Quebec City, Montreal 'most livable'; Vancouver highest cost of living: survey

Image by Michael McDonough via Flickr

Vancouver may be the "nicest" city, according to a new survey, but when it comes to livability, major cities in la belle province take top marks.

The recent study commissioned by the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies found Quebec City and Montreal outrank other cities in Canada when it comes to cost of living, culture, shopping and meeting people.

According to the survey, a quarter of Quebec City residents said the cost of living in their city was excellent, while another 70 per cent described it as good.

Montreal came second in the category with 16 per cent describing it as excellent and 65 per cent saying it was good.

While an earlier Postmedia News report indicated that a quarter of all Canadians had chosen Vancouver as the overall "nicest city in Canada," association executive director Jack Jedwab said it ranked dead last when it came to cost of living, with 57 per cent of respondents describing it as poor.

"There's a funny phenomenon in Vancouver, there's not a lot of people in the middle," he said, noting few Vancouverites described the lost of living as good, let along excellent.

"It's as though there's a big income split in that city. That's what I would think explains that discrepancy."

The Greater Toronto Area, Edmonton and Calgary rounded out the list of least affordable cities to live.

When it came to cultural activities, more than 95 per cent of Montreal and Quebec City residents rated theirs as excellent or good and they were also the most likely to describe their cities as excellent places to meet people and make friends.

Meanwhile, a fifth of Ottawa residents said their city was a bad place to meet people and make friends.

Montreal also earned top marks for shopping with 67 per cent describing it as excellent, followed by Edmonton at 62 per cent, Calgary at 51 per cent and Quebec City at 49 per cent.

People in Toronto (15 per cent), Calgary (14 per cent) and Edmonton (13 per cent) were among the most likely to describe their cities as lousy places to take in cultural activities.

On the subject of job opportunities, Calgarians were most satisfied, with half describing them as excellent and more than a third describing them as good. Quebec City came a close second with 47.6 per cent saying excellent but another 42.9 per cent describing them as good.

A whopping 36 per cent of Torontonians rated job opportunities in their city as poor, followed by 29 per cent of Ottawa residents and 25 per cent of Vancouver residents.

While all Quebec City residents described their city as either excellent or good for raising children — taking the top spot among seven cities — Jedwab was surprised to find Montreal at the bottom of the list in this category.

Despite the province's much touted $7-a-day child care program and overall commitment to children and youth, just 23 per cent of Montreal residents said their city was an excellent place to raise kids.

Some 61 per cent said it was good but more than 16 per cent described it as poor — the largest number of any city.

Quebec City, Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal earned top marks for recreation and outdoor activity, while Toronto, Quebec City and Vancouver did well for climate.

"I think overall, Toronto is not a big winner on this thing if we're going to look for some big winner," Jedwab concluded.

"Montreal, I think, comes across fairly strong in this. Vancouver still does reasonably well, it is just clearly a very pricey place to live. Beauty comes at a cost."

The survey of 1,513 Canadians was conducted last month via web panel by Leger Marketing. An equivalent telephone survey would have a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

tcohen@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/tobicohen

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Saskatoon outpaces all metro areas in Canada

Image via WikipediaBY DAVID HUTTON, THE STARPHOENIX

Saskatoon is growing faster and aging more slowly than any other major Canadian city.
The latest population estimates released Thursday by Statistics Canada reveal the Saskatoon region was the fastest-growing metropolitan area in Canada for the one-year period ending in July 2010, surpassing Alberta's major centres in growth for the first time in decades.
The Saskatoon region is also the youngest in the country, bucking the pan-Canadian trend of a rapidly aging population.
But the changing demographics pose "huge challenges" for the city and raise difficult questions about the young aboriginal workforce, a prominent economist says.
"You have this young aboriginal population that on average is not very well off and on average not very well educated," said Eric Howe, a University of Saskatchewan economics professor. "If we do not do something about that, the wheels are going to fall off. The aboriginal population absolutely has to be brought into the economic mainstream."
Led by a booming aboriginal population and a major spike in international immigration driven by the province's expedited application program, the Saskatoon region, which includes bedroom communities such as Warman, Martensville, Dundurn and Dalmeny, has now passed the 265,000 population mark, a three per cent jump and a net increase of more than 7,200 people in one year.
Regina was third in the country in growth, behind Vancouver in second spot. The Regina region now has 215,000 people, an increase of close to 5,000 from the previous year.
The main reason for Saskatoon's rapid growth is an increase in international immigration, Statistics Canada reports.
More than 3,300 immigrants moved to Saskatoon during the year covered by the report, with the Philippines, China and Ukraine as the leading countries of origin. International immigration to Saskatoon is higher in sheer numbers than major Canadian cities such as Hamilton and Quebec City, which have historically attracted far more immigrants than all of Saskatchewan, Statistics Canada reports.
The immigration boom can be felt at the many drop-in programs run by the city's settlement agencies.
Petrio Dobushovskyy, 42, moved from Ukraine earlier this month with his wife, Oksana, and his two sons, Yaroslav, 16, and Ivan, 10, and is living in his brother's home until he finds work. On Thursday, he took part in an informal conversations session at Global Gathering Place, a non-profit drop-in centre downtown that was abuzz Thursday afternoon.
A computer programmer, Dobushovskyy is attempting to strengthen his English so he can boost his chances of landing a job. Otherwise, he says he may return to Ukraine. He's considering applying for labour work as an interim measure.
"I want my sons to learn English and go to university here," he said.
Many newcomers have been filling vacancies in entry-level jobs, primarily in the service sector, despite many having experience and credentials in medicine or engineering.
That's creating a dilemma for policy-makers because it's one of the main ways young aboriginal people can break into the labour market, Howe said.

