Two BC spots have been named the best small cities in Canada.
Victoria has gotten a lot of love from different mediums and publications worldwide, and it has again, as it was declared the best small city in Canada.
This summer, Victoria was declared one of the top five best cities in Canada, which was part of a list looking at all cities, not just the small ones.
Kelowna also got some recognition, being named the second-best small city in Canada.
Resonance Consultancy, which just named Vancouver the 69th best city in the world, looked at various factors when declaring Victoria and Kelowna the best and second-best small cities in Canada.
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Resonance Consultancy looked at six key categories when ranking world cities: place, product, programming, people, prosperity, and promotion. Victoria was the best in both product and programming.
Programming deals with factors like arts, culture and entertainment, while product focuses on infrastructure, airports, museums and universities.
Kelowna was second best for programming and best in promotion, which takes online stories, references and recommendations into account.
Victoria
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Resonance Consultancy suggests some ignorance at play when people look at Victoria, BC.
“Canada’s best small city is fine with you thinking it’s just for the ‘newly wed and nearly dead.’ Such out-of-date ignorance will keep the hiking trails empty, the traffic jams tolerable and the walk-in clinic wait times minimal,” says Resonance.
Resonance adds that these cliches about Victoria are out-of-date and that when anyone visits Victoria, they fall in love hard.
Resonance goes so far as to call the natural beauty of Victoria “mind-blowing.”
Victoria is applauded for its temperate climate and natural amenities that allow its inhabitants to bike, surf and more.
The deep dive into Victoria suggests the pandemic benefited the allure of this BC gem of a city.
“As the pandemic shuttered tourism, it elevated the city’s stature as a hometown (or second hometown) for Canadians and wannabe Canadians.”
Resonance pointed to a popular business podcast host who reflected on Victoria, who said, “I don’t understand why I don’t live here.”
Victoria also has one of the highest numbers of breweries per capita.
Kelowna
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While Victoria gets a lot of fame, Kelowna doesn’t get as much attention.
Kelowna is the third-largest urban centre in BC, according to Resonance.
“And while it was growing quickly before the pandemic, powered by a carousel of cashing-out downsizers and retirees from Vancouver and Toronto, Alberta investors riding long oil spikes and outdoor lovers not afraid of commitment, its population has popped over the past two-and-a-half years.”
Resonance Consultancy’s report suggests Kelowna has a population of 142,687 in the city proper.
Kelowna is celebrated for having excellent air quality “as long as the forest fires are kept at bay.”
Like Victoria, Kelowna’s key attributes include its natural wonders and a city great for commuter cyclists and mountain bikers. Resonance also shouts out Kelowna’s golf courses.
“Winter is equally epic, with three major ski resorts (Big White, Apex Mountain and Silverstar) an hour or less away.”
Speaking of Big White, it has just announced its opening dates, with plans to open well ahead of schedule.
Nightlife and restaurants are also a big part of why Kelowna ranked so high, with a “bounty of places to eat” and many local breweries.
To read more about Canada’s best small cities, click here.