Newcomers to Canada are likely to enjoy living in multicultural cities like Quebec and Ottawa, which offers a high standard of living.
Information is the key to a smooth expat move, according to experienced expats. Consider not just the country you are moving to, but also the exact location you will live.
If you are considering migrating to Canada but are not sure where to live, these are the best areas to consider.
There are several factors to take into consideration while choosing a place to live. A different climate, different occupations, housing, education, jobs, and leisure pursuits await you in each region of Canada.
One of the most crucial things to take into account when deciding where to reside is the cost of living in Canada. You will need enough money if you want to live comfortably in Canada. Furthermore, the Canadian Provincial Nominee Program can be used by individuals seeking Canada permanent residency.
Health care, education, and employment opportunities are high in Canada, which consistently ranks high in lifestyle rankings.
1. Ottawa
Ottawa is a popular tourist destination for foreigners. As one of the nicest cities in the world, it consistently receives high marks for life quality and cleanliness.
The University of Ottawa and Carleton University draw a lot of young people to Ottawa because of its beautiful architecture, thriving city center, and picturesque neighborhoods. Over the next three years, new investments and Canada’s immigration drive are expected to boost Ottawa’s population by 3%.
In terms of cleanliness and greenness, Ottawa is remarkable. Active outdoor lifestyles are readily available, as well as bike friendly streets.
The Rideau Canal, which passes through the city, is lined with paths, jogging lanes, walkways, and cycling lanes. A change of scenery is welcome throughout the year thanks to Ottawa’s four distinct seasons. Despite the fact that winters are cold and dazzlingly bright, summers can be quite muggy and hot.
As an officially bilingual city, Ottawa offers a wide variety of services in both French and English.
The majority of people speak English, so knowing French is not necessary. Learning French may help you integrate more quickly or land a particular type of job, but you don’t really need to be multilingual to live happily there.
The cost of living in Ottawa is still reasonably priced even though it is higher than the national average. Depending on the area you want to live in, you can rent an apartment for CAN $700 to $1400 per month. It can be expensive to eat out and buy groceries, particularly if they are imported. Although incomes are higher than normal, Ottawa’s unemployment rate of 5.3% is very low.
A significant number of municipalities and provinces are also headquartered in Ottawa, where the federal government is headquartered. Approximately 20% of Ottawa’s workforce works in the public sector.
A wide range of business-related vocations, including those in the sciences and engineering, law, education, and community work, experienced the highest employment growth.
2. Burlington
Ontario is generally regarded as one of the most welcoming provinces to immigrants. The benefits of Ontario are too numerous to ignore, so it makes sense. The province of Ontario contains many of the best cities in Canada to live in, including Burlington.
Toronto’s Neighbour Burlington is ideal for people who want to live near nature and the great outdoors in the middle of a big city. Ontario’s southern shores border Burlington. With over 580 hectares of parkland, Burlington has a great quality of life.
Several trails along Lake Ontario’s northern shore, including the Waterfront Trail and the Bruce Trail, are open to hikers, and the Niagara Escarpment has been designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
Due to the abundance of colleges, hospitals, and schools in this city, residents enjoy a respectable standard of living. 115 parks are spread throughout Burlington, and there are numerous museums and festivals that locals participate in. Home prices in Burlington average around $500,000, which is more than four times the average family income. In this ranking, Burlington ranks high for its cost of living.
It is unlikely that one employer or industry dominates Burlington’s economy. It’s easy to get a job in Burlington, thanks to the affluent Golden Horseshoe region and its diverse economy.
From Burlington, Toronto is easily reached by the commuter train that runs between downtown Burlington and central Burlington. Train commutes last one hour. So many professionals decide to commute daily from Burlington to Toronto for business.
3. Oakville
Located in Halton Region on Lake Ontario, Oakville is a charming suburban community in southern Ontario situated near Toronto’s bustling metropolis and its natural beauty.
In an hour, you can reach Niagara Falls and the US border from Oakville, and Toronto’s downtown is just 30 minutes away. Despite its bustling population, this quaint small-town is home to all the amenities of an urban center while still maintaining its small-town charm.
