Canada’s best cities for work-life balance

Canada’s best cities for work-life balance

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Author of the article:

Linda White  •  Special to Postmedia Network

Published Jun 28, 2024  •  4 minute read

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City of BurlingtonBurlington ranks first in the province and fourth among Canada’s big cities, according to Point2, an international real estate search portal. CITY OF BURLINGTON

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Burlington makes mark for ‘small-town friendliness’

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Three Ontario cities are among the country’s 10 best for juggling professional and personal life.

Burlington ranks first in the province and fourth among Canada’s big cities, according to Point2, an international real estate search portal. Scoring 65 out of 100, the city stands out for remote work opportunities, high life expectancy and low crime rates.

Ninety-three per cent of its residents report high levels of life satisfaction. Point2 analyzed 30 key metrics covering work intensity, health and well-being, and liveability – from work hours to available healthcare professionals and commute woes to where you can stretch your legs after hours. It also factored in after-tax income, rent and utilities.

“Our secret is out! We welcome people to discover what makes our city the best in Ontario and fourth in Canada,” says Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. “We’re ranked high for work-life balance due to our community amenities and culture, vibrant downtown, unique local businesses, waterfront parks, mix of urban and rural communities, and small-town friendliness. These are just some of the reasons people visit, open a business or choose to call Burlington home.”

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Aurora and Newmarket round out the podium and score high, particularly in terms of life expectancy and helpful numbers of medical specialists and general practitioners.

“I think a big part of why we’re ranked so highly in Canada is that we’ve made it a priority as a municipality to provide our residents with the things they need to a lead a really high quality of life,” says Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas.

“Whether it’s our award-winning community events, best-in-class recreational programming, or abundance of well-maintained parks and trails, our residents have so many opportunities right at their fingertips to take care of their physical and mental health and foster meaningful relationships within the community.”

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Newmarket Mayor John Taylor is equally proud of his community. “Central to having a healthy work-life balance is having opportunities to be active and to be entertained right at home in your community,” he says.

“Newmarket has been recognized as having the best events in Ontario and recognized for one of the most vibrant downtowns in Canada. If you like outdoor concerts, movies, festivals and you love shopping and great restaurants, come and visit us in Newmarket and I bet you will decide to stay.”

Caledon, the province’s fourth-best city for work-life balance, narrowly missed Canada’s top 10. Crowned the ‘nation’s happiest city’ by Point2 last year, it boasts one of the lowest crime rates, the second-highest median after-tax household income, the third-highest number of medical specialists and plenty of green spaces.

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Oakville and Ottawa offer the most work-from-home opportunities in the province, allowing for more time for family and personal activities. While Toronto attracts many professionals, it ranks lower for overall work-life balance.

Still, its residents benefit from remote work options, a high walk score and plenty of cultural offerings, ideal for unwinding after work hours.

On the west coast, the District of North Vancouver is the best at work-life balance in B.C. as well as third best in Canada. Residents here enjoy a $106,000 after-tax median household income, a reasonable cost of utilities compared to other big cities and even good air quality.

On the east coast, cities might not yet have perfected the harmony between work-related activities and those devoted to personal pursuits, but they “excel” at one thing: less stress, Point2 notes.

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St. John’s, Nfld. ranks the highest in Atlantic Canada, boasting “remarkably high” life satisfaction and perception of health, mental well-being included. “Most importantly, it’s the most stress-free city in the country. Fewer than 13 per cent of its residents have reported that most days are quite a bit or extremely stressful,” Point2 says.

Fredericton, N.B. lands second, but the city actually ranks highest in terms of liveability overall. Successful work-life balance here involves low stress, a short average commute time of under 15 minutes and a low percentage of people holding multiple jobs.

Atlantic Canada also has some of the lowest rent prices, as well as home prices less than half the national benchmark price. Cape Breton, N.S. and Saint John, N.B. offer home prices below $290,000 as of March, according to Point2.

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Top ranking cities

The top 10 Canadian cities for work-life balance and their overall score out of 100:

  1. Lévis, Que. (69.61)
  2. Québec City, Que. (67.12)
  3. District of North Vancouver, B.C. (65.88)
  4. Burlington (65.52)
  5. Blainville, Que. (64.73)
  6. Aurora (64.18)
  7. Troi-Rivières, Que. (64.85)
  8. Laval, Que. (63.76)
  9. Granby, Que. (62.94)
  10. Newmarket (62.82)

The top 10 Ontario cities for work-life balance and their overall score out of 100:

  1. Burlington (65.52)
  2. Aurora (64.18)
  3. Newmarket (62.82)
  4. Caledon (62.79)
  5. Oakville (61.3)
  6. Halton Hills (61.24)
  7. Milton (60.03)
  8. Ottawa (58.76)
  9. Vaughan (58.64)
  10. Mississauga (56.21)

Source: Point2

www.point2homes.com/news/canada-real-estate/canada-best-cities-for-work-life-balance.html

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