Parksville
AKA "the jewel of Vancouver Island," AKA "Canada's retirement capital," Parksville is the centerpiece of an area renowned for its Mediterranean climate. The town itself is known for its sandy beaches protected from any harsh weather by a semi-circular cove. Move here and you can go kayaking in December, golfing in January, and whale-watching any time of the year. Live here and you'll join a lot of other retirees just like you, thanks to its having the country's highest number of seniors per capita.
For all the nearby features and beauty, there’s a lot to do in Parksville itself. (Family will love to visit you.) In Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, you’ll love the scenic beaches and beautiful vistas of the Strait. At Parksville Beach Fest, held every August, you can join the sand castle building contest. Paradise Fun Park is a place your kids and grandkids will love. You might also love rock jumping at Top Bridge Park. There’s even a regional campus of Vancouver Island University here — and so much more.
Parksville's real estate is reasonably priced compared to Victoria and Vancouver (35% lower than Victoria and 70% lower than Vancouver1.) There are a lot of reasons why it’s number one!
Great retirement places in Parksville
Victoria
Victoria is currently listed #1 on MoneySense's list of best places to retire in Canada. Why? There are 3.73 doctors per 1000 people and the city has 319 days of the year above freezing. All that healthy sea air and temperate climate also makes it one of the healthiest places to live in all of Canada. Nearby towns include Saanich, also listed high on Canada's Best Places to Live2.
Low property tax rates make it easy for Victoria seniors to travel more than people from some other BC cities. Scotty Day, resident in a Pacific coastal retirement home, says it best: "We’re always excited to go away. But without exception, when we return, we always say, ‘It’s so good to be home!'" Read Scotty's story here.
Victoria retirement destinations
West Vancouver
West Van has been the highest ranking BC city on the list of best places to live in Canada, according to MoneySense.2 It qualifies as a small town, while standout qualities that drove up its ranking are low taxes, low crime, and excellent walking and biking paths, along with better than average public transit. West Vancouver also has low unemployment and a median household income of $90,000 annually3. The price of living here is very expensive but those who live there are happy to call it home.
Mary is one retirement home resident who loves the life at her retirement home. "Life is so full," she says. The great thing about living here, she tells us, is that "you can always keep active here… and you can always see the fun in life."
West Vancouver retirement communities
Kelowna
Combine rugged interior provincial beauty with a moderate climate and you get Kelowna. It stands here for a lot of great BC interior cities that make great places to retire, but in itself it’s a truly ideal town. There are over 1400 local businesses, including numerous malls and plazas, along with local wineries, and a yacht club on Lake Okanagan. Find 125 parks and trails within the city’s boundaries. Go hiking and you might spot wildlife, anything from foxes and marmots to bears.
It’s one of those places "with heart." You know you can rely on people. Those tangibles and intangibles put Kelowna 65th on MoneySense's list of best places to live in Canada a few years ago2.
Mary Lou tells us that in her home here, "I know I am safe." What's more, "my family knows I am safe and happy here." Beauty, vitality, safety and happiness... what more can you ask for in a retirement destination?
Kelowna retirement homes
Vancouver
Vancouver has been listed by The Economist as the #3 most liveable city in the world4. There's little doubt that Vancouver is a world-class destination for living and investing. The city's free and easy lifestyle, spectacular scenery, and superb natural environment are all legendary, as are its complementary real estate costs, of course. What about actually living and retiring there? The Economist ranks it so highly based on categories like stability, health care, culture, environment, education, and infrastructure. People love living and being retired here as they say in Vancouver retirement homes' reviews.
Vancouver's best retirement homes
Nanaimo
The entire eastern side of Vancouver Island is a great place to retire, and Nanaimo is a hub (population just over 100,000 as of 2023). Like Parksville (and Campbell River, Duncan, for that matter) it’s got that wonderfully moderate climate year round. There’s whale watching and other marine activities here, like you might expect. The beauty of the harbourfront includes small shops, restaurants, and more. Nanaimo has a reputation as a peaceful, safe place to live and it’s an ideal retirement destination, as shown by the many who have done so. The average age in the city is 45, while a substantial portion of the population is over 60. Like Parksville, you can live here far more cheaply than you would in Victoria or Vancouver.
Great places to retire in Nanaimo
Burnaby
Burnaby is ranked 182nd overall on the most recent list of best places to live. The third largest city in British Columbia, Burnaby was also listed in a survey by Maclean’s magazine (albeit in 2009), as Canada’s best-run city, based on factors including efficiency and effectiveness of city services. The population of Burnaby is only 249,197 (as of 2017) and the average household net worth in the city is $650,000. The prosperity of the city is a product of people's energy and confidence, as exemplified by Dorothy, a senior resident of Mulberry PARC. As she says, "We keep very busy… Here, there’s always something to do."
Burnaby retirement homes
Surrey
Listed #104 on the Best Places to Live in all of Canada in 2016, Surrey is a large city with a growing population. It's a great place to retire because of its relatively low crime rate and its temperate weather (as found throughout BC). Surrey is a relatively green and progressive city, with over 7% of the population traveling to work by public transit and 6.5 % of the population working in health care. It has a somewhat lower annual rainfall than other BC cities.
Pam Bricker says her mom loves her retirement in Surrey. "She always wanted to come 'home' to BC but she lived in Seattle. She loves being retired in Surrey… There are many shops and conveniences within walking distance of where she lives, and there's a wealth of other people her age with whom to socialize."
Retirement homes in Surrey
In the end, who can decide for sure what is the best place to live or retire? You may have your own ideas that run completely contrary to that of the so-called "authorities." When most people consider their own needs, they want to be close to family or other things important to them. There are many things to think about, and really, the best place to live is anywhere where you have good friends and loved ones nearby and you enjoy life to the fullest. It may not, in the end, be a place, so much as a state of mind.
