Vancouver ranked 15th amongst Canadian cities
Take a valium, Vancouver. British Columbia’s most vibrant city ranks a lowly 15th on a list of Canada’s best places to live published in the May issue of Toronto-based MoneySense magazine.
Never mind that Vancouver’s quality of life has consistently been judged at or near the best in the world by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, an international consulting firm. This year’s Mercer ranking ties Vancouver with Vienna, in third place behind Zurich and Geneva.
Never mind that Western Canada’s booming economy is leaving the country’s industrial heartland in the dust. Even bucolic Victoria barely makes the top 10 list of what the editors of MoneySense are billing as the most complete and objective guide to finding paradise within our borders.
So if you are considering a move, looking to invest, or pondering where to retire, MoneySense suggests you pack your bags and move to: 1. Ottawa, Ont. 2. Halifax, NS. 3. Quebec City, Que. 4. Guelph, Ont. 5. Fredericton, NB. 6. Kingston, Ont. 7. Moncton, NB. 8. London, Ont. 9. Victoria. 10. Gander, Nfld. Even Toronto and Montreal are notably absent from the top 10.
MoneySense ranked communities strictly by crunching numbers relating to weather, real estate values, income levels, unemployment rates, discretionary income, crime rates and signs of prosperity such as the percentage of late model vehicles.
Best places to retire? Quebec City wins for its low crime rate, plentiful doctors and decent weather. The runners-up were Kingston and Victoria. Where the money is? Fort McMurray, Alta., enjoys Canada’s highest average household income at $135,000 a year. Bargain homes? Yorkton, Sask., features the lowest housing costs in the country.
