Canada is home to millions of people from around the world regardless of their age, gender or religion. The same millions of people have chosen to move to Canada because it’s a truly special place. In most of the researches that were done in the past, Canada has always been one of the most chosen destinations to migrate to in the entire world. The country has plenty to offer to visitors and newcomers who are interested in moving there.
It is often called the “Great White North”. It’s “Great” because it’s the second-largest country in the world, when it comes to area, with over 9.9 million square kilometers of area. It’s “White” because it is covered by at least 40% of Arctic frozen tundra and there is snow every year in almost every part of the country. As for the last part of the nickname, it’s “North” because it’s located in North America and specifically in its northern part.
There are plenty of reasons why people decide to migrate to the Maple Leaf Country. The high—quality healthcare, guaranteed a safe and secure life, excellent education and different work opportunities, a stable economy, diverse flora and fauna, and beautiful nature are just some of them. The most frequently chosen towns to move in The Great White North are also the biggest. The biggest cities are Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, with Ottawa being the capital. But Canada is not made only of those four cities. There is so much more that can be seen there. Here is a list of the best cities to live in Canada in 2019 and some information about them:
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Toronto
Toronto is one of the most famous cities in the entire world and it is the home to over 2.8 million citizens. Among some of the most used nicknames of Toronto are “Muddy York” and “Hogtown”. It’s called “Muddy York” because of its settlement years when the streets were just paved and the rains literally turned all of the roads into mud.
As for the “Hogtown” nickname, that comes from the theory that the town has a humongous meatpacking industry. There you can find some exclusive attractions such as the famous CN Tower that is 553 meters high, Ireland Park and the statue of Queen Victoria.
Although it might seem intimidating to future immigrants because of its humorous area and population size, Toronto is truly mesmerizing and it can offer absolutely everything to everyone. There are plenty of benefits of living in Toronto such as the economic opportunities, diversity of multi-cultures, low crime, airport, and easy winters.
The economic stability in Toronto is one of the greatest things about it. Besides the famous offices of Google, Spotify, Vice magazine or Uber, there are so many other job opportunities in different fields for everyone. The cost of living there is about $2000 per month and that includes all of the utilities and rent of a modest place.
Toronto has been ranked by many charts as one of the most unaffordable areas in North America because of the expensive costs. Even in 2019, despite the endless opportunities that it has to offer, Toronto still remains the most expensive place to live in the entire country.
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital and the home to over 994 000 people. Even though it’s not the biggest, Ottawa is considered by millions of tourists and immigrants to be the “best city to live in Canada 2019”. Just like Toronto, Ottawa is very stable when it comes to the economy.
The government town offers a wide variety of jobs depending on various skills. It’s also known as “O-Town” or “Bytown” with the latter being an official name before 1855. Ottawa is also known as being the only place in Canada that has the biggest amount of parks in the entire country, so if you are looking for a place surrounded by greenery, then the capital is definitely for you.
But besides the parks, there are a lot of other things that you can do in Ottawa such as visit the Parliament Hill or National Gallery of Canada. For the food lovers, there is the ByWard Market and for those who are just looking to relax, there is the Rideau Canal. Among some of the other things that make Ottawa a great destination are the low crime rates, reasonable housing prices, and less traffic congestion.
When it comes to Ottawa, depending on which part of the safe and clean town you move in, you might need between $900 and $1400 to cover all of the monthly expenses.
Vancouver
Vancouver is one of the most expensive places to live in. The coastal seaport town is located in the west part of Canada. With an increasing population of 2.4 million citizens, Vancouver is the third-largest town in the country after Montreal and Toronto. Vancouver is often called “Vansterdam” because you can often notice the smell of marijuana around the parks. Because the Pacific Railway crosses the entire country and it has a western terminus that is located in Vancouver, the town is also called “Terminal City”.
