Northern BC trip with 2 young kids - Where to stop on way up?

[Beaver]

I lived in Carnaby for a couple years (just west of Hazelton) it was pretty nice up there. 40ac on the Skeena river with an eddy that consistently produced dinner. Ultimately I had to move south, it was too far from the grandparents once I had kids. That and the short summers were not making my wife happy. And the bugs, my god, the fucking bugs were bad sometimes, ski touring with a swarm of mosquitoes around your head is just not right.

Definitely the wild west though, you could pretty much do whatever the fuck you wanted.

[Angle Parking]

And despite the love being expressed for the Nothern and more remote locales around B.C., much of this province outside the lower mainland is struggling, Up in the Northwest, you’ve got Smithers, Terrace and Rupert which are doing reasonably well, but other than that, it’s a bit of a struggle, at least when compared to the days when there was a gigantic mill in Carnaby and other places. Heist have you guys been to Houston lately, or places like Ft. St. James. Not a pretty site.

[Beaver]

And despite the love being expressed for the Nothern and more remote locales around B.C., much of this province outside the lower mainland is struggling, Up in the Northwest, you’ve got Smithers, Terrace and Rupert which are doing reasonably well, but other than that, it’s a bit of a struggle, at least when compared to the days when there was a gigantic mill in Carnaby and other places. Heist have you guys been to Houston lately, or places like Ft. St. James. Not a pretty site.

Agreed. I sold my place and about 2 weeks later Skeena Celulous shut down 5 mills in the area. I went back 10 years later and Hazelton was almost a ghost town.

[garyfromterrace]

..used to have a whole mountain range to myself ski touring up to about a decade ago...then all these newbies arrived and had to settle with only having a mountain to myself. Not so bad.
That's the allure of the North...breathing room, personal space and you can just kinda do yer own thing in yer own time.
Lots of value in that, imo.

Yeah, as one of the newbies heading up there and poaching Sibola lines in summer of '96, then moving up for good in Jan '97 (and poaching numerous lines from you from then on brother), I can certainly feel your pain.

I can only say...

Sorry, eh.

[swissiphic]

Yeah, as one of the newbies heading up there and poaching Sibola lines in summer of '96, then moving up for good in Jan '97 (and poaching numerous lines from you from then on brother), I can certainly feel your pain.

I can only say...

Sorry, eh.

Dear garyfromterrace; can't really classify ya as a 'newbie' cause you were part of the first wave of exactly 1 person in '97. IIRC, the next contender to show up was in '99.

I think the second wave in the early 2000's brought a baker's dozen or so and it's been a shitstorm of influx ever since. let them eat cake.

On that note, I think we had the whole Nass Range to ourselves this day in 2006...things have changed since then. (black dot is you). Lookin' forward to yer return and a resumption of formal strategic meetings to plan poaching lines from the pretenders and illegitimate offenders.

[Angle Parking]

We are still a long way from crowded though. Weekend trailhead pics on the Duffy Lake Road or any of the fabled American spots we always hear about make you quickly realize how good we have it.

An interesting point of discussion would be wether or not having others to share the stoke is better or worse than having it all to yourself. Within reason of course.

And back on topic, a great site for anyone travelling, especially with kids, is Atlas Obscura. It’s full of quirky, off the beaten track attractions that don’t get a lot of attention. It’s a little thin on the Canadian content but it’s getting better and there are user contributed recommendations.

[XXX-er]

Agreed. I sold my place and about 2 weeks later Skeena Celulous shut down 5 mills in the area. I went back 10 years later and Hazelton was almost a ghost town.

Lucky for you ^^

I met an RPF who was a pretty smart guy but he had lost money on 5 houses cuz he would get hired move to a job when things were good so he buys high

and lose his job as the mill goes in the dumptser ... has to sell low

[Meanfruit]

I got nuthin but . wow. really boggles my head to think people actually...live that far north. i mean, I understan like vancover, or wistler, or toronto. But Dawson creek? I'm sure it great, but just...dayahm. from here comin up as a 42 hour drive.

Fort St. John was just voted as the most desirable town in B.C to live. But the poll was done by Moneysense, so I'd wager their criteria didn't include mtn bike trails and weather. Maybe biggest horseflies?

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[Angle Parking]

I’d rather eat a pint of my own diarrhea than live in Ft. St. John.


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[XXX-er]

Fort St. John was just voted as the most desirable town in B.C to live. But the poll was done by Moneysense, so I'd wager their criteria didn't include mtn bike trails and weather. Maybe biggest horseflies?

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lol !

FT st john is up in the peace, its the place where god ran out of mountains and cool shit

other than oil patch jobs I can't think of any desirable attributes so post the link eh

[Meanfruit]

lol !

FT st john is up in the peace, its the place where god ran out of mountains and cool shit

other than oil patch jobs I can't think of any desirable attributes so post the link eh

I live in the sunny...er, I mean, smoky Okanagan, so I hear you. My company's head office is in The John. They posted several positions that offered a substantial pay increase to move up there. Needless to say, unfilled by us.

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[Meanfruit]

I live in the sunny...er, I mean, smoky Okanagan, so I hear you. My company's head office is in The John. They posted several positions that offered a substantial pay increase to move up there. Needless to say, unfilled by us.

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https://www.moneysense.ca/spend/real...ritories-2018/

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[XXX-er]

Ft st john beating out whistler for the # 1 place to live in BC!

Well that just goes to show that money isn't everything ... its the only thing

Smithers has a ski hill and didn't even crack top 60,

or maybe the author of that arcticale is on crack ?

[el hefe]

So after all the tips in here I am flying. Wife had to work and is staying with the kiddos.

[XXX-er]

so what i hear you saying is the wife didn't wana go to "the land where god ran out of cool shit" AKA the peace country

[Angle Parking]

The conglomerate of lower mainland cesspools appearing on the list further erodes it’s credibility. I can understand those places scoring high on the ‘accessibility to health facilities’ and other such criteria but other than that, i just don’t see the appeal of those places.


That’s a biased opinion rooted in my worldview i know but as the esteemed Stephen Leacock once stated, “God gave the people of Vancouver everything and they did nothing with it.”


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[el hefe]

so what i hear you saying is the wife didn't wana go to "the land where god ran out of cool shit" AKA the peace country

yeah kind of and didn't want to sit in the car for 24 hours for a 2 day wedding.

[XXX-er]

The conglomerate of lower mainland cesspools appearing on the list further erodes it’s credibility. I can understand those places scoring high on the ‘accessibility to health facilities’ and other such criteria but other than that, i just don’t see the appeal of those places.


That’s a biased opinion rooted in my worldview i know but as the esteemed Stephen Leacock once stated, “God gave the people of Vancouver everything and they did nothing with it.”

I duno there are lots of places to go for Dim sum

[garyfromterrace]

I duno there are lots of places to go for Dim sum

Yeah well there's lots of places for Dim Sum in Calgary too eh, doesn't mean anyone should live there

Oh wait...

[XXX-er]

get out while you still can G !

[garyfromterrace]

get out while you still can G !

Exit strategy formulated. Basically out of dodge in T minus 365 days. No, 364 days actually but whose counting...

[XXX-er]

Some of them CN guys had their screen saver set to countdown til retirement so they could tell you right to the second!

[swissiphic]

hmmmm, must be doing something right; I can't wait to go back my job. Google says 125 days and 19 hours. And damn rights i'm counting; summer sux.

[XXX-er]

You actualy have to work in order to hate working

[swissiphic]

You actualy have to work in order to hate working

...again, I must be doing something right.