New Year will Mean New Faces in B.C.

Saturday, December 23, 2006 03:58 AM

The good news for B.C is that more people are coming here than leaving and the Provincial government is predicting 2007 will continue that trend.

Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen says B.C. was only one of two provinces to see more people move in than out in the last months of 2006: "People are attracted to our thriving economy, our unparalleled quality of life and the ever-expanding opportunities offered in the most beautiful place on earth, so we're not surprised that B.C. is a destination of choice for Canadians."

In the third quarter of this year, 21,867 people moved in to B.C. while 19,742 moved to other provinces, increasing B.C.'s population by 2,125
individuals. Only Alberta surpassed this, adding 24,535 individuals in net interprovincial migration during this period.

Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen says B.C. also received the greatest share of business immigrants in the third quarter of 2006, attracting 42.6 per cent of all business immigrants to Canada, many of whom are from the Asia Pacific region. The province`s total population in the 3rd quarter of this year rose to 4,310,452 people, which is a 1.2 per cent gain over the same period in 2005.

This growth rate is higher than the national average.

"More Canadians and more immigrants from other countries are realizing the economic transformation B.C. has undergone in the last several years," Hansen said. "In the 1990s, young British Columbians were 
forced to leave the province in search of work. Today, not only are they moving back, but alongside them are entrepreneurs and skilled workers from other countries who realize the opportunity to build a 
future here."

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Posted on Saturday, December 23, 2006 03:58 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Chester on December 23 2006 9:01 AM

I wonder what the actual growth rate is in Prince George? Are we driving our own real estate market up, or are there really more people moving to PG than moving away?

I heard from a fairly reliable source that there are about 160 home forclosures in Grand Prairie. Is their real estate bubble beginning to burst? Their market is totally tied to high paying jobs. When the jobs dwindle, so does the ability to continue to pay for those very expensive homes. Chester

Posted by: Harbinger on December 23 2006 6:44 PM

I am still waiting after all these years, for that sign at 16&97 to come true. It says 81,000. That is what hizzoner the mayor sticks by, but I have read and know better that we are around 75 thousand give or take a thousand. What say, knaves?

Posted by: Palopu on December 24 2006 9:23 AM

The increase in the population in BC does not mean an increase in Prince George. BC's population in 2005 increased while in Prince George and the Fraser Ft George Regional District it decreased.

Prince George is in fact driving its own real estate market up. This is driven by a number of factors such as.
(1) Older people moving into apartments, senior residences, and passing on. This creates houses on the market for rentals, and sales.

(2) People in different areas of the City moving **UP** building new houses in the new sub divisions, and selling or renting their present houses.

(3) We have had a huge number of teenagers who have grown up in the last 10 years. Probably in the area of 12000 male and females. These people would have moved out of their homes and into rental houses, apartments, and of course would have bought houses, so that you get the impression that people are moving into Prince George when the market is in fact being driven by the local population.

(4) Moving companies indicate that most of their business is moving people around Prince George, while the numbers moving in and out of Prince George remains about the same.

(5) Continuing decline in school registrations in School District 57 approx 500 to 600 student decline per year for the past 6/7 years in a good indication that the population is stagnant. The same thing applies to the University. No increase in student population in the last 4/5 years.

(6) No major industry established in the area for the past 10 or more years, in fact we have had major downsizing. No new indusry means no new jobs, that means no new people.

To give you an example of how your City can appear to grow while in fact it remains the same or actually decreases.

Family (A) ten years ago (1996) had 3 Children aged 14,15,16, to-day these Children would be 24,25,26. We can safely assume that each of them bought a car and probably either rented an apartment, or house, or bought a house. This gives you an increase of 3 cars and 3 rentals, or house purchases. If you assume that at least 10,000 children in the City did the same thing over the same period of time you would have an increase of 10,000 Cars, and 10,000 rentals, or house purchases. (Could be decreased somewhat by marriage etc but you get the picture)

This scenario fits in quite well with the decrease in available houses, and rentals, in the City, while at the same time the Population actually remains the same or decreases. The problem is that as fewer Children are born, there are less Children going into the system and therefore there will be less available in the future to continue this type of growth.

Without people actually coming to Prince George this Citys population will remain dormant, and in fact continue to decrease.