When it comes to the most liveable cities in the world, no country can top Canada.
Once again, three Canadian cities have claimed Top 10 honours on Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) 2023 Global Liveability Index — more than any other country on the list.
Vienna, Austria held onto its top spot in the 2023 ranking and its success is attributed to a “winning combination” of good culture and entertainment, reliable infrastructure, stability and excellent education and health care sectors.
However, two Australian cities, Sydney and Melbourne, jumped into the Top 5, bumping Calgary out of its #3 ranking last year. Alberta’s largest city slid down to seventh place this year, tied with Zurich, Switzerland, and is now sandwiched between Vancouver (#5) and Toronto (#9).
An undated photo of Calgary’s skyline with fireworks.
Getty Images
Calgary’s dip can likely be attributed to what the EIU calls “a return to order” following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year saw Australian cities take a big tumble in the rankings after a particularly infectious strain of COVID seized the island continent.
“They have seen their scores in the health care category improve since last year, when they were still affected by Covid waves that stressed their healthcare systems,” said the research firm.
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However, Canada was the only country in the world to have three of its cities crack the Top 10. Australia and Switzerland were the only other countries to post more than one city at the top of the pile.
In fact, the overall index has now reached a 15-year high, thanks to pandemic recovery. The average index score is now 76.2 out of 100, up from 73.2 a year ago.
“Education has emerged stronger with children returning to schools alongside a significantly reduced burden on hospitals and healthcare systems,” the report said.
The EIU ranked 173 cities on more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Access to health care, amount of green space, cultural and sports activities, crime rates and infrastructure are some of the factors considered in the rankings.
Top 10 Cities
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1. Vienna, Austria
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Melbourne, Australia
4. Sydney, Australia
5. Vancouver, Canada
6. Zurich, Switzerland
7. Calgary, Canada
7. Geneva, Switzerland
9. Toronto, Canada
10. Osaka, Japan
10. Auckland, New Zealand
Other big comebacks and slips
“The removal of COVID-related restrictions has overall boded well for global liveability in 2023,” Upasana Dutt, Head of Liveability Index at EIU, said in a statement.
The easing and removal of pandemic restrictions in Asian-Pacific cities — many of which faced harsh lockdowns in pursuit of a zero-COVID strategy — meant big jumps in liveability scores.
Eight of the top 10 climbs on the overall index were Asian cities, including Hong Kong, which moved up 13 places since last year, to rank the 61st most liveable in the world.
Residents line up to get tested for the coronavirus at a temporary testing center for COVID-19, in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022.
Kin Cheung / The Associated Press
New Zealand’s Wellington rose 35 spots to take 23rd place, while Auckland rose 25 places to land at number 10. Hanoi, Vietnam moved up 20 places to 129.
Of the top 10 biggest drops in rankings, three come from cities in the U.K. — Edinburgh, Manchester and London — and two in the U.S.: Los Angeles and San Diego.
A decline in stability
And while scores were up, overall, in almost every category, EIU said that stability has suffered a “marginal” decline due to “instances of civil unrest in many cities amid a cost-of-living crisis, as well as an uptick in crime in some cities.”
“Strains on public order and economic headwinds have also increased instances of crime in some cities, and this will continue to be a risk for the future,” said Barsali Bhattacharyya, Industry Research Manager with EIU.
“All of this suggests that stability scores in our Liveability Index are unlikely to recover quickly.”
Little change in least liveability
The bottom of the list saw few changes this year, featuring cities facing civil unrest, war and conflict.
People take cover at a metro station during a Russian rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, May 29, 2023.
Evgeniy Maloletka / The Associated Press
Ukrainian city Kyiv returned to the list this year, after being excluded last year due to Russia’s invasion. It is now in the bottom 10.
“The war in Ukraine and the resulting economic and political disruption are affecting liveability in many European cities,” reads the report.
“Unsurprisingly, this is most noticeable in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, which re-joins the survey this year.”
Algeria’s Algiers, Libya’s Tripoli and Syria’s Damascus were ranked the three least liveable cities in the world.
TORONTO – The Canadian Institute for Health Information says more than 7,000 people with diabetes undergo a leg, foot or toe amputation every year — and the majority of those procedures could have been prevented.
The report issued today says people with diabetes living in the lowest-income neighbourhoods are three times more likely to have an amputation than those living in the highest-income communities.
