Most Canadian / Least Canadian

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I will surprise even myself as I have long referred to Montreal as the quintessential Canadian city, but I think that (in spite of allusions in Quebec to its imminent anglicization) Montreal is probably too "French" (or at least "Québécois") to place anywhere near the top of the Most Canadian list.

If I look around most of the country today, from Halifax to Vancouver via Winnipeg and Ottawa (and maybe even St. John's), if there are any big city cues taken from a Canadian metropolis, they're coming from Toronto. Not Montreal. Except for Quebec, across the country if anything from the local dining and foodie scene to the relationship to immigration and diversity "smacks" of anything, it smacks of a mini-Toronto, not a mini-Montreal.

For all the rhetoric about the bizarreness and deficiencies of the metropolis-hinterland relationship between Toronto and the ROC (also one of my favourite talking points!), there is a definitely a rapport there that does not exist with Montreal.

Ottawa and Moncton are today the outermost limits outside Quebec of any tangible influence of Montreal as a metropolis, and even in those two places I'd argue Toronto carries considerably more weight at this point.

Yeah, that's why I was kind of uncertain about listing it. Other than the Canadiens, Montreal doesn't factor much into life in Northern Ontario, even despite a sizable Francophone population.

In an alternate universe where Canada is 50% Anglo and 50% Franco perhaps it occupies a place like Brussels does in Belgium, sans being the capital. Or if you go 50-60 years back in time to the 1960s and ask the same question. I think I was perhaps projecting there.

I guess if I'm using the 'most Canadian' descriptor, I'm looking for a place where:

- it covers the demographic nature of the whole country reasonably well
- it catches the 'vibe' of an average Canadian, such that we can agree or disagree on such a thing
- I could actually see someone from anywhere in Canada being able to function there in a real fashion
- the climate, economy and geography reflect the country as best it can

Basically, I'm not going to disagree with anyone who lists Ottawa, Edmonton or Moncton either as most 'Canadian'.

Or who lists Calgary, Hamilton and Windsor as being least 'Canadian'.

Not that I particularly feel like I'm out of the country in those places, to be perfectly honest.

As for US cities, Chicago is a good choice. Dallas or Atlanta would be my second, but they might be too regional, too new. I'd actually struggle more with that question with respect to that country, as finding something that encompasses a nation as diverse as the United States is a big challenge. Or a place that isn't America at all.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by lio45

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).

I might consider it like Toronto and Ottawa - close together in distance, but different vibe altogether. The cities have different mindsets and focus. Toronto and Quebec City definitely don't aspire to take their cues from the rest of Canada. They aspire to be different from it.

Or Calgary and Edmonton. Calgary is much more American-feeling in terms of vibe, while Edmonton is more Canadian.

[Peggerino]

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.

[lio45]

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.

[kwoldtimer]

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.

[hipster duck]

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.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

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.

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

[goodgrowth]

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.

[MonkeyRonin]

My conceptualisation of Canada is pretty..."Laurentian", so Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, and Ottawa are basically quintessential urban Canada to me.

Vancouver is a kind of idealized version of Canada-as-a-brand viewed through the foreign gaze. Calgary too.

Newfoundland is the most non-traditional-Canada for me. I see it as more part of the pan-Atlantic Island world than the Canada I know, so St. John's for least Canadian I guess?

There aren't really any right or wrong answers here.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

My conceptualisation of Canada is pretty..."Laurentian", so Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, and Ottawa are basically quintessential urban Canada to me.

Vancouver is a kind of idealized version of Canada-as-a-brand viewed through the foreign gaze. Calgary too.

Newfoundland is the most non-traditional-Canada for me. I see it as more part of the pan-Atlantic Island world than the Canada I know, so St. John's for least Canadian I guess?

There aren't really any right or wrong answers here.

Oh yeah it’s not meant to be a right or wrong type of discussion, just interesting to see how opinions vary.

To expand upon my choices, when a city feels less Canadian or is more “exotic” to me is when I can easily picture it in another country.

Victoria I could easily picture being placed on the South Island of New Zealand and not looking out of place at all.

St. John’s could easily be placed on the Faroe Islands and look right at home.

Windsor looks like it belongs south of the border (there is a geographical pun there).

But to me, I could only ever imagine places such as Edmonton and Ottawa in Canada.

Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver to for that matter.

[north 42]

Most Canadian: Ottawa and Edmonton

Least Canadian: Windsor, Victoria and St. John’s

[niwell]

Growing up in Calgary but visiting family in Toronto pretty much every summer, I always considered Southern Ontario to better fit my stereotypical idea of "Canadian". Calgary didn't particularly feel this way as the climate always seemed at odds with "the East".

I'd agree with most posters that Ottawa-Gatineau is up there, but I may actually put Toronto first. Acajack summed up why quite well. I'm also increasingly of a mind that there probably have to be two distinct answers to this one...

[Acajack]

I actually started a similar thread on which place is a "microcosm" of Canada a few years ago. Though I did not touch upon the "least Canadian" city, which is an interesting angle.

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...ight=microcosm

For this thread, I don't think there is a better answer to "Most Canadian" than Ottawa(-Gatineau).

