Rankings don’t count for much (editorial)

London Community News

When MoneySense Magazine unveiled its list of Canada’s Best Places to Live recently, London landed in the 36th spot, a marked decline from last year’s ranking as 14th. We hope residents took this list for what it was: a bit of fluff reading. Like any “top 10” list or survey, Canada’s Best Places to Live is nothing more than infotainment designed to generate a few minutes of discussion — and sell a few magazines. The list, by some, is regarded as either a reason for bragging rights by the top-ranked locations, or a source of embarrassment by those who didn’t fare as well. The criteria in establishing the list is a bit convoluted, as is the points-awarded system. Using municipal data and information from Statistics Canada and other sources MoneySense ranked 190 towns and cities in Canada by 22 separate categories. However, the rankings in some categories could leave readers scratching their heads. Side-by-side cities can have dramatically varying results, even in a category like weather. Exactly how the list was generated, why it is compiled, what it leaves out and what it means seem to get lost in the general buzz about who ranked where. In the end, we all know it’s people, not numbers, that make or break a town or city: Neighbours, friends, relationships. It’s also attitude and atmosphere, volunteers and community, your favourite restaurant, parks, etc.— these are the things that truly matter. Home is where the heart is and that is the only ranking that matters. On an interesting side note, London also ranked top five city for cheaters across Canada, according to a list compiled by AshleyMadison.com, a ‘dating’ website for married people. Go figure.