What Makes Your City Truly Unique and Experience Worthy?

[zoomer]

Every city is unique - despite there being a lot of similarities between most Canadian cities.

But what is it about your city that looks, smell, sounds, feel, heck even tastes different? Why should visitors check out your city? If someone were dropped from a cloud into your city how could they tell it was not just another typical Canadian or North American city? What would they love (versus focusing on negatives as that’ll go south fast, lol), find unique and want to return because no other city is Canada is like it? Include pictures, the more the merrier! I’m primarily focusing on downtown as well, but might give on or two examples outside of that, but we’ll have tons to discuss even with that narrow focus.

I’ll start with Victoria - and where there are elements in common with other cities, overlayed with other factors will make it a combination of experiences and senses you can find nowhere else - just as will be the case with your city.

1. Mild coastal city with a naval port - that leaves just Halifax if you consider it mild, which in the Canadian context it would be. Having a naval port in your city is cool - you get to see your countries warships and submarines, and other visiting navy’s and their far more impressive warships. Although I know the Canadian and other navies do visit other Canadian cities. Pre-covid there were often a limited number of tours for locals on the ships, including the US air craft carriers.

20210226PRAD0017D002 by Combat Camera / Caméra de combat, on Flickr

2. A cool bridge that connect downtown to Vic West, that goes up to allow ships and large barges to pass. Although it’s inconvenient as it’s often during rush hour, or whenever really, it’s a neat sight. Does any other Canadian city have a similar bridge in their downtown? Or near?

Blue Bridge during Blue Hour by David Axford, on Flickr

DSC02486_DxO by Gary Hoyer, on Flickr

Ok, I’ll revisit this thread to update it as it’ll take a while. I’m not including things that several or many cities have in common in some cases it’ll be just a 2 or 3, or only this city, and when you combine them together it makes a city truly unique. Seaplanes, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, etc - and yep Vancouver has 2 of those three downtown, although the primary ‘fisherman’s wharf’ would be out in Steveston. You get the idea, lol.

[Metro-One]

I have always enjoyed the ecological aspects of cities, so my list will heavily lean that way.

For Victoria I would add the general attention to detail in the landscaping and how lush it is with a touch of “dry California” in the summer.

For Vancouver it is definitely the sea wall. It just may be the best urban water front feature I have ever come across in regards to its sheer length and feeling of “completion.” The skytrain is also a unique feature but will become less unique when REM opens (the same way Vancouver opening up the Canada Line and now the Broadway Line made subways a little less unique to Montreal and Toronto.)

For Kelowna it is the surrounding landscape of dry Ponderosa Pine hills mixed with sage and grasslands with vineyards and orchards.

[zoomer]

Interesting unique aspects you identified for Vancouver Metro One but they make sense! I would have gone with the obvious - mountains and ocean, then maybe the large Asian population. While Montreal and Toronto I feel would be unlike any other cities in Canada with their wider array and larger ethnic populations and communities.

Kamloops also has a unique geography for Canadian cities.

Now focusing for a second on what Victoria doesn’t have that would likely make it feel different to visitors.

No billboards. The only billboards you’ll find are on a small strip of First Nations Land along the highway closer to the ferry terminal as you begin your drive into the city. Somehow all 13 municipalities in Greater Victoria have avoided these, yet they are common in most Canadian cities - I guess now more electronic, but also those old fashion 3 sides blind type ones. As a kid from a small town on Vancouver Island I always enjoyed looking at those huge billboards when we went to Vancouver. It does make for a cleaner, less cluttered city, so I guess there’s that. Yet a lot of iconic picture of cities around the world include a clutter of these colourful advertising devices. Are there other cities were billboards are banned or almost non-existent? I don’t think I’ve seen the much in Atlantic Canada? Bus shelter advertising is permitted here, but signage on building is very much regulated as I think is more common in other cities.

