Destination - global: Western Canada

DESTINATION

Plenty to love about Western Canada

With an area of some 2.9 million square kilometres and a population of more than 12 million, Western Canada consists of the country’s four westernmost provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba rely heavily on farming, oil and potash. British Columbia is often referred to as the ‘west coast,’ being mostly on the western side of the Canadian Rockies, while the other three are east of the Rockies and are commonly known as ‘The Prairies’.

Western Canada boasts its fair share of amazing destinations. It’s rugged and scenic, with stunning alpine lakes and prairies to the ocean. It is tourist heaven where you can ski in winter and hike in the summer. It’s not all about the outdoors either, having a vibrant cultural scene, from cosmopolitan Vancouver to the variety of festivals held throughout.

The Provinces

British Columbia, or B.C., is the western-most province in Canada, bordering the Pacific Ocean. The capital is Victoria on Vancouver Island while the most populated is Vancouver, which ranks among the top cities in the world to live and work. Overall, houses in B.C. are slightly more expensive than the rest of Canada. Richmond, Surrey or Burnaby are popular for lower housing costs and more space within a short commute of the city.

Alberta is bordered by the Canadian Rocky Mountains to the west and vast prairies and badlands to the east. Its population is concentrated in the major urban centres of Calgary and Edmonton.

Saskatchewan residents primarily live in the southern prairie half of the province, while the north is mostly forested and sparsely populated. Around half the total population live in Saskatoon or the capital, Regina. Saskatchewan, known as the birthplace of Medicare, offers a high quality of life, a strong sense of community and employment opportunities. Owning a home is affordable and achievable.

Manitoba has safe cities, clean air, a variety of cultures and languages, and is one of the more affordable provinces.

Winnipeg, the capital, has the lowest average house price in Canada. The standard of living is high and employment opportunities are good.

Banff National Park, Canada’s oldest, is set amongst the beauty of the Canadian Rockies, and is a great place for stunning lakes, glaciers, ice fields, elk, deer, moose and bears.

Jasper National Park, Canada’s largest, is also the world’s second largest dark sky preserve. Stargazers love it. Or spot wildlife like black or grizzly bears, mountain goats, cougars and wolves.

Yoho National Park has rugged scenery, one of the highest waterfalls in Canada and plenty of activities.

Riding Mountain National Park

combines the best of forest and prairie lands. Pacific Rim National Park is a thin strip of land on Vancouver Island, with rugged coastlines and big waves, and great hiking on the West Coast Trail.

Vancouver is a cosmopolitan city, an important seaport and boasts the shrine to Jimi Hendrix, who lived here. Tourists love the 70-metre high Capilano Suspension Bridge.

Calgary is a pretty city in southern Alberta most famous for its annual Calgary Stampede, which began more than a hundred years ago.

Churchill, a small town of less than a thousand is where the polar bears move inland during October and early November.

Whistler is a year-round resort town 125 km north of Vancouver.

Haida Gwaii is an archipelago of scenic islands off the northern coast of British Columbia and a sports fishermen’s paradise.

Buying real estate

According to the 2021 RE/MAX Housing Market Outlook Report, 52 per cent of Canadians think real estate will remain one of the best investment options in 2021.

Low housing stock, low interest rates and high demand drive sellers’ markets in Vancouver and Greater Vancouver. Calgary and Edmonton, on the other hand, are more balanced. The Saskatchewan real estate market remains strong.

For interest, MLS® Home Price Index, June* 2021, for a family home: Saskatoon $330,300; Regina $266,000; Melfort $204,400; Moose Jaw $226,900; Meadow Lake $277,300; Prince Albert $188,100; Swift Current $260,300.* $300,000CAD = $321,087AUD

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FOREIGN OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY

Regulations on property purchase vary throughout Canada, so it is important to find out about them when you are researching an area. British Columbia, for instance, has a foreign buyer’s tax for certain jurisdictions and most provinces restrict the sale of farmland, however, it is still relatively open. PLEASE CHECK THIS INFORMATION WITH THE RELEVANT AUTHORITY.