Canadian cities among world's top 25
By John Makinson » Five Canadian cities ranked among the top 25 in the world in a leading annual survey on the best places to live and work.
Vancouver, which was ranked third overall, led the way for Canada, with Toronto (15th), Ottawa (18th), Montreal (22nd) and Calgary (25th) also featuring. Canada and Germany were the only two countries to feature five cities among the top 25 in the 2006 survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting.
The analysis is part of an annual Worldwide Quality of Living Survey, covering more than 350 cities, to help governments and multinational companies place employees on international assignments. Each city is based on an evaluation of 39 criteria, including political, social, economic and environmental factors, personal safety and health, education, transport, and other public services.
The Swiss cities of Zurich and Geneva once again scored a 1-2 top-of-podium finish. Among other countries to score big, Australia had three cities - Sydney, Melbourne and Perth - among the top 25.
The United States' top entry was Honolulu at No. 27, while the UK's best was London at No. 39. Baghdad, Iraq, was rated the least attractive city for expatriates for a third consecutive year.
"Canadian cities rank well. Canada is politically and socially stable, it has good relationships with its neighbours and can enforce the law. That sets it apart pretty quickly from many cities around the world," said Rebecca Powers, a principal with Mercer.
Posted on: 01-06-06 09:23:37