"Many aboriginal people are coming off of three generations of welfare dependency and need entry-level jobs. If you give entrylevel jobs to someone else, they're not going to get them. Finding jobs for new immigrants is important, but it's also very important that we have entry-level jobs for young aboriginal people. That's where they're going to work if they're going to work, at least at first," he said.
The statistics on age revealed in the report are the most startling.
As the average age across Canada has jumped, Saskatoon's and Regina's average age has increased only slightly. High birth rates among the aboriginal population and the arrival of young families migrating from outside the country are cited as the main reasons Saskatchewan stayed young relative to the rest of Canada.
Saskatoon's average age is 35.6, Statistics Canada says, less than a year older than it was in 2001. The average age in Canada has increased 2.5 years to almost 40 since that time, while Saguenay, Que., has jumped more than 5.5 years to an average age of 45 and now ranks as the oldest metropolitan area in Canada.
The aboriginal population will make up 25 per cent of the 20 to 30 age group in Saskatoon in five years, Howe projects, and finding policies aimed at that group is the province's "defining problem," he said.
"There's nothing wrong in Saskatoon that can't be cured by what's right in Saskatoon," he said.
"But we'll have to work at it."
dhutton@thestarphoenix.com

© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix

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Bienvenue a Québec! – Quebec’s Skilled Worker Program

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Quebec is Canada’s largest province in terms of size and is often referred to as “La Belle Province” or the beautiful province in the rest of Canada. Known for its European-style cities, such as Montreal, Quebec is a prime destination for immigrants from all over the world.

The Quebec Skilled Worker Program is specifically designed for applicants who intend to reside in the Province of Quebec. The program consists of two phases: the issuance of a Quebec Selection Certificate followed by the issuance of a Canadian Permanent Resident visa.

i. Quebec Selection Certificate

The first step in obtaining a permanent resident visa through Quebec is to obtain a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ). A CSQ is a document issued by the Quebec immigration authorities (Immigration et Communautés Culturelles Québec) indicating that the applicant designated on the certificate has been selected to reside within the Province of Quebec. The CSQ is not a permanent resident visa, but rather authorization by the province to apply for permanent residency. In order to qualify for a CSQ, an applicant must score at least 49 points (or 57 points with a spouse or common-law partner) in the following 10 selection factors:

• Education – a maximum of 28 points can be obtained for education and area of training;

• Age – a maximum of 16 points can be obtained for applicants between the ages of 18 and 42 years of age;

• Experience – a maximum of 8 points can be obtained for work experience;

• Language proficiency – a maximum of 22 points can be obtained for French and English proficiency;

• Stay and Family in Quebec – a maximum of 8 points can be obtained for having stayed in Quebec or for having family living in Quebec;

• Validated Employment Offer – a maximum of 10 points can be obtained for having a valid employment offer in Quebec

• Financial Self-Sufficiency – an applicant must obtain 1 point to qualify and must meet a minimum funds requirement;

• Spouse’s Characteristics – an applicant can obtain up to 16 points for a spouse’s (or common-law partner’s) education, area of training, age, and language proficiency;

• Children – a maximum of 8 points can be obtained for children;

• Adaptability – a maximum of 6 points can be obtained upon the interview for adaptability.

Once all supporting documents have been submitted to the Quebec visa office, the application is assessed against the Quebec Skilled Worker selection criteria. The majority of applicants who meet the requirements are then called for an interview, which is a great opportunity for applicants to express their motivation and desire to reside in Quebec. Upon the completion of a successful interview, a CSQ is issued.

ii. Permanent Resident Visa

After the CSQ has been issued, an applicant submits the certificate, along with forms and supporting documents, to the federal immigration authorities who assess the applicants for medical and security purposes. The applicant and family members are then granted Canadian Permanent Resident visas.

As French is the predominant language in Quebec, all applicants must demonstrate, at least, a willing to learn French. Some applicants will require a higher score in French language proficiency if they are lacking points in other selection factors.

Why the Quebec Skilled Worker Program Is Good For You

The Quebec Skilled Worker category of immigration is more sophisticated and complex than the Federal Skilled Worker Program. The Quebec selection system is based on a “human capital” model and unlike most provincial nominee programs, an applicant does not require a job offer to qualify. Unlike the Federal program for skilled workers, Quebec does not limit the number of applicants by specific occupation. Many applicants, such as Registered Nurses and Computer/IT Specialists to name just two, no longer qualify for the Federal program as their occupation is no longer on the list of qualifying occupations or that their specific occupation’s cap limit has been reached. The Quebec Skilled Worker Program offers these people a new opportunity for permanent residency and with so many ways to qualify under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program, all we can say to you is “Bienvenue a Québec!”

Find out if you qualify for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.

Source: Canada immigration newsletter

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