Gold River BC, Info Please?

[Twisted Canuck]

Just wondering if anyone is familiar with the town and area. Kid has a job opportunity there but would like to know more, get first hand review before they commit.

Thanks in advance. TC

[Somehunter]

I know Goldriver very well and the man who brought it back to life in the 80s with the hotel. Worked his way up thru the paper mill to owning it and redoing the mall. Wont use names but he drives the rolls royce in the parade. Lol.
Where is he planning on working ? Forestry?

[Twisted Canuck]

She. Teaching position.

[Dean2]

Only been there a couple of times but I would take a job there in a heart beat. The island has a lot of great small towns and only a couple I would rank as some place I would avoid. As you know, I have lived a great many places, and other than Fort McMurray in 1974 and 1975 when it was REALLY rugged, even worse than Inuvik, Iqualuit and Griece Fijord, all of which I really enjoyed, I loved every one of them. Getting involved in the town has been the key to EVERY small town I ever lived in.

[Somehunter]

My apologies TC. Its a wonderful community. Very friendly. Houses are some what cheap. Central to alot of great places to explore and awesome mushroom picking for the non magic kind that is. Lol. Ooooh and bears lots of nice bears. Access to the mosaic logging roads are non gated. You can get lost for days out there.

[Twisted Canuck]

No worries, I could have been more clear, but also didn't want to put too much info out there. Thanks for replies.

[traderal]

We went there when they were looking for people to come and repopulate the place, we only saw about 2 people. Nice place, nice scenic drive from Campbell River, about an hour and a half. Wife said it was too remote for her even for a vacation home. When I look at the satellite view of the town now I don't even recognize all the development, but no Walmart or McDonald's. Probably save all her paycheck. Gives you a reason to fly out for fishing.

[Reddin]

If she can handle the remoteness, looks like a nice piece of the planet to live at.

[Sporty]

GR is fairly remote and although about an hour out of Campbell River, the highway during the winter months can be a bit challenging. Not much in the way of shopping in GR, there is no real grocery store, people do their shopping in Campbell River.

Beautiful location for the outdoorsy type but the winter months can be cold, wet and gloomy. My daughter worked around the Island some years back and Campbell River during the winter was the last of her love for the Island, she moved back to Alberta with no desire to ever return to the Island. I imagine GR is much the same for winter weather.

[Hilgy]

Spent lots of time working and playing out there in my younger years. Was once a thriving forestry town and from what i hear has found its stride again in recent years.

I still kick myself for not buying a place out there when the mill shut down and houses were crazy cheap.

If your daughter is into the outdoors and is the type to appreciate some of the most beautiful wilderness this country has to offer then its a no brainer. The remoteness is what gets most people but its what others seek.

There are only 3 towns on the Island that we are considering moving back to now that our kids are leaving the house and we are looking for some change( it is no longer the Island we left). Gold River is one of them.

I still have quite a few friends there so if there are any specific questions you are looking for answers to let me know, I may be able to help.

[Bushrat]

Originally Posted by Sporty

GR is fairly remote and although about an hour out of Campbell River, the highway during the winter months can be a bit challenging. Not much in the way of shopping in GR, there is no real grocery store, people do their shopping in Campbell River.

Beautiful location for the outdoorsy type but the winter months can be cold, wet and gloomy. My daughter worked around the Island some years back and Campbell River during the winter was the last of her love for the Island, she moved back to Alberta with no desire to ever return to the Island. I imagine GR is much the same for winter weather.

Lived in a couple remote Vanc Isle towns for ten years. The endless damp, dark, non stop rain from Oct to April can really get to folks who didn't grow up there and are not used to it. Not a good place to go for those who might suffer depression or have a predilection for mental illness.

[Twisted Canuck]

Thanks very much for all the replies.

[sns2]

I went to college on the island for one year in Nanaimo. That rain and overcast can be hard on people.

I've been to Gold River.

While beautiful, I agree with the depressing aspect of it, especially for a young single, and it is a darn small town.

Might be a hard gig. It is isolated, and the road in and out can be sketchy as all get out in the winter.

[artie]

About 48 years ago I taught in a small native village north of Prince Rupert
You had to fly in and land on the ocean in a float plane
I could handle all aspects of the job except that coming from Alberta i could not handle the rain
it rained and rained so much that I had to get out of there for health reasons
got back to sunny Alberta and my lungs dried out and things were good

[KGB]

Sounds like a perfect place for an exile…

[Twisted Canuck]

Sounds better then a Siberian gulag.

