Niagara Falls, St. Catharines both make Canada’s best small cities list
Published November 25, 2022 at 3:48 pm
A website that ranks cities from around the world recently turned their sights on Canada and selected the country’s “Top 25 Best Small Cities.”
Both Niagara Falls and St. Catharines made the list, compiled by “worldsbestcities.com”.
Coming in at Number Four, Niagara Falls had a number of pluses to put it this high on the list.
“Of course, the city is and will always be a tourist destination, both for regional families and for Canadaphiles who need to check Clifton Hill and Lundy’s Lane off their bucket lists every few years,” said the site. “Not surprisingly, it ranks #1 among small cities in Canada for Family-friendly Activities, #2 for Theatres and #3 for Sights & Landmarks.”
However, they added, it was about more than just tourist attractions. “Opening later this summer, the new Niagara Falls Cultural Hub & Market (also known as Niagara Falls Exchange, or NFX) will become a vibrant cultural and social centre of activity by providing shared spaces where artists, musicians, food vendors, patrons and local businesses can come together and create.”
Ask area residents, the website noted and “they’re just as likely to rave about the area’s urban and natural bounties as they are about the visitor economy. Rivers flow everywhere, and the proximity to a very prominent and prosperous wine region blends a satisfying reward at the end of a long hike—sweet validation of the city’s #4 ranking in our Parks & Outdoors subcategory.”
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Just making the list at Number 25, the website said St. Catharines “just feels more sophisticated, more ambitious” than the average small city. I
As the largest city in the Niagara region and the sixth-largest urban area in Ontario, the city’s “historic downtown – it’s held a farmers’ market since the 1860s – and impressive housing stock can take a lot of the credit.”
“Recent investment have created a nerve centre for events, music and the #4-ranked restaurants among Canada’s small cities, powered by the dozens of award-winning vineyards around town. Anchored by the eight-year-old Meridian Centre (a $50-million performance venue with 5,000 seats), the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre and the new Warehouse Concert Hall, this stealth creative hub ranks #8 in Canada in our overall Programming category.”
The website concluded, “All this creativity, foodie culture and some of the province’s most impressive breweries has people who missed out on affordability in Hamilton looking further west. House prices have been climbing rapidly as a result, and more is being built, including a 28-storey condo development that will be the city’s tallest residential building.”
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