Kelowna among top places in Canada for U-Haul customer moves

British Columbia may have lost residents to other provinces in the last year, but Kelowna remains a hotspot for an influx of new people.

According to do-it-yourself haulage company U-Haul, Kelowna is the fifth biggest growth city across Canada.

And while there was an 11 per cent drop in inbound and outbound one-way traffic for Kelowna compared to 2021, the company said the city moved up from the No. 6 spot last year and No. 16 in 2020, to No. 5.

U-Haul said chalks up the popularity of Kelowna to young people seeking post-secondary education at institutions like UBCO, and the buoyant job market and economy.

The migration data is compiled from more than 2 million one-way U-Haul truck transactions that happened annually across Canada and the U.S.

2022 U-Haul Top Canadian Growth Cities

1. Chatham, Ont.
2. Trois Rivieres, Que.
3. Sarnia, Ont.
4. Quebec City, Que.
5. Kelowna, B.C.

Notable others

10.Chilliwack, B.C.

19. Salmon Arm, B.C.

23. North Vancouver, B.C.

Meanwhile, according to StatsCan, British Columbia saw a net exodus of residents towards the end of last year since the trend-setting net gain of 34,000 people between the summer of 2020 and 2021.

In the third quarter of 2022, B.C. saw 19,105 people leave and move away, while 14,306 arrived, for a net loss of 4,799. It’s the first net loss of interprovincial migration from B.C. since 2013.

U-Haul said New Brunswick was its top growth province in 2022, up from tenth place a year before. Quebec and Ontario followed, with British Columbia coming in at a lowly ninth, having been in the second spot in 2021.