Individuals and families looking to relocate to Canada are using a number of factors to determine which city is best to live in. There are communities that will help families thrive and meet other people with similar interests. Some places are also especially known for providing good job opportunities for people as well as education and entertainment sites for children.
Top Five Family-Friendly Cities in Canada
- Calgary, Alberta
- Edmonton, Alberta
- Guelph, Ontario
- Kitchener, Ontario
- Vancouver, British Columbia
The top 3 small cities are:
- Barrie, Ontario
- Guelph, Ontario
- Moncton, New Brunswick
The top 3 medium cities are:
- Kitchener, Ontario
- Oshawa, Ontario
- Winnipeg, Manitoba
The top 3 large cities are:
- Calgary, Alberta
- Edmonton, Alberta
- Vancouver, British Columbia
The following provinces ranked excellent in terms of high population growth:
- Manitoba
- Alberta
- Ontario
Winnipeg, Manitoba has outstanding high marks for low food and household consumer price index. Calgary, Alberta also has low government transfer payments as a percentage of household income. Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario have a high percentage of seniors who cannot care for themselves living with family.
The index for family-friendly cities involves 33 Canadian cities based on 5 factors namely:
- Cost of living
- Community feel
- Family independence
- Economic strength
- Education choice.
For every indicator, grades ranging from A+ to F. An overall grade is provided based on how each family’s needs is attended by each factor.
Defining the Factors
- Cost of living. This refers to daily living expenses consumed by the family budget. Included are food, gas, household supplies, rent and other essentials.
- Community feel. This refers to socialization and public activities that will help families adjust to the environment as well as feel more secure in their neighborhood. Activities may include daily chores, taking the children to the park, hosting a party or joining a community Christmas drive. Happy and safe communities also rate well among people looking to migrate to Canada.
- Family independence. Family independence may include families led by married parents, a single parent or seniors living with family. The size and membership of families will differ but it is vital to determine the cohesiveness of all individuals and how each one contributes to the development and economic stability of the home.
- Economic strength. This refers to the available job opportunities and ability of families to earn and provide for the needs of their members and more. Unemployment rate and business opportunities are also taken into consideration when gauging economic strength.
- Education choice. Parents put a lot of time and effort determining the best institutions and schools that will effectively provide their kids with quality education. Many provinces get funding and support from the government to continually improve education such as Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia and Alberta.
Impact on Filipino Migrants
Filipinos who intend to migrate to Canada should look into the five factors carefully as well as compare other specific interests and fields in each city or province rated well in the index. Filipinos also value aspects like education, family independence and cost of living among others. There are other areas that Filipinos are concerned about when transferring such as churches and places of worship, availability of Filipino groups and communities and presence of medical professionals and health institutions.
The list, being based on the five factors may not apply well to certain Filipino families and individuals, especially if their family characteristics are different such as having a large extended family migrating, lack of skills or educational background to qualify for jobs and preference in community and environment.