All about perspective.

[traderal]

Originally Posted by artie

About 48 years ago I taught in a small native village north of Prince Rupert
You had to fly in and land on the ocean in a float plane
I could handle all aspects of the job except that coming from Alberta i could not handle the rain
it rained and rained so much that I had to get out of there for health reasons
got back to sunny Alberta and my lungs dried out and things were good

So instead of sunscreen you pack WD40.

[lmtada]

Visited Gold River in the late 80’s. Went to UVIC for four years, and was playing intramural hockey with some boys from Gold River (Warwick brothers), and a few others. Those Boyz worked during summer at the local mill, always had lots $$$ for school, hockey sticks, etc. 🤠 Went visited during summer, we fished all weekend, caught many big fish (Salmon, coho, Rock cod, etc). Always amazed what a big salmon looks like on the BBQ. It takes the complete BBQ. Was a feast. 👍🎣

[KGB]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

Sounds better then a Siberian gulag.

All about perspective.

You suppose to love your child!

[roper1]

My sister good prairie gal went & worked on a 2 year contract in Vancouver, the wet, cloudy, dreary winters about did her in. Came back to cold sunny winters a much happier sis

[Bushrat]

It's not all doom and gloom, I and many here don't like the weather and maybe the isolation of some small places on the Island and Coast. On the other hand there are many who love it and wouldn't think of living anywhere else. Even myself who Lived on the island in some remote areas would far rather live there than Toronto, Edmonton or any big city for that matter, I don't like cities. I lived in Victoria and moved to a tiny remote Island town and much preferred it there over Victoria. Anyway the only way to find out is to go there and check it out. It's not like its 100% miserable. I had good times and met some pretty great people. I eventually moved to a tiny southern interior BC town that was drier hotter, had short winters, great hunting, fishing and great people. Would have stayed there if it were not for the NDP in the 90's who strangled the lifeblood out of the community and pretty much turned it to a ghost town that hasn't really recovered even 30 years later. So I booted it to a little larger small town In Alberta and there is great hunting, great people. Salmon, steelhead and trout fishing really sucks here though.. lol

[MyAlberta]

10 years in Vancouver and it was the popular scent that sent me back to the prairies. I’ve not been to Gold River, but do know you can find some odd folk out in the fringes.

[Ruger71]

Lived and worked in Campbell River for five years - and travelled the northern island and all communities during that time - mid 2000's. At that time, Gold River was a great small town - knew a number of absolutely salt of the earth folks - and it was a very quiet safe place. Agree with comments about road in winter, rain from Dec-Feb/March. I used to go for a drive up Mount Washington south of Campbell River to get above the clouds and see the sun....made it worthwhile. You're never far from Nanaimo or Victoria for a weekend get away if needed. Gold River, Tahsis, Port Alice, all those small towns were amazing with amazing people in my time there. Campbell River at the time had a bit of a drug and transient population (kind of like PG of the mainland)...but again, back in 2000's. Loved my time on northern island. Lot's of hiking, hunting, fishing, etc.

Moving from the east coast I was taken back a little bit by the bear trails leading through the bush to the salmon-filled rivers....at first thought I was following a people trail to a great fishing spot....LOL until the half eaten salmon started showing up on the trails....black bear heaven. Brings back great memories.

[Fradaburidi]

Originally Posted by traderal

so instead of sunscreen you pack wd40.

lol

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

No worries, I could have been more clear, but also didn't want to put too much info out there. Thanks for replies.

Great place, the island has endless areas to explore etc, we lived in our rain gear for a few months but never stopped us from enjoying the area. My thoughts is just do it for the experience and go from there, might be for some and not for others but you will never know. Plus it will give you a reason to visit and wet a line.



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[W921]

In Alberta hutterites have their own schools with outside teachers. If I was a teacher I know where I would be applying.

[Twisted Canuck]

But, that has absolutely nothing to do with my thread.

Anyway, thanks again for helpful comments.

[waldedw]

I spent a year working on the Island, about 6 months in Nanaimo from May through October, the weather there is perfect in the summer, just loved it, then from January to mid June I was in Port Hardy, well for 3 months I never saw the sun and was starting to get webbed toes the spring and early summer was OK, Island life if sure a lot more laid back than here.

After spending 20+ years living and or working in 17 different countries around the world one thing I soon realized is you make the most of where you are, there will always be positives and negatives no matter where you live, if you embrace the adventure it will be great