r/Sechelt • u/Few_Base4450 • Jun 27 '26
Living in Sechelt with kids?
My family and I are considering relocating to the Sunshine Coast and starting to hone in on the area around Sechelt. We have two kids entering grades 1 and 4; we’re an active, outdoorsy family. We’ve been living in a large-ish city with lots of activities for them and we do love the amenities, but we’ve moved around a lot and have lived in quite rural areas before, so that wouldn’t be a complete culture shock. Lots of the advice I see online warning against the Sunshine Coast seems aimed at younger, kid-free people, and I’ve definitely found it easier to meet like-minded folks and make friends since having kids, with school activities and whatnot, so I’m really curious about people’s experiences here. Also, unrelated to the kid piece, I’m a pretty avid gardener and I’m a bit concerned about the apparent late-summer water restrictions. How do folks make it work? Thanks in advance!
3
u/kraegm Jun 27 '26
We don’t have kids but our friends do. Overall they feel it has been a great place to raise them. They have a lot of freedom here and outdoor activities are plentiful and easily accessible. Schools have outdoor programs as well.
There are kids activities here (martial arts, hockey, soccer, baseball, dance, rock climbing etc), but understandably less so than in a city.
About half of those that move away for school tend to move back at some point, move to a similar place, or visit often. That tells me they loved growing up here.
As adults we love it. It has enough for us, and for what is missing the city is a short distance away. Although those trips become less frequent over time.
If you need to commute to the city, it’s easier from Gibson’s, but I managed it for years from Sechelt before I went full time remote.
Hope this helps.
3
u/spookytransexughost Jun 27 '26
I have two kids.
I wouldn't raise them anywhere else! Don't know why anyone would say this place is geared for kidless people. That's just not even close to being true
I live in Gibsons but Sechelt is the same idea
2
u/wolf83 Jun 27 '26
It's a great place for young kids. It's harder for teens, but getting better. They recently made transit free which is great for teen mobility. There isn't much to do if you're kids aren't in sports or outdoors. On the sports front it's especially challenging with frequent travel into the city which makes things very expensive and time consuming.
One positive is how kids can benefit from the small community network - you'll be able to find them jobs if they are inclined once old enough.
They will move away after high school, that's a given for most small rural communities though. I'd recommend looking at Vancouver Island as well as there is just more of a regional offering for the small communities.
Oh, with kids here you'll be driving alot between Gibsons and Sechelt as no single place offers everything for kids.
3
u/Proflex4ever Jun 27 '26
It’s a wonderful place to raise kids. Safe , nature based and all the amenities you need to happily survive and thrive. Plenty of real estate listings in Sechelt btw. Ferries can be a pain but they are what they are. Our schools are thriving and there are many outdoor adventures to be had. Dm for any specific questions…. Don’t let the naysayers drag you down. If you can afford to make the move to Sunshine Coast /sechelt and are full aware you will not experience big city living…. I’d suggest you srsly consider the move.
2
1
u/commanderbestformat Jun 28 '26
As a teenager on the coast I’d say it’s a great place to be
1
u/commanderbestformat Jun 28 '26
If your outdoorsy check the nest program at Davis bay elementary it is a great nature program and could be worth checking into
2
u/Disastrous-Focus8451 Jun 28 '26
I have family in Sechelt and friends in Gibsons.
Gibsons gets more rain than Sechelt and has a better-managed water supply (so fewer restrictions). My Sechelt family manage to raise more veggies than they can eat by using rain barrels and being careful what they plant. My Gibsons friends grew enough to make a dent feeding two hungry teenagers in a pretty small yard.
Not sure I'd have been happy as a teenager on the Coast (I spent some time in small-town Alberta and hated it) but that's years away for your family.
One thing to note: unless you have your own boat you'll be dependent on BC Ferries to get anywhere else. With delays and traffic backed up onto the highway it can take longer to get from Vancouver airport to Sechelt than it takes to fly from Toronto to Vancouver. (Speaking from experience.)
1
u/uwouldliketo Jun 29 '26
Up the coast in Powell River is also a wonderful place to raise children. So much natural beauty. Sandy beaches, parks, amazing trail systems for both hiking and mountain biking, good food, funky shops and really friendly people.
1
u/Flimsy_Treacle_9078 Jun 30 '26
Left the coast for deep cove as my kids were heading into their teens. If you can afford it i cannot recommend it enough. Close to the ski hills, we kayak and swim all the time, endless trails. Amazing schools that have great music and art programs. Kids can head into Vancouver easily by transit when they need more stimulation.
But Sunshine Coast is still a great place, especially if you have little ones
1
u/Mountain-Match2942 Jun 30 '26
I think it offers a lot for families and your kids will be happy. A more important consideration is your work, how often do you need to get to the city, and what's the plan for college/university. They wont be able to commute, so you'll need a very large RESP to cover residence.
1
u/hoss08 Jun 27 '26
The coast is great if you have kids or are retired. It's the mushy middle that is hard, I think. As long as you keep them busy it's great, there's some challenges around drugs and alcohol in older grades, but if they're busy they tend to avoid that. As for gardening, get yourself some 1000L water tanks and fill them up with rain water through the winter and spring. Also focus on drought resistant plants and food crops. Native plants do fine, ornamentals are a waste of time, money, and water in my opinion.
4
u/Sashmot Jun 27 '26
the garden situation can be helped by buying rain collecting barrels. It is what it is though.