Most Canadian / Least Canadian
 

Simple thread, which 3 cities in Canada do you feel are the most “Canadian” and which 3 are the “least” Canadian in your opinion?

Instead of explaining any further I will give you my list as an example:

Most Canadian in no particular order:

1. Edmonton

For me everything about Edmonton, the climate, the built form, the sports culture, etc... screams Canada.

2. Ottawa

Similar reasons as Edmonton, just with an Ontario flare.

3. Anything in New Brunswick

Moncton, St. John, and Fredericton all scream smaller Canadian city.

Honorable Mentions: Regina, Saskatoon, Hamilton and Yellowknife.

Least Canadian in no particular order:

1. Victoria

Has a very Tasmanian and New Zealand feel. The built form, architecture (both old and new), landscaping, natural flora, climate, etc...

2. Quebec City

Always given the “European” descriptor. The built form plays a big role in its non typical Canadian feel. There is also of course the cultural aspect at play here as well.

3. St. John’s

The Nordic feel in architecture as well as the landscape and also the culture.

Honorable Mentions: Calgary, Windsor, Kelowna.


Interestingly the big 3, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, are all torn between the two categories. Each for different reasons have aspects that are very Canadian, and others that are very non Canadian in feel.

More:
1 Ottawa - parliament, it can't get more Canadian than that
2 Edmonton - Wayne Gretzky & cold weather
3 Moncton - non descript, therefore Canadian

Less:
1 St. John's - because they say so b'ys, and it was independent for a long time
2 Victoria - because it's mild and on the edge, feels more removed from central Canada
3 Quebec Cy. - more Canadian, as I define it, it's an important part of Canadian history

(But I only chose from your examples because I didn't read the question properly).

Fun question and your answer will depend on your perspective of Canada.

If you could put Edmonton, Halifax, and Montreal into a blender the product would be a pretty darn Canadian city IMO, though I don't know if I would use any of the three to exemplify Canada alone, except Halifax.

Most: Kamloops (Mountains, skiing, nature)
Saskatoon (Farming, Rivers, small town folks living in a city)
Saint John NB or Halifax (Port city, British influences in architecture)

Least: Quebec City (Intentionally tries not to be a typical Canadian City)
Windsor (Feels more connected to the US than the rest of Canada)
Victoria (Weather/location/general vibe of the city are not stereotypical
Canadian)

Most:

1. Toronto
2. Montreal
3. Vancouver

I think cities define any larger political jurisdiction they are part of. I don’t like that the prairies, Atlantic Canada, and North can’t be represented since it’s only three cities but I’d still have to go with these three. Toronto today (multiculturalism and diversity), Montreal yesterday (history, Canada’s London/Paris/whatever in its day), and Vancouver as Canada’s Perth - off to itself, doing its own thing but large and influential by its country standards, something smaller cities (ie Atlantic Canadian ones) don’t have the scale to do.

Least:

1. Quebec City - agreed with Archetype that it is Canada, but compared to Montreal it’s also more of its own separate thing
2. St. John’s - if Atlantic Canada was the whole country, St. John’s would be very Canadian. But the things that make it distinct from the Maritimes, combined with the things it shares in common with the Maritimes but not elsewhere in Canada... to me it’s enough for second.
3. So torn. Vancouver for the deep connections to China, Toronto for being a sort of world city, Calgary for the conservatism and rodeos and the rest, etc. You can make a case for almost any city anywhere in these lists haha.

Most:

Red Deer, Windsor, Chilliwack

Least:

Vancouver, Penticton, Anything in N.B.

So, I'll try again from the beginning:

Most Canadian:
1 Winnipeg - central, has stereotypical Canadian climate, seems typical and average for a Canadian city
2 Ottawa - because the capital must define the country
3 Halifax - represents importance in early Canadian history, seems representative of typical eastern Canadian culture.

Least Canadian:
1 St. John's - because it has it's own more distinct culture, and was not part of Canada until 1949
2 Montreal - It is important, but is not generally thought of as typical Canadian for obvious reasons
3 Victoria - same as before, it's more remote than Vancouver, the climate is milder than what is typical Canadan, it is strategically positioned for NW American influence.

Most:

Ottawa-Gatineau - I've said it before and I'll say it again: The national capital embodies the spirit of the nation. 3/4 English, 1/4 French. Is a microcosm of the two solitudes thing - one crosses the bridges for work or the various things only available on the other side, but generally each kind of does its own thing. Big enough to show the changing demographics of Canada, but still definitely has 'old-stock' Canada there. Not exciting or flashy, Vegas it isn't. It does have a lot of things that make life nicer, if you choose to partake in them. A place you could see raising a family happily without drama.

Winnipeg - Resolute in averageness. It's not the big name of the Prairies in economic performance like Calgary or Edmonton. It doesn't have the oil-based enthusiasm or hangover. Has a 'Aw, shucks' modesty about it, in the sense that it's not a braggart. Probably covers the weather aspect of the country best in terms of highs and lows. Admittedly, a focal point of the poor relationship between Native and non-Native populations.

