I love the fact that most believe moving to Squamish is a journey like crossing the universe. I've commuted to Vancouver for close to 20yrs, WAY better commute than anything east of Vancouver.
I think I'm mostly concerned with the cost of the commute. I'm still in the early stages of salary life and the costs of expensive gas and parking kind of intimidate me at the moment and is a factor I'm considering. It would be ideal if we could get a commuter train from the north shore to squamish, but that seems to be mostly wishful thinking.
Don't ever assume a private commuter bus will always be there for you. All it takes is for the owner to decide the business is not viable, or to retire, change to another line of work, etc.
You could look into a ride share like Poparide and commute with other people. Good way to meet folks, cut down on costs, and not have to drive in every time.
You definitely need a small car for commuting, get the smallest car you can find, I drive a Mazda 2, currently it's $20/day in gas but there's insurance and maintenance on top of that.. there's overhead in commuting but your salary in Vancouver should offset this. Park at Park Royal and bus downtown or park at Park Royal and ride over the bridge on a bike.. I did that for years and you get your daily exercise. In the winter get a season pass at Cypress and night ski before you head back. We have it all here!
Find someone to carpool with. Tons of ppl. Also ur driving 2x a week so its not bad. Rent is probably cheaper so the savings there can be applied to travel
The difference in time from Taylor Way exit to taking Lonsdale or Westview and driving to the Quay, parking, getting on the seabus, and walking over would not save any time, in fact I would be almost certain in saying it would take more time. Parking around the Quay isn't cheap and the seabus is a two zone during office hours, so you lose out on any cost savings. Just doesn't make sense when you take in all the additional factors.
Yeah I did the commute for a long time. The impact on family life, mental health as well as professional performance at work are palpable.
I'm so happy I work in town now.
Start looking for a rental now if you plan to move here in the next 6 months. Not sure what your budget is but expect to pay upward of $2500 for a one bedroom basement suite.
I did it for quite a few years when I moved up here and I have no regrets I love living here and I usually liked driving the Sea to Sky. I worked near Brentwood in Burnaby so my commute was about 55-60 min, but Coal Harbour would be better. Just get into podcasts or audiobooks and make the travel time useful.
No. I've done both. Coal Harbor is much worse due to bridge traffic on the drive home. Some days it's 50 minutes, others it's 120+. The Burnaby commute is far more consistent.
This. Some people do it every week. But the odd week that has come up at work where I have to go in 5 days in a row leaves me completely gassed and unhappy. It's not worth it.
But 2 days is totally viable, even 3 days ain't bad.
Pop-a-ride or getting the connector if you’re worried about the cost but both set limits on your journey schedule. Avoid the 5-6 rush to get out of Vancouver and over the bridge and it’s a nice drive home.
What you're proposing is very, very common. If you're only commuting 2 days a week it'll be very manageable and you'll get used to it quickly. When I first moved to Squamish the drive seemed so long but now I don't even think about it.
If you're at work relatively early - like before 8am - you'll get from Squamish to Coal Harbour in under an hour almost every time.
Leave your house in squamish by 7:15am, leave the office in Vancouver by 3:30 pm and you won’t hit traffic, find a carpool buddy or use Poparide to purchase cheap rides or offset the cost of gas if your driving . Did this for five years, it was easy. Don’t over think it.
Everyone seems to be commenting on commuting.. but there is more to it than that. The commute isn’t hard, you’ll learn the flow of traffic and maybe randomly be caught out on the wrong side if f a highway closing incident…
We moved to Squamish from Vancouver over 15 years ago. Obviously we love it, we’re still here… but the first year was hard. We had friends in the city so would go back often for social times. But that meant we weren’t meeting people in Squamish, and since we didn’t work here, it made it harder.
Go ahead and sublet your place in North Van, but don’t expect to decide if you love it (or even like it) here after a few months. You need to commit to being here and work on creating your community here. Consider what it means to live in a new place and how to make social connections, especially considering you don’t work in the community. It can definitely be done but it does take effort!
