Best city in Canada

csanopal

Electoral Member
Dec 22, 2006
225
5
18
Toronto, ON
That's an easy question! TORONTO, of course. This city is the bomb, as the kids like to say. Nowhere else in this country will you find everything you need to survive like in T.O.
 

AndyF

Electoral Member
Jan 5, 2007
384
7
18
Ont
I'll have to vote for Ottawa, but I can sympathize with those who find it boring.

Spent my 28 year career in Ottawa, and some time in my teens also, now I'm in the country where my wife and I come from.

Ye, I like some things about Ottawa, like the shopping on the market as you say. But what is likeable about Ottawa can be attributed in part to the French contribution. Saw many changes in that town through the years, like the old majestic movie theaters of yesteryear. Used to cruise Bank street in our hot rod in the 60's picking up girls who were never afraid to talk and take a ride and worry about murders and crime. Can't recall a nasty crime in the papers other than the usual squabble. Back then there was a lover's lane near Dow's Lake. In 59 Dad paid 8,000$ for a grand old victorian house with 4 bedrooms and massive fireplace on upper Sunnyside Ave. Sorry, getting sentimental.:sad2:

There's something about Montreal that requires an initiation to liking it. It's maybe in the blood. Either you have "it" or you don't. For instance I just about cracked up in my first week in MTL of my return. I was at a red light on Catherine which at that time was a one way. I sat after what was only a few seconds by Ontario light waiting standards, then everyone eeped the frontliners, which I was one, and ran the light. Thing is on the 4th row back a cop was also in a hurry to go home and he passed me. Just loved the independance and gumption. In Ontario the people would have waited a good 10 minutes.

AndyF
 

darleneonfire

Electoral Member
Jan 12, 2007
203
2
18
65
Ontario
I dislike cities. Noisy, impersonal,stinky, dirty, crowded, etc.

HI, I'M NEW AND WAS JUST GETTING MY FEET WET TODAY. BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT I AGREE WITH YOU. I FIND CITIES VERY IMPERSONAL. I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN ABOUT AN HOUR OUTSIDE OF A CITY HERE IN ONTARIO AND I LOVE IT. I KNOW ALL MY NEIGHBOURS AND ALL THEIR BUSINESS, AND THEY KNOW MINE. BUT THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE IT'S SORT OF LIKE A FAMILY FEELING IN A SMALL TOWN THAT YOU WOULDN'T GET IN A CITY. I GREW UP IN WINDSOR, ONTARIO AND IT WAS SO BUSY AND IMPERSONAL, MAJOR BORDER CROSSING TOO, SO LOTS OF AMERICANS AND AMERICAN INFLUENCE. I MOVED TO THIS TOWN WHEN WE GOT MARRIED AND I LOVE IT, THAT WAS 25 YEARS AGO!

AND WE ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO A CITY TO DRIVE IN FOR SHOWS OR SHOPPING AND THEN FLEE BACK TO THE COUNTRY!
 

Ariadne

Council Member
Aug 7, 2006
2,432
8
38
I'm with Hank here ... Calgary is the greatest city in Canada. Not only is Harper an alumni, making the University just slightly more attractive, but we are surrounded by rivers, lakes, mountains, foothills, plains, city life and multi-culture, chinatown, clean air fresh off the Rockies, galleries, strong economy, chinook winds, warm winters, warm summers, perfect humidity and best of all, I'm here.:wave:
 

L Gilbert

Winterized
Nov 30, 2006
23,738
107
63
71
50 acres in Kootenays BC
the-brights.net
I'm with Hank here ... Calgary is the greatest city in Canada. Not only is Harper an alumni, making the University just slightly more attractive, but we are surrounded by rivers, lakes, mountains, foothills, plains, city life and multi-culture, chinatown, clean air fresh off the Rockies, galleries, strong economy, chinook winds, warm winters, warm summers, perfect humidity and best of all, I'm here.:wave:
?????? Each one of those things surrounds you?
 

Ariadne

Council Member
Aug 7, 2006
2,432
8
38
?????? Each one of those things surrounds you?

We have the mountains about 45 minutes to the West - excellent skiing (Banff). As you leave the city on the East, it's nothing but prairies. Between Calgary and the mountains are foothills ... great for dirt biking and mountain biking. There are two rivers that go through the middle of the city. There is Glenmore lake for sailing - no swimming, but there are lakes in the city and around the city for swimming. The city life and culture definitely is everywhere. Chinatown is actually surrounded by everything else ... in the downtown core. The fresh air is everywhere, as is the strong economy and it seems like the chinook winds never stop in the winter. Other than the little seasonal details, I believe the answer would be yes.
 

L Gilbert

Winterized
Nov 30, 2006
23,738
107
63
71
50 acres in Kootenays BC
the-brights.net
LOL. Sorry, but it's hard to picture mountains surrounding you, prairies surrounding you, foothills surrounding you, rivers and lakes surrounding you, etc. all at the same time. And I've been there. (I was just playing with your wording, hun. ;) )
Still looking for a snap of a lightening storm that I took from the Husky Tower. It had 7 bolts of lightning in the one pic.
 

