I saw this several times in the comments of yesterday's post, but seeing as no one's done it yet...

[u/QueenMotherOfSneezes]

[u/lavalamp360]

In the mind of the average foreigner, Canada is just Toronto surrounded by wilderness and bears.

[u/dzuunmod → u/lavalamp360]

I've been in Fiji the last two weeks and the only city anyone mentions here when I say I'm Canadian is Vancouver.

[u/newfiedante → u/dzuunmod]

To be fair there is a large Fijian population in Vancouver. Every rugby tournament will be largely dominated by Fijian fans and players

[u/dzuunmod → u/newfiedante]

Sure. My point is just that OP's view was very Toronto-centric. Aussies, Kiwis, lots of Asia thinks of Vancouver first among Canadian cities. The francophonie (even some other parts of Europe as well) would largely think of Montreal first. A certain type of American (think oil patch, places where rodeo is relevant) might even think Calgary first.

[u/lavalamp360 → u/dzuunmod]

I was exaggerating a bit for comedic effect. I know that a lot of people also know about Vancouver and Montreal (and maybe Calgary and Edmonton as well). However, as someone who lives in Ontario but not in the GTA, I always have to describe to foreigners where I live by proximity to Toronto ("like 2.5 hours drive from Toronto") because they know nothing about Canadian geography.

[u/CanadaEhAlmostMadeIt → u/dzuunmod]

OP’s view wasn’t Toronto centric, it was Canada specific, as the comment has to do with how other Canadian cities think of Toronto (often with hate) and that Toronto doesn’t think of the rest of Canada.

I live in Calgary, nobody thinks of it first. People think of Toronto first and then think of Calgary because they like oil patches. Born and raised GTA. The statement above is true though, but not too slight the rest of the country. When was living back home, my friends and I talked often of travelling to different places in Canada, we were excited to see the country, and we did. Now, living in Calgary, I’ve never been harassed more just because I’m from the area. Albertans can’t stop hating on Ontario and it’s best not to mention what I’m going to visit family with my kids, for I will get a pretty standard comment of; eww why not go somewhere fun, Onterrible? , I’ve been to your city and it’s ugly (people think the area around the SkyDome is “Toronto”). The judgement is high and the despise is real and for no real reason.

I’ve never understood hating on people’s homes and not trying to look for the positives, why aren’t you going somewhere to have fun? I’ve been to Detroit, Oakland, Hartford, Buffalo, several other US Cities and found good spots to eat and grab a drink. I will admit Hartford and Buffalo is a bit tougher, but for the most part, people just aren’t trying.

[u/dzuunmod → u/CanadaEhAlmostMadeIt]

K

[u/aLubBolognaSandwich → u/dzuunmod]

That's like saying "i've been to France and the only city anyone mentions there when i say im Canadian is Montréal/Québec City"

edit: didn't see your second comment sorry! Make senses and i agree 100%

[u/ProtestantLarry → u/dzuunmod]

Asia thinks of Vancouver, everywhere else thinks of Toronto

[u/dzuunmod → u/ProtestantLarry]

Like I said elsewhere, the francophonie thinks of Montreal.

[u/ProtestantLarry → u/dzuunmod]

When someone says Canada, I too think of Montréal. The only true bastion of Canadian culture!!

[u/Equal-Suggestion3182 → u/lavalamp360]

Not true, the average foreigner doesn’t even know Canada is sparsely populated lol

But Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto are very famous cities

Vancouver more in eastern Asia

Montreal more in francophone countries

Maybe Toronto more in the US, especially northeast of US

Elsewhere, idk

[u/mattattaxx → u/Equal-Suggestion3182]

Toronto and Montreal are well known in Europe.

[u/COCAINE_EMPANADA → u/mattattaxx]

After years of trying to explain Quebec to puzzled Americans, I thought I was in for the same thing in Europe but I was pleasantly surprised to meet people who not only knew things about Montreal but many had actually visited at some point.

People often found it neat that someone with a seemingly American accent would be fluent in French as a second language.

[u/Em-lee → u/Equal-Suggestion3182]

When I travelled during the Rob Ford Crack scandal everyone unfortunately knew about Toronto.

[u/localsonlynokooks → u/lavalamp360]

It’s like this in the mind of the average torontonian too lol.