No trains. The last run of the 2 car passenger train service up the east coast of Vancouver Island was over 10 years ago. Used to hear that train whistle twice a day, lol. Silence ever since. Like most cities Victoria had an extensive tram system before the automobile took over. So Victoria looks and sounds very different without trains - it’s such a large (visually) and integral part of so many cities whether for passengers, but primarily shipping goods. There are some amazing train trestles though and a 34 mile bike trail now called the Galloping Goose that uses former rail line land. Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Prince George, Regina, Toronto, Montreal, etc. - most cities still have a close tie to rail (excuse the pun). Another question, is St. John’s the only other significant city without some type of train service?

No rivers. I think there are a handful or cities without a river? In Victoria there are no rivers, lol, not even small ones. Well, unless you consider a creek that is a couple meters wide and is buried underground for the most part a river. There is the Gorge Waterway, a 6-7 km arm of the harbour that runs through parts of the city, that has a look of a river perhaps. But it’s still, except for the obvious tidal current and the narrow points that can run quite strong in different directions depending on the tidal phase.

[Peggerino]

For Winnipeg I think the ice skating on the rivers here in winter is the most unique and experience worthy aspect of our city. I don't know if there's another city in the world that has a natural river, as opposed to a canal ,that is open for such a long length and period of time. There's something really special about skating on a river and being surrounded by trees and tall buildings simultaneously (as is the case on the Assiniboine). The Ottawa canal comes close but it's got a different vibe I think as a result of it being an unnatural body of water compared to our rivers. On top of that, the addition of numerous art installations and amenities makes it a world class attraction for people who enjoy winter.

[zoomer]

/\ funny how the default when we think of Canadian outdoor skating is Rideau Canal, didn’t realize it was a big deal in Winnipeg in terms of recreation. And yes, the Winnipeg Warming Huts - has to be one of the greatest outdoor art installation events in Canada! Brilliant, quirky, beautiful with a huge dose of architecture, man versus or in harmony with nature - what’s not to love. I know Edmonton has a huge ice castle adventure type thing, but I assume other cities have something similar.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by zoomer

/\ funny how the default when we think of Canadian outdoor skating is Rideau Canal, didn’t realize it was a big deal in Winnipeg in terms of recreation. And yes, the Winnipeg Warming Huts - has to be one of the greatest outdoor art installation events in Canada! Brilliant, quirky, beautiful with a huge dose of architecture, man versus or in harmony with nature - what’s not to love. I know Edmonton has a huge ice castle adventure type thing, but I assume other cities have something similar.

Valcartier QC (just outside Quebec City) has the Ice Hotel.

[Acajack]

Ottawa-Gatineau

Not necessarily a perfect or dream capital region, but the overall package does offer in a multitude of ways as close as you can get to a microcosm of Canada that you're gonna find anywhere.

[hipster duck]

I'm going to offer something a little different from the same-old 'multiculturalism' angle for Toronto.

Toronto is one of the best cities in the world to watch movies. This CBC article says so, so it must be true! But, seriously, I'm hard pressed to think of a city of any size other than LA where a cinephile could have as much fun.

Apart from the TIFF, there are many, smaller, niche film festivals scattered throughout the year. There's the Hot Docs cinema: a dedicated movie theatre that just shows independent documentaries. There's the Paradise theatre: a theatre that shows curated independent movies; the Carlton, which shows foreign and first-run independent movies; and the TIFF Bell Lightbox, which wide range of international movies, but whose facilities probably are best suited for watching independent movies that deserve the big screen experience (like if you want to watch a Werner Herzog movie in Imax 3D).

If an international tourist came to Toronto and wanted to know "what can I do that's local and unique?", I'd tell them that they should research films that are playing at different venues and go to the movies every night after dinner. If they love film, they won't be disappointed.

[SignalHillHiker]

Hmm… unique probably isn’t the best word, but perhaps special works. Breaking it down by senses seems fun. Limiting myself to one each…

Sight: The colours of the city itself. If you’re coming from a city that’s especially beige or grey, St. John’s is a rainbow. It’s beautiful to look at, and elevates the mood. The jellybean rowhouses are, of course, the most obvious example.

