Northern life
What's life like in Northern BC? It's what you choose to make of it!
Our communities offer a wide range of amenities. Although we have some larger communities, Northern BC is generally free of the strains of urban life. You can forget about traffic jams: we don't have them. Housing is affordable. You can get to know your neighbors.
All of our communities are within easy reach of some of the most spectacular natural beauty that British Columbia has to offer. Climb a mountain (we have plenty of them). Go kayaking on one of our lakes or rivers... or on the Pacific Ocean. Jump on your mountain bike and explore the back-country. Take your kids for a walk in the park. Join a recreation hockey league. Or go fishing. |
Hiking along the Berg Lake Trail at Mount Robson Provincial Park near the BC/Alberta border
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Our health facilities are the perfect environment for newly-minted health professionals or veteran care providers looking for rewarding leadership opportunities. Learn new skills or help mentor bright young minds. We are increasing our partnerships with educational institutions as part of broader efforts to train more health professionals here in Northern British Columbia.
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How big is Northern Health's region?
Northern Health covers an area of nearly 600,000 square kilometers in size (click here to see a detailed map of the region). That's an area larger than France. Northern Health offers health services in over two dozen communities through 50 health facilities (including hospitals, community health centres, public health units, and long-term care facilities). The population of our communities ranges from a few hundred people to over 80,000 people.
How do you get to Northern BC?
Several all-season highways connect communities across Northern British Columbia.
The major arteries are the Trans-Canada Highway 16 which connects several communities on an east-west basis, and BC Highway 97 which runs along a north-south corridor (pictured at right is the Pine Pass along Highway 97). Highway 37 connects Northwest communities to the Yukon Territory. BC Highway 2 turns into Alberta's Highway 43, which offers an easy route from Northeast BC communities like Dawson Creek to Grande Prairie and Edmonton, Alberta. |
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Major airlines offer daily service to communities across Northern British Columbia. People travelling to the region from outside Northern BC typically fly in via the Vancouver International Airport, a hub for several major carriers with international alliances. The Prince George Airport recently gained international status, and is now providing charter flights to vacation spots.
By sea, BC Ferries offers scheduled service to Prince Rupert from Vancouver Island, and from Prince Rupert to the Queen Charlotte Islands.
Via Rail also offers a tourist train that runs along an east-west corridor from Alberta through to Prince George and on to Prince Rupert.
What's the weather like?
Northern BC offers a four-seasons climate. Our summers are very pleasant, allowing for all sorts of opportunities for enjoying Northern BC's spectacular natural beauty (like wakeboarding). Our winters can be brisk: perfect for a game of ice-hockey, downhill or cross-country skiing, or snowmobiling. Coastal communities experience more rain than inland centres, but are also somewhat warmer. |
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