The Peninsula News Review opinion piece of Oct. 17 includes the line "more people left B.C for other provinces and territories than moved here from other parts of Canada." I'm pretty sure that we're not the only family with relatives who have moved to Alberta or other provinces that offer better employment opportunities along with more affordable housing.
A key driver of this exodus is, as noted, housing affordability. This, of course, is tied to housing availability which is tied to population growth. More people equals a need for more housing.
The B.C. Quarterly Population Highlights dated April 1, 2024 on the B.C. government website states: "In the previous 12 months, the population of B.C. grew by 179,821, an annual growth rate of 3.3%. This is the highest annual population growth since 1971." The same page lists interprovincial migration at -2566.
There are no easy answers, but it is essential that our media, both local and national, provide all the key elements of a situation so that we, as voters in a democratic society can make informed decisions. That, I believe is what journalism is duty-bound to convey.
Don Hermanson
North Saanich