It’s a terrific place to live for families with kids because of the family-friendly lifestyle. Visitors to Oakville can also attend performances at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, take tours of nearby museums, and enjoy fantastic festivals such as the Waterfront Festival, Festival of Classics, and Jazz Festival.
Nearby, there are a variety of leisure options. A PGA-recognized course, Glen Abbey Golf Course, regularly hosts the Canadian Open and is just one of the seven golf courses available. Many well-maintained hiking trails are found in the park’s over 2,400 acres. For boaters in Oakville, there are two beautiful harbors with docks and slips for powerboats and sailboats.
Pharmaceutical and eldercare businesses are especially prevalent in Oakville, a popular life science location. Unlike Burlington, however, Oakville is a suburb of Toronto, as well as a popular destination for people seeking employment in Toronto.
4. St. Albert
Canada’s greatest province, Alberta, has been moving up the list for a number of years. As more and more people begin to realize that Alberta offers more than just oil, more and more Canadians and foreigners are moving to Alberta because of its robust economy and high-paying jobs.
For years, St. Albert topped the list of Best Places to Live in Canada as the best small town in Canada. All the amenities are included, including parks, healthcare facilities, and recreational opportunities to support a healthy lifestyle.
A network of bike paths runs alongside the Sturgeon River in St. Albert, covering more than 85 km of the river. Outdoor rinks are also plentiful. Also held there is an annual International Children’s Festival attended by 55,000 people. Crime rates are on the decline, and there are plenty of sunny days throughout the year, despite 28 days with temperatures below -20 degrees Celsius per year.
St. Albert is a popular location for people who prefer a slower pace of life because it is only 30 kilometers from Edmonton, the regional capital.
Transit services provided by St. Albert Transit make commuting to Edmonton convenient. When you don’t like living in Edmonton but have employment there, St. Albert might be a better choice.
St. Albert is home to one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates (4.3%), as well as some of the highest incomes. Although St. Albert has a lower exposure to oil and gas than most other areas in the area, it cannot avoid the trend. Alberta, a nearby oil and gas hub, has a large petrochemical industry.
Many St. Albert residents commute to Edmonton to work in the oil industry because oil and natural gas are abundant in the area. It is worth noting that the region offers numerous career opportunities. Biotechnology, banking, and information technology all offer opportunities.
5. Boucherville
Boucherville, located in the north-east region of Québec, has roughly 43,000 residents. An exceptional 2.88 percent of the city’s residents are unemployed, and the typical household has a $92,253 income. Away from the city center, Boucherville has growing arts and sports scene, bicycle-friendly streets, and is close to Montreal, which makes it an attractive place for foreigners to live.
It is essential to enjoy the outdoors in Boucherville. Among the most impressive parks in Canada is Iles-de-Boucherville National Park, where you can enjoy activities like kayaking, snow hiking, sand volleyball, and riding.
This area will appeal to golf lovers and outdoor enthusiasts who also desire easy access to big city amenities. Around 2% of the Boucherville population is fluent in English. The ability to understand French is therefore a necessity if you are planning on relocating to Boucherville.
The city has a low unemployment rate, and its employees are paid fairly. The 575 businesses at the industrial park in Boucherville employ 23,000 people. Many Boucherville residents commute to Montreal, Canada’s second-largest city, for work, since it is only 18 kilometers away. Manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, programming, electronics, and software are some of the industries in Montreal that are typical.
The aerospace industry in Quebec employs more than 40,000 people, including companies like Bell Helicopter Textron, Bombardier Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, and CAE. Aerospace is a major industry in the city.
6. Vancouver
It’s not surprising that Vancouver consistently ranks as one of the best cities in the world to live.
The city has it all, including mountains, beaches, islands, and a coastline, as well as an urban core and lovely residential districts. Vancouver genuinely offers everything. The real estate market in Vancouver is the only disadvantage if you intend to relocate there.
In the suburbs, the cost of a family house can soon exceed $1 million, and any properties that come on the market are quickly purchased.
You may, however, take advantage of all that Vancouver has to offer after your home situation is resolved.
