When asked where they would go if they had to move, British Columbians prefer Alberta and Quebecers look to Ontario.
Vancouver, BC [June 19, 2024] – British Columbia is a “top of mind” destination for residents of four Canadian provinces if they had to relocate within the country, a new Research Co. poll has found.
The online survey of representative samples in six Canadian provinces asked respondents to ponder a scenario in which they needed to move out and live in another region of Canada.
“British Columbia is in first place as a possible relocation destination in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Quebecers prefer Ontario and British Columbians put Alberta on top.”
In British Columbia, just under one-in-four residents (24%, -2 since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in August 2019) choose Alberta for relocation, followed by Ontario (19%, +3), Nova Scotia (8%, =) and Yukon (5%, +2).
British Columbians aged 18-to-34 and aged 35-to-54 favour Alberta over Ontario (33% to 19% and 31% to 18% respectively). Their counterparts aged 55 and over prefer Ontario to Alberta (19% to 14%).
In Alberta, half of respondents (50%, +3 since August 2019) select British Columbia, followed by Saskatchewan (11%, =), Ontario (10%, -1), Nova Scotia (4%, =) and Newfoundland and Labrador (3%, +1).
Majorities of respondents of both the Edmonton (56%) and Calgary (52%) metropolitan areas pick British Columbia as their destination, along with 62% of those who voted for the United Conservative Party (UCP) in the last provincial election.
In Saskatchewan, almost three-in-ten residents (29%) choose British Columbia, followed by Alberta (26%), Ontario (13%), Manitoba (7%) and Nova Scotia (4%).
Saskatchewanians aged 55 and over are particularly fond of British Columbia (42%), while those aged 35-to-54 prefer Alberta (33%) and those aged 18-to-34 pick Ontario (28%).
In Manitoba, 27% of residents choose British Columbia, followed by Alberta (24%), Ontario (11%), Saskatchewan (7%) and Nova Scotia (5%).
British Columbia is a popular destination for Manitobans aged 35-to-54 (31%) and aged 55 and over (26%), while those aged 18-to-34 prefer Alberta (31%).
In Ontario, practically a third of residents (32%) pick British Columbia, followed by Nova Scotia (15%), Alberta (12%), Quebec (6%) and Prince Edward Island (5%).
While British Columbia is the first choice for Ontarians among all three age groups, those aged 55 and over and aged 35-to-54 are more fond of Nova Scotia (18% and 16% respectively) than their counterparts aged 18-to-34 (6%).
In Quebec, more than a third of residents (34%) select Ontario, followed by British Columbia (19%), New Brunswick (9%), Alberta (8%) and Prince Edward Island (4%).
New Brunswick is a popular destination for Quebecers aged 35-to-54 and aged 55 and over (12% each), as well as among those who voted for the Parti Québécois (PQ) (16%) or the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) (12%) in the last provincial election.
Methodology: Results are based on online surveys conducted from March 29 to March 31, 2024, among 800 adults in British Columbia, 600 adults in Alberta, 600 adults in Saskatchewan, 600 adults in Manitoba, 600 adults in Ontario and 600 adults in Quebec. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region for each province. The margin of error – which measures sample variability – is +/- 3.5 percentage points for British Columbia and +/- 4.0 percentage points for the remaining provinces, 19 times out of 20.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490
[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca