Oklahoma family escapes 'buckle of the Bible Belt' politics to Vancouver

Katy Stubblefield, born and raised in Oklahoma, thinks of herself as a blue dot in a red state and is escaping up north to Canada with her husband, three boys and two cats.  

As a liberal family, they feel out of place in the conservative state, she told CBC's guest host of On The Coast Gloria Macarenko

"There is a lot of stuff that is scary," she said. "People take their guns to the grocery store around here."

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The stay-at-home mom reached out to Vancouverites on Reddit for advice about moving to the city this week and quickly received more than a hundred comments.

Advice from Reddit

"Don't trust Google to tell you how long it takes to get from place to place" was a common pieces of advice she was given, Stubblefield said.

She was also warned about the cost of living in Vancouver and told to cut costs by only bringing one car.

"That would be okay if I were close to transportation and civilization," she said, mentioning that she's heard it can be difficult to find housing in Vancouver.

Another common warning: the weather. But Stubblefield said she is not fazed by the reports of rain.

"I'm one of those people when it's overcast and it's drizzly, that to me is peace," she said. "I'll bring my wellies and I think I can make it through the puddles."

To hear more about the advice Katy Stubblefield was given and why she is leaving, click on the audio link below:

No problem fitting in

Stubblefield said she thinks her three young children will fit right into Canadian society.

"My husband has told my son about the double-double [at Tim Horton's] and he is really excited about it," she said. "As for hockey, they already enjoy hitting each other with sticks so I don't think that it would be that far of a stretch to strap some skates on and teach them how to hit a puck instead of each other."

Stubblefield won't be able to continue working as a X-ray technician in Canada because her credential aren't transferable.

Her husband has secured a job in British Columbia though and the family is planning to move to Vancouver in mid-August.  

Worth the risk of moving

It's not the weather or the commutes that Stubblefield fears, she said, but leaving family and friends behind. But she is convinced the move will be worth it.

"There are so many different reasons," Stubblefield said. "Of course, the political climate. We're the buckle of the Bible Belt and it's not always very welcoming."

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Her biggest concern, though, is her boys' future and education.

Stubblefield said the education is so "dire" that she ended up taking her children out of school to teach them at home. She compared that to what she has seen of Canada.

"From what I've experienced with Canada, they seem to want to invest in their citizens and they value their citizens," she said. "I really want that for my boys."

With files from On The Coast.