Thompson-Okanagan fails to crack top 20 in Maclean's ranking of Canada's Best Communities

Photo: City of Vernon

Thompson-Okanagan residents may like to brag we live in the best place in Canada – but Maclean's Magazine's latest ranking of Canada's Best Communities begs to differ.

No local city cracked the top 20, with the highest ranked in the region being Vernon, in 30th place.

Kamloops came in at No. 37, while Penticton was ranked 41st, and Kelowna didn't make the list until the 65th slot.

Then, it was a big jump down the list to Summerland at No. 103 and West Kelowna at No. 120.

Lake Country came in 193rd spot in the Maclean's rankings of 415 cities across Canada.

The magazine ranked the communities on housing affordability, taxes, crime, weather, health, amenities, population growth, community involvement, and internet quality.

Despite our enviable weather, majestic mountains and endless recreational possibilities from lakes to ski hills and more, no B.C. city even cracked the top 10. In fact, B.C. barely made it into the top 20.

Top ranked in B.C. was Langford, in 18th place.

Our capital Victoria, known as Canada's garden city, came in at No. 59, while Vancouver was a dismal 174th.

So, given the apparent slight against British Columbia, you may be wondering what city took the crown as Canada's best. That honour goes to Halifax.

The top 10 takes a heavy slant towards the East, with only three cities in the West represented. They are:

• 1 Halifax NS
• 2 Fredericton NB
• 3 St. Thomas ON
• 4 Belleville ON
• 5 Edmonton AB
• 6 Winnipeg MB
• 7 Moncton NB
• 8 Cornwall ON
• 9 Brooks AB
• 10 Charlottetown PEI

In explaining its methodology, Maclean's says the new internet access category was added as the "revamped ranking assumes remote work is here to stay, asking where people should move if they’re not tied to an office and a commute."