Ottawa/Gatineau tops MoneySense's 3rd annual "Canada's Best Places to Live"

Apr 28, 2008

Whether you're looking for mild weather or wild riches, MoneySense has
found the cities that are tops for Canadians. For the complete ranking
turn to the issue on newsstands starting today or visit
www.moneysense.ca.

TORONTO, April 28 /CNW/ - Levis, Winnipeg, Burlington and Vancouver are
the newest members of Canada's 10 Best Places to Live.
Those four cities join six returning cities-Ottawa, Victoria,
Fredericton, Kingston, Moncton and Halifax-at the top of MoneySense's third
annual ranking of Best Places to Live.
This year's guide to Best Places to Live is bigger and better than ever.
Spanning 154 communities, up from 123 last year, MoneySense's ranking now
considers new factors such as air quality, and breaks out separate listings
for best weather, best places to retire, most prosperous communities and most
affordable communities.
Unlike most city rankings, MoneySense's evaluation is based purely on the
numbers. "We look beyond pretty scenery or hot restaurants to find the places
that deliver the best quality of life to residents," says Ian McGugan,
MoneySense editor. "Our methodology spans everything from home prices and
weather to crime rates and the availability of medical care."
While many cities had similar rankings to last year, there were some
notable shifts. Toronto, which was No. 12 in our 2007 ranking, plunged to
No. 51 in this year's survey, largely as a result of flat population growth,
relatively high crime rates, and high housing prices in relation to income. On
the other hand, Swift Current, Sask., soared from No. 61 to No. 22, and
Estevan, Sask., climbed from No. 68 to No. 34, thanks to booming local
economies and lower crime rates.

MoneySense's top ten "Canada's Best Places to Live"----------------------------
Overall
Rank Community
----------------------------
1. Ottawa-Gatineau
2. Victoria, B.C.
3. Fredericton, N.B.
4. Kingston, Ont.
5. Levis, Que.
6. Moncton, N.B.
7. Winnipeg, Man.
8. Burlington, Ont.
9. Halifax, N.S.
10. Vancouver, B.C.
----------------------------The surprise? Our overall winner, Ottawa, didn't finish in the top 10 in
any individual category. Its path to victory consisted of being above average
on most things, but excellent in nothing. For a detailed description of
methodology, and to find out where other cities finished, see the complete
rankings at www.moneysense.ca.

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.