This Opinion article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Where B.C. zigs, Ontario zags. The two provinces might be in the same country, but after living in both I can say they feel like worlds apart.
Ontarians are heading to the store to buy bagged milk like it's normal, and British Columbians are raving about the good weather when it's mostly cloudy.
Despite their many differences, you'll find tons of people from Ontario making their way to the West Coast, and vice versa. I grew up on the East Coast and lived in Ontario for a while, before packing my bags and moving to Vancouver like so many others do.
During my first few months living in Vancouver I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb, rattled by everything from the constant rain and carrying bear spray with me on short walks. Honestly, I still carry bear spray everywhere and will never stop complaining about the rain — but I'm slowly adjusting.
If you're ready to ditch the Ontario life for (let's be honest) more beautiful/exciting/adventurous pastures, just know that you will probably be confused by these things.
Window screens aren't really a thing?
I've lived in five different houses since moving to B.C., and only one of them had screens on the windows. This isn't just me either — just take one look at all the people on Reddit angry about flies in their homes here.
Okay, yes, people on Reddit tend to get angry about literally anything — but this is actually annoying AF.
Bugs are just as common here as other spots in Canada, but for some reason people are just cool with them coming into the house?
All of my houses and apartments in Ontario came with window screens, just saying.
The 10th day of rain in a row
My primary complaint about the city is the incredible amount of rain. While there's less snow and warmer weather, don't come here (like I naively did) expecting to be frolicking outdoors all year long.
It's normal to go far too long without seeing the sun in Vancouver. Just get some vitamin D supplements, and maybe a light therapy lamp.
I'm not saying the brutal cold of Ontario winters is better, but you do get to see the sun more.
Then it's 25 degrees and sunny the next day
The weather can switch on a dime here, so while you might be in the house cursing the rain with soggy clothes on one minute, there's always hope.
I find it's either dreary outside, or stunningly beautiful. Sometimes this means you start cursing the hot weather instead, but I love when the sun makes a surprise appearance.
That is, until...
AC is hard to come by
Maybe this is just because I could get more bang for my buck in terms of housing in Ontario, but only one of my places here has had air conditioning.
This is obviously surprising, given the many heat waves the province experiences in the summer.
Last summer I was sleeping with ice packs in my bed on the reg.
Wildlife looks different
My first few times seeing a bear on the side of the road had me yelling at my boyfriend to slow the car down so I could stick my hand out the window and try to get a photo.
I got honked at, a lot.
@diegocanalescorne Well, this is just another day in Vancouver 😬🐻🤭 #deepcove #vancouver #bc #bear #😨 #nature #curioso
I've seen one too many bears on trails around here though, so I'm always walking with some bear bells and spray.
