[Purrybonker]

BC: All beautiful mountains and coastline infested with squatters and dreamers. BC is perpetually burdened with governments that lean too far from centre to provide consistent, effective economic direction for the province. Canada's land of honey (only the milk is missing) that has the most beautiful and expensive real estate in the country. The place where everything is for sale (and the signs to prove it) but nothing ever sells (except for Vancouver and Whistler where the reverse is true); but the climate keeps everyone too mellow to care either way. BC's lumber based economy has been beaten to a pulp (pun intended) by punishing American tariffs and the province is leaning heavily on tourism and a smattering of oil & gas to keep the wheels turning. Think California without the intellectual property and with extra doses of Florida retirees and sushi.

on the other hand...

Alberta: Wanna be Texans and gunslingers with far too many smarts to give themselves completely over to the image. The province is ALL about oil & gas and the fat paychecks that spin out of capital rather than labour intensive industries. Ultra-conservative politics that insulate the province from the emergence of meaningful culture as effectively as their border patrol keeps the province free of rats. Albertan's live the paranoid existance that the federal government or Quebec is going to do something to burst their economic bubble (like maybe offend the Americans some way). Pre-war Christian ethics are used to keep capitalism charging forward uncluttered by forward thinking social or environmental initiatives. The streets of Calgary are littered with BMWs, Mercs, SUVs, Boxsters and the odd Porsche. But the fancy new neighbourhoods are devoid of schools or hospitals. Everyone dreams of retiring to BC.

Wanna hear about the rest of Canada, or is that enough?

Welcome aboard, we'd love to have you!