This is a mixture of explanations made to me, partly backed up by observations.
The BC economy has the "resource" industries:
Demographically, the Southern tip of Vancouver Island has become a popular retirement area for Canadians, having the mildest climate in all of Canada. Huge areas of retirement Condominiums have risen around Victoria in the last 25years. With the supporting "service industry", this demographic change is diluting away from the previously dominant rugged outlook of the loggers, miners, fishermen and the "living in the wilds" types.
End of generalities.
On to my relation to welding and
construction in BC