Sound: Trad music. There is live music of all sorts here all the time, we’ve even opera, but the most special genre is trad music. Broderick’s, O’Reilly’s, Greensleeves, and Shamrock City are probably the best pubs for it. Its origins are of course very Irish, a little English, a pinch Scottish - any many of the songs are wholesale lifted from those countries without a single note changed - but often here they blend together into something new and local.

Taste: Fries, dressing (stuffing) and gravy. There is a lot of mostly-only-here cuisine but this is probably the simplest, most ubiquitous, and most delicious. You can get it basically anywhere fries are sold and it can’t easily be recreated without local knowhow because the dominant flavour is Newfoundland savoury. Other types just don’t taste the same, and other types of dressing like store-bought mainland brands are a completely different thing.

Smell: Not unique but just the salty ocean air. One of the first things locals look forward to returning home is that first deep breath outside the airport doors.

Touch: A bit of a boring sense, really. I suppose the most special one would be bergie bits, little fragments of iceberg that are collected by individuals and businesses for their clean water. They’re insanely dense and heavy. A head-sized chunk might take a week to melt in your sink so stupid but probably kind of unique. You can try it anywhere on the mainland that Quidi Vidi Iceberg beer is sold.

[DieselXL]

Experience worthy... not so much. Unique though definitely.
I believe travelling north into the continental US doesn't occur in to many other locations.

Windsor Ont.

Can we still claim the busiest international trading land boarder crossing? lol probably not.

[zoomer]

Ok, somehow I’ve never heard of people ‘hunting’ bergie bits, lol - that’s awesome. I guess if you’re out on a boat already, might as well take a big chunk home. Good marketing angle too for the beer. Nice overview of the other senses as well Signal Hill.

Movies in TO - makes sense. I guess a decade or two back Toronto was also the centre of the live Canadian broadcast industry - so being able to see live Much Music stuff outside, or running into the Canadian celebrities from network tv, attending live taping, etc.. That feels more like a thing from the past though as more and more people get their media elsewhere.

As for Windsor - Diesel XL - being able to see Detroit is super cool! Are you kidding me? What other Canadian city has an incredible close up live view of an iconic (for better or worse) American downtown?!

Renaissance Beauty by Neil Cornwall, on Flickr

From Victoria we can see the lights of Port Angeles in Washington State, but it’s Port not Los Angeles, lol.

Another unique piece for Victoria then, is there another Canadian city were you can arrive by ferry right downtown from a foreign country, requiring customs, etc? Talking daily ferry trips, not cruise ships, I don’t know what exists back on the east coast. I know there is the St. Pierre and Miquelon, but that leaves from Fortune, Newfoundland. It’s actually a cool and fun way to enter the city’s downtown when you come in from Washington state, especially because the downtown is hidden until you round the final corner:

Coho Returning to Its Autumn Spawning Ground by Cameron Knowlton, on Flickr

[O-tacular]

After travelling Europe for a month in my 20's the most striking thing I noticed upon returning home to Calgary was our geography and natural parks. That is what is unique and the reason many Europeans I know moved here. If you live in the west of the city you are basically in the foothills, whereas if you live in the East you are in the prairie. The differences are so stark that there are different climatic zones within the city.

[ue]

Originally Posted by Peggerino

For Winnipeg I think the ice skating on the rivers here in winter is the most unique and experience worthy aspect of our city. I don't know if there's another city in the world that has a natural river, as opposed to a canal ,that is open for such a long length and period of time. There's something really special about skating on a river and being surrounded by trees and tall buildings simultaneously (as is the case on the Assiniboine). The Ottawa canal comes close but it's got a different vibe I think as a result of it being an unnatural body of water compared to our rivers. On top of that, the addition of numerous art installations and amenities makes it a world class attraction for people who enjoy winter.

The frozen rivers are definitely a really unique feature to Winnipeg. Not only is it used for skating, but people will take walks, toboggan, cross-country ski, and just sit around and hang out on the rivers.

