The City of St. Albert has managed to crack the Globe and Mail's 2023 top 100 most livable cities in Canada list.
The list, one of seven published by the Globe last week, was put together by journalists Mahima Singh and Chen Wang with data collected from 439 cities by Environics Analytics Group and the company's “third-party licensors.”
The data taken into consideration for the most livable cities list, according to the Globe's reporting, includes factors such as the local economy, housing, climate, amenities, and more.
Overall, St. Albert earned the title of 31st most livable city in Canada, with Victoria and North Vancouver, B.C. taking the top two spots, followed by Winnipeg, Man. in third; Regina, Sask. in fourth; and Burlington, Ont. in fifth.
On the provincial level St. Albert was ranked the fourth most livable city overall, trailing Calgary, Canmore, and Edmonton.
The Globe's interactive reporting also allows readers to create new lists based on individual features, such as access to amenities or housing affordability.
When it comes to accessing amenities, St. Albert dropped down two spots overall, and dropped three spots compared to other Alberta municipalities as Lethbridge, Olds, Brooks, Spruce Grove, Edmonton, and Calgary were all determined to have better access to amenities scores.
Based on housing affordability alone, St. Albert drops all the way down to the 237th spot on the overall list, and 24th in the province.
Thetford Mines, Quebec, a city of under 27,000 people, is considered in the Globe's reporting as the most affordable place to live in Canada based solely on housing costs as the average monthly rent is $625, and the average real estate value is $172,189.
Mid-life transitions
As mentioned previously, along with an overall list of most livable cities the Globe and Mail also published lists dedicated to the most livable cities for mid-life transitions, young professionals, for raising children, and more.
St. Albert climbed all the way up to the 11th spot Canada-wide when it comes to being a livable city for a mid-life transition, which the Globe defined as those going through divorce or becoming empty-nesters. The mid-life transition list doesn't capture those looking to retire or recently retired.
“These individuals might want to downsize their homes and relocate to communities that offer stronger social cohesion and enhanced amenities for social activity,” Singh and Wang wrote about midlife transitioners.
“For this ranking, we’ve included data regarding the percentage of families without children, which would help midlife transitioners find communities with individuals facing a similar life stage. We also prioritized factors related to the economy and health care to reflect the enduring pursuit of career growth and a forward-looking perspective on health care.”
While St. Albert nearly cracked the top 10 for this demographic, our community trails only Canmore when it comes to provincial competition. Victoria, B.C. was ranked the most livable city for midlife transitioners.
The Gazette will have more coverage to come about St. Albert's ranking throughout each of the lists published by the Globe, and will have reactions from local policy makers.
