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People from Toronto are wierd

4K views 27 replies 18 participants last post by  oceanmdx 
#1 ·
Funny article I thought I would share. Not sure if it belongs in the Toronto or Ontario section, but it's funny so everyone should share.

Does make a good point though within it. Most provinces in Canada are very proud of their province. Alberta and Quebec the most notable, but also every other province to varying degrees.

However, in Ontario it seems very different. I am speaking as a Torontonian and don't know much about the views of Ontario in other parts of this province. However, it seems we are very loyal to our Country and our city/community. But we really don't seem to care much for Ontario. I can tell you I could care less about it. I have a Canadian flag in my house. I love Toronto to death. But Ontario...meh.

Is this a Toronto thing or a provincial thing?

Anyways, enjoy the article.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...geid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1128767196805

People from Toronto are weird
So what's wrong with two solitudes anyway?


FRANCIS CHALIFOUR
SPECIAL TO THE STAR

The time of the "two solitudes" that for too long described the character of this country is past. The narrow notion of "every person for himself" does not belong in today's world, which demands that we learn to see beyond our wounds, beyond our differences for the good of all. Quite the contrary: We must eliminate the spectre of all the solitudes and promote solidarity among all the citizens who make up the Canada of today.

— Governor General Michaëlle Jean, in her acceptance speech

I remember when I met an Ontarian for the first time. I was 9. It was Christmastime in Montreal, and I will never forget how my mom whispered to me, "She's from Scarborough, Ontario. Don't be afraid. You can talk to her." The Ontarian was my cousin's new girlfriend. The last time I recalled having this feeling, my family and I were at the zoo and I was forced to pet a llama to show them how brave I was.

Then I grew up, and at the age of 23, since I couldn't find work in Montreal, I moved to Toronto — a city that people in Quebec pronounce as Canada anglais.

Ontario comes from a native word, loosely translated as "beautiful" or "sparkling water" or "lake" or whatever you want, as long as it's "The Centre of the World."

Ontario is more than just Toronto, of course. It's also Ottawa, Niagara Falls, North Bay, Sudbury, Hamilton, and a lot of other adorable little towns, but who cares, right? Let's talk about Toronto, the mega-city where everyone eventually ends up some day, whether they feel like it or not.

What exactly is an Ontarian from a Torontonian's perspective?

He or she would politely answer, "Sorry, I don't know." But if you insisted, they would probably answer that Ontarians are people who have always been — geographically and psychologically — the centre of this country, the most industrialized and multi-ethnic population in Canada; compromisers; better yet, "bridge builders" who see themselves as citizens of the world. But, most of all, the "essence" of Canada.

But from the Quebec perspective, what exactly is an Ontarian? If I wanted to be pragmatic, I would say he is powerful, rich, and has had the final decision in all national elections since the Bloc Québécois arrived in Ottawa. But I don't want to say that, so I'll say this:

For God's sake, why can't I buy beer or wine at the corner store?

From a Quebec point of view, it doesn't make any sense: Alcohol should be considered as basic and essential as milk.

Another thing: Where do you, the people of Ontario, hide your provincial flags? All we see from the long and monotonous 401 is Canadian flags. Aren't you proud of being Ontarians? Think about all the good things you brought to our country: Timbits, insulin, Pablum, Shania Twain, Jim Carrey, Paul Martin (okay, no province can be perfect, after all), Lorne Michaels, Mike Myers, Norman Jewison, and Anne Murray. Yes, Anne is from Nova Scotia, but she looks so much like a soccer mom that we can pretend she's from Mississauga.

Seriously, Ontarians should be proud of their province — a place to stand, a place to grow — even though there's a huge lack of imagination in your street naming. What is the point of Avenue Road? Why not Avenueroad Street, or even Avenueroadstreet Blvd.? Show some more originality. We understand it's not your fault that your province is shaped like an awfully happy whale; neither is it your fault that a former mayor of your now 500-km-radius-absorbing city called the army when he saw one or two snowflakes falling from the sky. But still, we are your neighbours and it's kind of embarrassing, you know. You should have called us. We would have sent our dear Bonhomme Carnaval — much more efficient than the army, less expensive, and so reliable.

There is something very important that Ontarians should know about Quebecers, and I'm not talking about the fact that we like to whine a lot, drink Pepsi, eat Jos Louis, or believe Celine Dion to be our Queen.

No, I'm talking about the fact that we love to make jokes about you.

Did you hear what happened to the Ontarian who went ice fishing? He got run over by the Zamboni.

It's not that we don't like you. Of course not. We like you a lot, even if we remember the British Conquest of 1759 and are still looking for a rematch. Just kidding — even though there is truth in every joke.

It's more the way you dress — wearing socks in sandals in Quebec is not only against the law but is also decadent and immoral. Never do that again if you cross the Ottawa River. Perhaps we speak French, but we are not blind — we can see those socks!

Nor are we deaf. What is the point of saying "Sorry" all the time when you come and visit us? Just admit the fact that we run faster, swim better, and kiss deeper than you. It's okay not to be the best all the time. We accept you the way you are, even if your French accent is pretty terrible.

After all, aren't we part of the same, big, confederated family? You will always be our cherished Ontario — the brother-in-law who likes to show how rich, powerful, and better he is. But that's okay. No family is perfect. I mean, take a look down south: Who would like to have Texas as a mother-in-law (if we forget Alberta, obviously)?

And I'll admit it — we are a tiny bit jealous of you, especially since many of our Montreal head offices moved to Toronto.

Some people call this a rivalry, while others talk about solitudes. I think the two solitudes still exist, and will for a very long time, because it is a comfortable zone to be in. It's like neighbours who don't really know each other and don't bother to because they don't have to; they say "Hi" once in a while and talk about the weather or joke about the Canadian Tire TV commercials, but that's it.

Who in Ontario cared about Michaëlle Jean before she was appointed governor general? Right. Same thing with Adrienne Clarkson — who had heard of her in Quebec before 1999?

If we really want to build bridges between our provinces, no offence, but it will take more than a good-looking G-G. It's nice to show two little mermaids blowing conch shells on a coat of arms and tell people that the time of the "'two solitudes" is past, but let's keep in mind that Quebec's motto has changed from "La belle province" to "Je me souviens" — meaning that we don't forget things so easily, especially those socks in sandals.

Francis Chalifour is a Toronto writer whose work has appeared in The Walrus, Maclean's, Le Devoir and La Presse. His novel "After" is being published this month by McClelland & Stewart/Tundra.
 
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#4 ·
People from Canada are weird. :)

And before someone fires back at me...
Americans aren't weird, they're generally stupid. Big difference.
 
#7 ·
What a stupid article. I can't stand anything so full of stereotype and cheap humour.

What is this illusion of Ontario being money driven and power hungry anyway? You'll find the same folk in Parry Sound, Leamington, Perth and Timmins as you will in Moncton, Flin Flon, Gander or Red Deer.

And another thing... the definition of 'Torontonian' is fluid. Most Torontonians weren't even born there. And aside from immigrants, alot of Torontonians hail from small-town Canada. So lets all drop the bloody stereotypes... it's absolutely childish.

We understand it's not your fault that your province is shaped like an awfully happy whale
^ thats the only funny thing she wrote
 
#8 ·
^Yeah I tend to agree with that asessment.

It seems like I have read alot of supiorist Montreal rhetoric in articles like this lately. I find most aggrivating as it is all stereotypes and I would say halftruths but there is really nothing truthfull about them. It is sort of like saying a it is common place to see a Calgarian who works in a downtown office building in cowboy hat and boots with the shit still clinging to em. But hey, what can you do about it. If some writter from Montreal needs to feel superior to the ROC, let them go ahead with it. Everybody needs a release from time to time.
 
#11 ·
It's just an article. It's mostly a satire as well. Don't take it so seriously.

However, it was shown under "A view from Quebec". It's this recent thing the Star has been trying where they get an article from Ontario, Quebec & Alberta to show different views.
 
#12 ·
partybits said:
It's just an article. It's mostly a satire as well. Don't take it so seriously.

However, it was shown under "A view from Quebec". It's this recent thing the Star has been trying where they get an article from Ontario, Quebec & Alberta to show different views.
It's the worst kind of satire... perpetuating crap under the premise that any of it is true, when it's not.

Your paragraph before the article was more interesting. 'Meh' for Ontario? It sounds like you need to rent a car for a few weeks and get aquainted with our wonderful province.
 
#14 ·
^ That is very true. Most true Torontonians would get a nose bleed if they went north of Lawrence.
Vancouver is worse as very few have ever been east of Calgary, its quite sad actually.
Ontario is, byfar, the most diverse province in the country. Its unfortunate that many Torontonians while proud of the multicultural makeup of the city at the same time have little desire to meet their other citizens more than 20km from CNTower.
 
#15 ·
algonquin, don't twist my words. I'm talking about loyalty to Ontario, not love for everything that is great of the province. There is a difference.
And you can't deny that Ontario is a lot less patriotic towards themselves than a Quebecor or Albertan is?
While we may love our province, we sure as hell don't fight tooth and nail for it.
The flag example was bang on. I don't think I have ever seen one on a private property in my life, mind you I don't actively look.
As for being acquanted with this province. I have been to London, Hamilton, all of GTA, Stratford, Woodstock, Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Sudbury, SSM, Owen Sound, Barrie, Oshawa, Kingston, North Bay, and many many more smaller cities. I have also gone through the both escarpments, the Bruce penninsula and Chi-Cheemaun , Canadian Shield, Algonquin and many other provincial parks.

I think that can validate me to being acquanted.
 
#16 ·
partybits said:
algonquin, don't twist my words. I'm talking about loyalty to Ontario, not love for everything that is great of the province. There is a difference.
And you can't deny that Ontario is a lot less patriotic towards themselves than a Quebecor or Albertan is?
While we may love our province, we sure as hell don't fight tooth and nail for it.
The flag example was bang on. I don't think I have ever seen one on a private property in my life, mind you I don't actively look.
As for being acquanted with this province. I have been to London, Hamilton, all of GTA, Stratford, Woodstock, Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Sudbury, SSM, Owen Sound, Barrie, Oshawa, Kingston, North Bay, and many many more smaller cities. I have also gone through the both escarpments, the Bruce penninsula and Chi-Cheemaun , Canadian Shield, Algonquin and many other provincial parks.

I think that can validate me to being acquanted.
sorry, I made a big assumption there. I re-read the last few posts and I see where I veered off. I must be getting sleepy; suddenly I'm offending everyone :( If you've been on the Chi-Cheemaun, I salute you :cheers:

I could argue a case that an Ontarioan is just as proud as a Quebecer or an Albertan. The difference is that we are basically the majority... majorities don't need to assert themselves like minorities do. It relates to your flag point as well... I've seen more Newfie and Nova Scotian flags than anything else (except maybe the fleur-de-lis). It would seem ridiculous to fly the Ontario flag.... do you see what I mean? I can't quite express it, yet I'm positive it's not a patriotism thing. You mention we don't fight tooth and nail for Ontario.. I think it's because we don't need to.

It could be an aesthetic thing as well... the Ontario flag isn't that great compared to some other provincial flags.
 
#17 ·
ssiguy2 said:
^ That is very true. Most true Torontonians would get a nose bleed if they went north of Lawrence.
Vancouver is worse as very few have ever been east of Calgary, its quite sad actually.
Ontario is, byfar, the most diverse province in the country. Its unfortunate that many Torontonians while proud of the multicultural makeup of the city at the same time have little desire to meet their other citizens more than 20km from CNTower.
Most 20 something Torontonians that I know often talk about moving to Vancouver for a while. They boost all of the things we know Vancouver has. Very rarely do you hear somebody here something disparaging said about the west by people here.

On the otherhand when people from Alberta and BC have Ontario or the dreaded Toronto added to the conversation, very few of them have anything good to say.

It is sort of funny the way that works eh.

algonquin said:
Chi-Cheemaun
Isn't that the ferry that goes to Manitoulin Island?

I was there like 7 years ago, it's a beautiful spot.
 
#18 ·
algonquin said:
sorry, I made a big assumption there. I re-read the last few posts and I see where I veered off. I must be getting sleepy; suddenly I'm offending everyone :( If you've been on the Chi-Cheemaun, I salute you :cheers:

I could argue a case that an Ontarioan is just as proud as a Quebecer or an Albertan. The difference is that we are basically the majority... majorities don't need to assert themselves like minorities do. It relates to your flag point as well... I've seen more Newfie and Nova Scotian flags than anything else (except maybe the fleur-de-lis). It would seem ridiculous to fly the Ontario flag.... do you see what I mean? I can't quite express it, yet I'm positive it's not a patriotism thing. You mention we don't fight tooth and nail for Ontario.. I think it's because we don't need to.

