Oklahoma family follows Reddit advice, moves to Squamish
'It’s chaos but it’s a nice kind of chaos,' says mother-of-three about the move
An Oklahoma family, who were tired of being a blue dot in a red state and decided to uproot to British Columbia, arrived in Squamish earlier this week to start their new lives away from U.S. politics.
When Katy Stubblefield first decided to move to British Columbia after her husband got a job offer in Vancouver, she took to Reddit asking for advice and quickly received more than a 100 encouraging responses. The advice included what to bring, warnings about the weather—and where to move.
Stubblefield talked to CBC's On The Coast a couple of months ago and said she couldn't wait to call Canada home.
Now, the family of five are busy settling down in Squamish — a town they had never been to before last week but that came up frequently in the Reddit comments — and just finished moving into their two-bedroom condo.
"It's chaos but it's a nice kind of chaos," Stubblefield said. "The kids are doing their best. If anyone can play hide-and-seek in 700 square feet, they can do it."
To listen to the full interview, click on the audio link below.
Although they are still adjusting to the metric system and higher gas prices, enrolling in schools and exploring the area, Stubblefield said she is certain the move was the right choice.
"We're kind of oddballs in Oklahoma," she said. "We were just unhappy - just stagnant."
'Room to breathe'
As a liberal family, Stubblefield said, they felt out of place in their conservative home state and she was concerned about her three sons' education. They were seeking a different lifestyle and said they've found it in their new home.
"We come out here and it has a better student to teacher ratio," she said. "And I really wanted a walkable community. Where I live, you walk a mile and all you are is a mile away from home. Here, I can walk to the grocery, to the post office, to shops. That's a lifestyle I really wanted."
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The beauty of the landscape and mountain views has had the biggest impression on the family so far, Stubblefield said, and they are still in awe everytime they drive down the Sea-to-Sky corridor.
"This isn't a painting or a picture in a book, — this is really where we live," she said. "You have room to breathe."
With files from On The Coast and Caroline Chan.