# BC: Bowen Island, Sooke?



## Feeline (Mar 14, 2015)

I am a Canuck that's been living in the UK for years. I want to return to BC after being away over a decade. 
My top pics for places to live are Sooke and Bowen Island. I've always wanted to live along the west coast. I don't want to live inside an urban centre but would like to live fairly near to one so I'm not too isolated, but also want property with a bit of space for growing food and where I can easily get to nature and the ocean. And somewhere that's the right size for a bit of community feel while not being totally dead.

I am in my mid 30s and would like to live somewhere with a wide age range of people where I can meet friends reasonably close to my age. I know some parts of the west coast are very much slanted toward retirees - don't mind them of course but if they predominate I don't know if I'll find a lot of friends/activities. I like hiking, kayaking, and I'm not new agey but I'm definitely a leftie who likes a bit of health food and has an aversion to closed minded ******* types, so places that fit more the former than the latter are best for me.

Can anybody tell me how these places compare and whether there are similar places I should also check out, perhaps on Vancouver Island? Any help much appreciated!


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## creusamadeline (Mar 29, 2015)

I would look at Nanaimo rather than Sooke. It's mid-Island and has lots of options for water sports, biking and access to skiing in winter, plus the east side of the island is warmer. My kids, in their 30s, are not planning to stay in Victoria, which they think is too expensive, when they marry this summer and will look at Nanaimo and Courtnay/Comox as alternatives. Courtnay has good skiing, water sports and biking, hiking close by.

Sooke can be relatively cold all summer, as it's more exposed. There are lots of retirees on the island, in whatever community you choose, but there are also younger groups of young farmers, bikers, and other like-minded groups. It can be difficult to find well paid work outside of Victoria. Victoria and Nanaimo both have University campuses, which bring in a younger demographic. 

Nanaimo housing is cheaper than Victoria, but Victoria has the government jobs, as it's the capital city of the province. It's as long a commute to Sooke from Victoria as it is to go up the island as far as Duncan, in my opinion. Plus in the evening you have the sun in your eyes the whole time, as you are going west from Victoria to Sooke. Traffic on that route gets worse each year. Sooke is a former logging community, as many island towns are. The Cowichan Valley, where I live, is known for it's many artists and foodies. 

Bowen Island is closer to Vancouver and I have never lived there but it's small and the ferry can be an issue - an evening in Vancouver could leave you stranded there.


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## Invaniam (Apr 1, 2015)

Sooke can feel a bit out there with only one small windy road in/out that sometimes get closed due to crazy drivers smacking into each other. My active elderly mother lives there and often feels isolated or bored. There really isn't much in the way of a village feel and options for health food are limited. I had a friend who identified like you (leftie) and he lasted there two years before moving on without having made any real friendships with like-minded people. For outdoors, it's quite the playground and beaches are not crowded by any means. It can be cooler in Sooke than victoria due to the location I guess. They seem to get a lot of fog. Job opportunities are far and few there. 

Like the previous poster mentioned, Nanaimo is not bad - cheaper than Victoria - but it really feels spread out somehow for a smaller city. One end of town is quite far from the other. Courtenay has a growing number of retirees. It's right next to Comox, a military base town. Has a lot of outdoor activities available and a number of good restaurants. 

If I were to make a move for location/lifestyle choice, I'd have Squamish on the list. Close enough to Vancouver if you need to get there for whatever reason and close to skiing (whistler) and any kind of outdoor activity you could imagine. A lot more liberal-minded folks than Sooke, for sure and some interesting shops/services that would suit what you describe. They have a farmers market and a craft brewery, and better restaurants than Sooke. It's an up and coming place, so could be getting pricier but certainly cheaper than Vancouver and Victoria, I'd say. 

Maybe look into the Sunshine Coast, too. Sechelt is quite nice and probably less isolated than Bowen.


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