To add another perspective, we moved to Vernon last summer after 10 years in East Van. I telecommute and my other half is a teacher so we've got an income and need much less to live on than we did in Van - it's nice to have that, given we just had a kid.
We miss the food and general vibes of Van, but traded that for trails and a lake that we can walk or bike to, and what we've found to be a really friendly and welcoming community.
We knew the kid was going to change out lives, so we decided to change everything - so far we are having a very good time. Anyone who is feeling trapped by the cost of living in Van and can find a way to work away from the city should give it some serious consideration…