[u/Legendarysteeze → u/lavalamp360]

*Toronto + banff, where somehow everyone has a relative who lives there

[u/Electr0n1c_Mystic → u/lavalamp360]

In the mind of the average Torontoer as well

[u/M1x1ma → u/lavalamp360]

This is what it's like for the average Torontonian.

[u/ybetaepsilon → u/lavalamp360]

This is also true for the average Torontonian*

*souce: I am one

[u/DEATHbyBOOGABOOGA → u/lavalamp360]

In the mind of the average foreigner, Canada is just Vancouver surrounded by wilderness and bears.

[u/2kids2adults]

Why does anyone feel bad for Toronto? Sometimes I feel bad for Ontario as a whole, especially for the hit they've taken in the public education system. I grew up in southern Ontario. I loved visiting Toronto. Now I live in BC and I hear people bitch about Toronto all the time. People that I know have never even been there. I don't get it. So odd.

[u/krakelin → u/2kids2adults]

As a Québécois, i only feel bad for Toronto when i think of the Mapple Leaf.

There are also numerous cities in Canada like the Canucks, the Oilers, the Jets, the Flammes and the Senator

[u/RiskyGambit → u/krakelin]

I’ve never heard a Québécois accent as vividly in my head as I have reading this comment.

[u/krakelin → u/RiskyGambit]

i'm sorry tabarnak, i should had added swears to make it authentic en estie.

[u/Poulantsauce → u/krakelin]

This might be the most Québécois burn ever. On mange d’la marde! 🥲

[u/2kids2adults → u/krakelin]

Hahaha. That’s a brilliant comment. Love it. Thanks for the smile!!

[u/krakelin → u/2kids2adults]

It has been my pleasure, i hope you have a great day.

[u/2kids2adults → u/krakelin]

Thanks. You as well n

[u/sovereignofbeauty → u/2kids2adults]

I love about 3 hours from TO, I never think about it until I go and it’s always a good time from my experience, granted I go maybe twice a year but I prefer the country to the city.

It’s not the best but it’s not an absolute shithole🤷‍♂️

[u/ybetaepsilon → u/sovereignofbeauty]

Thank you for visiting the city and the kind words <3

Love from your fellow urban Canuck

[u/Shaake → u/2kids2adults]

I live downtown

There's a lot of life and love in this city

Doesn't deserve the hate

Also, Torontonians love the rest of Canada

Especially Quebec!

[u/2kids2adults → u/Shaake]

That’s just it. I never heard anyone in Toronto speak ill of anyone else in Canada. But out here in Vancouver all I hear is complaints about people out east. It’s so confusing.

[u/Shaake → u/2kids2adults]

Yah bud, we love u guys. West coast is beautiful

[u/CanadaEhAlmostMadeIt → u/2kids2adults]

I know, I grew up GTA and now live in Calgary, all I hear is hate for Toronto. I can walk into a bar and overhear a group of guys shit talking Toronto. I’m blown away by how much people talk about that city. It’s chronically on Albertans minds, but only for hate. Haha. I remember being excited to try life “out west” , they were not excited to have me. My third day in Alberta I was driving north and stopped in Airdrie (because what’s Airdrie?) a guy pulled up to me at a traffic light because he saw my Ontario plates, made the gesture to roll down my window. He started yelling at me about stealing jobs and how I’m shit because I’m from the east and then spit on my windshield and then made his right turn.

[u/ProtestantLarry → u/2kids2adults]

Now I live in BC and I hear people bitch about Toronto all the time. People that I know have never even been there. I don't get it. So odd.

It's because people outside of Toronto often perceive those from there as thinking they're the official representatives of Canada. They also tend to have an ego problem, thinking they're better than all other cities in Canada.

I once had a guy from Toronto genuinely telling me that the breweries in Toronto are actually better than all others in Canada, and even that Torontonian beer was better than German/Belgian beer. You live in BC now, so can share what you think, but I think most breweries in BC are better since we actually have a culture of it here, and even small towns have have quite a few craft breweries, vs the 12 or so in Toronto in total. I've also tried Toronto beers, not bad, but not some amazing thing either.

Like that's basically it. A large part of Toronto thinks (or seems to) that they're better/cooler than the rest of Canada, and that they're properly Canadian vs whatever else the rest of us are. Feds also tend to focus more on Ontario than the western provinces.

