The Best Place to Live in Quebec

Boucherville

On the fringe of a big city like Montreal it would be easy to dismiss Boucherville as another sleepy suburb. And in some ways it is, with large homes on sprawling lots in an area peppered with golf courses and green space. But Boucherville isn’t your typical bedroom community. With an economy all its own, it’s home to several major companies, including the billion-dollar auto part distributor, Uni-Select and national hardware chain Rona.

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This year, Boucherville slipped to the fifth spot overall after claiming the top spot in 2015, due in part to a dip in the city’s population growth rate relative to some other cities vying to be the Best Place to Live in Canada. Still, the predominately francophone community stands in sharp contrast to Montreal, just a 30-minute drive away. While Montreal struggles with unenviable high unemployment, low wages and small but expensive homes, Boucherville’s unemployment rate is estimated to be amongst the lowest in Canada. It also boasts household incomes that are double what they are across the river.

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Boucherville photo credit: (Creative Commons)

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