In 2014, I moved from the big city of Edmonton, Alberta to the small coastal town of Gibsons, BC. Small-town life isn’t automatically better, but it sure is different.
If you’re thinking about making a similar move, I think it’s only fair to start with the stuff you might not love.
The downsides of small-town living
1. Fewer choices (in almost everything)
In a city, you get used to options. Hundreds of restaurants. Every car brand. Every niche retail store. If one place is closed, there are 10 more within five minutes.
In a small town, that abundance disappears.
When we moved to Gibsons, I didn’t feel deprived. We still had restaurants and we still had shops. But a friend who moved from Vancouver couldn’t get over (what they considered) the limited selection of restaurants. To them, the difference was glaring.
It’s not just dining. On the Sunshine Coast, for example, we have three car dealerships, and they’re all American brands. If you want to buy a Honda or Toyota, you’re heading into the city. That pattern repeats across categories. You can buy what you need but you won’t get every possible version of it.
If you’re used to infinite options, this part of small town life can feel restrictive.
2. No big events
Small towns don’t host arena concerts or major league sports. The Sunshine Coast will never see a Sechelt Grand Prix or an Expo 2046 or a Tour De Roberts Creek.
In Gibsons, there’s one movie playing at a time. If you don’t like it, you get to wait a week.
Living in Gibsons, we’re lucky as we’re just a ferry ride away from Vancouver. If we want to see a major concert or an NHL game, it’s doable, but takes some planning.
If you live in a more remote town, attending a big event might mean turning it into a multi-day trip.
That said, small towns often have vibrant local events like community theatre, art shows, and local bands. You’ll just never see Taylor Swift roll into town.
If big shows and professional sports are central to your lifestyle, you’ll feel the absence living in a small town.
3. Limited public transit
The Sunshine Coast has bus service, and it runs every hour during the week. If you miss it, it’s not just 5 or 10 minutes before the next one. You’ll be waiting at that bus stop for a while.
But Gibsons is fortunate to have transit in the first place. Many small towns don’t. When my husband was growing up in a small community south of Edmonton, there was no local bus. He walked, biked, or got a ride from mom or dad.
If you don’t own a vehicle and will be relying heavily on transit, a small town might not be for you.
4. A smaller dating pool
This one doesn’t apply to me anymore, but it could be a real challenge if you’re single.
In smaller communities, the dating pool is compact and often interconnected. If you date someone and, it doesn’t work out, you’ll likely see them again and again. Maybe at the grocery store, or maybe at a community event.
In a big city, you can disappear after a breakup. In a small town, you don’t have that luxury.
That’s part of why many young people graduate high school and leave their small town. They’re looking for new faces and new possibilities.
5. Shorter business hours
City life spoils you. In Edmonton, I could grocery shop at midnight. Pharmacies were open late. If I needed something, I could get it almost anytime.
In Gibsons, most stores close by 9:00 p.m. There’s no 24-hour culture. If you forget something, you’re out of luck until tomorrow. This forces you to plan ahead and that can feel inconvenient, especially when you first leave the big city.
The upsides of small-town living
Now, here’s where the story shifts. Because for all those trade-offs, there are reasons I love living in a small town.
1. Less traffic
In Edmonton, we budgeted at least 20 minutes for travel time to get anywhere. That was just life in the big city.
In Gibsons, I can get almost anywhere in five minutes. In truth, if I were so motivated, I could probably walk most places in 20 minutes.
There are no freeways here and no sprawling interchanges. Just smaller roads and shorter drives. Yes, ferry traffic can back things up occasionally, but overall, I spend dramatically less time in my car in Gibsons than I did in Edmonton. That frees up way more of your day than you realize.
2. A different kind of safety
Small towns aren’t crime-free, but the type of crime feels different.
In larger cities, you hear about gun violence, armed robberies, and random assaults. In Gibsons, I’m far more concerned about someone rummaging through an unlocked car than I am about violent crime.
There’s also less traffic, which means pedestrians can walk and bike more safely.
Of course, small-town safety comes with its own twist. In Gibsons, you might encounter a black bear on your driveway. That’s a real thing. Safety shifts from urban threats to wildlife awareness.
3. Strong sense of community
In a small town, you feel like you’re part of something. Businesses support each other. Neighbours know each other. When tragedy strikes and someone needs help, the community rallies. It feels like everyone is paddling in the same direction.
In a big city, you can blend into the crowd. In a small town, you matter more. People rely on each other. And when someone shows up for you, you remember it and you return the favour when you have the opportunity.
That interdependence builds something powerful.
4. Less busy-ness
Life here is simply less hectic. Getting in and out of appointments is quicker. You’re not forced to rush from one end of the city to the other.
And even when there is traffic, it’s small traffic. If I get stuck in ferry traffic (the traffic that’s created by vehicles unloading from the ferry), it only lasts for a few blocks instead of stretching for kilometers and kilometers.
5. Proximity to nature
This is the one that sealed it for me. In Gibsons, I can step outside on a clear night and see stars. Real stars. Not a faint glow trying to fight its way through city light pollution.
I grew up on a farm and after living in Edmonton for nearly 20 years, I forgot how special it was to see stars when I look up. I didn’t realize it was something I’d lost until I got it back in Gibsons.
Another aspect is that small towns are surrounded by something other than more city. Whether it’s the ocean, mountains, forests, or fields, nature isn’t a destination in a small town. It becomes a backdrop for daily life.
On the Sunshine Coast, we’re especially lucky. We have all of the aforementioned and all are just minutes away. But even prairie towns are surrounded by open spaces and big skies. And that closeness to nature impacts how you live.
Is small-town living better?
Not universally. You give up choice, convenience, big event, and a degree of anonymity. In exchange, you gain time, community, and simplicity. Oh, and stars!
For me, that trade has 100% been worth it.
Call Val
If you’re ready to trade big city living for the slower pace of a small town, I’d love to help you find a home on the slice of paradise that is BC’s Sunshine Coast.
Call or text Val: 604-399-8935
Email Val: info@vallabrecque.ca
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