Is British Columbia Fighting a Losing Battle Against the Exodus of Talent?

By Tina Winterlik (Zipolita)

British Columbia is facing an exodus. The province is bleeding skilled workers, young professionals, and even families who can no longer justify staying in a place where sky-high housing costs, job discrimination, and rising living expenses make daily survival feel like an uphill battle. While the provincial government and business groups scramble to launch ad campaigns like Stay with B.C., the real question remains: Is anything actually going to change?

The Hiring Game: Who Really Gets the Jobs?

One of the unspoken truths in B.C.’s job market is the dominance of closed hiring networks. Many positions never make it to the public job boards. Instead, jobs circulate within ethnic and social groups, favoring friends, family members, or those who share the same cultural background. While networking is a universal strategy, in B.C., this often translates into systemic barriers for those outside these circles.

For decades, hiring discrimination has been an open secret. Job seekers from different backgrounds share similar stories:

Indo-Canadian, Filipino, and Asian networks dominate industries like trucking, healthcare, and retail, hiring almost exclusively from within their own communities.

White-collar jobs remain largely inaccessible unless you have “connections” in the industry.

Foreign-trained professionals struggle to get their credentials recognized, despite Canada’s “welcoming” immigration policies.

Older workers and those with experience are ignored in favor of younger, cheaper hires.

This reality isn’t just frustrating—it’s actively pushing skilled workers out of the province. Why stay in B.C. when Alberta or even the U.S. offers fairer hiring practices and higher wages?

Housing Crisis: The Real Reason People Are Leaving

Let’s be real—no ad campaign can compete with the basic math of survival. If rent eats up 60-80% of your income, you’re not staying. Young professionals in Vancouver see home ownership as a fantasy, while in Alberta, a two-bedroom apartment can cost half as much.

The real estate crisis is no accident. B.C.’s housing market has been treated like a global investment playground, driving prices far beyond what local wages can support. Governments talk about “affordable housing,” but the reality is:

Developers cater to wealthy foreign investors, not local workers.

Short-term rentals and speculation drive rental prices through the roof.

Wages don’t keep up, and good jobs are harder to find.

People aren’t just leaving B.C. for Alberta—they’re leaving for anywhere that offers basic economic stability.

The Brain Drain: History Repeating Itself

This isn’t the first time B.C. has seen a talent exodus. In the early 2000s, many highly skilled workers—especially in tech, engineering, and healthcare—left for the U.S., drawn by better wages and job opportunities. The same trend is happening now.

International students train in Canada, then leave for better pay in the U.S.

B.C.-born professionals, priced out of their own province, head to Calgary, Toronto, or abroad.

Skilled tradespeople and healthcare workers follow the money, while B.C. struggles with shortages.

This is the definition of a brain drain. B.C. educates and trains top-tier talent, only for them to take their skills somewhere that values them.

Will Anything Change?

B.C.’s leaders want to plug the bleeding with an ad campaign, but let’s be honest—ads don’t pay the rent. Unless the government takes serious action on housing, wages, and fair hiring, the exodus will continue.

People don’t leave B.C. because they want to. They leave because they have to. Until that changes, all the glossy “Stay with B.C.” ads in the world won’t make a difference.

What do you think? Have you considered leaving B.C.? What would make you stay?