Best Places to Live in Canada

January 22, 2010

It’s a given that Canada is considered to be one of the best places on the planet to live – when you consider life expectancy, the country’s economy, personal freedoms, literacy and so on. The United Nation Development Program publishes a list every year based on just those factors and Canada regularly scores near the top.

But, where in Canada would you live, if you could live anywhere? A few years ago, supposedly, one of the Caribbean Islands was interested in joining Canada. Most people I knew were all for it, which tells you alot about how much climate influences our decisions. Here are some things to think about.

  • climate (except for BC, there is not a huge amount of choice here)
  • size of the city and ease of movement; is it possible to get to work on foot or by biking?
  • affordable housing or lack thereof
  • ammenities like libraries, rec centers, churches
  • access to healthcare
  • availability of decent paying jobs
  • intellectual and cultural opportunities
  • crime rate
  • your age and family commitments (single, married)
  • social milieu – what’s the hair colour of the population? attitudes? openness?
  • taxes

I think this is a much tougher question to answer in Canada than it would be in the US where at the very least you can choose a climate to your liking!

Blooming hellebores in my January garden.

Blooming hellebores in my January garden.

It’s always going to be a tradeoff. I’m wrestling with the possibility of a move from Vancouver to Calgaryand I think it all comes down to attitude. Vancouver offers  lots of rain and a high high cost of living but the flowers are starting to bloom in January, worldclass skiing is 90  minutes from my doorstep and the air is usually clean. Calgary is sunnier but has cold, long winters and great outdoor activities including fantastic summertime hiking and wintertime skiing. I can put a positive spin on just about anywhere. 

Here’s MoneySense magazines Top 10 2009 rankings, out of a possible 154 towns and cities.

(1) Victoria, BC  (2) Ottawa, ON (3) Kingston, ON (4) Burlington, ON (5) Vancouver, BC (6) Moncton, NB (7) Fredericton, NB (8) Winnipeg, Manitoba (9) Peterborough, ON and (10) Brandon, Manitoba

Scoring points for categories is an exercise but doesn’t take into account your emotional response to a place ; I have an instantly negative reaction to living anywhere in Manitoba, thinking of cold winters and buggy summers.

Many people I know are at one of life’s crossroads and this is a useful exercise but ultimately a place is what you make it.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Miscellaneous travel tips 

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