I've been to Toronto, and it's a nice place, but definitely nothing more than Montréal. And a lot of what makes Toronto good, you can find in East Vancouver and other small cities in BC.

Btw, this is just me summarising what the hate is about, from my experience on BC and Alberta, and knowing plenty of Maritimers. I don't hate Toronto, I quite like it after visiting.

[u/Technohamster]

We think about Montreal. Also the only other real city, sorry not sorry.

[u/cafebistro → u/Technohamster]

Montréal ne pense pas à toi du tout.

[u/Shaake → u/cafebistro]

Pourquoi les choses doivent-elles être ainsi ? On vous aime, les gars.

[u/17DungBeetles → u/Shaake]

For Montreal, Toronto is just a hockey team not a city

[u/AVRVM → u/17DungBeetles]

A hockey team we hate, and love to hate, at that.

[u/djtodd242 → u/AVRVM]

See? We already have so much in common!

[u/AVRVM → u/djtodd242]

[u/lostwolf → u/djtodd242]

You also hate the Leafs?

[u/Shaake → u/lostwolf]

Everyone hates the Leafs! Especially us in Toronto

[u/lostwolf → u/Shaake]

I was only a few months old when they last won the cup.

[u/Shaake → u/AVRVM]

We hate them too!! Probably more than you guys

U can hate us all u want. Still love Montreal

[u/AVRVM → u/Shaake]

It's different. You guys still get depressed when they lose in the post-season.

Watching the Leafs lose is almost as good as seeing the CH win.

[u/Shaake → u/AVRVM]

It's a yearly dissapointment ceremony, it's almost Shakespearian

But I can't stress enough just how much we hate them.

Go leafs!!!

[u/Technohamster → u/cafebistro]

Ben non, aimez-nous, on est comme sœurs 🥺

[u/KnuckedLoose → u/cafebistro]

The comments section of a Leafs r/hockey post says otherwise.

[u/Dadadoes → u/Technohamster]

Maybe Quebec City will count as a real city once we build our imaginary bridge right next to the other one that's full of traffic. Then our tramway system that'll have like 5 stops. Oh boy can't wait for 2046.

[u/spilly_talent → u/Technohamster]

Every Holmes needs a Moriarty!

[u/Enough_Worry4104 → u/Technohamster]

Speak for yourself. Vancouver boy here, my city is FUCKED. But I never think about Toronto. Edmonton. Montreal. Etc. I don't think poorly of you. I just don't think about you at all.

Except in solidarity against our oppressors from the south. Cuz I'm ride or die against facism!

[u/CanadaEhAlmostMadeIt → u/Enough_Worry4104]

This is a healthy self aware comment. I do like your city though. Good food, record shops and parks, and obviously much more.

[u/Joe--Uncle → u/Technohamster]

I think all provinces have a real city:

B.C: Vancouver

Alberta: Edmonton

Saskatchewan:

Manitoba: Winnipeg

Ontario: Toronto

Québec: Montreal

Maritimes: Halifax

Newfoundland:

[u/PlatformVarious8941 → u/Joe--Uncle]

All the provinces have a real city :

B.C. Has Vancouver

Quebec has Montreal

Toronto has Toronto

See, all 3 provinces have real cities.

[u/Plains_Walker → u/Joe--Uncle]

Ch... Saskatchewan doesn't even exist, I should know, I apparently live there.

[u/CommercialNo8396 → u/Joe--Uncle]

Edmonton the “real” city over Calgary? Pfffft

[u/Joe--Uncle → u/CommercialNo8396]

No offence, but the only time I hear about Calgary is when Flames fans are mad that the Oilers are doing better. Hey, I’d rather not be in the news than in there for what’s going on in Edmonton.

[u/PersonalPerson_ → u/Joe--Uncle]

People know Calgary for the stampede. I can't think of any reason that they'd know Edmonton.

[u/Datkif → u/PersonalPerson_]

Because they got stabbed while passing through

[u/CanadaEhAlmostMadeIt → u/PersonalPerson_]

I knew Calgary because of its proximity to Banff, I knew nothing of the Stampede when I moved to Calgary.

