I moved from Toronto to Vancouver and Ontarians don't know these 10 things about BC
It's like a whole different country!
Things people in Ontario don't know about B.C., as someone who's lived in both.
When I moved to Vancouver from Toronto, I thought I knew the deal: rain, a laid-back vibe, and easy access to nature. But it turns out Vancouver isn't just Toronto with mountains.
Yes, both cities have sky-high condos and even higher rent prices, but living here feels different in ways I didn't fully understand until I experienced it.
If you're thinking of making the move from Ontario to out west, here are some things to consider that you probably don't know.
Vancouver is actually a small city
Traffic aside, you can get almost anywhere in Vancouver in about 20 to 30 minutes by car. The downtown core is also surprisingly compact, and once you get a feel for the grid system, it's much easier to navigate than Toronto.
For a major city, Vancouver doesn't always feel that big. Yes, there are condos everywhere, but you don't get the same constant wave of people you do in downtown Toronto. It's busy, sure, just not in that overwhelming, shoulder-to-shoulder way.
People say "hey," not "eh"
At first I wasn't sure I was hearing it correctly the first time I heard someone say, "Nice day, hey?" or "Is that true, hey?" But then I realized, oh! It's not "eh," it's "hey."
I'm not totally sure why that shift exists — maybe it's influenced by the mix of accents you hear in Vancouver and Whistler, including the many Australians who spend time here — but you'd be hard-pressed to hear "eh" used as a conversational tag in the same way it is in Ontario.
There's no major highway running through the city
Unlike Toronto, Vancouver doesn't have a massive highway running straight into downtown. There's no equivalent to the 401, the DVP, or the Gardiner Expressway slicing through the core. At least not in the ten-lane sprawl that Toronto is known for.
Sure, there are highways in and around Vancouver, but it's not the kind of massive stretch of lanes Torontonians are used to seeing in and around the GTA. Getting around just feels different — it's less about merging onto one big highway and more about navigating smaller routes.
Sunsets are actually a thing here in the summer
As soon as the days get longer, catching sunsets in Vancouver — especially at the beach — becomes a bit of a ritual. There's nothing quite like a Vancouver sunset. Maybe it's because you're right on the water, or the way the mountains frame everything, but on a clear night, the sky puts on a show of pinks and golds.
People actually stop to watch. Beaches fill up, people linger a little longer, and for a few minutes, everything just slows down.
There's more nature… everywhere
Yes, yes, we all know there's more nature on the West Coast, especially compared to Toronto. But it's something you don't fully understand until you live here. It's not just about access to mountains and lakes; it's the fact that you see them every day.
Even from my apartment in South Van, I can see the North Shore mountains and catch glimpses of Mount Rainier in Washington. And you're never far from the water, with beaches scattered all around the city. There's really no excuse not to partake in Mother Nature's beauty.
Tim Hortons isn't the default coffee choice
Tim Hortons is definitely here, but it's not the dominant coffee chain the way it can feel in Ontario. Instead, Vancouver has a lot of local cafes and smaller chains that compete for attention, like J.J. Bean, alongside Starbucks (which makes sense given Seattle is just a stone's throw away).
By and large, Vancouver leans more toward independent and artisanal coffee shops, with many of them small local chains or one-off cafes spread across the city.
The weather really is just that mild
I've lived in Vancouver for six years and have only worn my winter Sorel boots twice — and that was years ago. Meanwhile, my parents in PEI were dealing with a snowstorm last week, and I was walking along the Seawall in a light jacket on a sunny 17-degree day.
It rarely snows here, and when it does, it usually doesn't stick around for long. Coming from Toronto, where winters are cold and snowy—and spring can still bring surprise snowstorms—it really does feel like a different kind of climate altogether.
Vancouverites often feel more connected to the PNW than the rest of Canada
Maybe it's because the landscape here feels so similar to Washington and Oregon, but a lot of people in Vancouver—and B.C. in general — feel a bit more connected to the Pacific Northwest than to the rest of Canada.
The weather is similar, the outdoor lifestyle is similar, and there's just this shared way of living that crosses the border. You see it in how people spend their weekends, how much time they're outside, and just the overall pace of life. Plus, going over the border to Seattle is a lot closer than going to Alberta!
Rain doesn't derail plans
I mean, it can — Vancouverites are notoriously a bit flaky — but rain doesn't usually mean you stop everything and stay home to get cozy. You could do that, I guess, but if you did that every time it rained here, you wouldn't do much of anything.
I don't think Ontarians fully realize just how often it rains in Vancouver. It means you're still commuting in it, meeting friends in it, going to the gym in it. You just put your jacket on, your shoes on (usually Blundstones), and you deal with it. They don't call it "Raincouver" for nothing.
Ferries are a way of life
Ferries are just something you do here. With so many islands in and around Vancouver — including Vancouver Island, Salt Spring Island, and Bowen Island — taking a ferry is part of getting around, not just a novelty.
There are constant ferries in and out of the region, along with plenty of memes (and complaints) about them, the way there are with most public transit systems. But for Ontarians who never have to factor a ferry into how they move around a city, it's a pretty different way of living. At least the soft serve ice cream is good!
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.