Sackville gets noticed for its walkability among Maritime small towns
A car-free lifestyle might not be what most people associate with small town living, but car-free Moncton resident Charles MacDougall crunched the numbers this spring to come up with a list of seven Maritime towns where significant numbers of residents walk or bike to get around.
Sackville is number 4 on MacDougall’s list, clocking in with 20.8% of residents walking or biking to work regularly. That may be impressive for a small town, but it’s nowhere near the number for Annapolis Royal, which according to MacDougall’s analysis, has 38.1% of residents walking or biking to work regularly.
To get his numbers, MacDougall used data from Canada’s 2021 long form census, which asks a quarter of Canadians to answer questions on a variety of topics, including their transportation habits. MacDougall pulled the numbers and averaged rates between population centres and actual municipal boundaries of small towns. Then he published his list, along with his thoughts, in a thread on Twitter/X.
Here’s MacDougall’s list of the towns where more than 15% of residents say they mainly walk or bike to work:
- Annapolis Royal (38,1%) – Iconic. Lots to admire and (re)discover on foot. Many attractions, services and even grocery options for a town its size.
- Saint-Andrews (23,3%) – Very classic and walkable grid layout with a strong Main St (although too touristy for my liking, doesn’t feel as practical). There’s an incredible resort and a small college campus in walking distance from the centre of town.