Five Canadian cities are among the best in the world, according to a ranking released this week for 2023.
The list of best cities, limited to those with more than one million inhabitants, included TorontoMontreal, Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa among the top 100, according to the World’s Best Cities Report by Resonance Consultancya British Columbia-based marketing consultancy
The list’s authors said the ranking was determined by analyzing a wide range of factors that have historically shown positive correlations with attracting jobs, investment and tourism.
Diversity, education and a high number of major corporate headquarters are why Resonance ranked Toronto the best city in Canada and 24th in the world.
“The thing is, you can see the world in a day here,” Wayne Smith, professor and acting director of the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Toronto Metropolitan University, told CTV News Toronto.
“There aren’t many other places in the world that come close to the diversity of the city. If you want Afghan food, you can find it. If you want Sudanese food, you will find that too.
Montreal, Canada’s second largest city, with its income equality, culture, “iconic McGill University” and technological expertise attracting foreign investment, came in at 56th place in the rankings.
Calgary came in at 65, with points for its younger population, accessibility to education, income equality and quality of life.
Metro Vancouver was 69th on the list. Income equality, a “world-class” university, safety, and the region’s unique topography are the reasons why Vancouver made it into the top 100.
Canada’s capital, Ottawa, was the only other Canadian city on the list, scoring high marks for education, low cost of living and job availability.
“We scored very high marks on some key elements that set us apart from other cities around the world,” Catherine Callary, vice-president, destination development at Ottawa Tourism, told CTV News Ottawa. “Our most valuable asset is our people.”
According to those behind the top 100, 24 factors were considered to determine which cities made the cut and in what order.
Based on the scores determined by these factors, no Canadian city earned a spot in the top 10, and no others were included in the top 100, but the one million population criterion means that most other cities would not qualify.
The list named Kyiv the honorary best city in the world in 2024, with the report describing the Ukrainian capital as a “beacon of courage and resilience” in the face of daily tragedy.
London managed to score the official top spot due to its popularity with tourists and investors, the prevalence of luxury properties, high profile residents and economic development.
After London, the cities of Paris, New York, Tokyo, Dubai, Barcelona, Rome, Madrid, Singapore and Amsterdam complete this year’s top 10.
Reporting for this story was paid for through the Meta-funded Afghan Journalists in Residence project.
With files from Michael Woods of CTV News Ottawa and Alex Arsenych of CTV News Toronto
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