A new research project has found that Canadians living in cities in the Atlantic provinces tend to rate their quality of life higher than do Canadians in other cities.  Of the top ten cities, five are in Eastern Canada.

According to the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Canadians are most likely to be satisfied with the quality of life in places like Saint John, Moncton, N.B., and Charlottetown, all of which placed in the top five of a survey of 18 Canadian cities.
. . .
[K]nowing your neighbours – and trusting those around you – is a key reason why a city like Saint John tops the list, said John Helliwell, a University of British Columbia economist who led the research project.

Prof Helliwell also noted a negative correlation between prevailing affluence and level of life satisfaction.  Residents of Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto had lower quality of life ratings and lower levels of trust.  He attributed the latter to rapid growth through in-migration.

Helliwell said the findings suggest that cities with a static population and deep roots are happier places.

In view of my hopes and plans for change of residence next year, I am happy to hear that Eastern Canadians are generally satisfied with their community life.  (Of course, I’ll be a new resident and therefore likely to reduce overall trust and quality of life.)

Note: The study was carried out by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, which appears to have no information about the project at their website.  This blog post is based entirely on the CBC news story, which see for the list of the top 10 Canadian cities.