I have been asked this question over and over again. I think this is a huge question mark in the minds of potential immigrants, and a wrong choice of cities can have devastating effects on one's life. This post is a non-biased opinion of me as an observer, who has traveled a fair bit across Canada and probably has contacts in almost all major cities (thanks to Facebook). I made this comparison based on my personal observations and independent research group studies. The opinions expressed here are purely personal in nature. Of course, one is best served if he/she lands in a City where they have personal contacts. I didn't dwell much into availability of jobs, since this is such an abstract topic and varies according to the nature of personal skills-set.
The 5 Best Cities for Families
Who gets the most health care dollars? Who has the strongest school system? The lowest crime and the cleanest air? I studied a dozen cities from coast to coast to find the most child-friendly places to live in Canada. Helping kids grow up strong, straight and smart takes more than love. It also takes child care for working parents, recreation for kids and families at all income levels, safe communities, parks and libraries, healthy physical environments, and strong health care and education systems. It takes money - both personal income and government spending. Plus it takes a connection to the community.
Here are how the 12 major Canadian cities measure up. It's Canada's tortoises - our slow and steady smaller cities - that have the best track records for providing what kids and families need most. Our hares - the huge, fast-growing cities - haven't done nearly as well, even in provinces where child care, education and health care are well funded.
Top Cities
Quebec City (if you know French)
Ottawa-Hull
Halifax
Winnipeg
Calgary
The Runners-Up
St.John's
Saskatoon
Edmonton
Victoria
The Bottom Bringers ???
Toronto
Vancouver
Montreal
In smaller cities, social problems are more manageable and the cost of living is lower. They also tend to suffer less crime and poverty, and possess a stronger sense of community. The preoccupations larger cities are predominantly commercial. That's why they're big cities. That's what drives them. And those commercial interests are not necessarily what serve families well. The best cities for families, are big enough to provide needed services, but small enough that residents feel connected and, therefore, inclined to get involved in their neighbourhoods.
That description fits all five of our top-rated cities: Quebec City (population 670,000, according to the 1996 census), Ottawa-Hull (just over a million), Halifax (330,000), Winnipeg (670,000) and Calgary (820,000). Quebec City captures top billing with its vibrant cultural blend, privileged geography and a provincial government committed to nurturing families, in part through a child care system that - if you can get a spot - charges just $5 a day, no matter what the family income.
Everything you could want to do is within half an hour....from near-wilderness areas to the Old World culture and charm of the city's Vieux-Port. The city has a palpable pride, and little crime compared to Toronto or Montreal. That description also fits Ottawa. Vancouver is great, but when baby number two comes along, you couldn't afford decent housing closer than a couple of hours' drive from the city.
Moving east, there's a certain quality everywhere I visited in the Maritimes. People are friendlier. In a grocery store queue, you find yourself chatting with total strangers. The family spends a lot of time hanging around the waterfront. Halifax/Sydney is nature all around, parks everywhere in the city, and lake living is affordable. Winnipeg has that small-town attitude. Of our top five cities, only Calgary gets more points for community involvement than Winnipeg.
There's something else my top cities share: a stable economy. The experts say this lessens poverty and crime, eases family financial stress with steady jobs that pay decent wages, and makes it easier for a city to provide services. Historically, the top five cities on my list have exhibited relatively slow economic growth, while my least favourable ratings went to cities with explosive economic and population growth.
Apparently, the tortoises can beat the hares - where it matters most.
Quebec City
The province of Quebec scores high marks for health care, its active Ministere de la Famille et de l'Enfance, and the most progressive child care system in Canada. Quebec City reflects that family focus, with the highest per capita spending on its countless parks, recreation areas, museums, activities and festivals. But this historic city took the winning slot with family economics: the second-lowest child poverty rate for kids under five, the lowest housing costs (relative to income), and the smallest percentage of families in need of core housing (10 percent).
Ottawa-Hull
First, a clarification: Ontario outperforms all other provinces on health care, with short waiting lists for treatment and fewer childhood injuries, and records the second-best per-child spending on child care ($238.40 versus Quebec's $255.77). Ottawa-Hull scores well with plenty of civic attractions and parks, not surprising since the National Capital Region is our political, cultural and historical showcase. Ottawa-Hull also boasts low crime numbers, making it one of our four safest cities. Only Victoria, Quebec City and Halifax have lower child poverty rates - Ottawa-Hull tied for fourth spot with Calgary at 25 percent.
Halifax
When graffiti ranks among major crime concerns, you know you're living in a safe city. That's one of Halifax's many strong points: the second-lowest crime rate next to St. John's. This city has also made the most of its maritime environment, with a multitude of beaches and fishing and sailing opportunities, and has begun addressing a long-standing harbour pollution problem. On land, it shares with other top cities a wealth of parks, cycling paths and hiking trails, all topped with clean air. Halifax didn't perform quite as strongly in education, chalking up the second-lowest high-school completion rate, or in child care and economic factors, even with one of the lower child poverty rates among our surveyed cities.
