Ottawa and Victoria tied as the smartest major cities in Canada. Toronto
is in the middle of the pack, and Montreal is near the bottom.
Saguenay, Que., came in dead last.TORONTO, Aug. 28 /CNW/ - Where Canadians live has a big impact on how
wealthy, healthy and happy they are. If you were to imagine Canada's smartest
city - a place filled with fascinating people, cultural delights and endless
learning opportunities - what would it look like? Chances are, few Canadians
would claim to live in such an enlightened utopia, but a recent study by the
Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) shows that some Canadian cities come
surprisingly close - and those cities are not necessarily the ones you might
think.
In 10 pages of in-depth coverage, this week Maclean's explores the what,
where and why of the findings and the meaning they have for Canadian
communities. One thing is for sure: Having more opportunities for lifelong
learning can mean higher wages, better job prospects, improved health and a
more fulfilling life. The magazine also examines Canada's most caring cities
and Canada's most cultured cities.Victorious Victoria, cultured Calgary and mediocre Montreal
- Ottawa and Victoria tied for top spot, soundly beating Toronto,
Vancouver and Montreal.
Victoria can thank its universities, colleges, social clubs, museum
visits and job-related training for its high honour. Ottawa is
similar, and received added points for its embassies and museums and
a large adult high school.
- Calgary finished second, beating Edmonton. Calgary also ranked as
Canada's most cultured city.
Contrary to their Wild West image, Calgarians are much more likely to
spend their money on attending museums and live arts performances
than residents of Montreal or Toronto, traditionally considered the
country's cultural meccas.
- Speaking of Canada's two biggest metropolises, neither fared
that well...
Montreal turned in an especially humbling showing. Toronto was
average, as was Vancouver.
- Guelph, Ont., is Canada's most caring city, and Toronto beat several
East Coast cities, including Moncton, N.B. and St. John's, Nfld.
- Many small- to mid-sized cities such as Kitchener, Ont.,
Barrie, Ont., Gatineau, Que., Saskatoon and Kelowna, B.C., were near
the top of the list. Halifax and Edmonton did well, too.
- Rural and smaller communities have some advantages over large
centres, due to the social cohesion they have, often absent in
bigger cities.
Residents of places such as Blackfalds, Alta., Kinistino, Sask., and
Russell, Man., volunteer more and belong to more social groups than
average. In fact, small or rural communities don't inherently lack
culture or education relative to cosmopolitan places.How we did it:
The Canadian Council on Learning ranked more than 4,700 communities
across the country to find out which ones have the most educational
opportunities, looking way beyond the classroom to such wide-ranging
indicators as workplace training, volunteerism, book-buying rates, cultural
interaction and visits to the museum.
About Maclean's:
Maclean's is Canada's only national weekly current affairs magazine.
Maclean's enlightens, engages and entertains 2.8 million readers with strong
investigative reporting and exclusive stories from leading journalists in the
fields of international affairs, social issues, national politics, business
and culture. Visit www.macleans.ca.
For further information: Louise Leger, Public Relations Consultant,
Rogers Consumer Publishing, (416) 764-4125, louise.leger@rci.rogers.com
