Key takeaways
- Toronto to Vancouver is about 4,400 km by road, one of the longest moves in Canada.
- You are changing provinces, so your health card, driver’s licence and car insurance all change.
- BC’s health coverage has a waiting period. Register as soon as you arrive, because the clock starts when you apply.
- Car insurance in BC works differently. ICBC is the public insurer and you buy coverage through a broker.
- Great Canadian Van Lines is a BC-based mover and runs this route regularly.
Toronto to Vancouver is a move people think about for months and then do in a week. Most of the stress comes from the paperwork rather than the packing, because you are not just changing cities, you are changing provinces. Here is what actually changes, and what to sort out first.
How far is Toronto to Vancouver?
Toronto to Vancouver is roughly 4,400 km by road, across Ontario, the Prairies and the Rockies. It is the longest common household move in the country.
Your belongings will not arrive the same week you do. Great Canadian Van Lines usually delivers Toronto to Vancouver moves within the timeframe specified in your moving contract, and we give you a delivery window when you book. Plan where you will sleep and what you will need in the gap, and keep that bag with you rather than on the truck.
What it costs
Long distance moves in Canada are priced by the weight of your shipment and the distance it travels, not by the hour. A one-bedroom apartment and a four-bedroom house going the same route are very different jobs.
Our guide to long distance moving costs breaks down what drives the number and what the typical home sizes weigh. The most accurate way to get a price is a walkthrough estimate rather than a phone quote.
Your health card
BC’s public health insurance is the Medical Services Plan, or MSP. New residents have a waiting period before coverage starts, and the clock only begins once you apply, so apply in your first week.
Your Ontario coverage normally continues during that waiting period, but the rules depend on your situation, so call ServiceOntario before you leave to confirm your end date. If you take regular medication, ask your pharmacist how your prescriptions are covered in the gap.
Your driver’s licence and car
If you are bringing a car, this is the part that catches people out. New BC residents need to switch to a BC licence within 90 days. No road test is needed when you are exchanging a valid Ontario licence.
Car insurance also works differently. In BC, basic auto insurance comes from ICBC, the public insurer, and you buy it through an Autoplan broker rather than directly from a private company. Bring your Ontario insurance history with you, because your claims record affects your BC rate.
One more thing if you are driving yourself out: BC requires winter tires or chains on most highways from October 1 through March 31, and later into spring on some mountain routes. If you are crossing the Rockies in that window, check the rules before you set out.
What living in Vancouver is actually like
Weather. Vancouver’s winters are mild and wet rather than cold and snowy. You will use far less road salt and far more rain gear. Expect grey stretches from November through February.
Getting around. TransLink runs the SkyTrain, buses and the SeaBus across Metro Vancouver. The SkyTrain is driverless and runs frequently, and a lot of households here manage with one car or none.
Housing. Vancouver is one of Canada’s most expensive housing markets, and so is Toronto, so the shock depends on where you are coming from and where you land. Many people moving out here end up in the suburbs. Our guide to the Vancouver suburbs covers what each one is like.
Timing. If you can avoid moving at the end of the month or during July and August, you will have more choice of dates and crews.
Your first month: what to sort out
| Task | Who handles it | When |
| Apply for MSP, BC’s health coverage | Health Insurance BC | Your first week. The waiting period starts when you apply. |
| Switch to a BC driver’s licence | ICBC | Within 90 days of arriving |
| Insure your car | An ICBC Autoplan broker | Before you drive it in BC |
| Set up electricity | BC Hydro | Before move-in day |
| Update your address | Canada Post, CRA, your bank, your employer | Your first week |
| Find a family doctor | Health Connect Registry | Start early. Waitlists are long. |
Moving tips from our team
- Keep the essentials with you. Passports, medication, laptops, chargers and anything you cannot replace travel in your own bag, not on the truck.
- Photograph your electronics setup before you unplug anything. Future you will be grateful.
- Tell us about access at both ends. A downtown Toronto condo with a booked elevator and a Vancouver walk-up are very different jobs.
- Book early for summer. June through August is the busiest window on this route, and so is the end of any month.
| Moving from Toronto to Vancouver? Great Canadian Van Lines runs this route regularly and we are based in BC, so we know the arrival end as well as the departure end. Get a free estimate and we will walk you through the timing and the cost. Call 1-800-665-0055 or request a free estimate online. |
