Hi there! My husband and I have to make a decision to move to either Vernon or Nanaimo. I was wondering if you could give me your ideas on these two cities? We have two young children and want to chose a family friendly city with lots to do. Your opinions are appreciated, especially if you have experience in both. Thank you!

The first thing to consider is the weather. There is no comparison there. Vernon has very hot summers and snowy cold winters.
Nanaimo is very temperate year round - lots of rain especially in the winter - very seldom sees snow.
Both are family friendly. In Nanaimo you can get to Vancouver easily so if you plan on doing any air travel at all it is much easier from Nanaimo.
Where do you live now?

You do not say where you are living now, however we moved to Nanaimo when our kids were small and loved it. You are under two hours from skiing (Mt Washingron), Tofino, Victoria or Vancouver.
There are good community centers, lots of outdoor activities for the kids to do (sailing lessons, hiking, biking trails etc.). I dont know much about Vernon to comment, but for me living near the ocean is fantastic
There is a also a University there as well.

i would not describe vernon winters as cold but i come from the prairies. however, my sister, who lived there found the winters hard as there are many, many grey sky days. the amount of rain when living on the coast can drive people nuts. personally, i'd choose vernon. summers are fabulous with all the lakes around, lot of skiing in the winter (silver star, big white, apex) and 6 hour drive to the ocean or to the alberta rockies.

We lived in Vernon for 25 years so let me say the following:

the schools are very good but choose carefully as there are variations in quality of staff/facility. Not that there are bad schools but there are better ones than others. If you find you don't like the school your children attend, cross boundary transfers are allowed & the school bussing is very extensive. The French immersion programme is a great alternative also.

We now live near Nanaimo - note "near". We chose the Comox Valley over Nanaimo 3 years ago. We lived in Nanaimo many years ago & found it to be very cliquey & unfriendly. We looked @ Nanaimo when we were looking to relocate but the traffic (amazingly dense)& our previous experience told us to move on. A lot of people will disagree with that but that's what makes the world go 'round

Finally, check the crime stats for both cities.

Good luck in your relocation!

Forget about the "sunny Okanagan" from November to March! There is a temp inversion between the mountain ranges caused by the OK lake & you can go for weeks at a time w/very little sunshine. You need to drive up to Silver Star if you want sunshine - OK if you're skiers but otherwise....

Lots & lots of walks/trails in the area surrounding the city but a dearth of parks in the city itself, other than Polson Park.

The beaches are quite a way from the city (driving distance), unlike Kelowna or Penticton, but they are good when you get there. Avoid Kin Beach though as there is an issue between the city & the native tribe over ownership & the native claimed area is totally uncontrolled - even the RCMP stay away so it's chaotic & potentially dangerous

Lots of organized sports for the kids including an indoor soccer field. 3 hockey rinks + one outdoor sheet. Plus, of course, Silver Star - a great family oriented ski resort. Did I mention the fishing?

For some reason, my message sequences got all screwed up & I don't know how to correct it so sorry - I'm sure you will figure it out!