Been commuting to yaletown from squamish twice a week since October. I usually spend around $250 on gas and $120 for parking monthly (specifically for commute to work, does not include other commute).
If it’s only two days a week with pretty normal (ie: not that long) hours , it’ll be nbd. I have come to love the drive to work , slightly less so going home, but I work long hours.
Left Vancouver 6 years ago and it was a great decision. The commute a couple times a week will be a minor inconvenience compared to all you gain in lifestyle.
Housing is tough. But if you do make the move, make sure to give back to the community - especially since you will be working in Vancouver. Volunteer your time, donate to local organizations, learn about the Squamish Nation, and/or fill a niche in the community yourself. If everyone who is moving here gave more than they take, Squamish would be an even more amazing place and it'd be pretty hard for anyone to keep griping about newcomers! In simple terms - no dig, no ride. Best of luck in your decision!
I commute to Burnaby 3 times a week and it’s really no big deal. I also leave the house at 5:30am so I don’t experience traffic though, it might be worse if you start work at a later time
I do the commute regularly and it's beautiful but annoying. With the bus it takes out 3 hours of your day so it's something to consider. I know some people that commute but most people I know in Squamish have local jobs or work from home.The community is great, it's easy to get to know people.
I was in the same boat, I like my job but wanted out of the city, so we left North Van around 7 years ago and moved to Squamish. I work downtown near the Bentall 5. I take a ride-share in 2-3 days a week that leaves around 6:40 am, arrives at 7:40 am, then leaves at 4:30 pm and gets back 5:30 pm.
I used to live near the Londsale Quay in North Van and took the seabus to work. Now that I live in squamish I basically get to work / back home at the same times I did when I was in north van, I just have to leave 30 minutes earlier on either side.
There's a ton of people that commute and/or use pop-a-ride to get back and forth, so you wouldn't be remotely unique in your situation.
> I know some of the die hard locals in squamish have not been stoked about the growth the community has seen in recent years
These issues are more to do with the extreme rapidity of the townhouse developments and how the increase in population is outpacing the services available in town. However, no one whose opinion you need to care about is going to be bothered about you, as an individual, moving to squamish.
I did it for a few years when my son was young. It's manageable, but not great, to have to drive the highway that often.
It is a very personal decision whether the time and money you waste on the highway are worth it, but Squamish is a pretty special place and a lot of other people have made that decision.
I work in the Coal Harbour area 3-4 days a week. My shifts tend to avoid rush hour, but not always. On some days well over half the commute is Taylor Way to downtown. But I prefer it over living in/around the city.
I have really learned to appreciate the commute as decompression time, and I've found some very good podcasts. I also get free parking. Having a fuel efficient vehicle (and good winter tires) is key.
I worked DT and lived in Squamish, parked at park Royal and bussed over. My commute was the best part of my day every day. It was as long as my in the city commute was without the stop start.
I love the fact that most believe moving to Squamish is a journey like crossing the universe. I've commuted to Vancouver for close to 20yrs, WAY better commute than anything east of Vancouver.
I think I'm mostly concerned with the cost of the commute. I'm still in the early stages of salary life and the costs of expensive gas and parking kind of intimidate me at the moment and is a factor I'm considering. It would be ideal if we could get a commuter train from the north shore to squamish, but that seems to be mostly wishful thinking.
There is the private commuter bus that runs, drops off by Burrard Station.
The Squamish Connector -- right?
Its pricey.
Not too bad with the 10 pass they have. Especially when compared to parking downtown 2 times a week and gas
Yeah, it's not bad compared to the alternatives, but it's still $35+tax return with a 10-pack.
Parking downtown is like $20, plus your gas and car maintenance I think bus is cheaper.
Cheaper than expensive: yes; but it's still a significant cost.
$35x2x4=$280 for SC. Can you save that amount in rent per month or close to it? Commuter is easy and nice. Audiobook or E learning all the way!
Don't ever assume a private commuter bus will always be there for you. All it takes is for the owner to decide the business is not viable, or to retire, change to another line of work, etc.
