SkyscraperCity Forum banner

CITY+CITY, not City vs City

3K views 12 replies 11 participants last post by  Ashok 
#1 · (Edited)
This is a copy of a thread I started in "another" of these websites, in order to see how we, as Canadians, would react if requested to say something positive about our own cities in Canada. I have to say so far I am very pleased with the positive replies it has received in the other website! People are proving that they do have some positive ideas about our own Canadian cities!:cheers2: :


Here is an idea that has been knocking around in my head for awhile. After a year on these "types" of forums, I've learned that we, as Canadians, are very good at sticking together during international City vs City dogfights, but miserable failures at finding the slightest thing positive about other Canadian cities during typical domestic squabbles. I would ask the mods to please not automatically lock this as a City vs City thread.. it is just the opposite and I can't remember anyone doing it before. I would like to see our POSITIVE thoughts about each OTHER'S city (there are no shortage of threads where we give our positive opinions on the strengths of our OWN city), a kind of City + City. Here is your assignment, should you choose to accept it. I will list some representative Canadian cities (and please, no whining that I missed out Moose Jaw or Trois-Rivières; it is just a rough selection). Take each city and admit (as honestly as humanly possible) all the things about that city that you truly ADMIRE and would like to have at your fingertips in your own city. I think everyone, if forced to, would admit that all Canadian cities have their strengths and beauties, but often we do not acknowledge those cities to our fellow Canadians. A few rules, please... just as your mother hopefully told you, if you can't think of something nice to say, DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. In other words, DON'T bad mouth another city, either directly or obliquely. If you TRULY can't think of a nice thing to say about another Canadian city, then maybe you are a newb and don't know anything about our wonderful country and move onto another thread. And rule #2, don't include either your own city, or the one that is your "spiritual" home (ie the one you constantly tell everyone you would rather move back to but can't for some obscure reason). Rule number 3, and this is the MOST IMPORTANT ONE......please try hardest for the city you have the most pre-conceived ideas about. Prove you can change your mind about a city by the things you have learned here on SSP. Please remember this is NOT a negative City vs City thread.. only positive comments are allowed otherwise please move on to any number of other haggling threads. Rule number 4, be honest. Don't fib.. Here are the cities, arbitrarily chosen:
1)Victoria
2)Vancouver
3)Edmonton
4)Calgary
5)Winnipeg
6)Toronto
7) Ottawa
8)Montreal
9)Halifax

I'll start
1) I love the quaintness of Victoria.. the peace and the rather Olde Worlde calm. It may be "more English than England" but it has its own unique charm that you will find no where else in Canada. Plus, it has the best climate of all cities listed. You have not lived til you have had Fish n' Chips in Victoria. Who else has a replica of Anne Hathaway's cottage? As for gardening, if you can't grow it in Victoria, then you can't grow it anywhere in Canada.
2) I love the ocean, and envy having beaches like English Bay just a short bike ride away, as much as I love our lake beaches. I love the fact it rarely snows in Vancouver, and would adore buying live shrimp at Granville market for my dinner about three nights per week out of 7 (and hitting up that dodgy character that sells the world's best home made red Thai curry sauce). I would love to drag Vij's restaurant to Toronto. I would love to plant a windmill palm tree in my back yard and have it live an entire 365 days. Vancouverites were the first to import the modern idea of flavoured "martini's" to Canada, via Delilah's and should be proud of that fact.
They also grow a lot of strange things that are fun.
3) Coming from Winnipeg originally, I appreciate the old trees in Edmonton, and the older, "lived in" neighbourhoods. There is a strong feeling of "community" in Edmonton, like the 'Peg, that you do not find in big cities. House parties and pot-lucks are more popular than in bigger cities. Plus I love the kind of topography downtown in Edmonton. Also you can get decent perogies without looking like an idiot.
4) I admire the determination and single-mindedness of Calgarians. They are onto a good thing, and want more of it. They are not going to be satisfied with the status quo and want more respect from the more established parts of Canada. They seem to balance work with play well, and are focused on the future. If there is a city that has the right to say "Let the good times Roll", it is Calgary. Is there a city in the world (aside from Dubai) that has more impressive "before and after" skylines from 1980 to today? I think not.
5) I come from Winnipeg so will pass
6)I live in Toronto so will pass
7) I love the charming architecture of Ottawa, and the beautiful Rideau Canal. I would love to visit the National Gallery more often, and take more tours through our Parliament Buildings. Anyone who has not taken the tour has really missed out on learning about our history. Also, to see Ottawa in full bloom with tulips in the Spring is a sight to behold.
8) There are many things I admire about Montreal, and some I downright envy. I'd happily kill innocent bystanders to have an Old Montreal here in my town. To wander down Rue St. Jacques on a weekly basis would fill me with happiness. Of the cities listed, Montreal has IMHO the most fascinating history and best Colonial architecture. I like the later closing hours for bars (although oppose any closing hours what-so-ever) and enjoy hiking up Mount Royal for photo-ops on a beautiful day. Don't get me started about smoked meat and heavenly bagels. Also, who else has Ginette Reno? (playing in my background just now).
9) Lobster. If I lived in Halifax I would gorge myself continuously on lobster and other seafood. Plus I love the very cohesive sense of history that the city has maintained.... history means everything to Halifax and they guard it well. There are a few superb Georgian buildings in Halifax that are national treasures.

Ok, that's it. Sea to Shining Sea. Try your best! and if everyone keeps it clean, maybe this thread will stand a chance!!
 
