The ranking, compiled by Resonance Consultancy, a firm that examines the world’s top urban destinations, ranked the communities 10th, 14th and 22nd respectively out of 25 cities on the 2022 list. It says it used “statistical performance and quality ratings from locals and visitors” to come up with a score for each city in six key categories. Lethbridge’s sunny days and access to world-class tourist attractions like Waterton Lakes National Park, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park helped the city of about 100,000 people climb the rankings. “Your first glimpse of the city — two hours south of Calgary through postcard-perfect prairie towns and arid foothills rising to jagged peaks on the western horizon — is from the top of the Oldman River Valley, and you’ll never forget it,” the report said. Meanwhile, the location of St. Albert – minutes away from Edmonton – high median household income and top affluence was recognized by the company. “St. Albert is very much its own place—it’s one of the only bedroom communities around Edmonton that has its own hospital. “Sturgeon Community Hospital offers emergency, women’s health, cardiac care, surgical, medical, pediatric and rehabilitation care in modern, clean facilities. In a province with a crippling outflow of physicians, St. Albert supports more than 2.5 physicians per 1,000 residents— good for number 18 among small cities in Canada.” Last among the Alberta communities in Resonance’s ranking is the city of Airdrie, located just north of Calgary. He says the city’s prosperity ranks third among the Canadian cities he reviewed, as well as third in population growth. “Local leadership, knowing full well that many residents commute to Cowtown for work, are lowering property taxes and eliminating the city’s business tax to encourage homegrown innovation. It’s working.” Resonance also noted Airdrie’s affordable real estate market and “planned amenities,” such as a multimillion-dollar library and community space it said are scheduled to open in 2025. Meanwhile, several major Canadian cities made Resonance’s ranking of the world’s top cities for 2022, with Toronto ranked 18th, Vancouver 46th, Montreal 48th, Calgary 49th, Ottawa 84th and Edmonton at 86th.