Ariadne

Council Member
Aug 7, 2006
2,432
8
38
LOL. Sorry, but it's hard to picture mountains surrounding you, prairies surrounding you, foothills surrounding you, rivers and lakes surrounding you, etc. all at the same time. And I've been there. (I was just playing with your wording, hun. ;) )
Still looking for a snap of a lightening storm that I took from the Husky Tower. It had 7 bolts of lightning in the one pic.

That would be an amazing photo. We have had some spectacular thunder/lightning storms here over the years. When my daughters were small, I would wake them up in the middle of the night to sit in front of the picture window and watch the lightning ... we lived in the country at the time so there was an excellent view. Their dad would come along and send everyone to bed and then we'd sneek up again. They still treasure those memories.

The Husky Tower is now called the Calgary Tower and the solid floor on the top of the tower is now replaced with a partial glass floor so people like me can be really freaked out. When they first installed the glass floor they took a horse up the elevator and filmed it standing on the glass to prove that it was stable ...
 

hermanntrude

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jun 23, 2006
7,267
118
63
46
Newfoundland!
that has got to be the most un-natural place a horse ever stood.

CN tower was freaky too. I love those towers. there's one in sydney australia too, but no glass floor
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
19,576
113
63
Vancouver Island
I like Montreal for the ambiance but Calgary for the location. I moved to Calagary because i like to hike, backpack, mountainbike and so on a few minutes fron the city but Calgary is sterile next to Montreal.

Run me over before making me live in Toronto. yuck!

Re above: Nanaimo is fine but I wouldn't want to be stuck on the island. I lived a while in Comox and folks were constantly back and forth to the mainland


There is no such thing as being "stuck" on the island, and we love to hear that talk, as it keeps others
from coming here. The island is huge, with everything one needs to do "whatever" they want, if they
feel "stuck", they haven't even learned anything about Vancouver Island, haven't given it a chance.
The only reason to go on the ferry is, to see the Canucks play, otherwise, there is no need to go
to "gridlock".
In theComox Valley,you can ski,fish,golf,hike,mountain bike all on the same day if you want, as they are all
within 1 hr. of each other.
And, now that we have our new airport, and Westjet, we see the Albertan's arriving here every day,
sometimes they come for the week end, and then home again, 1 hr. flight.

We can overnight in Victoria, day trip to Nanaimo, go to Campbell River for lunch, drive to Ucluelet
or Tofino for week-end.

I was brought up in New Westminster, (1/2 hr. from Vancouver), and it was nice, but the Island is
the most wonderful place in the world, I love it.
 
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talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
19,576
113
63
Vancouver Island
I have never liked Vancouver. It is dirty, expensive and pretentious in my opinion. On the west coast, without a doubt the nicest city is Victoria, hands down


You can say what you want about Vancouver, but "dirty" it is not. One of the cleanest and most
beautiful cities in Canada. Wonder where you lived in Vancouver, as you are the first person I
have ever heard say such a thing.
 

Ariadne

Council Member
Aug 7, 2006
2,432
8
38
Ah. Nifty. What'd the horse think?
I knew they changed the name, just forgot. Shows you how long ago I took the photo. :D

The picture would probably be about 20 years old. I don't think the horse liked it much and I have refused to attend family brunches in the tower since it lost the floor. I have enough trouble with heights without having it in my face.
 

Ariadne

Council Member
Aug 7, 2006
2,432
8
38
I like Montreal for the ambiance but Calgary for the location. I moved to Calagary because i like to hike, backpack, mountainbike and so on a few minutes fron the city but Calgary is sterile next to Montreal.

Run me over before making me live in Toronto. yuck!

Re above: Nanaimo is fine but I wouldn't want to be stuck on the island. I lived a while in Comox and folks were constantly back and forth to the mainland.

Calgary has a different ambiance than Montreal. Compared to 25 years ago, when I fled Calgary due to an absolute absence of any sort of culture, Calgary has a thriving culture today. Unfortunately, it's still elitest and cliquish to some degree, but at least it's there. For example, there are some galleries that purport to host shows of Calgary artists, but they are run and managed by a tight group that graduated with a master of fine art at the University of Calgary a few years back ... and they have a very narrow view of what art should be displayed or even made. That's unfortunate, but it will change as those 40 something babyboomers get sidelined by new, innovative ideas and initiatives. The "in" clubs change from time to time but there are still some rather pathetic, but very popular, clubs where everyone is a poser dressed in black. Try to have a conversation with the posers and they can't put two words together, but they have the act down in terms of pretending to be someone important. Did I just diss my own city? Oops.
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
19,576
113
63
Vancouver Island
Did I mention Nanaimo? :lol:


The island is the best, but lets not tell anyone.
We have lived here for 26 yrs, (from mainland), and we still feel like we're on vacation.