Nearly 40,000 Canadians took a survey. Here's where the happiest people live
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These results come from a recently released Leger poll, the 2025 edition of Happy Cities. It was based on data from 39,841 Canadian adults, 18 and over, who took an online survey between March 31 and April 13.
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The City of Mississauga ranked highest out of Canada's 10 largest cities, with a happiness index of 70.3 out of 100.
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'This reflects the quality of life our residents enjoy — from green spaces and strong public services to a resilient economy and inclusive community programs,' she said, in a news release on Tuesday. 'While these survey results are encouraging, we remain committed to listening to our residents.'
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Following Mississauga and Montreal in terms of happiness in Canada's 10 largest cities are Hamilton, Ontario (67.5), Calgary, Alberta (67.4), Brampton, Ontario (66.7), Ottawa, Ontario (66.4), Edmonton, Alberta (66.3), Vancouver, B.C. (66.3), Winnipeg, Manitoba (65.9) and, coming in last, Toronto, Ontario (65.8).
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Coming in first was Quebec, followed by New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Those three provinces were above average for happiness.
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Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
100 years later, the Scopes ‘Monkey Trial' still resonates
Opinion The tiny unincorporated community of Petersburg, Ky., 32 kilometres west of Cincinnati, Ohio, is home to the state-of-the-art Creation Museum, a 75,000 square-foot facility that 'allows families to experience history as God has revealed in the Bible.' Opened in 2007, the museum is the brainchild of Ken Ham, now 74 years old, an Australian Christian fundamentalist and former science teacher. After he relocated to the United States, he established his Christian creationist organization/ministry, Answers in Genesis (AIG) and initially raised about US$35 million towards the museum's development. In 2016, AIG opened Ark Encounter, located in Williamstown, Ky., 64 kilometres from the museum, a theme-park that features a life-sized replica of Noah's Ark — built according to the specifications outlined in the Book of Genesis. Ticket prices to the museum and ark are not inexpensive — nearly US$110 for adults and US$60 for youth ages 11 to 17. Nonetheless, since 2017, there have been an average of 800,000 visitors each year. And since 2007, more than 10 million adults and children have wandered through the exhibits, which postulates among other controversial suppositions, that about 4,300 years ago dinosaurs and humans co-existed and that dinosaurs were washed away in the Great Flood that precipitated Noah constructing his ark. The dinosaur flood theory might sound a bit off the wall, yet creationist beliefs remain somewhat strong in the U.S. Last July, a Gallup poll found that 37 per cent of Americans are convinced that God created humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years (in 2007, it was 42 per cent). About the same number of Americans — 44 per cent in a 2022 poll — think that creationist ideas should be taught in schools. Canadian opinion is no different. According to a 2024 poll conducted by Research Company in Vancouver, 41 per cent of Canadians think creationism should be part of the school curriculum. At the same time, a large number of Americans and Canadians equally believe that the theory of evolution advanced by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in the mid-19th century should have a prominent place in education. The most famous debate between creationists and evolutionists occurred a hundred years ago this summer in a courtroom in the sleepy town of Dayton, Tenn. In 1925, the state of Tennessee had passed an anti-evolution statute, which banned teaching 'any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.' (The political alignment was quite different then: the legislation was spearheaded by John W. Butler, a Democratic Party state representative.) Any educator violating the act could be found guilty of a misdemeanour and fined a maximum of US$500 and not less than US$100. The American Civil Liberties Union decided to challenge the act. The organization found a willing volunteer to test the new law in John Scopes, a 24-year-old science teacher and football coach at Dayton's high school. He had used a state-sanctioned biology text in his classroom that included a chapter on Darwin's theory of evolution. He was charged with violating the statute and the matter wound up in court. Over a period of 11 days, from July 10 to 21, the 'Monkey Trial' — so named because of the misinterpreted view that Darwin was supposed to have claimed that humans were directly descended from apes — was the number one news story in North America and beyond. Hundreds of journalists descended upon Dayton including the witty writer and critic H.L. Mencken, who covered every fascinating moment of the proceedings, referring to it as the greatest trial 'since that held before (Pontius) Pilate.' The high drama in the court mainly owed to the participation of Clarence Darrow, at the time the most famous criminal attorney in the U.S., who had been recruited by the ACLU to defend Scopes; and William Jennings Bryan, a celebrated orator and Democratic Party politician, who acted for the prosecution. For years, Bryan had mocked Darwin's theories (Mencken called him a 'fundamentalist Pope'). Darrow and Bryan argued about the history of western civilization, Darwin's writings, and the accuracy of the Bible. The judge even allowed Darrow to call Bryan as a witness and question him about Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel and Noah's Ark. In the end, Scopes was found guilty and fined US$100. It was a hollow victory for the creationists. Still, Tennessee (among other states) did not repeal the 1925 legislation until 1967. 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Vancouver Sun
