From stunning scenery to safer streets and a high quality of life, these Canadian cities offer many of the things Americans say they wish they had more of at home, based on what we asked in a survey.
Victoria
Located on the southernmost coast of Vancouver Island, Victoria has Canada’s mildest winter weather, meaning no cruel snowstorms for Vancouver Islanders.
Its extremely walkable downtown is almost like a hybrid of Seattle and a classic European village, complete with large, hanging flower baskets and seaside streets. The city is a haven for digital nomads, new retirees, and those looking to escape busy city life.
Vancouver
Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the dramatic, snow-peaked mountains in British Columbia’s north, Vancouver provides residents with unmatched access to both dense city and untamed wilderness.
Many Vancouverites work in the downtown tech hub in the morning and hit the slopes of Grouse Mountain or ride their bikes around Stanley Park in the afternoon. It is a multicultural metropolis with an amazing food scene to match. It can be quite expensive, though, rivaling many West Coast U.S. cities.
Calgary
Nestled right at the intersection of the flat prairies and the spectacular front range of the Canadian Rockies, Calgary is Canada’s cleanest and sunniest major city. The city has rapidly become a high-wage tech, finance, and engineering hub for people priced out of Toronto or Vancouver who still want access to major urban living.
Residents can easily enjoy the benefits of the big city and can hop in their car and drive straight to Banff National Park in under an hour. It’s also only a one-hour drive.
Ottawa
As Canada’s capital, Ottawa, is like a cleaner, safer, and highly manageable version of Washington, D.C. The city offers a refreshing mix of spectacular Gothic parliament buildings and world-renowned national museums, while also offering an enormous network of scenic urban bike trails and parks.
During the winter months, the historic Rideau Canal even transforms into the world’s largest naturally frozen skating rink.
Montreal
Walking in the streets of Montreal can feel like you’ve taken a flight to Europe, but without having to leave North America. It is an exciting, incredibly romantic multi-cultural metropolis full of beautiful old stone buildings from the 1700s, with high-tech AI and video game development studios too.
Best of all, it’s still far cheaper than most other large cities. Life revolves around sidewalk cafes, summer festivals that seem to never end, and really great food.
Halifax
Sitting pretty on the tip of the Atlantic Ocean, Halifax has a blend of classic coastal charm and young university town energy. Halifax features miles of connected wooden boardwalk around the harbour, a world-class craft brewery scene and a growing tech sector.
Americans are attracted to Halifax’s welcoming, small community feel and low mortgage rates, where they can actually own a home near rocky beach fronts.
Quebec City
As one of North America’s oldest European cities, Québec is the stuff fairytales are made of. Massive stone walls, cobblestone streets, and the instantly recognizable (yet fairytale castle-esque) Fairmont Le Château Frontenac watch over French-speaking Québécois who proudly protect their history and culture.
It’s also consistently ranked as one of North America’s safest cities.
Edmonton
Edmonton is a northern city that loves its festivals and won’t let cold weather keep its citizens from enjoying countless activities all year long.
Home to one of the world’s largest river valley park systems (that’s several times the size of New York’s Central Park), there is always something to do outdoors. Edmonton has a strong job market focused on healthcare, energy, and education. It also has some of the lowest housing prices of Canada’s major cities.
Kelowna
Imagine a city where life revolves around blue skies, farmers’ markets and outdoor recreation. Nestled in the picturesque Okanagan Valley, Kelowna sits around one of British Columbia’s enormous turquoise lakes.
It’s surrounded by green hills, orchards and some of the best vineyards in Canada. This oasis is becoming a haven for remote workers and Vancouver expats craving a sunny, active lifestyle centered around boating, hiking, and wine tasting.
Kingston
Kingston is located precisely where Lake Ontario flows into the scenic St. Lawrence River. The majority of this historic city is built using pretty quartzite and local limestone.
Kingston has been a thriving cultural and academic hub with world-renowned universities and colleges and a downtown core buzzing with charming indie restaurants and pubs. Kingston is also a short train ride to Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.
Saskatoon
Known as the “Paris of the Prairies” because of its array of beautiful, historic bridges crossing the South Saskatchewan River, Saskatoon is one busy mid-sized gem that will surprise you. Home to Canada’s agri-food biotech and mining industries, it has a thriving economy and higher than average incomes with very little unemployment or housing stress.
Guelph
Found just outside of Toronto, Guelph is one of the most progressive, eco-friendly cities in Canada. It has an absurdly high level of civic pride and is one of the safest places to raise kids in Canada. Some of its highlights include a gorgeous historic downtown area made almost entirely of golden limestone buildings centered around a huge cathedral, complete with towering twin spires.
St. John’s
Built on the harsh windswept cliffs of Newfoundland’s eastern coast, there’s nothing like St. John’s and its brightly painted Victorian homes overlooking the ocean. The city pulses with centuries of storytelling, a proud maritime culture and one of the world’s most famous nightlife scenes down George Street. Living here means living large in the wildest parts of the Atlantic, where watching an iceberg float past your condo could be an ordinary afternoon in the spring.
Waterloo
Waterloo and its neighbor, Kitchener, make up the central hub of Canada’s technology triangle. Home to powerhouse innovation and some of the most prestigious universities in the country, the region feeds companies like Google and Uber with talented graduates year after year. With an economy built for the future, this region still has the rural charm of smaller-town Canada without the suffocating cityscapes of Toronto.
Nanaimo
Nestled on the sunny east coast of Vancouver Island, Nanaimo offers some of the most stunning laid-back coastal living at a tiny fraction of Vancouver’s housing prices. Sprawled across a natural bay surrounded by mountains on the mainland, Nanaimo offers daily adventures, such as kayaking, scuba diving, or exploring forest-lined hiking trails.
Recently transforming from a sleepy ferry town into a vibrant and progressive community, Nanaimo is quickly becoming a haven for remote workers seeking mild weather and year-round access to everything Mother Nature has to offer in the Pacific Northwest.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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