Macleans Magazine unveiled its Best Communities in Canada list for 2019 with Prince George ranking 191st out of the 415 communities listed.
It was based on the city’s housing affordability, taxes, and amenities but could also be filtered up or down if you factor in age demographics, crime, and weather.
Mayor Lyn Hall told MyPGNow.com the northern capital has come a long way since being named the most dangerous city in Canada a few years ago and points to the many positives the city has.
“One of the things that I continue to talk about are the positives of Prince George if we continue to dwell on the negative things we see in various rankings that does the city no good, we need to focus on what this city is all about and there are tremendous things happening.”
“I’m pleased with our city, I’m ecstatic about our city, about what we have to offer and the livability of it.”
Hall is also on board with the theory that the northern capital is quickly becoming a year-round destination due to its abundance of recreational opportunities.
“And that’s the whole recreational side of things where people can enjoy their cabins, lakes, rivers, and fish along with the walking and hiking the trails in the summer and winter. We have a number of things that the city provides for people who are looking for that lifestyle.”
“Those are the things that make Prince George the fantastic city that it is. You throw recreation, you throw in the arts, and we are such a well-rounded community and offer so much and I think for me it’s the affordable housing, the economy is good, we have good-paying jobs and people can retire here.”
As of July, Prince George remained one of the most affordable housing markets in the province with an average home price of $343,000 making the city an attractive option for people of all ages including retirees and young families.
“It’s about giving the amenities that people are looking for and need to stay here and to return to Prince George or as I have said many times about the seniors who retire that go away during the winter but I want them to come back in the spring and summer but in order to do that, we have to have the amenities to go along with it.”
For all of its good parts, there are some people who believe Prince George is still an isolated city stuck in the middle of nowhere, however, Hall disagrees with this notion stating the northern capital is in a much better spot than others across Canada.
“We are smack-dab in the middle of the province with accessibility by road and air is much greater than many other communities throughout the country and what I think we are trying to do is talk about the positive attributes that Prince George provides all ages.”
The highest-rated city in BC from the Macleans rankings was Salmon Arm, which came in sixth while the highest-ranked northern city was Terrace (35th).
For a complete list of the rankings click here.