How do you rank the Canadian cities in terms of importance? (oil, horse)

[EndersDrift]

In another thread someone (American) said Vancouver is the preeminent city west of Toronto.

Got me thinking .... that I disagree. Based on what I know. But what do you all think? How do you rank all of the Canadian cities in terms of economic and global importance?


In alphabetical order to not influence bias, how do Canadians see these being ranked:

• Calgary
• Edmonton
• Montreal
• Ottawa
• Quebec City
• Regina
• Saskatoon
• Toronto
• Vancouver
• Winnipeg
• Whitehorse

Feel free to add any other cities you feel should be included. I know I didn't include any from the islands in the East.

[travis3000]

#1: Toronto
#2: Montreal
#3: Vancouver
#4: Calgary
#5: Edmonton
#6: Ottawa
#7: Winnipeg
#8: Saskatoon
#9: Regina
#10: Halifax

[BIMBAM]

Toronto
Montreal
Vancouver (metro, not city, like all of these)
Calgary
Edmonton
Ottawa
Quebec City
Winnipeg
Kitchner/Waterloo
Halifax
London
Saskatoon
St. John's
Regina
Victoria

Sorry, Alberta's important right now and if Calgary and Edmonton were one place they'd easily beat Vancouver, but they aren't so they don't. Vancouver's population is more than twice as large as either of them and that does matter. I wouldn't say it easily dominates, however.

[mikeyyc]

I think economically, especially domestically, Calgary is ahead of Vancouver, and may actually be ahead of Montreal.

Globally, and culturally, no contest. Vancouver hands down beats Alberta.

[BIMBAM]

Originally Posted by mikeyyc

I think economically, especially domestically, Calgary is ahead of Vancouver, and may actually be ahead of Montreal.

Globally, and culturally, no contest. Vancouver hands down beats Alberta.

No, I looked up some numbers. Calgary's GDP in 2006 was 56 billion dollars, while metro Vancouver's in 2010 was 90 billion and metro Montreal's in 2005 was 120 billion dollars. I know Calgary's GDP has probably grown somewhat since 2006, but I doubt it's been more than 4 or 5% a year (judging by some numbers I found while looking up this info), and these other cities would have grown economically as well. Calgary is booming, has high GDP per capita, and is important, but even though it's a rising star it's raw economic output does not surpass that of these older, bigger cities.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by BIMBAM

No, I looked up some numbers. Calgary's GDP in 2006 was 56 billion dollars, while metro Vancouver's in 2010 was 90 billion and metro Montreal's in 2005 was 120 billion dollars. I know Calgary's GDP has probably grown somewhat since 2006, but I doubt it's been more than 4 or 5% a year (judging by some numbers I found while looking up this info), and these other cities would have grown economically as well. Calgary is booming, has high GDP per capita, and is important, but even though it's a rising star it's raw economic output does not surpass that of these older, bigger cities.

Voilà. It is hard not to be impressed by Calgary, but the other cities' economies are still much bigger. I think Calgary probably has more "head offices" technically than Vancouver does (and may even have more than Montreal).

And although it is a cliché to say that Calgary's economy is just about oil (it isn't - I know), it is equally true that the economies of the other two cities are much more diversified.

[willg]

1. Toronto
2. Montreal
3. Vancouver
4. Calgary
5. Ottawa
6. Quebec city
7. Winnipeg
8. Regina
9. Saskatoon
10. Whitehorse

[Acajack]

No love for Hamilton on here? It has the exact same population as Winnipeg and Quebec City.

[ExtremeMan8]

Originally Posted by Acajack

No love for Hamilton on here? It has the exact same population as Winnipeg and Quebec City.

I agree. I'm quite surprised it's not up there. It's more important than Whitehorse, Regina, Saskatoon and Halifax.

[ExtremeMan8]

I think many people just skip Hamilton because it's close to Toronto and they add it in as part of the GTA so it is not as important as other cities I guess because the GTA overclouds it.