Quebec takes top spots to raise children

Affordability and safety are just some of the reasons why eight Quebec cities have nabbed the top spots on MoneySense’s Canada’s Best Places to Raise Kids 2017.

Released earlier this month, MoneySense assessed Canadian cities by considering their safety, affordability, the percentage of the population under 15, and arts and recreational activities offered, as some of the factors used to determine the best places for parents to raise their families.

Based on the relevant factors, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, QC has been chosen as this year’s winner.

Saint Bruno has been accredited by the province for being kid friendly, has plenty of green space, offers free summer camps, and almost a fifth of its population is under 15, making it the best place in Canada for families to live. Not to mention Saint Bruno, which is just outside of Montreal, has an unemployment rate under 3 per cent and has an average home worth of $433,000.

Other Quebec cities have also been chosen for the top spots based on similar factors, including the lowest healthcare in the country: averaging $8 a day.

Lévis V, QC, comes in at number two. Just twenty minutes from CFB Valcartier, Lévis V has an average home price of $289,403 and an extremely low unemployment rate. It also is extremely safe with youth crime at half the national average.

Third place goes to Blainville V, QC. Average home price is at $373,781, more than half of families have kids at home,  20 per cent of the population is under 15, and Blainville is known to host kid-friendly activities year-round.

Other cities that made the top ten and are near Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) bases include Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC, which is also just over 20 minutes from CFB Valcartier, and Ottawa, ON.

Gatineau, QC, coming in at number 52, and Kingston, ON, coming in at 94, are other cities near CFB Bases that made the list.

Regionally, Quispamsis, N.B. came in first for Atlantic Canada; Saint Bruno, QC came in first for Quebec; Oakville, ON came in first for Ontario; Weyburn, Sask. got the top spot for the Prairies; St. Albert, AB claimed the top spot for Alberta; and Colwood, BC came in first for British Columbia and the Territories.

Check to see if a town near you made the list visit moneysense.ca.