It also says people with diabetes living in remote communities are at higher risk of leg amputations than those living in urban centres.
Erin Pichora, CIHI’s program lead for population health, says lack of access to a primary-care provider to help people manage diabetes is one likely factor behind the inequalities.
She says disparities are also likely in access to specialists who can treat diabetic wounds on people’s feet — including podiatrists and chiropodists — before they worsen.
Diabetes Canada says the report shows the importance of ensuring people with diabetes have equitable access to the care and resources they need.
“People living with diabetes who undergo amputations face significant emotional and financial distress,” Laura O’Driscoll, senior manager of policy at Diabetes Canada, said in an emailed statement to The Canadian Press.
“We need to ensure that everyone with diabetes has affordable, timely access to the medications, devices, education, and care needed to manage their condition and prevent complications like amputation.”
The CIHI researchers reviewed hospital records from across Canada for fiscal years 2020-2021 and 2022-2023 and found about 7,720 “lower limb” amputations associated with diabetes per year among people 18 and older.
Each year there were about 3,080 hospitalizations for “above-ankle” leg amputations and 4,640 hospitalizations for “ankle-and-below” amputations, including feet and toes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
GRAND FORKS, B.C. – Wildfire officials say an evacuation order for the B.C. southern Interior town of Grand Forks, has been downgraded to an alert, even as an out-of-control wildfire in Washington state surges north and threatens to cross the border.
The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary says residents must be ready to leave at a moment’s notice since the Goosmus wildfire remains a risk to life and safety.
Emergency Info BC says the updated alert, posted late Wednesday, is in place for west of Highway 41 and south of Highway 3, as well as properties west of Highway 3 from Sleepy Hollow Rd to Phoenix Rd.
It is advising everyone under alert to review their emergency plans and stock a grab-and-go bag.
The district says that when necessary, residents should leave via Highway 3, go to the Jack Goddard Memorial Arena in Grand Forks, and wait in their vehicles until the reception centre opens.
The district says if you cannot evacuate at that time, you should call 911.
The BC Wildfire Service dashboard says the fire was discovered Wednesday and is about two square kilometres in size.
Mark Stephens, director of the district’s emergency operations centre, called it “a very fast-moving and developing situation.”
“We ask everyone to stay vigilant and to keep checking the (regional district’s) website for information,” he said in an online statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2024.
Calgary police fired stun guns at a man and punched him in the head before he was put in restraints and died, investigators with Alberta’s police watchdog said Wednesday.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, or ASIRT, said in a release that police were called on Sept. 17 about a man loitering near the check-in desk of the Carriage House Hotel and Conference Centre.
The agency said the man appeared dazed when he was told to leave by an officer. The man tried to pick up items from the floor that weren’t there.
When the officer pointed a Taser at the man, ordering him again to leave, ASIRT said the man raised his hands and started to walk out. He told police: “I don’t want to die.”
“The lone officer tells the male to stop talking and continues to point the weapon at him,” the agency said.
It said two other officers began walking through the main doors toward the man, and he stopped and repeated that he didn’t want to die. The first officer put away his Taser and tried to grab the man.
“At no point during the interaction had the male been identified, nor was he ever told he was being detained or under arrest,” ASIRT said.
It said the man physically resisted the officer and was tackled to the ground by another officer, who then punched the man in the head. At this point, ASIRT said the three officers fought the man for 3 1/2 minutes with “various uses of force.”
The man was put in handcuffs and leg restraints, and a spit mask was placed on his mouth, said ASIRT.
“The male is noted to be bleeding from the mouth and vomits,” the agency said.
It said seven minutes later, the man was sedated by emergency crews and left lying face down. After three more minutes, he was found to be unresponsive.
“The male was then provided medical care but declared deceased at the scene.”
Calgary police said in a release that same day that officers were called to the hotel for a man “acting erratically” in the lobby who was refusing to leave. They said the man wasn’t co-operating and was still being combative after a Taser was pulled out.
Police said the man was pepper-sprayed and taken into custody and shortly after went into medical distress.
A police spokeswoman said Wednesday the three officers involved have been placed on a standard 30-day leave.
“We know there’s a family and a community grieving this loss and our thoughts are with them during this difficult time,” said a statement.
ASIRT, which looks into serious allegations of police misconduct, said its investigation will examine the use of force by the officers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2024.
