Alberta reboots 'calling' campaign, British Columbians are listening

As her neighbouring counterpart revives his "Alberta is calling" campaign, B.C.'s jobs minister is downplaying the first brain drain the province has seen in more than a decade.

As her neighbouring counterpart revives his "Alberta is calling" campaign, B.C.'s jobs minister is downplaying the first brain drain the province has seen in more than a decade. 

Touting it as “Alberta is calling, again,” Alberta says last summer’s campaign aimed at Toronto and Vancouver residents was so successful, it's spending another $5 million Canada-wide to promote the lack of sales tax, higher average wages, and lower cost of living. 

Setting aside political posturing during an election year for Albertans, British Columbia’s recent budget document does acknowledge that in the third quarter of last year, inter-provincial migration saw a net loss of 4,799 people “largely due to higher out-migration to Alberta.” Overall, more than 100,000 net new residents moved the province, but they were largely international immigrants. 

B.C. Jobs and Economic Development Minister Brenda Bailey pointed out workers have drifted across the Rockies depending on the job opportunities over the years. Right now, oil prices are drawing people to Alberta again, but British Columbia’s tech industry is roaring, there are diverse industries providing good jobs, and the NDP government has made investments in natural resources and developments benefiting rural and remote communities, Bailey said.

“British Columbia remains very competitive and our economy's doing well,” the minister said in an interview with CTV News, while acknowledging the affordability challenges, especially for families.

“This is why investing in things like child care is so deeply important – we have saved the average family more than $500 a month on child care.” 

But UBC policy professor and founder of Generation Squeeze Paul Kershaw points out that while subsidies and other affordability measures help, they pale in comparison to housing prices that have far outstripped wage growth.