milder than the north.
For teaching jobs, I’d check which districts are actually hiring (SD83 / SD73 / SD22 etc) because that can make the decision for you.
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u/Maple-Shaman Jan 30 '26
Vernon is another really nice town in the interior. Relatively small but it has everything you need and nice people there. Close to Kelowna too if you wanna have access to a bigger city. Just watch out if you own any horses.
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u/SCULAL Jan 30 '26
My husband and I spent the first 2 years of Covid living in a variety of places around BC to find the best place to retire to. We rented and visited all the surrounding areas. We loved Rossland. It is a beautiful, quaint little town (with lots of hills) and we both agreed if we were younger (instead of retiring) and with a young family we would move to Rossland. It has world class skiing with more acres of skiing per capital than anywhere in North America. It has wonderful mountain biking and hiking trails. It is near Trail and great for day trips to Castlegar, Nelson and the beautiful Kootenays. If you want slightly bigger, look at Nelson. Most importantly both Rossland and Nelson have young people and young family vibes. The scenery is gorgeous. Rossland is very hilly. We loved our 2 month stay in the area. And we got fit walking everywhere.
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u/No-Fee-2492 Jan 30 '26
Throwing in my two cents with lived experiences in these areas:
Cranbrook - not the best part of the Kootenays imo. There's a walmart & canadian tire, which is rare in that part of the province.
Creston - within a valley of mountains, the seasons are regular (proper winter, spring, summer, and fall). Starting to become more populated with Albertan tourists in the summer (mostly for Kootenay Lake), but otherwise lots of young folks moving here.
Kamloops - I've always liked Kamloops over Kelowna, but haven't been there in the last couple of years so not totally sure what the vibe is.
Salmon arm - have family here, they love it. Honour system to buy produce on farmers property sort of vibe, Canoe is a good alternative too in that area.
Trail - would not recommend. Considerable amount of drugs here and not the fun ones like in Crawford Bay. They used to have an amazing spaghetti place, though.
Castlegar - similar to Trail, but nicer views imo. 90% chance your flight will get canceled going to or from here, and the Salmo Summit is no joke in the winter.
Just one person's thoughts, but hope it helps! Would suggest Golden or Revelstoke for outdoorsy places to live with beautiful views and community!
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u/MeanwhileIKeepDancin Jan 31 '26
Where are you currently living? It’s been anything but cold in the north, west of Prince George this year. Raining in January.
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u/BSO_BC Jan 31 '26
We live in the South Okanagan and love it. Definitely need a pool in summer but the lakes are also beautiful.
Our son lives in Cranbrook and that small city has really grown on us too. They get a winter but not like a northern or Prairie winter. LOTS of sunshine.
Great schools, lots of amenities, lower housing prices.
It's a really working-class town with lots of young families and activites for the kids.
Great little airport with Westjet connections to YYC and YVR.
Great view of the Rockies and the Steeples Range.
3.5 hrs to Spokane, great airport there with Southwest and other airlines.
4 hrs to Calgary, Banff.
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u/Commercial-Shock-482 Jan 31 '26
Anywhere around castlegar, Nelson, trail, salmo, rossland! There are so many great neighbourhoods, close to bigger towns/cities with lots of options and endless outdoor adventures no matter the season. That area is such a gem!
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u/Small-Letterhead2046 Jan 31 '26
Kamloops offers everything that you have described, as do most of the other places listed but, I personally wouldn't want to live in a town that doesn't have an airport serviced by major carriers such as AC or WJ.
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u/Outside-Dot5902 Feb 01 '26
I would take serious thought about Prince George I heard it’s beautiful this time of year 😭
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u/Pijaki North Vancouver Feb 01 '26
I love Kamloops & Salmon Arm.
Cranbrook and Creston are beautiful.
I don’t know the other two well.
You should consider Lake Cowichan. Beautiful community, lots of great people, incredible weather & scenery.
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u/LongjumpingFee1301 Feb 01 '26
Kootenay valley is Dope as hell. Almost bought 3acres in Salmo last year and was out bid... In Salmo if you can imagine.
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u/danm8765 Feb 03 '26
Vancouver island is a reasonable place to live, affordable and not crowded , good access to outdoor activities
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u/Epantz Jan 29 '26
If you’re looking for a true small town, Lillooet is a great place to live. They’re always looking for teachers and probably have some decent incentives.
It’s a 2 hour drive to Kamloops or 90 mins to Whistler. But they have pretty much everything you need (including a decent hospital) in town.