The Warmest Places to Live in Canada

Best Cities for Weather in Each Province

One thing that's important to remember regarding the weather in Canada is that, even in the same provinces, a lot of the cities have different climates. The farther apart they get, the more differences you notice as well.

British Columbia

BC offers a lot of different climates. There are areas that are very rainy throughout the year and then you have more interior areas that get hot summers, which are some of the warmest places in the province to live, but have more intense winters as well. Some parts of BC are more rainforest areas, while others have more desert-like climates. One city, however, that has a more moderate climate but still gorgeous weather is Victoria.

Victoria is a gorgeous city located in southern British Columbia on Vancouver Island. They offer some of the mildest temperatures in BC, with an average of 12 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius in the late spring and summer, which allows the city’s gardens to flourish.  Their winter temperatures are between 4 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius. It's not often you will find winter temperatures that drop below zero degrees Celsius. This actually makes it the warmest city in Canada in the winter. 

In BC, though, other parts of the province have different climates, such as the Okanagan Valley, which has a semi-arid climate with beautiful summers. However, if you visit Vancouver, which is another large city in BC, you’ll notice the weather is similar to Victoria allowing you to enjoy the city experiences in close proximity to the island.

Alberta

In Alberta, the climate is a little bit different than that of BC. This is because it's located in the prairie region of Canada. Located within this prairie region is Medicine Hat. This town is actually considered to be one of the sunniest cities in Canada. This is because they get really hot summers with limited rainfall. They get a large number of days during the summer that range between 20 degrees celsius and 30 degrees celsius.

In Medicine Hat, these long sunny days usually start around late May and end sometime in early September. That said, the great thing about this climate is that while the days are hot, the nights are cool. This helps to balance out the temperatures and make the heat more tolerable. In the winter, though, while it's milder than other parts of the country, the weather tends to be snowy and windy, as well as the occasional freezing temperatures. As you go further north, though, we see what other countries think of as a typical Canadian winter. Early fall comes and goes very quickly. 

Saskatchewan

In Saskatchewan, there are a few places that have beautiful weather, but the place with the best weather is a little town called Maple Creek. Maple Creek is located west of Swift Current. The reason it has the warmest weather is, because of its location, it receives warm air currents from the United States. They only really get 5 rainy days per month as well. Due to the fact it’s also located in the prairies, they have dry summers. 

Manitoba

Inherently, Manitoba is a cold province. That said, some places in Manitoba are warmer than others. One of the warmest places in the province is Brandon. In the summer, the temperatures can often be at least 30 degrees celsius or higher. Because there is less humidity here than other provinces, making it more tolerable with the high temperatures.

Ontario

Ontario can have pretty intense colder winters, which you may notice when you visit Toronto. There are towns that have higher yearly average temperatures than others. One of the most notable is a city close to the Niagara region called St. Catherines. It's close to Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, as well as Niagra Falls. Part of the reason it's so much warmer than other parts of Ontario is that it's provided some shelter by the Niagara Escarpment. This is what makes it a microclimate and less cold in the winter than other parts of the province. However, there are other parts of Ontario (Southern Ontario) that are considered to have a humid continental climate. 

Newfoundland and Labrador

In Newfoundland and Labrador, the temperatures differ depending on where you live. In the north, the temperatures are colder, with chilly winters, and they get warmer as you go further south. It becomes the warmest in the lower Exploits and Humber valleys. They can experience an average daily high temperature of up to 30 degrees Celsius. These temperatures go through to late August and early September. After that, the risk of tropical storms increases.

New Brunswick

Another Canadian province that does tend to be on the colder side is New Brunswick. One of the warmest places here is Fredericton. It's also known as the sunniest city in the province because it gets over 2,000 days of sunshine per year.

While Fredericton is sunny and has higher summer temperatures because it's located inland, it's also one of the coldest in the winter. It has a climate that's known as semi-continental. In the winter, there is usually snow greater than 1 cm in depth over 100 days per year.

Prince Edward Island

In PEI, the weather is generally the same all over the province. That said, one of the places in PEI that does have the nicest weather is Souris. This is because it's close to Singing Sands Beach. It has some of the warmest waters in PEI.

The weather here is relatively mild. They have warm summers that aren’t too hot, and they also tend to be partly cloudy. The winters, however, tend to be cold, snowy and yet still cloudy. The average yearly temperatures range from -10 degrees celsius to 22 degrees celsius making to semi pleasant weather year round. 

Quebec

In Quebec, the climate is relatively the same. That said, the warmest area around Quebec is Montreal. They have a climate that is known as humid continental. The average summer temperatures range around 26 degrees celsius to 27 degrees celsius. The average winter temperatures sit around 1 degree celsius and doesn’t consist of a lot of heavy snowfall while it’s still a great place for winter sports. 

If you haven't been to Montreal, it's the largest city in Quebec. Living here means that you are close to everything the big city has to offer. There are tons of local restaurants, nightlife, festivals and more. The city is full of culture and history. It also has outdoor activities as well as small towns that are less urban close by.

Nova Scotia

Halifax, which coincidentally is also the capital of Nova Scotia, is the warmest city in the province. It also happens to be the warmest city in eastern Canada. This is mostly due to its location right on the shores of the Atlantic, which makes it an oceanic climate. However, it's still on the east coast, so it's still going to be a bit colder than if you are used to weather on the west coast.

