Our team at Real Canadian Movers has prepared a list of the top reasons when considering moving to Richmond, BC.
Richmond, BC is a coastal city located just 20 minutes south of downtown metropolitan Vancouver, on Lulu island at the mouth of the Fraser River and bordered by the Georgia Strait. At a population of 190,473, with 60% immigrant population, Richmond has become a hub for recreation, exploration and outdoor lifestyles.
- Dynamic Economy
Major economic drivers that support the nearly 100,000 jobs in Richmond include light manufacturing, airport and aviation sector. Agriculture and fishing are still staple economic drivers of the area as well. Richmond is also a major centre for high-technology companies including MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates, as well as Sierra Wireless. Pacific Coastal Airlines operates its HQ from Richmond.
The Agricultural Land Reserve occupies nearly 5000 hectares of farmland in Richmond, with cranberries and blueberries representing the dominant crops. About 47% of British Columbia’s entire cranberry acreages are located in Richmond.
The film industry is also a large aspect of Richmond’s economy. The city and islands have been used in an impressive number of Hollywood films and television shows for their urban neighbourhoods, agricultural lands, bog forests, waterfront parks and beaches. Notable film/TV credits for Richmond include 50/50, 50 Shades of Grey, The interview, Robocop, Bates Motel, Godzilla (2014), Psych, the X-Files, and the Amazing Race.
Median household income for Richmond according to the 2011 National Household Survey was $60,000.
- Healthcare & Education
Healthcare is overseen by the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, a governmental body that also serves the City of Vancouver, District of West Vancouver, as well as the District & City of North Van and many other coastal communities.
Richmond Hospital serves as the only hospital in the city, and Richmond is regarded globally as the worldwide headquarters of the Canadian Canadian Hemochromatosis Society.
Richmond is home to a few post secondary campuses, notably a campus of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and a satellite campus of Sprott Shaw College. The British Columbia Institute of Technology also runs a well-known aerospace technology program located near the Vancouver International Airport.
The public school system is overseen by School District 38 Richmond and includes 10 secondary schools and 38 elementary schools. Included here are three Montessori schools, and nine French Immersion program schools. The International Baccalaureate World School has a location within Richmond Secondary School.
- Developed Transportation System
Richmond is well connected to the City of Vancouver and Delta by a series of tunnels and bridges. Three bridges connect Lulu Island to Sea Island and the Vancouver Intl Airport and two bridges connect Lulu to Vancouver itself. The city is accessible by two major highway systems, Highway 99 that connects to the US border via Interstate 5, and Highway 91, connecting Delta, New Westminster and Richmond.
Railways are also prevalent in Richmond. Including the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways, TransLink has a number of routes connecting Richmond to downtown Vancouver, Surrey, New Westminster, Burnaby, Delta and UBC. The SkyTrain line, Canada Line connects Richmond to downtown Vancouver and opened in summer of 2009.
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is located on Sea Island, and several float plane services operate from its south terminal, providing travel to the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.
- Arts, Culture & Activities
The City of Richmond has a rich arts and cultural background and is home to a number of cultural and heritage facilities including the main branch of the Richmond Library, Museum, Art Gallery and Archives.
For theatre buffs, the popular 540-seat Gateway Theatre is home to the Gateway Academy of the Performing Arts and overlooks Minoru Park. It’s known as one of the most beautiful theatres in Canada.
There are 60 festivals and events listed on Destination BC’s events page for Richmond, including the Vancouver Opera Festival, KDocs – the film festival of Kwantlen Polytechnic features 4 days of cinema and 12 films, the Coastal First Nations Dance Festival in partnership with the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, Art! Vancouver, and the Winterruption Festival – a winter festival that celebrates the best in music, art, theatre and food on Granville Island.
Richmond is home to over 1900 acres of public park land and over 70 kilometers of trails, and 60 kilometers of road cycling paths, cementing itself as a major player in outdoor recreation. With 145 parks to explore and use, Richmond offers recreational open space in nearly every neighbourhood and corner of the island chain.
Here’s a video to help you learn more about living in Richmond, BC:
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