Canada's Best Places to Live - Do you live in one of the country's top communities?

    MoneySense magazine presents Canada's only by-the-numbers guide to the
    best places to live, along with rankings for the best weather, the best
    places to retire and the cheapest real estate.

    TORONTO, May 2 /CNW/ - MoneySense magazine today reveals its second
annual list of Canada's Best Places to Live. The ranking is the most complete
and objective guide to finding paradise within our borders - ideal for
Canadians considering a move, looking to invest, pondering where to retire, or
simply wondering how their city rates against others.
    The Best Places to Live database and reader package goes further than
other sources of such information. To ensure objectivity, MoneySense ranked
communities strictly by the numbers. Our team spent weeks digging up
statistics and crunching thousands of figures relating to the weather, real
estate values, income levels, unemployment rates, discretionary income, crime
rates and signs of prosperity. All of these factors combine to provide a true
picture of what it is like to live in a particular community.

    A bigger and better list: This year's ranking is expanded and improved,
spanning 123 communities with a population greater than 10,000 from coast to
coast.

    Canada's top 10 places to live: These cities came out on top for having
the best combination of factors that make a city livable.1.  Ottawa, Ont.
    2.  Halifax, N.S.
    3.  Québec City, Que.
    4.  Guelph, Ont.
    5.  Fredericton, N.B.
    6.  Kingston, Ont.
    7.  Moncton, N.B.
    8.  London, Ont.
    9.  Victoria, B.C.
    10. Gander, Nfld.East beats west: This year, apart from Victoria, no cities west of
Ontario ranked among our top 10 places to live. Even Vancouver only managed to
finish at No. 15.

    Best weather: Ottawa was rated as Canada's best overall place to live,
but our capital's cold, snowy winters aren't to everyone's taste. If you rank
the cities by weather alone, Cobourg, Ont. comes out on top, followed by
Leamington, Ont., and Port Hope, Ont.

    Best places to retire: Québec City wins for its low crime rate, plentiful
doctors and decent weather. The runners-up were Kingston, Ont., and Victoria,
B.C.

    Where the money is: Fort McMurray, Alta., enjoys Canada's highest average
household income, which is a stunning $135,000 a year.

    Bargain homes: Yorkton, Sask., features the lowest housing costs in the
country.

    For the complete package, pick up a copy of the May 2007 issue of
MoneySense, which is currently on newsstands-or visit MoneySense.ca for
comprehensive lists and rankings.

    About MoneySense: MoneySense is Canada's personal finance and lifestyle
magazine. Packed with smart features, practical advice and easy-to-follow
financial tips on everything from home improvement to mutual funds, an average
MoneySense issue attracts 892,000 Canadians on the lookout for new ways to
save, invest and spend. MoneySense.ca is Canada's best all-around personal
finance Web site.