Other things I could say for Winnipeg would be the architecture. The city has the highest proportion of pre-war apartment buildings in Canada and the old buff brick, red brick, and stone commercial and warehousing buildings of the Exchange are pretty unique. It's probably one of the most intact pre-war commercial districts in Canada and the architecture is fairly different from peers like the DTES and Vieux-Quebec.

I'd also argue Wolseley is a pretty interesting urban neighbourhood. Colourful four-squares, verdant boulevards, a sprinkling of pre-war apartments, a quaint main street, lush gardens and elaborate front yard usage, and a strong sense of community. You can find approximations of it in other cities, but the vibe of a quaint, verdant, hippie-ish, old urban neighbourhood seems perfected in Wolseley.

For Edmonton, it's definitely the river valley. It really is something else, even though many locals perhaps take it for granted. Calgary's river valley and the Golden Horseshoe ravines offer a similar vibe, but IMO they're not as dramatic. It perhaps helps that the rest of the city is relatively flat, and so the river valley is the zenith of dramatic topography in a way it isn't in Calgary, for example.

Another for Edmonton would be Old Strathcona. It's arguably the most vibrant and interesting main street on the Prairies (although some of Calgary's main streets are in the same ballpark for vibrancy). The old-timey frontier buildings are pretty unique for Alberta. Beyond that, the concentration of nightlife, diverse restaurants, and shopping is bolstered by the strong live theatre scene in the neighbourhood, which culminates (in non-covid times) with the Fringe festival (2nd largest in the world, after Edinburgh).

Oh, and the High Level Bridge. It's a truly dramatic bridge, high up, cutting across the expansive river valley, with sharp architecture. You usually only see bridges that dramatic on the coasts or in the St Lawrence Valley, definitely not on the Prairies.

[GreatTallNorth2]

Simple, it’s our unique name - “London”.

[Masoliantekw]

The city of Québec

I don't know of any other city in the world that could represent such a mixture between, say, Edinburgh UK and Saint-Malo FR, mixed in with very distinctive french canadian architectural traits (acute tin roofs, roof dormers, and steeples) and some Québecois proletarian urbanness (spiraled-staircased rows of triplexes), nestled in a typical north american suburban environment... I have travelled a lot, but everytime I come home, I see how all of these traits actually work together to create a city like no other.

__1.__2.
__3.__4.

Credits:
1. Saint Malo by Edward van den Bosch, sur Flickr
2. Edinburgh by barnyz, sur Flickr
3. Quebec city by night by Martin Cauchon, sur Flickr
4. My pic.

I was born in Québec (Sillery). I moved out of the city for Cégep/University and my first jobs. I have lived in Montréal for about 10 years, and then recently came back in Québec area. The city has changed a lot during this time, but it managed to keep an omnipresent dichotomous feel. I find that Québec does the old/contemporary architecture mix better than Montréal. The city is also split between conservativeness and artsiness. Uptight areas like Montcalm and Sillery are opposite to bohemian enclaves like Saint-Sauveur or Saint-Roch. There is also a vivid contrast between granular/rough-edged areas like Saint-Malo / Saint-Sauveur and walt-disneyesque Vieux-Québec. The contrast between heavy industry (for example around bay of Beauport) and the over-touristic and picturesque walled city, with the hotel-castle, is mind-boggling, yet fascinating.

__1.__2.

Credits
1. 180327-13 The Dark Side by Claude Matteau, sur Flickr
2. Le Diamant, Capitole de Québec, Québec, Canada - 5594 by Richard Vaillancourt, sur Flickr

I've also always felt Québec as a tipping point between 2 worlds : the "inland" and the "maritime" worlds. In the Saint-Laurent, brackish water starts around Orléans island. From Québec to the east, the houses become white with coloured tin roofs, the villages are tighter, located around small ports. You often see this distinctive yellowish scottish bricks. The Saint-Laurent river valley is more enclosed between the Appalachian and Laurentian Hills. You definitely get a maritime feel. Upstream, towards Montreal the lowlands widen; you see more clay bricks and stone houses, plexes, straight main streets and farming villages.

