Vancouver received an overall high grade for its ability to attract newcomers, but poor housing affordability is having a negative impact on the city’s attractiveness.
The Conference Board of Canada ranked 50 Canadian cities on their draw for new immigrants and skilled workers. Vancouver came in fifth overall, behind Waterloo, Calgary, Ottawa and Richmond Hill but before St. John’s, among the six Canadian cities that got an “A” grade.
The Conference Board graded cities on seven categories: society, health, economy, environment, education, innovation and housing.
Burnaby and Coquitlam also finished high in the overall rankings with “B” grades, at ninth and 14th place, while Richmond and Surrey got grades of “C” because of weak showings in education and society.
Vancouver was rated highly in all those categories except housing, where the Conference Board handed out a “D” to the city because of poor housing affordability. The high cost of housing compared to income levels is also a problem for Richmond, Burnaby, Coquitlam and Victoria.
The Conference Board noted that in some large cities, like Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa, higher incomes compensate for the high cost of housing. All cities in Quebec except for Montreal earned “A” or “B” grades on housing because of rent control legislation that has led to more affordable rents.