Its demographics are quite representative of the country as a whole (as close as you're gonna get), and at least in its capital-esque aspects it tries hard to be representative. On a municipal level it's a bit of a different story, and both Ottawa and Gatineau generally tend to be run as if they were just run-of-the-mill cities in Ontario and Quebec.

In terms of activities, there aren't many metros in the country where you have Québécois sugar shacks and bars with chansonniers, Scottish Highland Games, country music festivals, Chinese dragon boat races, indigenous festivals, plentiful live theatre in both English and French, passion for curling and the CFL, Newfoundland pubs and stores, etc.

Plus the region has a Dfb climate which is the classic Canadian climate which means abundant snow and ice in the winter with stereotypical Canadiana like backyard skating rinks, ice fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, etc. part of the local culture in the winter.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I actually started a similar thread on which place is a "microcosm" of Canada a few years ago. Though I did not touch upon the "least Canadian" city, which is an interesting angle.

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...ight=microcosm

For this thread, I don't think there is a better answer to "Most Canadian" than Ottawa(-Gatineau).

Its demographics are quite representative of the country as a whole (as close as you're gonna get), and at least in its capital-esque aspects it tries hard to be representative. On a municipal level it's a bit of a different story, and both Ottawa and Gatineau generally tend to be run as if they were just run-of-the-mill cities in Ontario and Quebec.

In terms of activities, there aren't many metros in the country where you have Québécois sugar shacks and bars with chansonniers, Scottish Highland Games, country music festivals, Chinese dragon boat races, indigenous festivals, plentiful live theatre in both English and French, passion for curling and the CFL, Newfoundland pubs and stores, etc.

Plus the region has a Dfb climate which is the classic Canadian climate which means abundant snow and ice in the winter with stereotypical Canadiana like backyard skating rinks, ice fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, etc. part of the local culture in the winter.

You make a great case for Ottawa. To the point where I think you may have swayed me.

What really makes a smaller city a must for "most Canadian" is the willingness to embrace smaller, more home-spun things that the big 3 would ignore, like local country music, curling and such. There's a reason Toronto never hosts the Brier anymore, for example.

Ottawa gives off the "big, important city" vibes but it also seems capable of relaxing and having a good time without worrying too much about image. I like that trait.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by niwell

Growing up in Calgary but visiting family in Toronto pretty much every summer, I always considered Southern Ontario to better fit my stereotypical idea of "Canadian". Calgary didn't particularly feel this way as the climate always seemed at odds with "the East".

I'd agree with most posters that Ottawa-Gatineau is up there, but I may actually put Toronto first. Acajack summed up why quite well. I'm also increasingly of a mind that there probably have to be two distinct answers to this one...

Toronto may be where Canada is going (kicking and screaming?), but I definitely would not choose it as Most Canadian at the moment.

Like esquire I am having more trouble picking the Least Canadian city. And Toronto's actually on my short list. But the reasons for a city being on or off that list vary greatly.

[esquire]

I look at this question from the standpoint of a host wanting to show a visitor from abroad the "real Canada". If I wanted to do that, where would I take them?

Probably Ottawa or Edmonton. Both are big and cosmopolitan but not obsessed with global status either. Neither one is especially regionally-oriented the way that Quebec, Victoria or St. John's might be. They both seem fairly representative of the types of places most Canadians live, in that someone from the GTA suburbs as well as someone from a smaller place like Lloydminster or Brockville wouldn't feel out of place there.

"Least Canadian" is much tougher. If I wanted to show a visitor a place that is not really representative of Canada, not many places readily come to mind. Maybe Niagara Falls, just because of its weird combination of heavy tourism and depressed industrial town vibes, combined with its location right on the US border?

[MolsonExport]

the descriptor 'Canadien' existed long before it was applied to points west of New France, and appropriated by non francophones.

If I state that Montreal is the most 'Canadian' (Canadien) place, it is only because I wish more places in Canada had the urban fabric and linguistic mixture that makes Montreal what it is.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

the descriptor 'Canadien' existed long before it was applied to points west of New France, and appropriated by non francophones.

If I state that Montreal is the most 'Canadian' (Canadien) place, it is only because I wish more places in Canada had the urban fabric and linguistic mixture that makes Montreal what it is.

As you know, my vision aligns with yours. But I am fighting it in my responses to this thread.

[samne]

I would also agree that Ottawa is the most Canadian city. Like others mentioned it feels like its at crossroads and influents by English and French Canada.

Its also surrounded by Canadian-like natural setting.

I think Montreal is the most Canadian out of the biggest cities.

[Acajack]

I have tried very hard to resist the temptation of not attributing Most/Least Canadian status based primarily on places that are perceived as being most or least influenced by or similar to the U.S.

Because if we were to go by those metrics only, places like Quebec City, Montreal and St. John's would be the most Canadian places.

As such, there are almost two ways of looking at this.

In terms of life as typically experienced by most Canadians, it would be hard not to pick a place in English-speaking Canada (perhaps in southern Ontario) as the "most Canadian".

Like it or not, spending Dec. 31 with Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve is a more common partaking for more Canadians than indulging in Le Bye Bye is.

The other angle of course is places where life is more focused on pursuits and interests that are native to Canada and not necessarily (as) common in other places.