Three Alberta cities - including the Edmonton bedroom community of St. Albert - are better places to live than Vancouver, according to MoneySense magazine. Vancouver, constantly touted as one of the world's most liveable cities, didn't even make the magazine's top 10 list of best Canadian cities.
The list examines such factors as:
* employment;
* housing prices;
* crime;
* weather; and
* household income.
The only B.C. locale to make the top 10 best Canadian cities to live in is Saanich, B.C.
Calgary tops the list for the first time, nudging out three-time winner Ottawa.
Vancouverites who were asked to comment agreed that Calgary should make the list, but some questioned the choice of St. Albert, which has a population of 61,000 and is known for its dominate single-family suburban houses. Its average winter temperature is -15 C. "Sounds boring," one Kitsilano Starbuck customer said.
According to MoneySense magazine, the 10 best places to live in Canada are:
1. Calgary;
2. St. Albert, Alberta;
3. Burlington, Ontario;
4. Strathcona County, Alberta;
5. Oakville, Ontario;
6. Ottawa;
7. Saanich, B.C.;
8. Lacombe, Alberta;
9. Lethbridge, Alberta; and
10. Newmarket, Ontario.
When factoring in population size, Vancouver squeaks in at 10th place for the top 10 large cities.
For a recent Western Investor report on St. Albert, visit http://goo.gl/kjrPY
