Will you pick up Alberta’s call? New campaign hopes that you stay in B.C.

Alberta is calling.

But a new campaign from the Business Council of British Columbia is asking you not to pick up.

‘Stay with BC’ is a counterpoint to the ‘Alberta is Calling’ campaign which began in 2022 with hopes to lure British Columbians east.

The Business Council is worried that our neighbour’s campaign is working, and action is needed.

Data released by Statistics Canada in April, say B.C. lost more people than it gained in interprovincial migration in 2023 for the first time in more than a decade, with a net loss of 8,624 people to other Canadian jurisdictions.

Alberta reported a gain of 55,000 — the biggest interprovincial increase recorded since tracking began in 1972 — and it was the most popular Canadian destination for those leaving B.C.

“It’s not unprecedented but it is new. We haven’t seen this for ten years. For the first time in ten we’re seeing more people leave and we’ve got to change that, and that starts with changing conditions on the ground for people,” said Laura Jones from the Business Council.

B.C. has long had some of the highest cost of living in the country, and while locals joke that the views are worth it, there are issues — affordability is chief among them.

To combat the exodus, the Business Council’s campaign says” “Living in B.C. shouldn’t be so hard. Let’s make it easy to stay.”

“We’re coming at it head-on. People are making a choice based on whether they see a future here, and the sunshine and mountains aren’t enough,” Jones explained.

The council is calling on government to improve conditions for businesses in the province, saying that economic growth is the answer to keep people in B.C.

Its calls include regulatory reform to make it faster to start new projects in the province.

“The importance of having the investment climate where businesses can thrive and therefore create the opportunities for people to stay here, and for younger people to see a future and a runway,” Jones added.

The Business Council believes that by making a change at home, people will stay.

With files from The Canadian Press.