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Even Leamington's mayor is surprised a national
business publication has named his town the No. 1 place to live in the country.
In an article that appears in the
April 2006 edition of MoneySense magazine
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the Tomato Capital of Canada beat out a field of 108 communities across the
nation to be named the absolute best place to take up residence. "I mean, I
don't travel a whole lot," said Mayor John Adams, 61. Always surprised, "But
you're always surprised when a national magazine says that you're the No. 1
choice."
MoneySense came to their conclusion after ranking
Leamington and other communities in seven categories that
included weather, income, population growth, house prices, economic diversity,
unemployment rate, and the percentage of people who walk to work. Described as a
"tiny gem" and a "well-kept secret," Leamington earned its praise for both money
factors and climate considerations. The 29,000-person community earned its best
marks in the areas of weather and low unemployment, and it also had strong
showings in population growth and household income. These scores, at least, were
no surprise to Adams, who pointed to the municipality's mild winters,
comfortable summers and vibrant agriculture. "If people want to work, Leamington
is a great place to do that," he said. "Leamington has always had very steady
growth. We don't really see the real high-highs and low-lows. I think that's
what makes Leamington such an attractive place to live and work in."
 Local writer Bill Sherk's favourite things about
Leamington have to do with its people. "It still feels like the town I grew up
in," said the 62-year-old with a chuckle. "It's a very well-knit community. You
can see your friends on a regular basis, just bumping into people you know." The one category that Leamington didn't do well
in was pedestrian traffic, with the majority of residents choosing to drive to
work rather than walk. Sherk said he must be an exception, because he doesn't
even own an automobile. "It's very easy to get around in Leamington. I walk
everywhere," he said. "But I know a lot of people in Leamington are married to
their car. I guess I'm a bit of an oddball."
Adams said the municipality is the best
combination of city amenities and small town atmosphere, plus access to
larger urban centres. "You still get that comfy, cozy feeling that you're in a
very safe community. Many times, I would say people don't even lock their doors
or take their keys out of their vehicle." But 17-year-old Stephanie Hines, who
works at the popular Erie Street North coffee shop Blondes Confectionary, was a
little puzzled by the magazine's ranking. "There's nothing really to do here,"
said Hines, who's in Grade 11 at Leamington District Secondary School. "There's
not much stuff for kids. It's boring." Hines said that she personally wouldn't
say Leamington is the best place to live in the country. But she supposes it's
better than other places. "I'd rather live here than in Kingsville or Wheatley,"
she said.
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