When you’re thinking about retirement destinations, do you think about Canada?

Canada may not come to mind as readily as, say, Mexico or the French Riviera, but plenty of people do retire to Canada from other countries.

And many others, particularly Americans, choose to live in Canada part-time during their retirement years.

Why retire to Canada?

A reasonable cost of living, good weather (yes, really!), and of course, readily-available health care are all advantages of choosing Canada as a retirement destination.

MoneySense magazine considered these factors and more — including low taxes, low crime rates, ease of getting around on foot, and affordable homes — in their recent ranking of Canada’s 10 Best Places to Live: Retirement.

Five of the Top 10 are in BC

Five of the top 10 Canadian places to retire are in British Columbia — perhaps not unexpected, since BC has the country’s mildest climate.

The city of Victoria topped the list, with Vancouver, Courtenay (on Vancouver Island), Vernon (in the Okanagan), and Salmon Arm (on Shuswap Lake in central BC) making the Top 10.

But weather isn’t the only factor. The rest of the Top 10 best places were in Ontario or Quebec.

Kingston, Ontario came in at Number 2, and Ottawa, the nation’s capital, ranked third.

Here’s the entire list:

1. Victoria, BC
2. Kingston, ON
3. Ottawa, ON
4. Vancouver, BC
5. London, ON
6. Courtenay, BC
7. Vernon, BC
8. Cobourg, ON
9. Joliette, QC
10. Salmon Arm, BC

For more information

You can read more about retirement-related immigration issues in the “Getting Started” section of this website.

For more resources about retiring in Canada, visit the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) and Seniors Canada.

Photo ©Carolyn B. Heller