Ask most OTs in Vancouver what they do outside work and you will hear some version of the same thing. They love the mountains. They just do not get to them much, because getting anywhere means an hour in traffic and a parking lot full of everyone else who had the same idea.
Life in Prince George, Terrace and Williams Lake works differently. The outdoors is not a weekend project. It is what happens after work on a Tuesday.
The short version
- Trails, lakes and rivers are minutes from home, not hours.
- You can ski, fish or ride after work without booking a day off.
- The places you go are quiet. You are not sharing them with half a city.
- Your commute is short, so the time you used to spend driving is yours again.
Prince George: lakes, trails and a long Nordic season
Prince George sits where the Fraser and Nechako rivers meet, and it is surrounded by more lakes than you will get through in a few summers. The city has an extensive Nordic ski trail network, a local downhill hill a short drive out of town, and hiking and biking trails starting from inside city limits. It is also the north's largest city, so you are not giving up a hospital, a university or an airport to live there.
Terrace: mountains, rivers and serious fishing
Terrace is in the Skeena Valley with mountains on every side. Shames Mountain, a community-owned ski hill, is a short drive away. The Skeena and its tributaries are famous for salmon and steelhead, and people travel from around the world to fish water that Terrace residents can reach after work. In summer, the lakes and trails around town are quiet enough that you will often have them to yourself.
Williams Lake: the Cariboo
Williams Lake is ranch country. The Cariboo is lake after lake, and summer means paddling, fishing and camping without needing a reservation months ahead. Fox Mountain has a well-known mountain bike trail network close to town, and the Williams Lake Stampede is one of the big events of the BC summer.
The real difference is time
It is not one particular trail or hill that makes the north work. It is time. A short commute and a short drive to the outdoors add up to hours a week that city life quietly takes from you. That time goes back into the things you moved to BC for in the first place.
It is fair to say winter is long and the drives between clients can be big. But for the right person, the trade is easily worth it.
Thinking about it?
We are hiring community occupational therapists in all three communities, with higher regional pay, relocation help and access to B.C. student loan forgiveness. Read about working as an OT in northern BC, or email hr@creativetherapyconsultants.ca and we will set up a call with one of our northern OTs.