B.C. sees record stretch of people moving out-of-province — and many are headed to Alberta

B.C. has recorded its largest period of interprovincial migration losses in 20 years, with more than 12,800 people moving elsewhere in Canada since July 2022, according to Statistics Canada.

It’s the first time in a decade B.C. has seen 15 months in a row of more people moving out-of-province than it gains — and most are moving to Alberta in the exodus, StatsCan said Tuesday.

From July to September 2023, B.C. lost net 4,634 people to other provinces, its second-greatest quarterly dip since 2004.

That single quarter of losses accounts for nearly as many people as the 4,700 gone in B.C.’s last five-quarter stretch of losses ending in 2013.

However B.C. also set a record for migration last quarter, and has added 151,437 people to its 5.6 million population so far in 2023, largely international immigrants who far outnumber interprovincial and natural losses, or deaths outpacing births.

In all, B.C.’s population has risen approximately 4.2 per cent in the last year.

B.C.’s interprovincial performance last quarter puts it second only to Ontario — nearly triple B.C.’s population — which lost 5,952 people during the same period, according to data from StatsCan.

And it appears B.C.’s interprovincial losses have been its western neighbour’s gains: Alberta was the only province whose population increased significantly from inter-provincial moves last quarter, adding 17,094 people to its 4.7 million residents.

Alberta has now recorded gains of more than 10,000 people for five quarters in a row.

“Most of Alberta’s population gains through inter-provincial migration were due to its exchanges with Ontario and British Columbia,” StatsCan said in a release.

Alberta’s government said Tuesday it had ended the “Alberta is Calling” advertisements it began in 2022, boasting “bigger paycheques” and “smaller rent cheques” to convince Canadians to make the move.

However rents in Alberta, particularly in Calgary, have also risen with its growing population.

B.C. housing minister praises ‘history-making’ growth

B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says despite the losses to Alberta, StatsCan’s Tuesday report is a positive one for the province.

“Yes, we’ve seen some people leave the province in their inter-provincial migration but overall, the growth in population that we’ve seen in the last quarter but [also] over the last two years is history-making given that the growth is driven by people coming from outside Canada,” he told CBC News in an interview Tuesday.

“People are coming, they see opportunity here [and] they’re coming.”

But Kahlon said he is still concerned when British Columbians cite the rising costs of living and record rents — the highest on average in Canada — as their reasons for looking elsewhere.

“My biggest worry is talent leaving outside of North America, outside of British Columbia, outside of Canada, to other jurisdictions because they can’t afford it,” he said, noting the NDP’s recent legislative changes aimed at increasing the amount of rental housing being built.

“It’s vitally important that we have the infrastructure, the housing, the health care, the schools to support that type of [population] growth.”

While he’s optimistic, Kahlon said Canadians won’t be seeing a “B.C. Beckons” campaign anytime soon.

“People already know it’s a good place to put down roots,” he said.