Montreal - I'm not super-sure about listing it here. On the extremes of English Canada and French Canada, it is fulcrum of the two. There's no river to separate the sides, no clear delineation. The meeting place of the two solitudes - both an Anglophone or Francophone could get by here, language-wise. It is large enough to cast its gaze to the world, but definitely its own thing. I think its unique flavour comes from that mix and history.

Least (no order):

Toronto - it's definitely aiming for the 'global city of tomorrow' thing. Reminds me most of Auckland in that sense. The gaze and aspirations of the city is cast towards the US and the rest of the world. Leading the demographic change into the globalized 21st century, it feels more indicative of where Canada is going, not where it's been. YMMV on whether that's a good thing or not.

Quebec City - probably the only major city in Canada you might have trouble communicating as an Anglophone outside of the touristy areas. Does have the old part of the city as an old-world analog, so there's that. Culturally, the city is the heart of old-stock Quebec, which usually is fairly diluted out in other areas of the country.

St. John's/Victoria - hanging on the edges of the country, each has its own vibe that isn't easily found elsewhere in the country. Victoria's the urban hipster dream, St. John's the centre of a universe that still is centred on the Rock.

To me the most "Canadian" would be Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa.

At the other end of the spectrum, the more "exotic" would be St. John's and Victoria/Vancouver.

Also, anyone who puts Montreal and Quebec City in different categories here, to me makes no sense (it would be like putting Vancouver and Victoria at opposite ends of the spectrum, when in reality, IMO, they have to be near each other - which, in my ranking, they are).

Interesting idea for a thread...

Most Canadian:

1. Ottawa

Ontario I think is the most Canadian Province and I get the impression Ottawa has demographics somewhat similar to Canada as a whole. It has a lot of frenchies, looks kind of like a prairie city, and is boring (what's more Canadian?).

2. Edmonton

Similar to Ottawa, it is boring, seems to have somewhat representative population minus french speakers, and culturally is more Canadian than anything else.

3. Hamilton?

I've only driven by but Hamilton seems somewhat representative of Canada's mid-tier old industrial cities (e.g. Winnipeg, and smaller Quebec towns like Trois Rivieres and Sherbrooke). At the same time it seems to be on a bit of an upswing which I kind of get the impression is the case for many of Canadas mid-tier cities (eg Victoria, Kelowna, Peg, Halifax).

Least Canadian:

1. Calgary

I like Calgary and I like Canada but Calgary has for some reason always felt very 'uncanadian' to me. Cowboys will always be American to me and no weird hockey arena will change that.

2. Quebec City

Way more Quebecois than Canadian. Ethnically it's not as diverse as most (any?) other Canadian cities and culturally probably looks more towards Toulouse than Toronto.

3. Thunder Bay

Maybe I'm going out on a limb, but the city always seemed to me way more depressed than any other city I've been to in Canada. I understand it's sort of going through an upswing now with increasing numbers of immigrants but it's always felt more similar to an American rust belt city than any other Canadian city.

A case could be made too for Windsor, ON which is the only Canadian city that's truly in the orbit of an American city, rather than being firmly anchored on the Canadian side.

Well when people try to find US "equivalents" of Canadian cities, it's always a struggle to come up with good comparisons for Ottawa and Edmonton.

Most - Ottawa followed by Montreal. Just because of demographics and history.
Least - Very hard to say. Perhaps St. John’s and Windsor, ON? And yet both are fully Canadian.

Ottawa would obviously be Washington DC (which was, too, chosen as a planned capital sitting on purpose on the line between North and South), but it's true that Edmonton, I'm not sure what it would be.

Ottawa is obvious. For Edmonton - how about Oklahoma City?

Most:

Bobcaygeon, ON
Edmonton
Kanata/Stittsville

Least:

Richmond, BC
Windsor
That town on the west coast of Newfoundland SHH once posted where kids were dressed like chavs.

More akin to Minneapolis or Indianapolis.

For "Least Canadian", it's hard to beat "Hans Island during those times the Danish flag flies on it."

Moncton may be non descript, but it has these important Canadian attributes:

1) - the only officially bilingual city in the only officially bilingual province in the Dominion.
2) - 2/3rds anglophone and 1/3rd francophone
3) - home of 35 Tim Horton's coffee outlets.
4) - the city actually owns it's own sugar bush, and produces it's own maple syrup.
5) - hell, we even have a Beavertails franchise in the city!!!

You can't get much more Canadian that that. :D

Windsor and St. John’s feel less Canadian but for different reasons. Windsor felt like I was in Ohio or something...not Canada. St John’s is basically a mash up of North America/Norway but with Irish people.

Ottawa felt the most Canadian. I’d also put Banff in that category even though it’s not a city.