KPMG ranks Calgary as most expensive Canadian city for business

Calgary is the most expensive city in Canada to do business, according to a newstudy released Wednesday.

The city bottomed out at number 17 of 17 ontheKPMGCompetitive Alternatives 2016 reportwhen evaluated on factors such as thecost of labour, transportation and facilities.

Court Ellingson, vice president with Calgary Economic Development, said the result was unsurprising, especially in light of howoil and gas wages have ballooned over the past decade.

"We know over the last 10 years, the oil and gas sector, wages have increased at more than twice the rate of the national average," he said.

But Ellingson pointed to othernon-cost factors that play a role in wooing companies to different cities, including quality of life andgeography.

"We know that we have lots of other things to fall back on to showthatwe're a very competitive city," he said.

"The fact that we have a very highly educated workforce, a young work force, a diverse workforce, really works in our favour when it comes to attracting companies to Calgary."

Ellingsonaddedthat one wayCalgary can increase its attractiveness is bydiversifying its economy and "showing that thiscity is really a lot more than oil and gas."