See less See more
#2 ·
1.) London
2.) Windsor
3.) Kitchener/Waterloo
4.) Toronto
5.) Stratford
6.) Owen Sound

1.) London's nice for a city of its size, 350,000+. It's getting to feel more and more like a big city and is constantly improving in culture, festivities, and more. It's downtown is better than it was years ago and it has lots of potential, especially with more residents possibly moving there. I love the forests and old homes near downtown. I love going to Knights games, going there for nightlife and hanging with friends, events @ the JLC, and is a great regional hub.

2.) Windsor, Canada's most southerly city. With one of my favorite cities, Detroit, across the river, Windsor's hospitality is outstanding and while in ways, it may feel like a big city with all the nightlife and the casino, among other things, it somehow feels more like a small town, the people here are quite friendly as well. This city also has a ton of character, with many diverse and unique neighborhoods, especially beautiful Walkerville, which has some of the most beautiful old homes you'll ever see. As well, you get the best views of the Detroit skyline from the vibrant waterfront, and downtown is constantly improving.

3.) Kitchener/Waterloo, the new 10th largest city in Canada, a great university town and a blue collar town, I like Victoria Park downtown and it's very safe as well for a area of 450,000, crime is quite low. My sisters work in that area, too.

4.) Toronto, my luck with this city is changing, I've been to two hockey games with opposing jerseys on (Red Wings and Sabres) and have never been harrassed or beaten, even visited the hockey hall of fame. I may come here more often now, maybe.

5.) Stratford, amazing downtown with great restaurants and shops for a city of 32,000 and is such a beautiful city as well, and so much culture and entertainment with world-class theatres and a beautiful river side along the Avon River and it was named one of the world's most beautiful cities according to Communities In Bloom. Very sophisticated and I worked there as well.

6.) Owen Sound, a remote city for Southern Ontario, but I love the scenery and the Niagara Escarpment and the natural attractions here, and again, the hospitality here is great. I love the fact it's the smallest city in Canada with a CHL junior hockey team, and there's a lot of amenities to it for a city of just 21,000. A great place for summer vacationers. Like Stratford, its cultural attractions are a must see. Its harbour and downtown are very nice as well, and it has some nice beautiful old homes near downtown as well.
 
#5 ·
a great university town and a blue collar town, I like Victoria Park downtown and it's very safe as well for a area of 450,000, crime is quite low. My sisters work in that area, too.
KW is more of a white collar city actually, due in part to the universities.

Yeah, I don't think this is gonna work out so great here like it did on SSP, there just isn't as much activity on the Canadian forums here as there.
 
#6 ·
1. Montreal: A lively island city built near the beautiful Mont Royal. C'est un place que je peux utiliser mes 9 ans de education en immersion. Even though it is a bus in a cave, their subway rocks :D.

2. Quebec City: AMAZING place to visit. It's like watching tv looking outside your window at the people who attempt to ride their bikes. Nice people, and one of Canada's greatest cities.

3. Belleville: Way more than just a stop on your way to Ottawa or Montreal.

4. Ottawa: Amazing city, only bilingual city in Canada. The capital of an awsome nation, and the looks to match it.
 
#9 · (Edited)
1)Victoria: double-decker buses, UVic, close enough to Vancouver but a great city in its own right, spectacular hotels and legislative building, seems like a west-coast analogy to Halifax

2)Vancouver: Skiing/snowboarding nearby, 2010 Olympics, the Skytrain, architectural trendsetter, nice airport, vibrant (and CLEAN!) harbour, urban beaches

3)Edmonton: Whyte Avenue, West Edmonton Mall (suburbanism at its best and/or worst, but where else can you bungee-jump indoors?), the fact that you can see for miles and miles and miles wherever you go, tacky touristy stuff like the Vegreville Egg and the Mundare Sausage (which my uncle designed!), Commonwealth Stadium

4)Calgary: In my opinion, best skyline in the country, great downtown, a city that knows where it's going, the Olympic complex, Banff (~ 1.5 hour drive) is one of my favourite places of anywhere I've ever been

5)Winnipeg: The "Chicago of Canada", prairie ruggedness with an East Coast attitude (and architecture), the people seem disproportionately attractive?? (maybe just personal experience), love the "Fargo-ish" accent

6)Toronto: The streetcars, the subway, the classic Canadian city. It's like a less pretentious SoCal, without the earthquakes. Plus, all the best concerts go there

7)Ottawa: The "top 4" city that no one ever remembers, innovative public transit network, Parliament Hill is the source of many decisions that ultimately define what it means to be Canadian. From what I've heard, college life there is pretty sweet

8)Montreal: Nightlife, the Canadiens, eclectic (Olympic Stadium and the Expo lands), great architecture, the Metro, culinary trendsetter (lol... poutine, "Montreal-style" bagels and smoked meats), music scene, universities, Rue St. Catherine, dare I say strip clubs??

9)Halifax: My hometown, great nightlife, hilly streets, ferries, specialized universities, eclectic walkable downtown, home of Trailer Park Boys and This Hour Has 22 Minutes, music scene, donairs, great sailing and decent surfing, 2014 Commonwealth Games, sidewalk bars and cafés nearly close down the streets at night
 
#13 ·
A lot of areas including cities in Quebec are bilingual, by that, I mean there is a huge English and French speaking population, and the official language of that city is also English and French.

This does not include just Quebec, many cities in New Brunswick, Northern and Eastern Ontario also host bilingual cities.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top