Well I cant speak for BC,but I do in fact know dozens upon dozens if not hundreds of hunters in my native NB where ANY centerfire rifle is legal for deer(and bear and moose for that matter),and have shared a deer camp with a few dozen of them at least,and I don't know a SINGLE ONE OF THEM that tote around a .22cal for deer hunting.....or at least not until they've cut their own tag.
The thing is,NB does have a MAXIMUM caliber restriction,that being that it is illegal to be in a resort of game outside of big game season,OR during open season without a valid licence, with a centerfire greater than .23
Soooooo....that said.....lotsa grandmas.wifes,Uncle Joes deer get tagged with .22-250/.223 etc after buddy cut his tag and hunts the rest of season with a .22cal,in fact,I know of many guys who's sole purpose for even owning a.223 is not to hunt coyotes,but to have a .223 in camp for anybody that tags out early to use.
Other then a few blowhards on a NB hunting forum that I visit who like to espouse the virtues of the magical killing power of smallbores(much like here on AO) :P I don't personally know a single soul out of a couple hundred hunters ive known in NB that carries their .22-250 on Opening Day of deer season.....yet they'll praise it's amazing deer slaying capabilities after their tag is punched and they are hunting for the wife's deer....go figger??
If its such an amazing deer cartridge,why does EVERYBODY I know in NB carry their ,30 cals on opening day and until they are no longer legal to do so instead of just hunting with their Hammer of Thor .223 from day one,lol
I can tell this for fact....22cals have a notorious,well earned reputation in NB as the poachin rifle....in fact,varmint season at one time was year round but they amended the F&W Act to year round minus the period of Sept 20-30 because guys figured out that they could buy a $12 coyote/varmint licence and put every swingin Rick in the field with a .22-250 to help their buddies fill their moose tags.