In the winter, the coldest it gets in Halifax is -15 degrees Celsius. In the summer months, though, it can go as high as 24 degrees Celsius. Essentially, the winter temperatures are higher than in other Nova Scotia cities. The summer temps are also lower, but is a good option for those looking to avoid temperatures dropping significantly like they do as you get into northern Canada. 

Warmest Places in Canada to Retire

When it comes to finding a place to retire, there are plenty of options available. That said, many of those who are at retirement age look for not only places that are affordable but also have warmer climates. The two most commonly chosen places are actually in the same province: British Columbia.

Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast is a popular place to retire. Not only is it more affordable than the larger cities, but it's also a gorgeous place to live. While it's still technically on the mainland, you do need to take at least one ferry to get there.

There are plenty of places on the Sunshine Coast for those who want to retire. If living on your own isn't what you want, there are also retirement communities available at affordable prices. The isolation makes it quiet, and there are plenty of outdoor activities to do.

Kelowna

Another popular place to retire in Canada is Kelowna. A few of its key features are the fact that it's known for its outdoor activities as well as its vineyards and orchards. These amazing features directly tie into the fact that Kelowna is one of the warmest Canadian cities. The summers are hot and dry while they have snowy and cold winters. There is a good balance of cold versus hot. There is even a good mix of partly cloudy skies in there as well.

Another reason that people choose Kelowna is that it's more affordable. The property tax rate is fairly low. The housing prices are also much lower than some of the larger cities with the average price of a housing at $700,000 and the average rent being around $1,300 per month.

Canada's Warmest City

Located in the Okanagan in British Columbia is Osoyoos. The average daily temperature there is 17 degrees celsius, which is the warmest in Canada. In the summertime, they can have up to 35 days that have temperatures as high as 30 degrees celsius.

Osoyoos is a relatively small town of around 5,000 people. It's also a tourist attraction. This has a lot to do with the fact there are a lot of vineyards in the Osoyoos area. Things grow well here because of the hot summer days but the cool summer nights. In the winter, however, the average temperatures are known to be around -2 degrees Celsius and -3 degrees Celsius. Temperatures have been known to be as low as -26 degrees Celsius in the winter and as high as 45 degrees Celsius in the summer.

Warmest Canadian City Year Round

Victoria isn't just one of the warmest cities in BC, it's also one of the warmest cities year round. Maybe even the warmest. This is because they have both mild winters and summers. The average annual temperature is 9.9 degrees celsius.

While we did discuss some of the things that Victoria can offer above, it's actually a gorgeous place to either live or visit. And it's just a ferry ride away from Vancouver, British Columbia. It's a pretty populated area with a population of over 39,000 people and has many thriving industries, including:

• Tourism
• Education
• Construction
• Marine use
• Retail
• Agriculture
• IT Technology

The mild weather and climate also allow for year round activities as well. There are castles as well as other historical landmarks in the area. They have plenty of outdoor markets to visit and there is the must do tourist event of having high tea at the Empress hotel.

Province With the Best Weather

While all of Canada is gorgeous, there are different climates that contribute to the different landscapes around the country. WIth all that in mind though, the warmest province is British Columbia. This really isn't that surprising since the warmest city in Canada is Victoria.

The highest average temperature throughout the province is a daily average of 7.6 degrees Celsius and average lows of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Generally, the only time you experience the lowest temperature is during the month of January.

Even though the weather is mild in BC, some places are warmer or colder than others. If you don't love snow, it's a good idea to stay in southern BC. As you get closer to northern BC, you will encounter more snow.

Warmest and Cheapest Place in Canada

While Victoria is the warmest city in Canada, it's not exactly the cheapest. It might actually surprise you to know that the warmest city in Canada with a relatively low cost of living is actually in Ontario. It's Cornwall, Ontario, to be exact.

Cornwall is located on the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. It has relatively warm weather for around 8 months of the year, and for the rest, it can get a bit cold and snowy. They actually get a lot of precipitation too, with roughly about 12 days per month having rain. The average daily temperature is usually around 25 degrees Celsius in the Summer and -3 degrees Celsius in the winter months.

The cost of living in Cornwall isn't as high as it is for many other Canadian cities. In fact, it's roughly $2,900 for a single person to live here. That's rent, food, and everything else. If you are looking to purchase a home, then the average cost of a single-family dwelling is between $375,000 and $417,000. This is much lower than in other parts of Canada.

Warmest City with the Most Sun

The warmest city in Canada with the most sun is Calgary, Alberta. They get around 2,405 hours of sun per year or 333 days of sunshine. Edmonton falls in at a close second with 2299 hours of sun per year or 321 days. The average summer temperature here sits around 25 degrees celsius to 30 degrees celsius. In the winter, it can get as low as -30 degrees celsius.

Many people move to Calgary because it's a major city. It's also one of the world's cleanest cities. They have low sales taxes; the transit is reliable and environmentally friendly. It's also one of the top-ranked cities in Canada in terms of healthcare, culture, environment, and stability. They also have lots to see, such as festivals, national parks, historical landmarks, and museums. In a place like this, you have everything for those who love city life or just prefer some national park camping.

Other Great Places to Live in Canada

When it comes to the warmest places to live, we haven't gone over them all. There are plenty of other little cities and towns that offer a great place to live with decent weather. There's Oshawa, Ontario, which is a bit colder but has bearable temperatures, offers a good cost of living and has plenty of work in manufacturing railway maintenance equipment. There are also places like Lytton or Kamloops in BC that have hot summers, yet some of the milder winters are in Canada. In general, though, the farther you are away from the city, the cheaper the cost of living will be. You may also find some really great places that many people don't know about.