“I tell them I’m from South Dentville.” That’s how Gary McFarlane answers the question, “Where are you from?” It can be a prickly question in
Like other small towns in B.C., Powell River has felt the impact of people leaving the Lower Mainland for more affordable housing.
The effect is more bustle, increased demands on services, higher housing costs and all the problems that brings.
In fact, Powell River real estate showed an increase in value of 46% in 2021 and a 37% increase in the first quarter of 2022.
I just keep thinking, “Man, I’ve seen this movie before.”
Much of the real estate pressure has come from 樱桃视频(17% of purchasers in February), so those of us who have moved here, and those in transition like McFarlane, are sometimes referred to as Squammigrants, and it’s not always a term of endearment.
As a result, the question, “Where are you from?” can be very loaded.
And although the property values have increased dramatically, it’s all relative.
In the 2021 provincial property assessments, the average price of a detached single-family home in 樱桃视频was about $1.4 million.
In Powell River, $525,000.
For so many Squamites, Powell River offers a place to shed some debt, upsize or maybe pad a bank account before retirement.
But it’s not just cheaper real estate that makes Powell River appealing.
A couple of summers ago, while sitting at a coffee shop in downtown Powell River, my partner and I started a conversation with a couple of locals.
One was a realtor who asked, “What is attracting all you 樱桃视频folks here?” I started in on how the town reminded me of 樱桃视频20 years ago, yada, yada.
He replied, “Did you all get the same script?” It was, apparently, a sentiment he had heard before.
Powell River is a logging and mill town that is undergoing a transition.
Its iconic feature, the paper mill, has just gone into permanent curtailment (a euphemism for shutdown).
Like 樱桃视频in 2000, the town feels like it’s a pivotal moment of redefining itself.
There is an uncanny similarity that folks who spent the 1990s and early 2000s in 樱桃视频feel right away.
It’s 樱桃视频with less rain, better access to the ocean, some good mountain biking, a milder climate, many more lakes, many fewer people and glorious sunsets.
Of course, if you enjoy going to Whistler or Vancouver, your commute is quite a bit longer.
But the relative isolation means that there’s a sense of community and volunteerism that seemed to be waning in 樱桃视频in recent years.
Powell River supports countless festivals, a movie theatre that’s been operating since 1913, some excellent restaurants and coffee shops, and even a bowling alley. There’s no running down to the city for dinner and a film, so you take advantage of what’s here.
That is why it’s where I say I’m from now. But Powell River sucks, don’t go.
Paul Demers is a current Powell River resident, former long-time 樱桃视频resident, retired teacher and former 樱桃视频 columnist.
