The May 2008 survey of Most Prosper Places to Live, of the Canadian newspaper MoneySense, also compiled a derived list of the best Canadian Places to Retire. It is not a surprise here the capital of British Columbia, Victoria, comes on top, followed by Ottawa and Kingston, both from Ontario.

Most important factor has been the good medical care and the number of doctors available. Weather (especially the number of days above freezing) has been also another important criteria. Other factors such as the household income and the discretionary income, or the percentage of new cars on the road and the unemployment rate, have been considered not so important for the retirement. Continue reading »

According to a May 2008 survey of the Canadian newspaper MoneySense, the area of Ottawa-Gatineau (shared between Ontario and Quebec) tops the most prosper places to live in Canada, followed by the cities of Victoria (in British Columbia) and Fredericton (New Brunswick).

Among most important factors taken into account in this survey: weather, jobs, home prices, crime, availability of doctors, walking or biking to work, air quality. It was not about who has the best scenery, best restaurants or best beaches. The results can be used by people planning to relocate, to invest in real estate or just to compare how their own community ranks against its neighbor cities. Continue reading »

A September 2008 issue of Canadian Business Magazine published recently a survey for the best Canadian cities for business.

While most would expect western cities to do well, eastern towns and especially some of Quebec’s province seem to do better. While there are still plenty of opportunities in Western Canada, in Alberta’s oil sands or in British Columbia’s construction sector, it looks like the three cities of Quebec that top the list (Sherbrooke, Lévis and its neighbor across the river, Québec City) come surprisingly with better chances. As always, the bilingual laws of Quebec may raise some obstacles, but truth is plenty of research centres and technology parks are booming in Eastern Canada. Continue reading »