Burlington Ranks No. 1 on List of Canada’s Best Communites
Published August 8, 2019 at 4:32 pm
There’s no place like home — especially if you’re a Burlingtonian.
There’s no place like home — especially if you’re a Burlingtonian.
On its inaugural Best Communities in Canada ranking, Maclean’s magazine placed Burlington at No.1. They’ve also named the city this year’s best place to raise a family.
Nestled between the hustle and bustle of the big city and the lush beauty of the Niagara Region and greenbelt, the city of Burlington is uniquely poised to offer the best of both worlds.
“Our ‘secret sauce’ is a unique blend of community assets, natural environment, and great citizens,” said Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward in a statement. “Burlington has it all: big city assets, the Greenbelt on our doorstep, and small-town friendliness.”
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Maclean’s sites Burlington’s “hybrid” location — which allows for easy commuting throughout the GTA and Hamilton-Niagara region or for work within the city limits where there is a thriving manufacturing industry — as one of the more appealing aspects of the community.
“Burlington is home to a number of high-growth companies that know our fantastic quality of life attracts the best talent,” said Burlington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) acting executive director, Anita Cassidy. “Our location makes us an ideal location for companies to attract and retain the high-quality talent they need to grow their business.”
Burlington’s closest neighbours also appear on the list. Oakville came in at number four, while Milton ranked 17th and Hamilton cracked the top 25, sitting at 24. Halton Hills made the broader list, coming in at 106.
With its many hiking trails, lengthy beachfront and parks, Burlington’s easy access to the natural environment is undeniable and its world-class amenities also helped push the community to the top of the list.
“We have outstanding community centres, rinks, pools, museums, parks and festivals,” said Meed Ward. “We’re book-ended by natural environment, from our downtown waterfront park and sandy beach to the Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve, and by great people who look out for each other and give back to our community.”
Halton’s lower crime rate and abundance of entertainment options are also highlighted by Maclean’s as being a big part of Burlington’s appeal.
One of the only drawbacks of the community, Maclean’s points out, is its affordability. Its average housing price of $888,000 is higher than 89 per cent of the communities on the list.
Meed Ward told Maclean’s she’s trying to address this problem by targeting land speculators and trying to keep homes in the hands of people who actually plan to live in them.
Burlington ranks just above Grimsby at number two and Ottawa at number three, with the methodology comparing 415 communities in Canada by a number of factors including, wealth and economy, commute, crime, amenities and culture.
Here are the Top 25 Communities in Canada according to Maclean’s magazine
- Burlington
- Grimsby
- Ottawa
- Oakville
- New Tecumseth
- Salmon Arm
- Brant
- Niagara-on-the-Lake
- Russell
- Tecumseh
- Aurora
- West Kelowna
- Haldimand County
- Kingston
- Oak Bay
- LaSalle
- Milton
- Nelson
- Toronto
- Wilmot
- Lincoln
- Collingwood
- St. Albert
- Hamilton
- Colwood