Vancouver: the unhappiest city in Canada, according to Statistics Canada report

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      It's the International Day of Happiness (April 20). But if you live in Vancouver, you might not know that.

      Vancouver may regularly rank among the top cities in the world to live in but when it comes to life satisfaction, we're at the bottom of the Canadian list.

      A new report from Statistics Canada revealed how satisfied citizens are across the country from 2009 to 2013.

      In a comparison of 33 metropolitan areas in Canada, the highest rates of satisfaction came from Eastern Canada, with Saguenay, Quebec (8.245), topping the list, followed by Trois-Rivières, Quebec (8.176), and St. John's, Newfoundland (8.174).

      The bottom three cities were Windsor (7.850), followed by two of Canada's biggest cities: Toronto (7.818), and Vancouver (7.808).

      In comparison, Montreal rated 7.976.

      The highest ranking B.C. city was Kelowna (7.985), followed by Victoria (7.885).

      The national score was 7.973.

      The percentage of Vancouver respondents who ranked their life satisfaction as 6 or less was 16.2. That's about double the percentage of Saguenay, which was 8.6. Toronto came in slightly higher at 17.1 percent. The Canadian average was 14.3.

      However, on a chart comparing the life satisfaction of citizens in 58 Canadian economic regions, the Lower Mainland-Southwest B.C. ranked about mid-way (8.14) and was the highest charting B.C. economic region.

      Nord-du-Québec topped this list at 8.40, and Northeast B.C. ranked lowest at 7.84.

      Life satisfaction was slightly higher among women than men, and slightly lower among immigrants than Canadian-born citizens.

      The report precedes a symposium at the Museum of Vancouver on measuring and improving quality of life, presented by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research on Tuesday (April 21). Grant Schellenberg, one of the co-authors of the Statistics Canada study, will discuss the Statistics Canada data. 

      Comments

      4 Comments

      Mickey Mouse

      Apr 20, 2015 at 8:00pm

      Vancouver has a lot of problems that don't affect the rest of Vancouver as much. In this city the elite have all the advantages while the not so elite struggle. The unemployed, welfare, druggies, prostitutes , gangsters have it the worst. Small families are trapped in the worst nightmare you can imagine. Every day they do a head count to see if anyone is missing. The can't even dream of getting away.
      The streets erupt on a regular basis and that just shows the frustration.
      The city is going to relieve some of the pressure by making drugs legal so you just don't feel so bad with what is going on. It's called dealing with the devil. They think it will work. They hope it will work. They have nothing else to offer so they sell us down the river. DTES is about to spread faster. Where are you going to run?
      An immigrant once told me "Canada is for sale", was she ever right. Who's the buyer and who's the seller? How many farms in the valley are for sale? Beef, pork, chicken, vegetables have warnings of extreme problems and prices are beyond belief and always going up.
      Only the elite can afford to live here. Anyone see a change coming soon?

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      slimbo

      Apr 21, 2015 at 9:09am

      It's quite shocking when you come from other places to Vancouver, like say Thailand or Mexico or even Seattle. The snobby hipsters won't even hold a door for you, non english speakers from Asia rude and arrogant in BMW look like they photocopy people no soul no culture. The homeless junkies everywhere, the real estate notices reminding you how much Vancouver has turned into an absolute playground for rich idiots from China. Canada needs to stop letting people buy homes and live here that contribute nothing except for realtors fees and things, the whole problem is the place was to nice, and to fun and to happy at one time. There is still places in BC that have avoided this but they are coming up here they want to buy our lives here too.

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      John of Vancouver

      Apr 21, 2015 at 1:13pm

      Nobody is suprised with this finding. There are two obvious reasons. One, the second highest housing prices in the world. Second, multiculturalism. As was found in a Harvard Study, "contrary to liberals’ dreams, Putnam did not find people of different ethnicities inevitably discover “harmony” or enjoy "fusion.” (http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2014/02/09/ethnic-diversitys-inconvenient-... ). So, the proverbial mutlicultural chickens are coming home to roost, and because liberal minded people are taught in school to prostate themselves before multiculturalism, they are the authors of their own un-happiness.

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      lenlew

      Apr 22, 2015 at 1:34am

      The whole lower mainland is a cess pool. Geographically it is a beautiful, strategic location. Crime is a huge problem, in your face
      24/7. Gang violence and shootings in shopping malls and restaurants (in shopping hours)
      Young gang bangers everywhere wearing clothing with threatening slogans- all praising illegal drugs.
      People who have no idea about personal space barging and pushing to get ahead...... both on foot and in their cars.

      Yes and it costs a lot to live here. Besides the dollars, the loss of peace, safety and happiness cannot be measured.
      signed.
      getting out

      ]

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