Finally, since I came back, the urban characteristic that I appreciate the most about the city is its path network. You can basically walk from Saint-Augustin to Beauport along the Saint-Laurent, or from downtown to Wendake along Saint-Charles river. It is not unique, but it adds to the feel of a small-scaled city connected to its natural environment.

I am sorry if the text is painful to read - I am not bilingual. Feel free to send me a private message if you have any tip to improve my written english

[logan5]

Among the bigger cities in Canada, and from an urban experience point of view, it's that really cool vibe you get when you have dense neighbourhoods, like the West End or Kits, so closely connected to the beaches. A vibe very unique to Vancouver.

[zoomer]

A ton of interesting observations; O-tacular your foothills point made me think about cities that have views of significant mountains in Canada. Well, leaving aside most of BC - I guess that would be Calgary and that’s it? So that’s pretty unique, especially for an inland city. Of course Vancouver takes the cake, and Victoria, although on the southern tip of a mountain island, our most prominent mountains views are across the water to the US Olympic Mountain range of Mt. Baker.

Mount Baker / Victoria by David Badke, on Flickr

This picture is from the Malahat, the smaller mountainous pass as you enter Greater Victoria from the rest of Vancouver Island. In the background are the American Olympic Mountain range. With the heavy rains last month the road was washed out leaving Victoria cut off.

The Malahat by Warp Factor, on Flickr

[zoomer]

As for Edmonton - it does feel unique for a big city in Canada. The flatness, the big sky, the late summer sunsets, the views that goes for miles, the river valley. Flying in on an airplane the green patchwork of fields for miles is beautiful, as is the snow covered flatness in the winter. It has an other worldly feel to it - could be the surface of a far off planet, lol. Check out my pic landing at the Edmonton airport three years ago:

Edmonton, Feb 2018 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

Logan5 - I love the big city beach vibe of Vancouver, my favourite part of visiting Vancouver in the summer. I always hit Sunset Beach and walk across the Granville street bridge over to Kits beach and then the urban scene in Kits.

[zoomer]

Originally Posted by Masoliantekw

The city of Québec

I don't know of any other city in the world that could represent such a mixture between, say, Edinburgh UK and Saint-Malo FR, mixed in with very distinctive french canadian architectural traits (acute tin roofs, roof dormers, and steeples) and some Québecois proletarian urbanness (spiraled-staircased rows of triplexes), nestled in a typical north american suburban environment... I have travelled a lot, but everytime I come home, I see how all of these traits actually work together to create a city like no other.

__1.__2.
__3.__4.

Credits:
1. Saint Malo by Edward van den Bosch, sur Flickr
2. Edinburgh by barnyz, sur Flickr
3. Quebec city by night by Martin Cauchon, sur Flickr
4. My pic.

I was born in Québec (Sillery). I moved out of the city for Cégep/University and my first jobs. I have lived in Montréal for about 10 years, and then recently came back in Québec area. The city has changed a lot during this time, but it managed to keep an omnipresent dichotomous feel. I find that Québec does the old/contemporary architecture mix better than Montréal. The city is also split between conservativeness and artsiness. Uptight areas like Montcalm and Sillery are opposite to bohemian enclaves like Saint-Sauveur or Saint-Roch. There is also a vivid contrast between granular/rough-edged areas like Saint-Malo / Saint-Sauveur and walt-disneyesque Vieux-Québec. The contrast between heavy industry (for example around bay of Beauport) and the over-touristic and picturesque walled city, with the hotel-castle, is mind-boggling, yet fascinating.

