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Calgary Named No.1 City in Canada on MoneySense's Best Places to Live Rankings

Mar 20, 2013 News Releases

– Knocking off three-time champ Ottawa, Calgary’s rise largely
attributed to its strong economy –
– MoneySense magazine expands list for 2013 to rate 200 Canadian cities,
plus the top large, medium and small cities in the country –
– Top mid-sized city: Burlington, Ont.; Top small city: St. Albert, Alta. –
– For full rankings, visit moneysense.ca/bestplaces –

TORONTO, March 20, 2013 /CNW/ – For the first time, Calgary has earned the top spot on MoneySense
magazine’s annual Best Places to Live in Canada, a ranking based on hard data such as employment, housing prices,
crime, weather and household income.

Calgary has been quietly climbing the ranks of MoneySense’s Best Places
to Live for several years. Now, it’s not only the No.1 large city, it
takes the top spot overall among all 200 small, mid-sized and large
cities on the list, knocking off three-time champ, Ottawa, which
dropped to No. 6. High incomes and an abundance of jobs fuelled by the
boom in the energy sector are among the reasons it jumped from No. 14
last year to No. 1 this year.

Best Places to Live in Canada also includes a list of the Best Places to
Retire, Best Places to Raise Kids and Best Places for Immigrants. This
annual scorecard not only shows the top cities in the country but
paints a picture of the changing fortunes of various regions in Canada.

“Calgary’s climb to the top of Best Places to Live highlights how well
the West did overall in the rankings,” said Jonathan Chevreau,
MoneySense Editor. “This year, with the addition of the separate
rankings in categories for small, medium and large cities, MoneySense
is able to provide Canadians with even more comparative information
they can use to make a smart decision about where to live, raise
children and retire.”

Among other Canadian cities: Toronto jumped from No.47 last year overall
to No.28 this year, largely due to the city’s healthy population growth
of 5.27%. Fredericton, N.B., dropped to No.78 from No.7 because of
slipping incomes and higher home prices. Kelowna, B.C., moved up to
No.76 from No.144. That improvement was related in large part to the
improved unemployment rate to 5.1%, down from 8%.

Canada’s Best Places to Live 2013—Top 10 out of 200 (2012 ranking)

  1. Calgary (14)
  2. St. Albert, Alta. (12)
  3. Burlington, Ont. (2)
  4. Strathcona County, Alta. (11)
  5. Oakville, Ont. (17)
  6. Ottawa (1)
  7. Saanich, B.C. (15)
  8. Lacombe, Alta. (26)
  9. Lethbridge, Alta. (25)
  10. Newmarket, Ont. (13)

Top small cities in Canada—Top 5 out of 139

  1. St. Albert, Alta.
  2. Strathcona County, Alta.
  3. Lacombe, Alta.
  4. Newmarket, Ont.
  5. Halton Hills, Ont.

Top mid-sized cities in Canada—Top 5 out of 46

  1. Burlington, Ont.
  2. Oakville, Ont.
  3. Saanich, B.C.
  4. Lethbridge, Alta.
  5. Saskatoon

Top large cities in Canada—Top 5 out of 15

  1. Calgary
  2. Ottawa
  3. Edmonton
  4. London, Ont.
  5. Winnipeg

For the full ranking, visit moneysense.ca/bestplaces, or pick up the latest issue of MoneySense, on newsstands across the
country starting this week.

MoneySense’s Best Places to Live in Canada is a comprehensive data-driven snapshot of Canadian cities. The
magazine looks at dozens of factors that contribute to the quality of
life in 200 communities across the country, including unemployment
rates, taxes, income and home prices. Beyond financial measures, the
magazine also considers other key factors that contribute to
community’s livability, such as the weather, access to health care and
crime. In total, MoneySense’s Best Places to Live ranks every Canadian
community with a population of 10,000 or more in 33 different
categories. For full methodology visit: moneysense.ca/bestplaces.

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About MoneySense
MoneySense, Canada’s personal finance and lifestyle magazine, was named
Magazine of the Year by the National Magazine Awards in 2011. Packed
with smart features, practical advice and easy-to-follow financial tips
on everything from home improvement to mutual funds, MoneySense
attracts Canadians nationwide on the lookout for new ways to save,
invest and spend. MoneySense.ca is Canada’s best all-around personal
finance website.

SOURCE: MoneySense