Five Canadian cities among world's best

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Toronto is ‘poised for big things’: report

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Five Canadian cities with populations of at least a million have made the latest World’s Best Cities Report based on factors that make them most desirable for locals, visitors and businesses alike.

The report is the product of Resonance Consultancy, a leading global advisor on placemaking, branding and marketing for the world’s best cities, districts, developments and destinations.

Here’s a look at Canada’s world-class cities, where they landed on the list and why they rank among the best:

TORONTO: No. 24

“Economic growth, fueled by immigration and global investment, has Canada’s largest city poised for big things,” the report says.

With almost half of its population foreign-born, Toronto’s ranking is powered by diversity and education. University of Toronto ranks No. 9 globally and residents finish No. 20 for the world’s most educated.

An influx of skilled immigrants will help “supercharge” an economy that already boasts the seventh highest number of Global 500 head offices – up two spots from last year. And Toronto isn’t content to rest on its laurels and “only seems to be getting started,” the report says, pointing to a Centre for Urban Research and Land Development study that crowned it the fastest-growing metropolitan area in North America.

MONTREAL: No. 53

“Canada’s exotic French heart battled through a brutal pandemic. But brighter days are back, mes amis,” the report assures. There are numerous reasons why North America’s most European city earned a spot on this year’s list.

It ranks No. 22 in culture thanks to a “smoldering” indie music scene, digital placement and a growing number of bikes lanes. The Espace St. Denis in the Latin Quarter will welcome new performance spaces and dining options surrounding the historic Théâtre St-Denis when it opens in 2025. The new space reflects the city’s commitment to preserving its historical buildings while still making room for new development.

CALGARY: No. 65

Toronto may be Canada’s business heart but Calgary, home to one of the youngest populations in the country, “has always been the challenger,” the report says. It’s moving away from its roots in the oil industry and Calgarians “walk like New Yorkers and cut to the chase like Texans.”

Though it had one of the highest unemployment rates among Canadian cities over the past year and ranked No. 154 globally, Calgary is turning things around. Home construction is ramping up in hopes of drawing new residents seeking real estate that’s affordable compared to the rest of the country.

VANCOUVER: No. 69

Described in the report as “the most Asian city outside of Asia,” Vancouver “is as smart as it is gorgeous.” It could have ranked even higher on the list if the “the price of entry” wasn’t so steep.

University of British Columbia is rated No. 18 in the world and thanks to socially-minded residents, Vancouver ranks No. 20 for income equality.

But a combination of rapid population growth and foreign investment has driven up the price of housing, with rates reflecting global factors rather than local wages.

With some of the planet’s “most exquisite urban topography,” you can leave your downtown office via public transit and hit a ski or mountain bike run within about an hour.

OTTAWA: No. 96

Canada’s “cosmopolitan capital” is no longer living in the shadow of Toronto and Montreal, earning a reputation for brainpower that’s attracting the world. Ottawa ranks No. 15 in educational attainment and is home to some 1,800 knowledge-based businesses that include clean technology, life sciences, digital media, aerospace and software.

Those businesses are generating thousands of new jobs and contributing to a No. 70 ranking in global GDP per capita. Ottawa boasts a relatively low cost of living and though the price of housing is rising “as insanely as anywhere else in Canada,” residents have more disposable income and many ways to spend it.

The city ranks No. 56 in attractions, which include a new agritourism venture called Mādahòkì Farm, which means ‘share the land’ in Algonquin Anishinaabe.