Why does the rest of Canada hate Toronto?

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SteveN

Everyone doesn't hate Toronto.

Here in Montreal, we joke about TO because of the built-up rivalry between our hockey teams, and because Toronto claims to be a partying city, but their clubs and bars are closing while Montreal's are just revving up. The big joke in comedy clubs here in Montreal is around 9PM to ask if anyone is from Toronto, and then say "Let me make you feel at home...LAST CALL!" (And yes, I know the bars stay open later than that, but not until 3AM like in Montreal).

Some people do get irritated by a few things related to Toronto. For example, the fact that TSN focuses most of its broadcasts on teams in Toronto, to the point that people joke that the T actually stands for "Toronto" instead of "The".

And if you want to get Global News on Bell satellite TV, you have to pick a station from Ontario because they do not carry the feed from the station located in Quebec like Videotron does. (Bell Canada's head office is in Markham, Videotron's is in Montreal)

We also feel that the culture in Toronto is much more like a US city than a Canadian city. The urban sprawl, the commercialism, and the self-serving ideals help support that sentiment.

But I would still buy a fellow Canadian a drink, even if he was from Toronto. Especially if he is wearing a Leafs jersey, since he is probably feeling bad enough already! ;-)

quackopaedia

lolz. Do they really? Probably because Torontonians think of Canada and the GTA synonymously with the rest of Canada just being the periphery. Its the centralization of commerce, entertainment, and culture within one city that is probably upsetting people. I for one love T.O., but then again I'm from there.

michelwhite53

I love Toronto it's a great city. Love the lake shore. It's a wonderful city with friendly people.They show an extremely high interest in their tourists. My girlfriend is french speaking and she fell in love with Toronto and compared to other regions we have been to in Canada we have always been happy with the way people looked after us. However I have yet to find a good restaurant. I'm sure I will eventually since everything else there gets an A++++ from us.

thinkingtime

It's a joke!

98% human

I don't hate Toronto, I've never even been there! I would like to go there someday though.
:D

P.S. I wouldn't click on that link Zaslow K gave you if I were you, sometimes people do stuff like that and then the link can sometimes download a virus onto your comp.

me-wa

I have always lived in Canada, in several places, and have never heard that. Toronto is cool

David H

I am a former chef and worked all over Canada for a hotel chain back in the 1980's, and I never found people to "Hate" people from or Toronto itself, it is just that we here have been the centre of attention for so long it can harbour a bit of resentment, plus when most foreign people think of Canada, the tourist info reflects on the local landmarks, and alot think we are this tiny country that you can drive across in hours not days.

When I worked in Alberta during the 1980's I got told we though we were better than the rest of the country, but I never felt superior, it is just that the west, like Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton (I worked in all 3), have grown and gotten to e very prosperous city on there own, now it is the other way around, Torontonians want to be from other places , I have been back for 5 years now and still love it here as anything is possible and at your finger tips when it comes to ethnic food, culture and events, so I feel it has been a big misunderstanding for years and played up in the media and counter culture areas.

lowball

I was born in Toronto in 1933. Torontonians in the 30's, 40's and 50's thought that anything 100 miles beyond Toronto was hinterland. It was a predominately Anglo Saxon city and all the bs that goes with it. I know, cuz I'm Anglo. The first of my family came to Upper Canada in 1732. My parents and grandparents represented all the insular snobbishness that went along with being from that city. The best thing that ever happened to Toronto was the huge influx of immigrants from war torn Europe in the late forties and early fifties. The Anglos turned up their noses and called them DP's. (Displaced Persons) How many of you remember that crap?
Anyway, the influx of immigrants totally improved the lousy restaurant situation, they created European bakeries that produced great bread products, they expanded the repertoire of music and the city stopped shutting down at 6 PM and began a more varied night life.
All my brothers and sisters, including me, moved away from Toronto in the 50's and currently live all over Canada, except Ontario. Why? Because Toronto really sucked back then.
All the good news from other answerers is the result of what immigrants brought to that city. You are now seeing the results. I can accept it is now a great city, but I haven't been there since the 60's, I live in the interior of BC and I would never go back. In conclusion, it is not the centre of the universe and I'm sure those old moneyed Anglos living in their sedate homes are still quietly controlling things behind the scenes and thinking the whole immigrant thing is an absolute disgrace. That kind of attitude is too ingrained.

tinkerpanda

That's so funny. They actually made an AMAZING documentary on it called something like "Lets all hate Toronto" I think. It's brilliant. They had this guy who dressed up in a suit and paraded through these cities with a maple leaf jersey in one hand and a "Toronto Appreciation Day" banner in the other. ANd people ripped it up, set it on fire, spat on it. A variety of thins. Somewhat entertaining.

I didn't mind it so much when I lived out west. But I'm going to school in the GTA area. And I find people are a little ... inward thinking. One of the Toronto area kids though British Columbia. Was in fact COLUMBIA - as in the South American country. I was a little offended. They just seem to think that everybody lives just like they do. Every province is just like Ontario. And if it isn't it should be. Drives me a little crazy. A lot of them just don't see or care about the rest of Canada.

They say things like "Oh. Yeah. You can't drink until you're 19 in Canada." Untrue: Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba.

"In Canada you get your "G1" at 16." No. Not in BC, Saskatchewan NWT, Nova Scotia or Manitoba (where you get an L), Alberta (where it is 14), NB (I think it's just called a Class 1 there) or Newfoundland is it called a g1. None of these places have a "G1".

So unless Canada just means Ontario "Canada" doesn't give G1s at 16.

But. Otherwise. It's a decent city. Even if I'm a Canucks fan myself.

I don't hate Toronto. It's a place just like any other place.

JEAMS

prolly cuz theyre french-Canadian
personally i hate the french and french-canadians
.

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