20 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Nearly 40,000 Canadians took a survey. Here's where the happiest people live
Nearly 40,000 Canadians took a survey on happiness, revealing where the happiest people live across the country. These results come from a recently released Leger poll, the 2025 edition of Happy Cities . It was based on data from 39,841 Canadian adults, 18 and over, who took an online survey between March 31 and April 13. The City of Mississauga ranked highest out of Canada's 10 largest cities, with a happiness index of 70.3 out of 100. The happiness index calculates how a person perceives their own happiness, using a scale from 0 to 100. It is based on 25 factors that participants are surveyed on, including how they feel about their community, society as a whole, the environment, their health, finances, relationships and work. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Mississauga ranked above Canada's average of 68.7. The only other city that also had above average happiness was Montreal, which followed Mississauga closely, at 69.4. Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish said it was 'wonderful' to see the city getting recognition. 'This reflects the quality of life our residents enjoy — from green spaces and strong public services to a resilient economy and inclusive community programs,' she said, in a news release on Tuesday. 'While these survey results are encouraging, we remain committed to listening to our residents.' Following Mississauga and Montreal in terms of happiness in Canada's 10 largest cities are Hamilton, Ontario (67.5), Calgary, Alberta (67.4), Brampton, Ontario (66.7), Ottawa, Ontario (66.4), Edmonton, Alberta (66.3), Vancouver, B.C. (66.3), Winnipeg, Manitoba (65.9) and, coming in last, Toronto, Ontario (65.8). Although Ontario had the most cities in the top 10, it ranked low on the list of happiest provinces. Coming in first was Quebec, followed by New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Those three provinces were above average for happiness. 'Quebecers have a really like positive mindset in a way,' one Montreal resident told CityNews . 'We see things a lot more optimistically.' 'We are French and English so we have both worlds, languages and vibes,' another resident told CityNews. However, one person was shocked by the results. 'I'm a little surprised honestly,' the Montrealer told CityNews, citing the economy as an issue. 'It surprises me that like one of the happiest — happy, yes — but one of the happiest… I'm a little surprised not gonna lie.' Saskatchewan came in fourth, followed by Nova Scotia, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island. Among the findings, the survey revealed what it referred to as a 'concerning reality' when Canadians were asked about whether their happiness had improved, stayed the same or had deteriorated over the past year. There were 28 per cent who said they were less happy. Almost half said their happiness remained stable and 23 per cent said they saw improvement. Young Canadians were more likely to report improvements in their happiness over the past year than older age groups. There were 36 per cent of Canadians aged 25 to 34 years old who said their happiness grew, compared to only 20 per cent of Canadians aged 55 and over. The survey found a 'sense of well-being emerging among younger age groups.' However, it said this also 'highlights the importance of supporting adults in mid-life, who are more vulnerable to the pressures of working life.' Overall, women were slightly happier than men. Women rated their happiness at 69.4, while men rated it at 68. According to a Leger news release about the survey, its results show a 'resilient and tested' population that is 'affected by everyday uncertainty and challenges.' 'Happiness, while holding its ground overall, shows signs of fragility,' it said. Canada ranked 18 out of 147 countries included in the latest World Happiness Report . Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
21 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Nearly 40,000 Canadians took a survey. Here's where the happiest people live
Nearly 40,000 Canadians took a survey on happiness, revealing where the happiest people live across the country. Article content These results come from a recently released Leger poll, the 2025 edition of Happy Cities. It was based on data from 39,841 Canadian adults, 18 and over, who took an online survey between March 31 and April 13. Article content The City of Mississauga ranked highest out of Canada's 10 largest cities, with a happiness index of 70.3 out of 100. Article content Article content Article content 'This reflects the quality of life our residents enjoy — from green spaces and strong public services to a resilient economy and inclusive community programs,' she said, in a news release on Tuesday. 'While these survey results are encouraging, we remain committed to listening to our residents.' Article content Article content Following Mississauga and Montreal in terms of happiness in Canada's 10 largest cities are Hamilton, Ontario (67.5), Calgary, Alberta (67.4), Brampton, Ontario (66.7), Ottawa, Ontario (66.4), Edmonton, Alberta (66.3), Vancouver, B.C. (66.3), Winnipeg, Manitoba (65.9) and, coming in last, Toronto, Ontario (65.8). Article content Coming in first was Quebec, followed by New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Those three provinces were above average for happiness. Article content