Winnipeg
While not taking top marks in any category, Winnipeg performs solidly all around on the positive measures, scoring above mid-range in environment and community involvement, third-best in per capita charitable donations, and comfortably above midpoint in education and child care. The city also benefited from Manitoba's third-place rank among the provinces for volunteering. But what would have been a hands-down winning city was downgraded by high poverty and violent youth crime.
Calgary
Calgarians are giving souls: The United Way raises more money per person in Calgary than in anywhere else in our survey. The city basks in the glow of Alberta's healthy economy, boasting low child poverty rates and less business for its food banks than any city I examined except Saskatoon. Assaults, property crimes and drug offences are less prevalent in Calgary than in most other cities. But Alberta's health care, despite having the lowest infant mortality rate, was below the middle mark in other respects, as was education.
The Runners-Up
St. John's
Economic difficulties plague this small maritime city: the lowest spending on libraries and child care, lowest percentage of elementary school kids with Internet access, and the highest food bank usage (5.9 percent). Yet St. John's didn't appear to suffer the crime levels usually associated with poverty; assault, property crime and drug offence rates are the lowest, and youth crime levels are less than half of Winnipeg's. As well, Newfoundland residents share with Ontario and Quebec the shortest average waits for medical treatment (less than 12 weeks). South Asian amenities are difficult to procure.
Saskatoon
The "Paris of the Prairie" has the best record for civic awareness and for spending on libraries. More school kids have Internet access here than anywhere else, and Saskatchewan spent more on education than any other province, has the best high-school completion record, and the lowest rate of food bank use.
Edmonton
Despite being one of Canada's wealthiest provinces, Alberta spends less on child care ($102.02 per child) than financially challenged Nova Scotia ($103.19) and far less than Quebec. Education and health care numbers fared similarly. Edmonton's showing was also hampered by relatively low spending on libraries, attractions and parks. Not surprisingly, economic numbers were quite solid here, but they tell an ironic tale: The third-strongest overall showing (Quebec City and Calgary had better numbers) was countered by the fourth-worst child poverty rate.
Victoria
Victoria has the second-best ratio of parks to people, next to Vancouver. Seaside walking paths and lush public landscaping give Victoria rich natural beauty, and its downtown has developed a cosmopolitan image. But community spirit isn't as strong here, and poverty's a bigger problem than in most cities. Housing costs are high as well; behind Toronto, Victoria and Vancouver rang up the highest shelter-cost-to-income ratio (26 percent). South Asian amenities are difficult to procure.
The Bottom Bringers
Toronto
Crime rates, poor air quality and economics damaged Toronto's standing. The city does well in health care, with the shortest waiting list for treatment and least number of bone-breaking kids' accidents. It also scores high in child care, through Ontario's best-trained caregivers and near-top per-child spending. But dramatic, second-worst Canadian rates in drug offences and Canada's worst assault rate (32,843 per 100,000 population) garnered "Toronto the Good" black marks for crime. Its air quality is (gasp) the worst of any city in Canada. Finally, despite being the commerce capital of Canada, Toronto's housing is beyond the reach of far too many families; the city registers Canada's worst level of core housing need for families with kids (20 percent), and the stiffest shelter-cost-to-income ratio (27 percent) and yes...I didn't mean new immigrants as in basement shelter seekers.
Vancouver
Plenty of upsides - including the lowest hospitalization rate for asthma and the most parkland per person - gave Vancouver the top score in the environment category. But the city's underbelly of crime and poverty does it in. Only Montreal and Toronto scores worse on assault rates, and Vancouver has the worst rate of property crimes (Montreal is only slightly better) and drug offences (Toronto is close). Vancouver also suffered the second-worst core housing need (19 percent) and third-highest under-18 child poverty rate (26 percent). BC has the lowest ratio of university graduates in its population...Vancouver's below mid-range education showing.
Montreal
The only city whose negative tally outweighes positives, Montreal scores poorly in environment and community. But the city's second-worst property crime rate, third-worst drug offences rate and troubled economic numbers hurt its ranking the most. Vibrant and cultured for economically advantaged adults, Montreal matches Winnipeg's under-six child poverty level (32 percent), and has the worst under-18 child poverty rate in Canada - a whopping 27 percent. And although Montreal and Quebec City spend similarly high amounts per capita on civic attractions, Montreal has the smallest number of attractions and parkland, and spends relatively little on its libraries. And not to forget...the "Bikers" are hubbed in this city.
How the Numbers Added Up
I chose 12 cities with the aim of representing all the regions of Canada - two in the Maritimes, four in Ontario and Quebec, four in the Prairies and two on the west coast. (I excluded the North simply because of its small population.) After much deliberation, I settled on St. John's, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa-Hull, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria.
I looked at property crimes, which are more likely to affect ordinary families. Consistent, reliable statistics are hard to come by. In some categories, notably child care and health, only provincial data enables us to make valid comparisons, so the cities were ranked based on these numbers. Similarly, the quality of a city's education and health care largely depends on the weight the province attaches to the service. Finally, there are always inexplicable statistical skews or local differences in overall patterns; a city with an abysmal crime rate will certainly have neighbourhoods with almost no crime.
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