Good, bad & Ugly of Powell River

Are you thinking of living in Powell River, BC, and you're wondering what it's really like? In this video, I’m going to give you the good, the bad, and the ugly of life right here in Powell River. We’ll look at everything from the great outdoors to nightlife so you know exactly what to expect.

The Good

The first good thing about Powell River is the accessibility to the outdoors. From quite literally anywhere, you can get to the bush, the ocean, or a lake in just 5 to 10 minutes. While Powell River stretches along the coast, it's also home to 32 freshwater lakes.  These lakes range in accessibility from a five-minute drive to a three-hour hike. 

The second thing we love here is the weather. Although we do get our fair share of rain, it's an extremely mild climate. We're lucky if we get snow to stick on the ground for more than a couple of nights in a row. In the summers, it gets beautiful but not too hot. It usually floats around 25 degrees Celsius. 

The third thing we love here in town is the housing prices. With what's happened in real estate over the last couple of years, this might be hard to hear for some locals. However, the fact is that compared to any of our surrounding cities, Powell River still has a great bang for your buck. Single-family home prices start at $550,000; it's hard to find prices like this anywhere else. 

The Bad

Now that we know what makes Powell River so great, let's talk about the not-so-good—AKA, the bad. The first thing that's a little annoying is the accessibility. Although we are part of the mainland, we require two ferries or a flight to get here. Growing up here, I've become quite accustomed to the ferries. In fact, I commuted for work for years to Vancouver. However, for those who aren't used to them, it tends to be the first thing they complain about. 

The next thing you may or may not like is the lack of employment options. This may or may not be an issue, depending on how you look at it. We were formerly a mill town, but with the mill recently shutting down, it limits employment options to mostly smaller operations. However, there are still lots of opportunities depending on what line of work you're in. If you're an entrepreneur, there are plenty of opportunities for new ventures in our town. 

The third thing you may or may not like is our limitations on post-secondary education. Our university has taken major strides over the last 10 years, offering an array of different first-year trades, programs, and entry-level university courses. Beyond that, we are quite limited. Anyone looking to get a university degree will more than likely have to move out of town to do so. If you already have your degree and you're already out in the working world, we've got plenty of room for you here in Powell River. 

The Ugly

Unfortunately, no place is perfect, so let's get into the ugly. This is what people dislike most about living in Powell River. The first thing would be the small town feel. Personally, I enjoy this, but I was born into it. 

If you're a city person and enjoy the hustle and bustle of downtown Vancouver or Toronto, this might not be the place for you. Things tend to slow down a little once you get on that ferry at Horseshoe Bay. So if you're looking for a sense of anonymity, this might not be the place for you. 

The second ugly that people might not like is the lack of nightlife. If you're someone who likes to go out and party in Victoria or Vancouver well into the wee hours, our town tends to go to bed around midnight or shortly thereafter on the weekends. So if you're used to going out late and partying, you might want to think twice about moving to Powell River. 

In all honesty, that's all I can think of for the ugly here in Powell River. I've spent the majority of my life here and I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. 

Make Powell River Your Home

I hope this video gave you some insight into the good, the bad, and the ugly of living in Powell River. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me and I’ll be happy to help.

Don't forget to subscribe to my channel for more information on Powell River. Stay tuned to see what I feature next!