Great Canadian Skyline Thread II

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Acajack

The city I live in (Gatineau) probably has the strongest "conceit" I've seen when it comes to not saying they're from the much bigger city that dominates the metro. I suppose most people on SSP Canada know why that is. It's very very uncommon for people from Gatineau to say they're "from Ottawa" unless they are themselves fairly recent transplants from Ottawa.

I think I mentioned this before, but one of my old coworkers has a daughter that moved to the NCR a few years ago... she found a job in Ottawa but her residence was in Gatineau. Anyway, I recall her once pointedly but still good naturedly correcting me when I told another coworker about her daughter "in Ottawa".

[koops65]

Of course I know that Burnaby, and Mississauga, and most of the others are real cities in their own right. But I have always tended to think of them as suburbs of the main city, and I still do...

Just to show that I still think of Burnaby, and have no hard feelings for the area, I made a drawing of Gilmore Place. See the top 50 Proposals thread...

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by 240glt

^ well possibly in that case, but I've run into the same issue outside Canada when telling people I am from Edmonton, I usually need to explain that it is a northern outpost town in Western Canada. So outside of Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver (and perhaps Calgary) there will be lots of people who don't know the smaller cities.

But I think people will still say they are from Burnaby, but note that it is a city "in" or "next to" Vancouver

Do people actually say they are from Burnaby? I always imagined a similar situation to Vaughan, Ontario where they would say they are from Vancouver or Toronto abroad and Brentwood or Woodbridge in a more local context.

Toronto is a city identified by neighbourhoods which naturally extends outwards into the 905. I don't know about Vancouver. Just a feeling from the forum.

[The Macallan]

I say I live in Vancouver to anybody from outside the area but at the UEL (University Endowment Lands) or at UBC to people from Vancouver. Of course, the UEL is such a weird setup that explaining it to anybody outside of Vancouver is hopeless. In fact, it is even difficult to say why I won't be voting in Vancouver to telephone canvassers at election time.

But aside from the political setup, I think my pattern is fairly common. Say the name of the big city to people at a distance and the neighbourhood to locals.

[patm]

I usually have no issues with older people knowing about Calgary (probably cause of the Olympics). Crap shoot when it comes to people my age or younger.

I always say I'm from Canada when travelling. Most people don't care for more detail and you'll end up saying "oh, in Canada" anyways. I tend to find most people follow this logic when travelling even if they're from Paris or Berlin or something. They'll still say "France" or "Germany".

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Acajack

The city I live in (Gatineau) probably has the strongest "conceit" I've seen when it comes to not saying they're from the much bigger city that dominates the metro. I suppose most people on SSP Canada know why that is. It's very very uncommon for people from Gatineau to say they're "from Ottawa" unless they are themselves fairly recent transplants from Ottawa.

Even people from Grosse Pointe and Bloomfield Hills, Michigan seem more likely to self-identify as being from "Detroit". And we all know how many issues they have down there.

The best you'll get out of most people in Gatineau is "in Quebec near Ottawa" or "Gatineau, Quebec, right across from Ottawa".

Which is interesting, because Ottawa on the Ontario side is actually one of the strongest examples of the exact opposite!

Ontarians who live in the Ottawa area, even if it's a very rural area an hour away from the city, will pretty much always say "I'm from Ottawa" and never both qualifying it. You have to really press them on details before they'll say "actually, I live on a backroad near town X about an hour south of Ottawa". I grew up in Embrun, Ontario; well outside the city limits (both pre and post amalgamation) and a 20 minute drive past the edges of Ottawa's suburbs. Yet I always tell people I grew up "in Ottawa".

I found this out when I first moved to Kingston for university. There were plenty of students who said they were "from Ottawa", but were actually from places like Rockland and Kemptville. Whereas, with the Toronto-area kids, even people from Scarborough or North York would say "I'm from Scarborough" or "I'm from North York" instead of "I'm from Toronto".

It's true that Ottawa has very extensive city limits (encompassing basically the entire metro on the Ontario side), but that's only been true since 2001 (prior to then the city proper only covered a small part of the metro much like Montreal or Vancouver), whereas the phenomenon of people from all over the region saying "I'm from Ottawa" has been true forever.

[240glt]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Do people actually say they are from Burnaby? I always imagined a similar situation to Vaughan, Ontario where they would say they are from Vancouver or Toronto abroad and Brentwood or Woodbridge in a more local context.

Toronto is a city identified by neighbourhoods which naturally extends outwards into the 905. I don't know about Vancouver. Just a feeling from the forum.

