Thinking of leaving the province? You wouldn’t be the first

Illustration created by Trent Weston using Runway’s AI software.

Article Written By: Katie Bell

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A recent Statistics Canada report shows that interprovincial migration across Canada reached a record level high since the 1990s. The cost of housing, other living costs and job opportunities are the reasons for these shifts a source indicates. 

The report shows that Ontario has lost the largest number of people in addition to British Columbia while provinces like Alberta have gained the most followed by Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. 

“We have the most affordable housing in all of Canada, pretty much, of any city,” Brian Jean, Alberta’s Minister of Jobs says to the CBC.  

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“So people now can, for instance, sell their house in Toronto or in Vancouver and buy four houses here in Alberta: live in one and rent three.” 

Brian Jean, minister of jobs, alberta

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The average housing price in Ontario is $873,207 and in British Columbia it is $987,789, almost double the average housing price in Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI as of February 2024, according to housing market data. Ontario and British Columbia also had the highest rental prices on average in March according to Rentals.ca.

“It’s clear that the two most expensive provinces have exceptionally high house prices, but general living costs tend to be higher too,” a spokesperson from Westland Insurance says in a Global News article. 

A study conducted by Westland Insurance shows that British Columbia and Ontario are the top two provinces in Canada with the highest costs of living. This includes higher prices for goods like produce, transportation and dental care amongst other things as stated in a Toronto Sun article. 

In 2022 and 2023, Alberta launched an “Alberta is Calling” campaign, aimed to attract workers from different populations to support their aging population. Teachers, healthcare workers and trades jobs were amongst some of the most-sought jobs, with the Alberta government promising them competitive wages. 

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Data visualization created by Adrian Ma

Nova Scotia’s job market has also increased as the province added 24,000 jobs during the years 2022 and 2023. 

This rise in population growth is not all positive, however. Housing prices are continually on the rise and Alberta’s minister of social services is concerned that the province will soon face a housing crisis. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI are also facing housing shortages. 

While people are leaving the province, Ontario and British Columbia’s population continues to increase according to Statistics Canada, and will therefore have limited impact on the economy as revealed in a report by Scotiabank. 

With interprovincial migration having little effect on Ontario and BC’s economy, housing prices continue to surge across the country.