Living and working in Vernon, British Columbia

Living and working in Vernon, British Columbia

If you like a mild climate and want to immigrate to Canada, Vernon might be a great choice.

Photo: J Ashton | City of Vernon | Facebook

Vernon is a small city in southern British Columbia, located in the Okanagan Valley between three lakes. The city is home to approximately 44,500 people. The area is known for its long, warm summers and mild winters.

Vernon is one of the cities participating in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. You can find out the requirements for immigration to Vernon in our article.

The majority of the city's residents consider English their native language. Other common languages in the city are German, French, Punjabi, Russian, Ukrainian, and Dutch.

Vernon is about 4.5 hours by car from Vancouver and 3 hours north of the U.S. border. This can be seen on the map:

Vernon provides an exceptional quality of life through a combination of urban amenities, world-class resorts, and outdoor recreation opportunities. This city is a great place to live, work, visit or invest.

Cost of living

The city has a wide range of housing options: apartments, townhouses, single-family homes, multi-family homes, and houses on land for farming, ranching, or recreation.

According to Numbeo, prices for consumer goods in Vernon are 14% lower than in Vancouver, grocery prices are 13% lower, and rents are 39% lower. For example, renting a one-bedroom apartment in downtown will cost you $1,300 CAD, compared to $2,250 CAD in Vancouver.

Transportation

The city is connected by three highways. Many Vernon residents drive their own cars, but the city also has regular bus service, including buses to cities throughout the province. Vernon is also home to many bicycle paths.

The city is only 30 minutes by car from Kelowna International Airport, which is one of the busiest in Canada. There are direct flights from the airport to Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and other cities.

Vernon also has a regional airport that is primarily used for commercial and private aviation, as well as by the Okanagan College for students of the aviation program.

Education

The educational system in the city is quite developed. There is both pre-school and higher education. There are 14 schools and the Okanagan College campus, which offers a wide range of educational programs.

Just 30 minutes south to Kelowna is the University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus. The campus, which was opened in 2005, now has more than 8,700 students, about 15% of whom are international. It offers more than 50 undergraduate programs ranging from medicine to engineering and fine arts.

Work

Vernon is one of the most economically diverse cities in British Columbia. Jobs in Vernon are generated by a growing professional services sector, forestry and agriculture, tourism, technology, manufacturing, retail and services.

Jobs in Vernon suitable for immigration through the Rural and Northern Pilot can be found on the official website.

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