Oakville, a town located in southern Ontario, has been named the best Canadian city for immigrants to live in.
A survey, carried out by Moneysense, not only ranked Oakville the best place to live for new Canadians, but it also topped the overall list of liveable locations.
Located on the shores of Lake Ontario some 40 kilometres southwest of Toronto, the survey cited a safe environment, small-town sense of local community and affordable housing mixed in with some more affluent properties as reasons behind Oakville’s top ranking.
Its proximity to Toronto also means that people who live in Oakville have access to the job market in Canada’s largest city.
Over the past 10 years, the percentage of visible minorities in Oakville has increased from 18 per cent to 31 per cent, according to the census. It is the 35th most linguistically diverse city in the country, with about 30 per cent of residents speaking a language other than English or French.
MoneySense ranked 415 Canadian cities based on their scores in 10 categories: Wealth and economy, affordability, population growth, taxes, commute, crime, weather, access to health care, amenities, and culture. The ranking of best places for New Canadians is based on the same 10 categories, but the weightings have been adjusted “to reflect the needs and interests of immigrants,” MoneySense says.
“A liveable city should be prosperous, but affordable. Safe, yet easy to get around. And it should have the type of weather that draws you outdoors,” the survey reads.
A total of six cities based in Ontario were placed in the list of top ten Canadian cities for newcomers. This included both capital Ottawa and largest city Toronto.
Mont-Royal, Quebec, was the highest ranked non-Ontario city in third, while Delta, British Colombia was the only non-Ontario or Quebec-based city in the top ten, in eighth position.
Top ten best places to live for new Canadians
- Oakville, Ontario
- Ottawa, Ontario
- Mont-Royal, Quebec
- King, Ontario
- Toronto, Ontario
- Milton, Ontario
- Brossard, Quebec
- Delta, British Colombia
- Westmount, Quebec
- Vaughan, Ontario
Article published 1st August 2018