__1.__2.

Credits
1. 180327-13 The Dark Side by Claude Matteau, sur Flickr
2. Le Diamant, Capitole de Québec, Québec, Canada - 5594 by Richard Vaillancourt, sur Flickr

I've also always felt Québec as a tipping point between 2 worlds : the "inland" and the "maritime" worlds. In the Saint-Laurent, brackish water starts around Orléans island. From Québec to the east, the houses become white with coloured tin roofs, the villages are tighter, located around small ports. You often see this distinctive yellowish scottish bricks. The Saint-Laurent river valley is more enclosed between the Appalachian and Laurentian Hills. You definitely get a maritime feel. Upstream, towards Montreal the lowlands widen; you see more clay bricks and stone houses, plexes, straight main streets and farming villages.

Finally, since I came back, the urban characteristic that I appreciate the most about the city is its path network. You can basically walk from Saint-Augustin to Beauport along the Saint-Laurent, or from downtown to Wendake along Saint-Charles river. It is not unique, but it adds to the feel of a small-scaled city connected to its natural environment.

I am sorry if the text is painful to read - I am not bilingual. Feel free to send me a private message if you have any tip to improve my written english

My god man, this is beautifully written and presented with footnote style references - your post belongs in fancy magazine, not just an internet forum! Perfect and precise English - no apologies needed.

I can’t imagine a more unique city in Canada than Quebec, and your detailed and original description is the best I’ve read and goes beyond the normal stereotypes. There’s just so much to consider and reflect on. This stood out: ‘omnipresent dichotomous feel’ - interesting how that extends beyond the architecture as you explained. Quebec City does have a significant industrial base and ‘roughness’ that goes with it, not something I’m used to in Victoria which has the tourism but not the industry. Although that’s primarily due to being a the very tip of an island, a far less advantageous geographic position than Quebec.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Hmm… unique probably isn’t the best word, but perhaps special works. Breaking it down by senses seems fun. Limiting myself to one each…

Sight: The colours of the city itself. If you’re coming from a city that’s especially beige or grey, St. John’s is a rainbow. It’s beautiful to look at, and elevates the mood. The jellybean rowhouses are, of course, the most obvious example.

Sound: Trad music. There is live music of all sorts here all the time, we’ve even opera, but the most special genre is trad music. Broderick’s, O’Reilly’s, Greensleeves, and Shamrock City are probably the best pubs for it. Its origins are of course very Irish, a little English, a pinch Scottish - any many of the songs are wholesale lifted from those countries without a single note changed - but often here they blend together into something new and local.

Taste: Fries, dressing (stuffing) and gravy. There is a lot of mostly-only-here cuisine but this is probably the simplest, most ubiquitous, and most delicious. You can get it basically anywhere fries are sold and it can’t easily be recreated without local knowhow because the dominant flavour is Newfoundland savoury. Other types just don’t taste the same, and other types of dressing like store-bought mainland brands are a completely different thing.

Smell: Not unique but just the salty ocean air. One of the first things locals look forward to returning home is that first deep breath outside the airport doors.

Touch: A bit of a boring sense, really. I suppose the most special one would be bergie bits, little fragments of iceberg that are collected by individuals and businesses for their clean water. They’re insanely dense and heavy. A head-sized chunk might take a week to melt in your sink so stupid but probably kind of unique. You can try it anywhere on the mainland that Quidi Vidi Iceberg beer is sold.

I've experienced pretty much everything NL is known for. I've been to all of the establishments you mentioned and more. I've had all of the food too. I can get fries dressing and gravy at a few places in my region run by Newfoundlanders which is cool. I have some Mt Scio Savoury in my cupboard. But my favourite things to eat in NL are bakeapples (more commonly known as cloudberries and they exist in parts of Northern Ontario but are not quite rare) that I've picked, fisherman's brewis, toutons, scrunchions and even jiggs dinner. And I really love lobster and snow crab.

And I experienced a crazy invasion of icebergs in August 2011 in the area of St. Anthony on the Northern peninsula. I took tonnes of photos and have a number on the wall in my basement. A very Newfoundland one is of my wife picking bakeapples with tuckamore (stunted trees) behind her and also making the backdrop is the ocean with large icebergs in it. We filled out cooler with iceberg ice.