http://ihateicbc.com/icbcs-dirty-little-secret.html
BC only has one car insurance provider so they're free to set the prices as they see fit. They even try and pretend that they're doing it to help keep prices low as competition would only raise the prices for everyone (yes, they really said this).
From what I can tell from other peoples' comments throughout this thread, SaskTel seems to be in a similar boat. The population and economy of Sask. doesn't really support, imho, a business case for the level of service SaskTel provides, but the government provides it anyway. I've been extremely happy with my SaskTel service for years, and now that they've moved to GSM, things just keep getting better.
In europe it's essentially impossible for anyone under 21 to get insurance ( without tricks like being listed on parent's cover ) even though the law says you can drive at 17. Typical rates for liability-only on a 17 year old are $10K/year
Imagine living in a rural part of BC where work and shopping is 20 miles away and the insurance companies all charge $10K for drivers under 21.
Yes it's unfair that as a middle age driver I pay 2-3x as much as I would in europe in order to cover a west vancouver millionaire's kid in a ferrari. But it's also unfair that I'm paying for elementary schools for someone else's kid or subsidizing somebody else's cancer treatment.
Technically insurance isn't mandatory in the US if you are rich enough. At least in Ca if you could show enough assets you can self-insure