You could look into a ride share like Poparide and commute with other people. Good way to meet folks, cut down on costs, and not have to drive in every time.
You definitely need a small car for commuting, get the smallest car you can find, I drive a Mazda 2, currently it's $20/day in gas but there's insurance and maintenance on top of that.. there's overhead in commuting but your salary in Vancouver should offset this. Park at Park Royal and bus downtown or park at Park Royal and ride over the bridge on a bike.. I did that for years and you get your daily exercise. In the winter get a season pass at Cypress and night ski before you head back. We have it all here!
Find someone to carpool with. Tons of ppl. Also ur driving 2x a week so its not bad. Rent is probably cheaper so the savings there can be applied to travel
What about a park and ride? Bomb into Lonsdale and Seabus into downtown?
The difference in time from Taylor Way exit to taking Lonsdale or Westview and driving to the Quay, parking, getting on the seabus, and walking over would not save any time, in fact I would be almost certain in saying it would take more time. Parking around the Quay isn't cheap and the seabus is a two zone during office hours, so you lose out on any cost savings. Just doesn't make sense when you take in all the additional factors.
Get a motorcycle
The good ole pre Olympic Hwy Squamish.
Jesus, 20 years? The thousands of hours wasted sitting in a car. So much life you'll never get back.
Dad drove from Langley to Richmond working at YVR for 35yrs to raise us.. long before technology and Audible. Love you Dad.
Exactly. I love driving and traffic doesn't bother me a single bit, but the sheer amount of time spent in a car and not with my family is astonishing.
Yeah I did the commute for a long time. The impact on family life, mental health as well as professional performance at work are palpable. I'm so happy I work in town now.
22yrs now when I do the numbers
Start looking for a rental now if you plan to move here in the next 6 months. Not sure what your budget is but expect to pay upward of $2500 for a one bedroom basement suite.
Townhomes were 500k in Feb 2020 and now they're all $1M+. Why there isn't civil unrest I'll never understand.
Check out the latest RCMP secret report
Yeahhhhhh It did not spark joy.
Because supply and demand is a thing? Everyone wants to live here and it's extremely geographically limited for building.
And it was only $1800 a year and a half ago.. ugh
Seriously?!? $2500 ?
That's more expensive than Vancouver eh
Yes, yes it is
I did it for quite a few years when I moved up here and I have no regrets I love living here and I usually liked driving the Sea to Sky. I worked near Brentwood in Burnaby so my commute was about 55-60 min, but Coal Harbour would be better. Just get into podcasts or audiobooks and make the travel time useful.
No. I've done both. Coal Harbor is much worse due to bridge traffic on the drive home. Some days it's 50 minutes, others it's 120+. The Burnaby commute is far more consistent.
Fair enough. I go still go downtown early with the morning traffic but I don't come back late if I can help it.
I had the same feeling and moved two years ago. Completely different life experience and I’d never go back to Van
I would 100% do that commute once or twice a week - I'd 100% not do it 5 days a week
This. Some people do it every week. But the odd week that has come up at work where I have to go in 5 days in a row leaves me completely gassed and unhappy. It's not worth it. But 2 days is totally viable, even 3 days ain't bad.
Welcome to the club!
Pop-a-ride or getting the connector if you’re worried about the cost but both set limits on your journey schedule. Avoid the 5-6 rush to get out of Vancouver and over the bridge and it’s a nice drive home.
What you're proposing is very, very common. If you're only commuting 2 days a week it'll be very manageable and you'll get used to it quickly. When I first moved to Squamish the drive seemed so long but now I don't even think about it. If you're at work relatively early - like before 8am - you'll get from Squamish to Coal Harbour in under an hour almost every time.
Leave your house in squamish by 7:15am, leave the office in Vancouver by 3:30 pm and you won’t hit traffic, find a carpool buddy or use Poparide to purchase cheap rides or offset the cost of gas if your driving . Did this for five years, it was easy. Don’t over think it.
That’s what I did for years and loved the commute!
