If you’re tired of living in big, crowded cities and want to move, a new list might help you decide where to go.
Resonance Consultancy, a British Columbia-based marketing consultancy, has released its recent ranking of the best small towns in Canada.
Called Best Cities, the list names 25 best in 2022, starting with Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, at the top.
The list of best small cities, limited to those with less than 200,000 inhabitants, included cities from six provinces across the country.
The ranking of the best cities was determined by analyzing factors such as weather, employment rate, outdoor space, safety, income equality and institutions.
Outdoor spaces, art, culture, entertainment, culinary scene and parks are the factors that have made Victoria the best small city in Canada.
After Victoria, the city of Kelowna in British Columbia ranked second, with high marks for its parks, restaurants, shopping culture, lifestyle and (relative) affordability after the pandemic.
Kingston, Ont., came in at number 3 for sights and landmarks, like Fort Henry National Historic Site, programming and parks, like the “fabulous Thousand Islands National Park,” Best Cities said.
Also in Ontario, Niagara Falls ranked number 4 on the list with its cultural and civic investment, accessibility to life, tourist destination, family activities, theatre, sites and monuments.
The “Silicon Valley of Canada”, its university and level of education, as well as employment were the reasons why Waterloo was ranked number 5 in the list.
After Waterloo are: North Vancouver, BC; the Ontario cities of Burlington and Guelph; Fredericton; and Lethbridge, AB.
Milton, Ont., fell just short of the top 10 ranking followed by: Lévis, Que.; St. John’s; St. Albert, Alta.; Moncton, NB; Sherbrooke, Que.; Barrie, Ont.; Kamloops, BC; Trois-Rivières, Que.; Nanaimo, BC; Thunder Bay, Ontario; Airdrie, AB; Saanich, BC; Aurora, Ontario; and St. Catharines, Ont.
Reporting for this story was paid for through the Meta-funded Afghan Journalists in Residence project.
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