A national publication says Estevan is the top location in Canada for job seekers.
MoneySense magazine released its annual ranking of the best places to live in Canada March 29. The often controversial issue lists the Energy City as the country's top community when it comes to job prospects, edging out Brandon, Manitoba and Swift Current for the honour.
In the article, MoneySense touts the city's "impressively low unemployment rate" of 1.7 per cent, which is the lowest in Canada. It also notes the median age of the population is 35 "and there is abundant industry to employ the 10,000 inhabitants. Industry includes coal mining, power generation, and oil and gas. Household income is high at $113,000, which should help draw people to Canada's employment capital."
However, the news was not all good for Estevan. For the third year in a row, the city has dropped in the overall rankings as the best place to live and currently sits in 95th place, down from 87th place in 2010.
Only North Battleford and Prince Albert ranked lower than Estevan among Saskatchewan cities with a population of at least 10,000. Saskatoon was tops in the province at 15th place followed by Regina, Moose Jaw, Swift Current and Yorkton, respectively.
Not surprisingly, Estevan ranked high in categories tied to the economy. Along with placing first for job prospects, the city was 13th for household income, 49th for discretionary income and 50th for the number of new cars on the road. It was also 35th for affordable housing, a ranking that is likely to raise more than a few eyebrows.
Although Estevan placed high when it came to economy, it did take a hit on social issues. The city ranked 175th out of 180 communities for access to health care, a clear reflection of the doctor shortage that has been a major concern for much of the past two years.
Estevan also ranked 152nd for crime rate and was 129th for the ability of its residents to either walk or bike to work. Population growth was also on the low end of the scale, checking in at 145th place.
For a second straight year, the Ottawa-Gatineau region was ranked as Canada's best place to live. Victoria, B.C. was second while Burlington, Ontario was third. St. Albert, Alberta was first among western cities in fifth place.
