I'm relocating to BC and I was wondering if anyone out there has any advice about where to live - mostly relating to safety.
I know that East Vancouver is not a particularly pleasant part of town. Also, Surrey has some violence issues. I've also heard some negative feedback about New Westminster.
I've heard Burnaby is a good place to consider as well as all other areas of Vancouver. Richmond is another good one apparently.
Any advice? What about Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Pitts Meadows, Maple Ridge?
I'll be working at BC Children's and would like something within 45 minutes driving distance.
I actually don't know why people hate Surrey like the plaque. I grew up in Surrey and I've never experienced any problem. It all depends on where in Surrey you live, but that's like any other city, isn't it? There are bad neighborhoods and there are good ones. Don't scratch out Surrey just because people tell you to. If I were you I'd visit the cities/towns and talk to the locals to get a better idea.
Myself and a friend are considering moving out to Burnaby from the east coast of Canada..we graduate in a few months. I spoke to a few reps from Fraser Health you seemed keen on new grads however all positions online are casual...can anyone fill me in on this? And if you have any helpful websites of apartments for rent in the area....any general information/advice...I'd really appreciate it!! Also if anyone has worked at burnaby general.....tell me what your experience has been!
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
I would be VERY leary of recruiters or "reps" from the health authorities. They're not usually kept in the loop as to what's happening on the ground in their regions. The news stories listed below, all from the last two weeks, reveal a long list of cost-cutting measures being considered in BC, all of which have implications for nursing jobs.
Here in Alberta, it's been months since there have been any vacancies that are open to the general public but Alberta Health Services is still taking out (and paying for) full page ads in all the nursing journals exhorting nurses to come to Alberta. I saw two of those in the last week... and one of them was on the monthly rag we receive from our beloved College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta! Please be very careful about who and what you believe.
I have lived in Vancouver for 20 years. I have lived in Surrey, New Westminster, Burnaby, East Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, South Vancouver and Downtown. Out of all of those areas, I enjoyed Port Coquitlam and South Vancouver the most. When I was younger and traveled by transit, Downtown was really convenient but parking can be an issue (not enough and too expensive, tickets and towing charges).
When I lived in Coquitlam and had a car, traffic was occasionally an issue but most of the time it wasn't. I just grabbed a coffee before leaving downtown and cranked the tunes. There were tons of great parks/lakes/hiking areas and shopping was convenient and had almost everything I needed there. It took as long as an hour to get the heart of downtown where I was working at the time but there is the commuter train and transit that are convenient if it jives with your work schedule. Some skytrain stations at night are unsafe (eg. New Westminster, Broadway, etc.) so I would avoid that option if using those stops except during the day. I ALWAYS made sure I was on the most populated skytrain cars. Be smart and you'll be safe. If driving, know a few alternative routes to get to your work so you can deak around traffic if needed. Practice these routes so you know them well. PoCo has easy access to the highways too, so traveling to the Interior, Downtown or ferries is relatively easy.
As far as Richmond goes, I heard car insurance is higher there and I believe that all the service stations are attendant stations (you can't pump your own gas) so their hours may be more limited as a result. The airport is in Richmond if that makes a difference for you.
Some of the more well-known cultural areas are: Commercial Street (Italian), East Van (Chinatown), Surrey (East Indian), Richmond (Asian). Fraser Street has a mix of cultures (East Indian/Asian). There are tons of great cultural shopping and eateries in these areas.
I love Vancouver overall and just like any city, you have to take precautions to be safe. I hope you enjoy your new home and job. I hear only great things about the BCCH (very rewarding).
Thanks for bringing those articles to my attention. I had no idea this was going on. You're right, you do have to be careful what people, especially recruiters are saying. I really want a permanent full time job when I go out, and that has scared me now. I'll have to keep looking in to it, researching, talking with others. It's hard to decide on a place in BC because I have never been there, but I may just have to go where I can get a job.
Yes, there are definitely some cutbacks on the mainland and Vancouver Island but most of those have been in administrative and support departments to date. When reading these articles, consider also the statistics of nurses that will retire in the next 4-5 years as well. I have not heard of any cutbacks at BCCH so far either (not that I am "in-the-know" there) but worth your own research.
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
There will always be nurses retiring and not enough nurses being educated to replace them. But that doesn't mean that those positions left vacant by retirement will be filled. That's Crocodile Duckett's "vacancy management" plan for Alberta... don't fill the vacancies. Anyone wanting to move for work will need patience and vigilance. You'll have to wait for things to shift again, and keep your eye on the news so that when the shift begins you can catch the wave. These things are cyclical; the last slump lasted about 8 years, from 1993 to about 2001. Hopefully this time around things will move more quickly.
Well, we all know how sensationalized the news can be too. The "recession" didn't last very long.
I do whole heartedly agree that there is mismanagement of funds in this province. The Olympics, as much as I love them, I think will be the demise of this province for years to come.
As far as work goes, we are in Clinical right now and working at various facilities on Vancouver Island. We are all getting told to apply for jobs, even as students, that they are desperately looking for people. I just had some tests done at the local hospital and the techs there were all saying the same thing. I don't think it is as dire as people are saying, at least not yet. The only job losses reported by the same papers reporting the cutbacks are in upper management and administration. IT was cut harshly (the career I'm leaving to become a nurse). I have not heard of any nurses losing their jobs yet in the locations where our students are placed.
I've been looking at Vancouver Island (viha.ca) more frequently this year, my wife has suddenly become interested in living there. Must have been the winter here last year. Anyway, in my specialty I am seeing only casual positions. Has there been a budget cut, a drop in postings, or an influx of Alberta nurses?
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
I've been looking at Vancouver Island (viha.ca) more frequently this year, my wife has suddenly become interested in living there. Must have been the winter here last year. Anyway, in my specialty I am seeing only casual positions. Has there been a budget cut, a drop in postings, or an influx of Alberta nurses?
That's one of those SATA's (select-all-that-apply)... and the correct answer would be "D. All of the above."
Ionno31
12 Posts
I actually don't know why people hate Surrey like the plaque. I grew up in Surrey and I've never experienced any problem. It all depends on where in Surrey you live, but that's like any other city, isn't it? There are bad neighborhoods and there are good ones. Don't scratch out Surrey just because people tell you to. If I were you I'd visit the cities/towns and talk to the locals to get a better idea.