6 Reasons To Visit Alberta Instead Of BC This Summer That Will Save You Some Regret

This Opinion article is part of a Narcity content series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.

There's nothing like a bit of interprovincial rivalry and debates between those living in B.C. and those living in Alberta can get pretty heated.

While both provinces are stunning and you'd probably enjoy a vacation in either, I think Alberta has the edge.

For the sake of getting all sides of the story, I roped in Narcity staff writer Ashley Harris — a born and raised Vancouverite — to tell me what I have wrong, and right, about her home province.

When I told Ashley about a lot of my arguments for why Alberta is simply better than B.C. to visit, she actually agreed with me a lot of the time.

Many of the most stunning places in the Rockies are closer to Calgary than Vancouver, and while Ashley pointed out that B.C. has some "huge beaches and surfing towns like Tofino," which Alberta lacks — nothing beats the Rockies.

Ashley definitely made some good arguments for visiting B.C., but there is still not a doubt in my mind that Alberta is the place to visit this summer. I mean, even a proud British Columbian admitted it by the end of our conversation!

Everything good in B.C. is basically in Alberta

There's a ton of stunning scenery in B.C. but most of it is in the Rockies and therefore that's pretty much just Alberta as far as I'm concerned. You can get to the B.C. border in the Rockies in just under three hours from Calgary but it's more like a nine-hour drive from Vancouver.

Ashley let me know that there are actually not very many stunning places close to Vancouver. For that, you have to drive closer to the border of Alberta.

We have the most famous lakes in Canada

If you ask someone to name a Canadian lake, I'm pretty sure the first answer is going to be Lake Louise.

It'll probably be closely followed by Moraine Lake. Alberta is full of some of the most stunning lakes in the entire country. Yes, they can be busy and packed with tourists but they're worth visiting for those views.

Ashley did mention Garibaldi Lake, but what's one compared to dozens?

Stampede is pretty unique

Calgary Stampede is basically a 10-day long party that overruns the entire city and it's like nothing you'll ever experience anywhere else. Everyone digs out their cowboy boots and hats for the occasion. From weird foods to try to concerts all over the city, Stampede really has to be seen to be believed.

B.C. simply doesn't have an event that compares to this iconic affair.

It's way cheaper

When it comes to hotels, food, and transport costs everything adds up quickly before you've even had a chance to figure out spending money.

In just about every way, Alberta is a cheaper vacation destination than B.C. If you're spending less on the essentials, that leaves more for the actual fun stuff. It's as easy as that!

Ashley bragged about Tofino but admitted that it's wildly expensive to travel there.

There's so many different landscapes in one province

Everyone knows Alberta for Banff but there are actually so many incredible landscapes all in the one province. You can start over in the desert-like Drumheller with the famous hoodoos and Horseshoe Canyon, and visit the Prairies, the foothills and the mountains all within a few hours.

We may not have the ocean, but you can see a whole lot more than that when you visit.

B.C. is too crowded

I've only really been to Vancouver admittedly, but everything just felt so rushed and busy in comparison to places in Alberta.

As Ashley told me — you never want to end up at Granville Island on a sunny weekend becuase it's impossible to move. Calgary still has plenty of people but the vibe is far more relaxed which suits me perfectly.