There are many benefits of living in Vancouver but it’s also one of the most expensive cities in the country. The costs of living for a single person can vary between $1900 and $2700. It really depends on the location as certain neighborhoods such as Point Grey, Kitsilano, Shaughnessy, Southlands and Coal Harbour can be very expensive. The best things about moving to Vancouver are the magnificent nature, the mild climate, the urban planning and SkyTrain which is just as cool as it sounds.
Montreal
Another very famous Canadian town is Montreal, which is known as “The City of Saints’, “Sin City” and “The Real City”, among so many other nicknames. The main reason why it’s called the “Sin City” is because of the Prohibition in the United States in the 1920s—1930s. During this period, Montreal became of the most famous “sin cities” in the entire North America, mainly because of its nightlife that was truly unparalleled.
Montreal is the home to over 1.78 million citizens and the official language there is French. While English is spoken by just 22% of the population, the French language is spoken by over 49.8% of the entire population.
Besides Ottawa, Vancouver and Toronto, if there is another destination that should be called the “best city to live in Canada 2019”, then that should be Montreal. Montreal is full of great things such as art and culture, multiculturalism, great food, many festivals, and of course its impeccable nightlife.
Montreal is home to people from all over the world, and tourists love to spend time in Sin City. Arts and culture play a big role as well because Montreal is a fusion of the past, the present, and the future. The Mount Royal Cross, the Monument to Sir George-Étienne Cartier and Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal are some of the many historic monuments that make Montreal a must-see. As of 2019, the cost of living for a single person in Montreal can be $1000 to $1500.
Calgary
Calgary is another destination that has a big population. The third-largest municipality has over 1.2 million citizens and it’s part of the province of Alberta. Some of the most popular names of Calgary are “Cowtown”, “The Stampede City” and “Sandstone City”. Calgary’s history is the main reason why it has such vivid and strange nicknames.
The rich history includes the wild and western culture and the annual shindig that is known all over the world as the “Calgary Stampede”. Nowadays, Calgary is still one of the best places to live in the entire world. One of the reasons why is because it’s clean and the environment—friendly.
The Stampede City was ranked number one by Forbes in 2007 and was called the world’s cleanest city because of the many clean sewage systems, less air pollution, and availability and drinkability of good water. Besides that, the city is known to offer low sales tax, and plenty of opportunities to do something outside.
The Sandstone City also has some spectacular attractions such as the Calgary Zoo, which was opened in 1929 and has over 100 different and totally unique species. There are also the Calgary Tower, the Glenbow Museum and the Heritage Park Historical Village that can be seen. Calgary is not one of the most expensive cities to live in Canada. The average cost of living is between $1200 and $1600.
Edmonton
Edmonton is a town that is very reminiscent of the capital, Ottawa, especially when it comes to the population size. It’s is also part of the Alberta province and it has over 932 000 citizens. Edmonton is the only Canadian town that has more than 15 nicknames. The town with the most nicknames is part of the northern metropolitan area of Canada. It’s most commonly called “Canada’s Festival City”, “Stabmonton” or “Deadmonton”.
The “Deadmonton” nickname comes from Robert Phillip, a British Reporter, who painted the city as a very boring place during the 2001 World Championships (in Athletics). The fact that there is an increasing amount of homicides and crimes from 2010—2011 also plays a big role in why the town is called both “Stabmonton” and “Deadmonton”. Despite that, there are many reasons why people prefer to move to Edmonton.
Despite being a winter city, Edmonton is also the sunniest of them all because of the average 325 sunny days every year. Edmonton is also a place where usually there are no natural disasters like tornados, floods or earthquakes. The great festivals, the safe environment, the amazing educational system, the friendly citizens and captivating attractions make Edmonton truly special. The average cost of living in Edmonton is between $1100 and $1600.
Mississauga
With a population of around 720 000 people, Mississauga is another town that can be called the “best city to live in Canada 2019” but it’s definitely not for everyone. Also known as “Sauga”, it is perfect for people who are looking for a town with a lot of diversity, great food, good educational system and so much more.
