MoneySense Magazine published their annual Best Places to Live index, and two east coast communities have made the Top 10.  In their April issue, Fredericton and Moncton, New Brunswick were awarded the 4th and 5th best places to live in Canada, respectively.  Ottawa was crowned the #1 spot while Halifax and Toronto were ranked at #14 and #85 out of 179 communities.

Here's a choice quote from Chris St. Clair, Weather Network broadcaster, former Haligonian and Acadia University alumnus:

“Fredericton is a beautiful city. They’ve really done a nice job redeveloping their downtown.” He remembers being unimpressed with Moncton when he went there as child, but since then, thanks to one of the healthiest growth rates in the country, the city has come a long way.

MoneySense takes an analytical approach to their rankings, using statistics on affordable housing, prosperity, ease of travel, good weather among others.

In 2009, Fredericton and Moncton were recognized as two of the "World’s Top Seven Most Intelligent Communities" by the Intelligent Community Forum due to their intense investment in wireless and IT infrastructure.

Unfortunately, not all east coast communities faired well in the index. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Summerside, PEI were ranked at #169 and #172. MoneySense cited population decline as the major factor for their low scores.

What are your thoughts? How accurate do you feel these rankings are?