Campaign urges skilled labour to 'Stay with B.C.' to counter efforts from Alberta

The Business Council of British Columbia has launched an awareness campaign to counter the province's rising outward migration to Alberta.

The business advocacy group says its "Stay with B.C." campaign is placing advertisements on billboards and transit stops, as well as online, in cities such as Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George, urging residents to think twice before moving to Alberta for economic or other reasons.

Council president Laura Jones says the campaign is inspired by the "Alberta is Calling" campaign launched in 2022, targeting skilled workers in other provinces with financial incentives and promises of better affordability at a comparable lifestyle.

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.

Jones says that while the "Stay with B.C." campaign "doesn't have all the answers" on stemming the population flow, it has the potential to spur conversations among people who are considering a move.

The advertisements are designed to look like an incoming cellphone call or an online dating profile from Alberta, with messages prompting readers to reconsider answering or "swiping right" — a term for accepting someone on a dating app.

"We've all heard those Alberta's Calling ads, and also Invest Alberta is being pretty assertive right now and they've opened an office in British Columbia," Jones says. "So, we thought this would be a way to put the focus on a strong economy while having a little fun.

"It's a very serious topic," she says. "We want young people to see a future in the province. But that doesn't mean we can't have a little bit of fun to get people's attention on the importance of a strong economy."

Alberta's third-quarter population report released this week says the province recorded Canada's highest interprovincial migration gains for the ninth straight quarter, adding 3,170 more people from B.C. than it lost in the other direction.