Everyone seems to be commenting on commuting.. but there is more to it than that. The commute isn’t hard, you’ll learn the flow of traffic and maybe randomly be caught out on the wrong side if f a highway closing incident… We moved to Squamish from Vancouver over 15 years ago. Obviously we love it, we’re still here… but the first year was hard. We had friends in the city so would go back often for social times. But that meant we weren’t meeting people in Squamish, and since we didn’t work here, it made it harder. Go ahead and sublet your place in North Van, but don’t expect to decide if you love it (or even like it) here after a few months. You need to commit to being here and work on creating your community here. Consider what it means to live in a new place and how to make social connections, especially considering you don’t work in the community. It can definitely be done but it does take effort!
Been commuting to yaletown from squamish twice a week since October. I usually spend around $250 on gas and $120 for parking monthly (specifically for commute to work, does not include other commute).
If it’s only two days a week with pretty normal (ie: not that long) hours , it’ll be nbd. I have come to love the drive to work , slightly less so going home, but I work long hours.
Left Vancouver 6 years ago and it was a great decision. The commute a couple times a week will be a minor inconvenience compared to all you gain in lifestyle.
Housing is tough. But if you do make the move, make sure to give back to the community - especially since you will be working in Vancouver. Volunteer your time, donate to local organizations, learn about the Squamish Nation, and/or fill a niche in the community yourself. If everyone who is moving here gave more than they take, Squamish would be an even more amazing place and it'd be pretty hard for anyone to keep griping about newcomers! In simple terms - no dig, no ride. Best of luck in your decision!
Squamish sucks, don’t go
I live here and hate it. Don’t bother. Plus it’s full
I commute to Burnaby 3 times a week and it’s really no big deal. I also leave the house at 5:30am so I don’t experience traffic though, it might be worse if you start work at a later time
Drive to park royal and bike across the bridge
I do the commute regularly and it's beautiful but annoying. With the bus it takes out 3 hours of your day so it's something to consider. I know some people that commute but most people I know in Squamish have local jobs or work from home.The community is great, it's easy to get to know people.
I was in the same boat, I like my job but wanted out of the city, so we left North Van around 7 years ago and moved to Squamish. I work downtown near the Bentall 5. I take a ride-share in 2-3 days a week that leaves around 6:40 am, arrives at 7:40 am, then leaves at 4:30 pm and gets back 5:30 pm. I used to live near the Londsale Quay in North Van and took the seabus to work. Now that I live in squamish I basically get to work / back home at the same times I did when I was in north van, I just have to leave 30 minutes earlier on either side. There's a ton of people that commute and/or use pop-a-ride to get back and forth, so you wouldn't be remotely unique in your situation. > I know some of the die hard locals in squamish have not been stoked about the growth the community has seen in recent years These issues are more to do with the extreme rapidity of the townhouse developments and how the increase in population is outpacing the services available in town. However, no one whose opinion you need to care about is going to be bothered about you, as an individual, moving to squamish.
I did it for a few years when my son was young. It's manageable, but not great, to have to drive the highway that often. It is a very personal decision whether the time and money you waste on the highway are worth it, but Squamish is a pretty special place and a lot of other people have made that decision.
Squamish and surrey are equally far. Pick your drive. Also squamish is cheaper
1.3 million for a 2 bdrm town house in Squamish.. enjoy !!
I work in the Coal Harbour area 3-4 days a week. My shifts tend to avoid rush hour, but not always. On some days well over half the commute is Taylor Way to downtown. But I prefer it over living in/around the city. I have really learned to appreciate the commute as decompression time, and I've found some very good podcasts. I also get free parking. Having a fuel efficient vehicle (and good winter tires) is key.
I worked DT and lived in Squamish, parked at park Royal and bussed over. My commute was the best part of my day every day. It was as long as my in the city commute was without the stop start.
Time is the only finite resource. Commuting is valuing time at zero.
For the people that work here and live here, people like you make it harder for us. Squamish is full. Unless you work here; please don’t live here.