I think they do, at least friends and family I know would, but I think, just like saying you're from Edmonton, you'd probably need to explain where that is in relation to a major city. I've never really had a problem with that, as when the conversation comes up it's usually at a hotel or airport bar or poolside, so you're killing time making small talk anyways.

[craner]

For Calgarians outside of Canada we have to explain we are close to Banff.

[softee]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Which is interesting, because Ottawa on the Ontario side is actually one of the strongest examples of the exact opposite!

Ontarians who live in the Ottawa area, even if it's a very rural area an hour away from the city, will pretty much always say "I'm from Ottawa" and never both qualifying it. You have to really press them on details before they'll say "actually, I live on a backroad near town X about an hour south of Ottawa". I grew up in Embrun, Ontario; well outside the city limits (both pre and post amalgamation) and a 20 minute drive past the edges of Ottawa's suburbs. Yet I always tell people I grew up "in Ottawa".

I found this out when I first moved to Kingston for university. There were plenty of students who said they were "from Ottawa", but were actually from places like Rockland and Kemptville. Whereas, with the Toronto-area kids, even people from Scarborough or North York would say "I'm from Scarborough" or "I'm from North York" instead of "I'm from Toronto".

It's true that Ottawa has very extensive city limits (encompassing basically the entire metro on the Ontario side), but that's only been true since 2001 (prior to then the city proper only covered a small part of the metro much like Montreal or Vancouver), whereas the phenomenon of people from all over the region saying "I'm from Ottawa" has been true forever.

A woman at my workplace that recently moved to Toronto said she was from Ottawa and referred to herself as being from Ottawa on several occasions when talking to various people on breaks and whatnot -- it was only after she and I started getting to know each other a bit more and I wanted to talk to her about Ottawa that I learned that she was actually from Carleton Place.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by softee

A woman at my workplace that recently moved to Toronto said she was from Ottawa and referred to herself as being from Ottawa on several occasions when talking to various people on breaks and whatnot -- it was only after she and I started getting to know each other a bit more and I wanted to talk to her about Ottawa that I learned that she was actually from Carleton Place.

My friends from Almonte and CP always refer to themselves as being "from Ottawa" as well. If pressed sometimes the Ottawa Valley.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by patm

I always say I'm from Canada when travelling. Most people don't care for more detail and you'll end up saying "oh, in Canada" anyways. I tend to find most people follow this logic when travelling even if they're from Paris or Berlin or something. They'll still say "France" or "Germany".

When I tell people abroad that I'm from Canada, quite often it leads to "Toronto?" or "Toronto or Montreal?" Which is always a little awkward because since the answer is no/neither it demands further explanation, which the asker is usually uninterested in hearing.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by esquire

When I tell people abroad that I'm from Canada, quite often it leads to "Toronto?" or "Toronto or Montreal?" Which is always a little awkward because since the answer is no/neither it demands further explanation, which the asker is usually uninterested in hearing.

I get that too. More often Montreal if they pick up that we're francophone.

I've always found that a bit of a dumb question. I know it's just trying to be nice and make small talk but it's still so stupide.

[Tosin007]

Oops shared the wrong thing xD.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I get that too. More often Montreal if they pick up that we're francophone.

I've always found that a bit of a dumb question. I know it's just trying to be nice and make small talk but it's still so stupide.

It gets annoying. Quick fix was to wear a Leafs cap.

[Martin Mtl]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOr2ej4FW66/?taken-at=304708741


https://www.instagram.com/p/BOtFkHsj4mD/?tagged=livemontreal

[Darkoshvilli]

I hate how the city's tallest looks like a damn dwarf from anywhere north of it. Montreal must be the only place suffering such an injustice.

[G.S MTL]

Originally Posted by Darkoshvilli

I hate how the city's tallest looks like a damn dwarf from anywhere north of it. Montreal must be the only place suffering such an injustice.

But they're damn nice towers ! We have some height but we all know we have restrictions. I think I am beginning to love the height limit ....as long as we keep building 120m+ I'll be happy.

[Darkoshvilli]

Originally Posted by G.S MTL

But they're damn nice towers ! We have some height but we all know we have restrictions. I think I am beginning to love the height limit ....as long as we keep building 120m+ I'll be happy.

They should have built le 1000 on Rene Levesque.

[Rico Rommheim]

I feel you Darko, that bugs me too. Le 1000 is a full 216m tall (measured from St-Antoine), and yet you wouldn't know it when looking at it from most angles.

Le 1000 is really a forgotten building. Like everybody knows what and where PVM is, but Le 1000, nope.

[WhipperSnapper]

It's all good Le 1000 doesn't appear any taller from some angles. It's still 1990s PoMo.