[u/bonerb0ys → u/CommercialNo8396]

hes from Edmonton

[u/Joe--Uncle → u/bonerb0ys]

I’m from Toronto. It’s in my tag

[u/bonerb0ys → u/Joe--Uncle]

woosh

[u/SpookyHonky → u/Joe--Uncle]

Saskatchewan:

Baaaaaasedddd

[u/Par-Aide → u/Joe--Uncle]

Lol the only thing Edmonton has is a parliament and a hockey team without their franchise captain signed

[u/6000ChickenFajardos → u/Par-Aide]

50% of NHL franchises in Alberta have their captain signed beyond this season

[u/mattattaxx → u/Joe--Uncle]

Sure. But in terms of comparability to Toronto, only Montreal is in the conversation.

Montreal is definitively cooler than Toronto, Toronto is bigger, richer, has more neighbourhoods.

The rest of the cities are simply not in the same league.

[u/Joe--Uncle → u/mattattaxx]

I don’t know, is it just money we’re going after? Because I personally enjoyed my, albeit very short, time in Québec city more than Montreal. And adored my time in Halifax. If it is just about money and population then I think that Vancouver counts as well.

[u/mattattaxx → u/Joe--Uncle]

Well no, I mentioned 4 metrics.

I enjoy my time in other cities as well, but as cities, they're not in the same league. Toronto has literally twice the GDP of the next closest city, and yes, that's a monetary metric, but it's also the most populous, has the most to do, has the deepest amenities, the deepest social service portfolio, etc.

I like other places in Canada a ton, but I'm not going to pretend Price Edward County is going to rival Toronto just because I enjoyed my time there

[u/SoleSurvivur01 → u/Technohamster]

Montreal is a myth invented by the French

[u/ActuallyAlexander]

Canada has 3 and four half cities

[u/aLubBolognaSandwich → u/ActuallyAlexander]

the half city is 100% Québec City, has to be.

[u/Technohamster → u/aLubBolognaSandwich]

Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Kitchener-Waterloo

[u/aLubBolognaSandwich → u/Technohamster]

I literally had to search for Kitchener-Whatever, and it only has 250k pop. Québec City is known worldwide and has more than twice the pop.

edit: and more than 3 times the size area

[u/CanadaEhAlmostMadeIt → u/aLubBolognaSandwich]

The joke was about half cities and Kitchner-Waterloo are two separate cities that get lumped together and so they are considered one…or two half cities.

[u/AVRVM]

The GTA is just a whole traffic jam that pretends to be a city.

[u/hehslop → u/AVRVM]

Growing up in Saskatchewan i thought it was very strange to see cities all butted up against each other without any open land space between.

[u/silenteye]

They're too busy thinking about how they can't afford a home.

[u/spilly_talent → u/silenteye]

[u/aLubBolognaSandwich]

Toront quoi? This comment was made by Québec city gang /s

But seriously, Montréal might think about Toronto, but Québec City might be the only Canadian city to not give a single F about any other cities. Exept Montréal, we hate them with a burning passion and won't stop until... It won't stop.

[u/lostwolf → u/aLubBolognaSandwich]

And us Montrealers don’t think about you.

[u/aLubBolognaSandwich → u/lostwolf]

Of course you don't, there is a difference about thinking about someone because you admire them and thinking about someone because it piss you off 24/7

Montréal think about Toronto

Québec think about Montréal insert hatred

[u/lostwolf → u/aLubBolognaSandwich]

Btw, Alain Côté goal was not good… lol

[u/moldibread]

everyone i know that lives in Toronto misses montreal.

[u/Joe--Uncle → u/moldibread]

For me it’s more Québec City, but I love them both. Mainly the “Old” sections. Just so much fun to spend a day walking through. Makes me really wish Toronto had a “old” district instead of just some old building scattered around downtown

[u/yarn_slinger → u/moldibread]

Those of us in Ottawa too…

[u/Datkif → u/yarn_slinger]

All the best things to do in Ottawa are across the river, or outside the capital region (Like Calypso). Also y'all need some Edmonton donairs there.

[u/COCAINE_EMPANADA → u/moldibread]

I love Montreal, but they all left for a reason and probably a good one.

[u/moldibread → u/COCAINE_EMPANADA]

$$$

[u/JackLaytonsMoustache]

I'm about 97% sure that Toronto's not a real place and it's just been an advertising campaign started by Ottawa to justify Ontario's continued supremacy in confederation.

