Quote:
Originally Posted by travis3000
I prefer the feel of Montreal. I feel as if I'm not in Canada. It's exotic, an old-world feel.
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What a weird thing to say considering that Canada largely grew out of Quebec and places further east. I've always viewed Montreal as the quintessential Canadian city. Toronto, by comparison, is the least Canadian city I've ever been to in that in veers more widely from Canadian norms than any other.
When tourists inquire what Canada is like I always tell them that Toronto is great destination but you're not going to get a sense of Canada by going there. 54% of Torontonians weren't even born in Canada. You need to go to Halifax, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Regina... places like that.
I live in Toronto but often feel an urge to head back to the Maritimes or go to the Prairies because Toronto feels like a watered down version of Canada. The international quality of Toronto is wonderful but I miss aspects of Canada living in Toronto. Toronto increasingly has more in common with London, New York, and other global cities than the rest of Canada. Same goes for New York and London. If you want to immerse yourself in US or UK culture those are the last places you should go. You go to the old established cities and towns like Cincinnati, Portland, Kansas City in the US or Liverpool, Aberdeen, Bristol in the UK.
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