Vancouver shines in quality of life rankings

Canadian cities boast the highest quality of life in North America, with Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Calgary all ranking higher than major U.S. cities, according to a global survey released today. Vancouver has the best quality of living among North American cities and ranks fourth in the world as measured by Mercer's 2009 quality of living survey. Toronto remains 15th globally while Ottawa climbed to No. 16 from No. 19 last year. Calgary slipped to 26th place from 25 while Montreal stayed in the 22nd spot. The survey ranks 215 cities and is intended to help governments and companies place workers on international assignments and calculate "hardship" or living allowances. Vienna moved up a notch to capture top spot "following improvements in Austria's political and social environment." Honolulu ranked highest among U.S. cities, at 29th.

Source:  www.reportonbusiness.com - Tavia Grant