Canada’s ‘Haves’ and ‘Have Nots’ Map Changing Dramatically
The China (and Asian) driven commodities boom has been a godsend to Saskatchewan and Alberta. 9 of the top 20 cities with the highest per capita incomes are in western Canada.
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http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/12/19/interactive-canadas-richest-cities/#tips
The commodity boom is rewriting the list of the “haves” and “have-nots” in Canada. Toronto is nowhere near the top of Canada’s rank of wealthiest urban areas, while Montreal and Vancouver don’t even make the cut. Small and mid-sized cities are clearly winning the day.
The biggest dots on our map are, of course, in Alberta, with tiny Fort McMurray, right next to the Athabasca oil sands, topping the charts.
One needn’t look much further east to find more stories of vertiginous growth, happy realtors and chronic labour shortages. Welcome to Saskatchewan, the only province planning to run a budget surplus this fiscal year. The resource boom that started a decade ago is now prominently on display in Regina and Saskatoon, which boast, respectively, the lowest unemployment and highest population growth rates of any metropolitan area in Canada.