Short answer: working as an occupational therapist in northern BC means a broader caseload, more autonomy and a shorter commute than most city jobs, with mountains, rivers and lakes ten minutes from your front door. It isn't for everyone. For the right OT it's the best job in the province.
I trained as an OT in Australia and started out in rural hospitals before I moved to Canada. Most of the clinicians I learned the most from worked in small places, where you can't refer a problem down the hall. You figure it out. That's still true in the north today, and it's why I think it's the best place in BC to build real skills early in a career.
The work is broader
In a city practice you often end up doing one thing all day. In Terrace, Prince George or Williams Lake you might do a home assessment in the morning, a worksite visit after lunch and a wheelchair review on the way back. Clients are referred by WorkSafeBC, ICBC, Veterans Affairs and disability insurers, so you see injury, chronic pain, mental health, aging and return to work, often in the same week.
You're not on your own, though. Our northern OTs are part of a team of about 90 clinicians across 12 offices. If you want a second opinion on a seating case or a tricky return-to-work plan, someone has done it before and is a message away.
You run your own week
Our clinicians set their own schedules. Nobody is clocking you in. If you want to start early and be on the river by four, you can. That flexibility matters more up north, where the best snow, fishing or light might only last a few days.
The things you can't do in a city
- Terrace: ski Shames Mountain, fish the Skeena and Kitimat rivers for salmon and steelhead, and drive to the coast at Prince Rupert.
- Prince George: hundreds of lakes within an hour, cross-country skiing at Otway, and the biggest city in the north for when you want restaurants and an airport.
- Williams Lake: ranch country, mountain biking on some of the best trail networks in BC, and the Cariboo's lakes and backcountry on your doorstep.
None of that needs a two-hour drive out of traffic first. That's the real difference.
Who it suits
It suits OTs who like variety, are comfortable making decisions, and want a life that isn't built around a commute. It also suits new grads who want to learn fast with good support behind them. It doesn't suit people who need a specialist down the hall for every question, or who hate driving.
Talk to someone who lives there
The best way to know if it fits is to talk to one of our northern OTs. We'll put you in touch with someone in Terrace, Prince George or Williams Lake who can tell you what a normal week is actually like.
See our current Terrace, Prince George and Williams Lake OT jobs, or email hr@creativetherapyconsultants.ca.
David McInerney, OT, owner of Creative Therapy Consultants