Burlington, Grimsby take top 2 spots as Canada’s ‘Best Communities’

Burlington and Grimsby have taken the top two spots on Canada’s Best Communities list for 2019.

The annual ranking compiled by Maclean’s gathered data on 415 communities across the country and calculated which cities and towns offer the best quality of life.

The cities were ranked after receiving points based on the following 10 categories: wealth and economy, affordability, health, weather, crime, commute, taxes, demographics, culture and community, and amenities.

Ottawa, Oakville and New Tecumseth rounded out the top five. Brant came in at number 7, Niagara-on-the-Lake ranked number 8, and Hamilton is number 24.

Burlington not only took the top spot for the best community but also ranked number one as the best place to raise a family.

“Those of us who live in Burlington have always known our city is the best in Canada, the best in the world” said Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward in a news release. “Our ‘secret sauce’ is a unique blend of community assets, natural environment, and great citizens. We have outstanding community centres, rinks, pools, museums, parks and festivals; we’re book-ended by natural environment, from our downtown waterfront park and sand beach to the Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve, and by great people who look out for each other and give back to our community.”

Grimsby came in second behind Mont-Royal, Quebec for best community for new Canadians. In an effort to identify cities with vibrant multicultural communities, Maclean’s ranked the percentage of residents who speak a language other than English or French, and gave the most points to places with the most linguistic diversity. They also analyzed proximity to an airport and increased the importance of the unemployment rate and rent affordability.

While Toronto fell to number 19 for best community overall, it ranked as the best community to retire. Maclean’s says they “beefed up” the importance of things like healthcare and weather and reduces the weighting of finding a job or getting a university education.

To see the full list, click here.