It could be an aesthetic thing as well... the Ontario flag isn't that great compared to some other provincial flags.
No offence taken. Actually you answered my initial question as to why Ontarians don't seem to care as much about this province as others. There's no need to! Simple but to the point. Other provinces feel they may be have to fight to get what they want (Western Alienation, Quebec Sovereighty, etc), whereas we have problems as well, but we never associate it as being because we're Ontarians. Rather because the gov't are being jerks.

As for Chi-Cheemaun, that was a great ride. We took a nice Ontario trip that week. (Toronto, Bruce Penninsula, Manitoulin, SSE, Sudbury and then back to Toronto). Lot of driving so the boat was a big relief. How long is it again...I think 2 1/2yrs or so?
 
#19 ·
partybits said:
As for Chi-Cheemaun, that was a great ride. We took a nice Ontario trip that week. (Toronto, Bruce Penninsula, Manitoulin, SSE, Sudbury and then back to Toronto). Lot of driving so the boat was a big relief. How long is it again...I think 2 1/2yrs or so?
Hmm, 2 1/2 yrs may be a bit long for a ferry ride.... 2 1/2 hrs may be closer to the mark......

:D
 
#21 ·
ssiguy2 said:
^ That is very true. Most true Torontonians would get a nose bleed if they went north of Lawrence.
Vancouver is worse as very few have ever been east of Calgary, its quite sad actually.
Ontario is, byfar, the most diverse province in the country. Its unfortunate that many Torontonians while proud of the multicultural makeup of the city at the same time have little desire to meet their other citizens more than 20km from CNTower.
Okay, now your the one generalizing. The majority of Torontonians I know of love to see other parts of the country. Especially because you get sick of the hustle and bustle of the city on the odd occasion. I have so many friends who have gone to both Montreal and Vancouver. That's east and west Canada. I have done Montreal but unfortunatly not Vancouver (too damn expensive!!!, but 2010 I"m coming baby!).
The people who generally don't go north of Lawrence are teenagers living in downtown (but why would they?) and the poor (but they can't afford it).
 
#22 ·
I saw a poll once that asked people from all provinces if they identified more with their province or their country. The only two places that said the latter were Ontario and New Brunswick.

Even the word "Ontarian" is just weird. I don't even know what the word for someone from New Brunswick is.
 
#25 ·
Its not very often you say youre from Ontario. If Im in another country Im from Canada. In Canada...Im from Toronto.

The ROC tend to use provinces much more often. I hear them use the word Ontarian much more frequently. In fact, Maritimers still call us Upper Canadians...funny, but I like it.
 
#26 ·
I can't say I would identify myself as an "Ontarian" even though I've pretty much lived here all my life and grew up in Mississauga -- I would identify first as a Canadian and then say I am from Toronto.

My perception is that most people in Ontario don't identify themselves as Ontarians either. Certainly not the way it is in Alberta, BC, Quebec, Nova Scotia, PEI -- just to name a few places I've been to and real people from those places that I know well as friends. They would say they are from Cornwall, or London or Timmins or whatever.

Maybe we just feel that we are the center of Canada and so to us, it's just "Canada".

The other thing is that Ontario is a humungous place with regions that are just vastly different from one another.

Ontario is 1.1 million sq km, 419,000 miles -- 1.5 times of Texas, bigger than Alaska, bigger than France + Spain, bigger than Turkey and doubled the size of Thailand. And because of the Great Lakes geography and cross-country connection, more of the province is accessible by road and developed than Quebec, which is actually bigger at 1.5 million sq km.

I really can't say how Moosonee, Thunder Bay, Sudbury Muskokas, Tilsonburg, Peterborough, Cornwall, Ottawa, Toronto and Owen Sound can really interpret "Ontario" in the same way to form an unifying identity. And Ontario has no distinctive ideology / cause / language / historical perspective that, say, Quebec, Alberta or Newfoundland has.

I mean I like Ontario and I've travelled throughout most of it. It's great fun to go canoeing through the lakes and drive along the endless trees and rocks or stopping by the farms at the bottom of the rolling drumlins to pick your own pumpkin or strawberries. My favourite places are Killarney and along the Lake Superior shore, particularly the stretch west of Marathon to Thunder Bay (takes forever to get to). The only thing that is missing is good mountains to ski in, like what you find out west or even in Quebec.

But still, I do find it weird to think of myself as an "Ontarian".

As for the article, I think some forumers are taking it a bit too seriously -- I mean, the guy writes for The Walrus -- which is fun, provocative but not to be taken too seriously.
 
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