Search for B.C.'s Best Small Town: Southwest B.C. finals

Among the 128 communities that started this tournament, seven of the eight quarterfinalists in the Search for B.C.'s Best Small Town tend to fit a template of this province known far and wide.   

Two are islands (Hornby, Salt Spring). Another three are next to the ocean (Ucluelet, Bella Coola) or a lake (Osoyoos). And another two are next to ski hills (Kimberley, Smithers). 

Then there's Lillooet. 

Yes, it's next to water — in this case, the mighty Fraser River — but its population isn't booming. It's not an international destination for people looking for the best beaches or mountains. 

But it's a community with plenty of history: it was a key part of the gold rush and the Cariboo wagon trail, with towns further afield like 100 Mile House literally being defined by how far away they were from Lillooet. 

Long before colonization, it was a main hub of the St'át'imc Nation, and the 1911 Declaration of the Lillooet Tribe was a significant B.C. marker in asserting Indigenous sovereignty over unceded lands.   

And if the results of this friendly competition are any indication, it's a town with plenty. 

"Our community always comes together," said Carmen Langdon, who runs the local pharmacy that has been in operation for 51 years. 

Langdon brought up how Lillooet residents supported each other in serious ways — such as finding accommodation and basic necessities during wildfire season — and not so serious ways. 

"Unfortunately, in this town you can't give anyone [food], like there's always a joke about giving your neighbours zucchini, or leaving it on their porch, because there's so much vegetables," she said. 

Island ambivalence? 

Despite Lillooet's charm, warm weather, and access to provincial treasures like Seton Lake, it is probably the underdog against Salt Spring Island. 

The Gulf Island community has five times the number of people as Lillooet, plenty more tourists that visit each year, and a diverse array of natural features and small businesses. 

But plenty of Salt Spring Islanders have an ambivalence about all the people that come to town and whether additional publicity is a good thing. 

"I'm going to have to pass," said Kisae Petersen, a member of the Salt Spring Island Housing Council Society, when asked if people should vote for it to advance to the semifinals. 

She said the challenges of building affordable housing are exacerbated on Salt Spring due to the higher construction costs that come with being on an island, and recently more than 100 people filed applications to live in a new 34-unit apartment aimed for islanders with low to moderate incomes. 

"There are lots of small towns that are really special in our province and I think each community member has a soft spot for their own community. So I wouldn't want to pit one against the other," she said. 

"What I would say about Salt Spring Island is we have a real engaged dynamic and special community that I hold dear to my heart, and I'm sad to see how people are struggling these days to be here." 

Two different types of towns, from two different areas of British Columbia. 

Only one can advance to the semi-finals. Which will it be?

Census stats

Salt Spring Island:

• Median age: 50.1.
• Renter households: 29.7 per cent.
• Median total household income: $59,077.
• BIPOC members as a percentage of community population: 9.4 per cent.
• Road to the Elite Eight: Defeated Mayne Island 70-30 per cent, Galiano Island 63-37 per cent, Gibsons 53-47 per cent and Gabriola Island 61-39 per cent. 

Lillooet:

• Median age: 51.1.
• Renter households: 25.7 per cent.
• Median total household income: $53,077.
• BIPOC members as a percentage of community population: 30.3 per cent.
• Road to the Elite Eight: Defeated Merritt 58-42 per cent, Lower Nicola 70-30 per cent, Lytton 59-41 per cent and Sun Peaks 50.1-49.9 per cent. 

*Census numbers are from 2016