SOURIS ONE OF CANADA’S HAPPIEST PLACES TO LIVE
Recent survey ranks the Town of Souris as one of Canada’s happiest places to live
Souris just might be one of the happiest places to live in Canada.
A recent Globe and Mail article said a new study looking at levels of satisfaction of Canadians across the country suggests that money doesn’t necessarily buy happiness.
The research, which is based on more than 1,200 Canadian neighbourhoods and was conducted by John Helliwell and Hugh Shiplett of the University of British Columbia and Christopher Barrington-Leigh of McGill University, looked at factors such as affordable living, commute times and community belonging.
While communities in urban centres such as Vancouver and Toronto didn’t score too well, rural communities seemed to shine, with Souris taking the No. 2 spot, next to Hope, B.C.
Souris resident Emily Gallant said she’s not surprised to hear that the place she now calls home ranks so well on a happiness scale.
Originally from Charlottetown, Gallant moved to Souris in the fall when there was an opportunity to purchase a local business. And since her boyfriend fishes out of North Lake, it made sense to head down east.
In December, Gallant took ownership of Evergreen Café and said the experience has been great so far.
“All the locals have been very supportive and kind and very welcoming, it’s been really nice that way,” she said May 26 at the café, adding it was busier for her first winter than she expected.
“A lot of people came out to show support when we opened, even though it was a slow time of year, there were lots of locals around.”
Gallant said it’s been a positive experience integrating into the small community.
“Getting to know everyone has been really nice. People are really helpful,” she said. “It’s a great spot. It’s just what you need; nothing more, nothing less, but everything that you would need is here.”