Best Retirement Places In Canada – Set in the heart of New Brunswick, Moncton is a hub for shopping, culture, education, and health care
During his 35-year career in radio and a seven-year stint working for the New Brunswick government, Doug Pond and his wife, Karen, have lived in many cities, but Moncton, their hometown, drew them back so often that while Pond’s gaze. In short, one of his former bosses asked what the attraction was. “It’s a beautiful city to live in,” replied Pond, who finally moved back to Moncton five years ago. “It has everything.”
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Susan Crawford and her husband, Brent, have also returned to Moncton to retire after many years in the Greater Toronto Area. For them, a big part of the appeal of the city of 71,000, which is nestled in the Petitcodiac River Valley, is its welcoming atmosphere and relaxed vibe. “It was the way of life we were looking for,” says Susan, noting that not only do locals say hello when they drive down the street, but drivers stop for pedestrians even when there’s no stop sign in sight.
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The affordability of housing here (in 2016, homes averaged $160,774, according to figures from the Canadian Real Estate Association) wasn’t just high on the Crawfords’ list of criteria — it allowed them to retire earlier than they otherwise would or could have got. With a new, custom home costing just half the proceeds from the sale of their Ontario home, “moving here freed up a lot of capital for us,” says Susan.
Set in the heart of the province, with an area population of about 141,000 (including the neighboring municipalities of Riverview and Dieppe), Moncton is also a hub for shopping, health care (the city has two hospitals, one French and one English). ), culture, transportation (it has an international airport), and education. Its bilingual identity and post-secondary community also contribute to a cosmopolitan flavor and inclusive, progressive nature. And yet you can get anywhere in the city within 20 minutes by car.
A community college, two universities (and another within a 40-minute drive), and Tantramar Seniors’ College offer a wealth of opportunities for lifelong learning. Rich Aboriginal and Acadian history add a vibrant sense of culture, reflected in museums, live theater, and concerts (venues include a new multi-event center, a casino, and the outdoor Magnetic Hill Concert Site, former host to such artists as The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen).
Moncton is also home to a cultural center that hosts many artists and 20 organizations, galleries (including one dedicated to First Nations art), the Makerspace of the Moncton Public Library (defined on the library’s website as “a place where people gather to share resources and knowledge). , learn new technology, build new skills, work on projects, network, and do pretty much anything!”), more than two dozen public artworks, and the week-long Inspire Public Arts Festival. Other events that performed throughout the year include the Acoustica free summer concert series, the Atlantic Nationals Auto Show (which coincides with Rotary Ribfest), and the Atlantic Motorcycle and ATV Show.Over the years, Moncton has also hosted world-class events such as World Curling hosted championships and an international francophone summit.
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“There’s also the Moncton Wildcats, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team,” points out Susan Crawford. “It’s good hockey because these are 16-to-20-year-olds hoping to make the NHL — and some of them do. There’s also basketball.”
A newly opened 8, 500-seat city entertainment and trade-show facility proves the ability of the city to successfully reinvent itself despite the successive departure of several large employers. “That seems to generate a lot of new hotels, restaurants and residential units,” says Doug Pond of the new facility. “Moncton never dies or gets old. We’ve always had forward thinking business people.”
On the food front, the area is full of different types of restaurants, wineries and microbreweries, as well as the Marché Moncton Market, a downtown farmers market that has more than 130 vendors. Dining options are especially good for seafood lovers, and there’s an annual lobster festival in nearby Shediac, a half-hour drive away and home to one of North America’s most beautiful beaches.
The city also clearly values its elders. For example, the mayor has a senior advisory committee that routinely makes suggestions for seniors (such as adding additional benches along parkways) and an education and accreditation program for senior-friendly businesses. “We also have a senior information center and a seniors club,” adds Greta Doucet. And for retirees who are interested in donating time and energy to an organization but need help matching an opportunity with their skills and interests, “there is a volunteer registry,” says Susan Crawford.
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Fitness aficionados can take advantage of the facilities at an excellent YMCA, take classes at the Moncton Lions Center for Seniors, and participate in activities ranging from tennis and lawn bowling to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at one of the city’s parks (the several embrace). thousand hectares). During warmer months, the Crawfords golf at least a few times a week (their condo backs up to a course). Whether you enjoy hunting, fishing, camping, or just lounging by the water, Moncton and the surrounding area offer a virtual outdoor playground. The area is also a place of great natural beauty, from the golden sand dunes and salt marshes of Kouchibouguac National Park, where you can spy a gray seal colony from a Voyageur canoe, to the reddish-brown flowerpot rock formations at Hopewell Rocks in Fundy National Park .
“There are bird groups, and there is rock and fossil hunting along the Fundy,” says Greta Doucet. “The Petitcodiac, our chocolate river with its tidal bore, now brings surfers, plus it has a walking path on the edge.” Miles of other trails thread through Moncton and connect it to Riverview and Dieppe.
Do the Crawfords miss life in a big metropolis? “We went to Toronto to work,” says Susan. “We came back to Moncton to live.”
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Jila Jalali moved to downtown Toronto after her children graduated from university, and the 68-year-old retired piano teacher has no regrets about choosing Canada’s largest metropolis as her place of retirement.
“My closest family lives in the city, and when you’re older, you need family around you,” Jalali said. “Of course, it’s ideal to spend your retirement days on a sandy beach or a small, cute town, but your priorities differ as you get older.”
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Jalali said one of the most important factors for her selection of Toronto was access to health care. This year’s results
Vibrant Toronto may not be the perfect hamlet in the country that many imagine as a dream place to relax in their golden years, but when it comes to practicality, it has a lot going for it. The city shot to the top this year, thanks to its vast network of healthcare services, robust public transport and ease of getting around. Small town living might be attractive in theory, but as we get older, these are some crucial factors to consider.
Toronto has top healthcare specialists and hospitals, including specialized centers such as the Princess Margaret Cancer Center and the Peter Munk Cardiac Center. It has the highest concentration of family physicians in the nation, with 3,145 offices.
Seniors moving to small towns can find the lifestyle alienating. That’s because it can be difficult to get from one place to another, especially if you’re too old to drive. Conversely, Toronto offers an excellent public transportation system, making it easier for seniors to get around.
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Toronto retirees benefit from the city’s limitless recreational capacity. In fact, Toronto is among the top 10 cities in our list for the percentage of its population employed in the arts and culture industry.
For Jalali, Toronto offers a perfect balance. She often gets to see her children, and she also gets to do volunteer work, which she says is critical to her mental health.
“I can’t imagine what I would do now if I didn’t work full time. Loneliness is a big problem for people my age,” she said. “Humans are social creatures, and I think to survive old age you have to stay active and be around people. Toronto is a perfect place for that.
Our ranking of the best communities for retirement is based on the same 10 categories as the main Best Communities ranking, but with the weights adjusted based on what we think is most important to retirees. We increase the importance of weather and health care and eliminate labor market statistics. For more information, please see the methodology page.
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5-year average of the Crime Severity Index in the area covered by the local police service (lower is better, national average = 73)
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