Toronto Only Rated 12th In List Of Best Places In Canada To Live
Posted May 3, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
We’re number 12! We’re number 12!
At least if you believe a new survey about the best places to live in Canada.
Toronto may be the biggest city in the nation, but according to figures compiled by Money Sense Magazine, we don’t even make it into the top 10 when it comes to amenities, attractions and weather.
Most of us will buy that last one, of course, but the others could be open to question.
While the GTA comes in near the top of the pay scale (with an average family income of $91,700 – only the Yukon and the Northwest Territories pay more, because they’re so remote), we lose out in others – like crime, house prices and gridlock.
The survey looks at a rather amorphous ‘quality of life’, where settling down in overall happiness involving good job opportunities, good places to live, entertainment and more are all factored in.
So who beats us? Believe it or not, Ottawa-Gatineau ranks first overall, followed by Halifax and Quebec City.
With the exception of the first place finisher, Ontario’s next entry is in fourth spot – and that belongs to Guelph.
The Big Smoke is even beaten by cottage country, with Collingwood topping us for 11th place.
What do the mayors of the winner and the long distance runner-up think?
“Of course, Toronto is the number one place to live in Canada and it always will be,” David Miller recounts diplomatically. “But we love our colleagues in other cities and they’re great places to live, too.”
Ottawa’s Larry O’Brien touches a sore spot. “We want to have our Stanley Cup parade starting on Yonge St. this year,” he laughs.
Here’s the Top 15 from the chart or see the entire list.
1. Ottawa-Gatineau
2. Halifax
3. Quebec City
4. Guelph
5. Federicton
6. Kingston
7. Moncton
8. London
9. Victoria
10. Gander
11. Collingwood
12. Toronto
13. Winnipeg
14. Leamington
15. Vancouver
Source: Money Sense Magazine