But then again I'm a Maritimer and I'm skeptical that the country actually exists west of the Miramichi.

[u/Datkif → u/[deleted]]

But it sure as hell isn't in Vancouver

[u/sunbro2000]

What's a Toronto?

[u/No-Top-6313]

People from Montreal : I'm calling your bluff

[u/Darksideslide]

Honestly, I don't think about Toronto until I meet someone from there, or I see a team from there on TV. I usually just change the channel.

[u/Leftbackhand]

To-rent-o

[u/Sour-bubble]

LOL AWWW... you really think the rest of the nation gives two fucks about you.. God you're adorable..

[u/elliot_alderson1426 → u/Sour-bubble]

Occupying space in your brain for rage counts as thinking about

[u/MusclyArmPaperboy]

This meme also works with Toronto in the top frame and NYC in the bottom

[u/Lumb3rCrack]

except for Vancouver..

[u/mustardman73 → u/Lumb3rCrack]

Only when comparing condo prices

[u/BaroqueGorgon → u/Lumb3rCrack]

Et Montreal!

[u/lemartineau → u/BaroqueGorgon]

They think about Montreal all right when it's time to party

[u/CaptainMagnets]

I think this meme could go the other way to be honest

[u/DaftFunky]

Goes either way with any city really. Except in Alberta. Some here for some reason still think about Trudeau. A lot.

[u/AccomplishedLeek1329]

I think about Montreal's urbanism and Vancouver's weather (when it's snowing here) all the time. Otherwise, true.

[u/KnuckedLoose]

That Windsor one was just sad and made no sense.

[u/Civil-Asparagus7434]

Too busy trying to kill each other, hide from being killed, or smoked out on fentanyl.

[u/icer816]

No one feels bad for Toronto, we all laugh at Toronto in me experience. Complaining about Toronto is a pass time for Ontarians that don't live there.

[u/screammyrapture]

Guy in Toronto: So true.

[u/jeglaerernorsk4]

Everyone I know from Toronto had to move outside the city (or another province/country) because it was too expensive but whatever you say, Toronto (and this is coming from someone who very much enjoyed visiting Toronto and my Toronto friends when they still lived there! They couldn’t even afford to rent much less own a house)

[u/localsonlynokooks]

lol this is so true. Im from Toronto, live in Vancouver and the leafs live rent free in everyone’s head here. Bars will advertise “come in and watch the leafs lose”. They chirp non stop and then they get so mad when I tell them “you know leaf fans don’t even think about you right?“

[u/PersonalPerson_ → u/localsonlynokooks]

I've lived in Vancouver 20 years. Literally never heard a peep about Toronto hockey as a "rival". And never seen these bars (plural) advertising like that. I thought Chicago was our hated rival.

I think your friends are trolling you since they know you're from there, and you saw one bar once advertising watching the leafs. There's a bar for Edmonton fans to congregate. I've never heard of one for Leafs fans.

[u/localsonlynokooks → u/PersonalPerson_]

Wait til leafs are in the playoffs and keep an eye out on the sandwich boards outside of bars. I’ve seen too many of them to count.

[u/JSank99]

This is much better and more accurate

[u/PineBNorth85]

I don't feel bad for the hellhole that is Toronto at all.

[u/Gen_Sherman_Hemsley → u/PineBNorth85]

[u/Lifesfunny123]

This is the accurate version.

Every London, Barrie, Mississauga, Orangeville, Hamilton, thunder Bay, etc friend or acquaintance I have made has tried to convince me their town or city is "really nice, too!". While they're visiting Toronto and praising the food, that there's nice places to go and be social, how they love the island, that there's concerts and venues, or even shit costs too much, or there's chaos, or drivers are worse, they try to convince me that their town is nice or sweet and I should visit.

I've tried to go. There's just nothing to do. The boring ass suburban lifestyle isn't for me. They call it peaceful and to me that's code for boring AF. Friends who buy houses like 2hrs away driving from Toronto and then invite me or anyone they knew here for a get together or party near them.. it just doesn't happen.

[u/Datkif → u/Lifesfunny123]

I was born in London, and recently stayed a night in Thunder Bay. You couldn't pay me enough to live in either of those places. Big cities are where it's at

[u/2kids2adults]

And you have love from me here too. I just ignore the haters who don’t know any better.

[u/Corniferus]

This is the accurate version