Sauga has a rich history that dates back to the 1960s when it was first established as a town. It consists of a multicultural population, which includes many ethnic neighborhoods and dialects.
Some of the other benefits of Mississauga are that it’s very close to both an airport and Toronto. The distance between Mississauga and Toronto is less than 40 kilometers. The reason why it’s not for everyone is because it could be very expensive. Mississauga was ranked the 14th “most unaffordable area” that you can live in the entire North America. The “most unaffordable areas” from Canada on that list are Toronto and Mississauga. It makes sense, especially with the fact that the cost of living in Sauga can vary from $1400 to $1800.
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is part of the Manitoba province and it has a population of 749 000 people. It is often called “Chicago of the North”, “The Peg” and “Winnipeg”. Winnipeg’s name comes from the lake with the same name (Lake Winnipeg) which literally means “murky water”.
Nowadays, Winnipeg is known for being a railway and transportation center. An interesting thing about the city is that because of the diverse population, there are over 100 languages that can be heard in this big town, with English being the most spoken.
Some of the reasons why Winnipeg is a great town to live in 2019 are the culture, sports, many house options and hundreds of different job opportunities. There are various festivals that take place in Winnipeg such as the Festival du Voyageur or the Winnipeg Folk Festival.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest cons of Winnipeg is the fact that it has the highest rate of crimes in the entire country and the climate is very changing. Summers could be warm and pleasant with about 20 degrees and the winters could be very cold as the temperatures can drop to —40 degrees. The cost of living can cost from $900 to $1200 per month.
Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital of the Quebec province in Canada. Also called “La Vieille Capitale”, Quebec is the home to over 531 000 people. “La Vieille Capitalle” comes from French and literally means “the Old Capital”. Besides the beautiful sights that it has to offer, Quebec City also has a lot of other benefits such as affordable fees and cost of living, great healthcare, a stable financial system, friendly people and easy transportation.
Just like every other Canadian town, especially all of the above-mentioned, Quebec City is home to thousands of people that come from different parts of the world. For that matter, there is always respect that is shown from the friendly natives Quebecers. Besides the many attractions, such as the mesmerizing Fairmont Le Château Frontenac castle, Montmorency Falls, Old Quebec, and La Citadelle de Québec, Quebec is also close to some of the mother nature’s most charming places that should be explored. The costs of living in Quebec are approximately $1800 per month.
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Conclusion
Besides these cities, there are a lot more places that can easily be called “the best city to live in Canada”. Some of them are Victoria, Hamilton, Halifax, Surrey, Saskatoon, Brampton, and Oakville, and they are truly great, especially for people that are looking to move in smaller areas in the Maple Leaf Country.
Canada is one of the safest countries on the planet Earth. It is made of many things that truly make it one of a kind. The nature in that part of the world is truly breathtaking, not just in the winter but during all four of the seasons. Some of the most famous attractions, that Canada is home to, are The Niagara Falls, Banff National Park of Canada, The Butchart Gardens, CN Tower, Stanley Park, Old Quebec, Whistler, Bay of Funny, and many others.
Throughout the past few years, the Maple Leaf Country has constantly improved in every aspect, whether it’s about its economy, education, healthcare or politics. Canada is a safe, clean and very welcoming place. The country welcomes immigrants with open hands. As for the reason why it’s so safe, well that is because there are low crime rates and the security is very strong in the entire country. The fact that gun ownership is lower in Canada is the perfect example of how safe and secure the country is.
The education in the country has always been of great value and that is why the government has spent a huge amount of capital to back it up. The hundreds of international students that come to study in Canada prove that this is definitely a land full of opportunities. Every town is full of tolerant and respectful native citizens. Besides that, Canada is environment-friendly, it has a great cuisine, a strong and stable economy, and very powerful healthcare.
There are over 250 000 people that immigrate to Canada and settle there every year. This is truly is an idyllic destination for people, who are looking for a safe place, surrounded by beautiful and magnificent nature.