street lights makes it difficult to
drive at night and increases
the danger of hitting deer
on the narrow roads.
In the winters, everything is a
brilliant green, but in summer,
grass in places like Victoria,
outages it is impossible to
leave some of the Gulf Islands
because the ferries can’t run
when there’s no power to
operate the ramps.
In preparing to move to one
of these kinds of locations,
support network is more
precious than beautiful flowers
and exquisite scenery.
And yet, I’d still love to live
in B.C. — if everybody I cared
about was there too. ●
Your support network is more precious than beautiful flowers.
Parksville, Salt Spring Island,
and Duncan can be completely
brown. Some years, drought
and water shortages can result
in total restrictions on watering
lawns in many towns. Fire
hazard charts can point to
‘Extreme Danger’ for weeks.
There can be frequent power
outages, too, because when
you live in heavily forested
areas, in high winds, trees
come down on the power poles.
Management of tree fall can
also be difficult and expensive
after such winds, and fallen
trees sometimes block access
to properties. During power
research specific locations
carefully; many of these
issues might not apply to your
particular area. Also, higher,
drier, and sunnier properties
can be free from insect and
animal infestations, mould and
mildew, and can be less likely
to induce winter depression.
Location, elevation, age, and
condition of the house are
determining factors.
In the end, my decision to
return to Alberta related to
family and friends. It may seem
like moving to B.C. is a good
idea, but after a few years it
can turn out that your
Linda Pearce enjoyed a career
at the University of Calgary,
most of the time as a Systems
Manager. She travelled widely
before and after her retirement
and lived in Ontario and B.C.
before returning to Calgary.
Now she’s busy volunteering
and pursuing creative
outlets, like writing about
her experiences.
news&views SUMMER 2019 | 59