As soon as your home situation is resolved, however, you may enjoy all Vancouver has to offer. Leaving the city and entering nature is often simpler than going through downtown because it is well connected to nearby islands and other countries.
Vancouver has a diverse and vibrant economy. A major employer in the city is the film and television industry since it is third in popularity behind New York and LA.
7. Calgary
Edmonton and Calgary are two of Alberta’s most populous cities. Potential inhabitants have several options in Calgary, the biggest city in Alberta. The city has 1.5 million residents and is a vibrant metropolis that is at once constantly alive and deeply connected to the natural world.
Calgary is positioned at the elbow and the bow of two rivers, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Initially, Calgary was a small village that developed into a city because of the railway’s westward expansion. The ease of a city and the attractiveness of a mountain village are combined here because of the location.
Choosing Calgary to host the 1988 Winter Olympics led to enormous investment in the entire region. Despite the fact that Calgary residents have access to some of the best transportation options and sporting facilities in the country, their finances continue to prosper.
Its 180 distinct communities, each with a different history and culture, make Calgary one of the most diverse cities in Canada. Older neighborhoods are constantly being redeveloped, so there is always something new to discover. Several outdoor areas and parks in the city are exceptionally well maintained, including Prince Island Park, where a cowboy stampede and music festival are held.
8. Halifax
Nova Scotia’s capital, Halifax, is on the Atlantic coast. With only about 6,000 foreign residents arriving in last year, it boasts the second-fastest population growth in Canada.
This region is perfect for retirees looking for a quiet retirement due to its stunning coastline and laid-back atmosphere. Dartmouth and Halifax share the Bedford basin on one side. You can enjoy both the conveniences of two cities when you live in Halifax.
Work, education, and healthcare seekers now have two options thanks to the bridges connecting the two cities. An ideal retirement destination, this area has a beautiful coastline and a laid-back atmosphere. Both Dartmouth and Halifax are located on the same side of the Bedford basin. Living in Halifax gives you the convenience of two cities.
The services industry, which accounts for 85% of all employment, is the major employer in the area in terms of work prospects. Additionally expanding and presenting additional chances is the healthcare industry. Because Halifax is the economic hub of Nova Scotia, employment opportunities there are in high demand.
Due to the strong demand for labor and the higher-than-average unemployment rate, many foreigners who relocate to Halifax either have a distant job available to them or are already retired and don’t require employment.
9. Quebec City
Canada’s oldest city, Quebec City, is one of the oldest in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this fortified city dates back to 1833 but has an ancient history that dates back much further. It features some of Canada’s most beautiful architecture. Québec City is an artistic, cultural, and historical center with cobblestone streets, historical sites, and plenty of green space.
Despite its smaller size and fewer amenities than other significant Canadian cities, it is not difficult to find healthcare, schools, or employment. Québec City is close to a European city, so many immigrants settle there.
Language is a crucial consideration for anyone considering moving to a new city.
The majority of locals are employed in the pulp and timber industry. Aerospace and hydropower industries. Even though there aren’t many modern, fast-paced office jobs available, the jobless rate is low. Compared to other similar-sized cities, Quebec City generally has a lower cost of living.
10. Saskatoon
When it comes to cities that act like hamlets, Saskatoon is certainly one of the best options.
Despite its 275,000 residents, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, lacks the flavor of a city. City neighborhoods and neighboring suburbs have a warm welcome for new residents, which is largely a community-based phenomenon.
Most of Saskatoon’s culture is based on community life. It is possible to find numerous public parks, playgrounds, and sports fields in the area. As well as a very popular weekly farmers market, there are several other festivals, including ones celebrating comedy, Shakespeare, music, and agricultural events.
Conclusion
Prospective immigrants often choose Canada for its favorable immigration laws. Aside from occasional chilly weather, the country offers many opportunities. As a country with so many attractions, Canada’s only real “issue” is that finding your favorite region requires extensive research across its various provinces.
You may have discovered some of the most exciting lifestyle hotspots in this wonderful country through the previously mentioned list of Canada’s top places to live. Your next move should be to travel to areas of Canada where you feel you may establish a new life.
Krishan Jangir