# Best city in Canada **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 31, 2003, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513 "2003-03-31T19:23:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Willy\_ph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea5d25/32.png) [@Willy\_ph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Willy_ph)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/61 "2003-04-02T02:47:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Amethyst \* > **Ooops I forgot Coburg [sic] as a favourite city** I’m am now officially obliged to hate you as a result of town rivalry. Sorry. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/62 "2003-04-02T03:11:04Z")
Moose Factory is great (yummy food… mmm) Edmonton is nice enough, but I like Calgary better for beauty/weather. Banff is real nice, been thinking of taking a job in the hotels there. I have an in, my aunt has worked for the Banff Springs for 20 some years. ---
**Author:** ![Niggle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Niggle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niggle)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/63 "2003-04-02T05:35:03Z")
Vancouver, baby, Vancouver! Although I must admit the night life in Montreal is amazing during the summer months. The winter, however, is just disgusting. The same feelings about winter go for every other city in Canada. Hmph. -n ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/64 "2003-04-02T05:42:25Z")
**Obsidian** : Not to rain on your parade or anything, but you do know that they’ve been removing asbestos from the Banff Springs Hotel by the truckload for the last 15 years and they’re still not finished, right? Right? Hello? Hey, where’d **Obsidian** go? ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/65 "2003-04-02T05:46:14Z")
I live in Ottawa, and love the city… and you can drive 10 minutes and be in real honest to goodness nature. Toronto has everytihng but can small like a litterbox… saying that however… GO LEAFS GO!!! I LOVE Montreal 🙂 Great city… I can see myself living here (since I am visiting, I can say “here” right now). Kingston, Ontario is a beautiful small city… but if you aren’t old or in university, you may not like it as much. I grew up in Sault Ste Marie, ON and I have to say though, that my favourite spot on the planet is the north shores along Lake Superior… I have land there 🙂 The drive from Sault Ste Marie, ON to Thunder Bay, ON is the most beautiful drive, bar none on Earth. Especially in fall with the colours of the trees as the 15 foot high waves carsh against therocky shores… … man… I love that place… ---
**Author:** ![percussion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@percussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percussion)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/66 "2003-04-02T05:47:45Z")
St.Johns Newfoundland ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/67 "2003-04-02T07:48:36Z")
Even though Montreal is chock full of people who want to pretend that they are French, I have to give it the nod. Toronto has gone downhill over the past decade, IMHO. Ottowa is nice, but nothing to really recommend it. Never been to western Canada, though… ---
**Author:** ![spartacist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@spartacist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spartacist)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/68 "2003-04-02T14:07:58Z")
Being that my wonderful wife is from Victoria, my vote would go to that gem of a city on my beloved Puget Sound. On the other hand, she has a great T-shirt she used to wear all the time that said “Edmonton Sucks” on it. I will just have to take her word for it. ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/69 "2003-04-02T14:35:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Brutus \* > **Even though Montreal is chock full of people who want to pretend that they are French,** I don’t understand. How exactly do you mean that? ---
**Author:** ![Amethyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@Amethyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amethyst)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/70 "2003-04-02T15:18:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Willy\_ph \* > \*\*I’m am now officially obliged to hate you as a result of town rivalry. Sorry. 😉 \*\* Since I see your location is Trench university 😛 , I’ld have to assume you’re from Peterborough. But you can’t hate me … I grew up along the Trent River, going to the canal and watching the boats go through the canal was our entertainment for the summer. And gee, when we had relatives over from Europe, we’ld make the ~45 minute into Peterburra to see the lift locks! (I’m originally from what I consider to be the armpit of Ontario … the rural areas outside of Trenton, but not the pretty rural areas along the Bay of Quinte but the areas along the Trent. Nothing like the lovely colour of the yellow foamy stuff in the water at the bottom of the hydro dams during the summer … especially near the factories.) ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/71 "2003-04-02T15:33:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cherry \* > \*\*from the cities I’ve been to I’d say Montreal but Old Quebec City is awesome. \*\* Thanks **cherry**! It took 59 posts but I’m glad someone mentioned Quebec City. I wonder why it took so long? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Brutus \* > **Even though Montreal is chock full of people who want to pretend that they are French(…)** Not “chock full” really, it’s just that they’re all downtown and rarely leave the city. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Aguecheek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Aguecheek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aguecheek)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/72 "2003-04-02T18:18:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CuriousCanuck \* > **I live in Ottawa, and love the city… and you can drive 10 minutes and be in real honest to goodness nature.** Heh. My in-laws (from Washington, D.C.) drove up for Thanksgiving one year. They got to about 10-15 mins from the city, and my MIL was freaking, positive they’d taken a wrong turn somewhere. “We’re supposed to be 20 ki…lom…metres…? from Ottawa, and all there is is farmland! Somebody call them and ask where we went wrong!” ---
**Author:** ![Willy\_ph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea5d25/32.png) [@Willy\_ph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Willy_ph)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/73 "2003-04-02T18:49:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Amethyst \* > \*\*Since I see your location is Trench university 😛 , I’ld have to assume you’re from Peterborough. But you can’t hate me … I grew up along the Trent River, going to the canal and watching the boats go through the canal was our entertainment for the summer. And gee, when we had relatives over from Europe, we’ld make the ~45 minute into Peterburra to see the lift locks! > > (I’m originally from what I consider to be the armpit of Ontario … the rural areas outside of Trenton, but not the pretty rural areas along the Bay of Quinte but the areas along the Trent. Nothing like the lovely colour of the yellow foamy stuff in the water at the bottom of the hydro dams during the summer … especially near the factories.) \*\* I’m actually from Port Hope, 8 km to the West of Cobourg. I actually drive back and forth to Trent this year. (2nd year Politics, Philosophy major) I have family that lives in Trenton and Frankford and I know what you’re talking about the foamy crap in the water. ---
**Author:** ![Amethyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@Amethyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amethyst)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/74 "2003-04-02T19:30:02Z")
Hey then you must know Glen Miller (not the band leader)… the little glen between Trenton and Frankford and Batawa. I’m from Glen Miller (and I went to grade school in Batawa). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/75 "2003-04-02T19:41:39Z")
Hey! I’m from Peterborough! \. I figured that, when someone mentioned Cobourg, it was only a matter of time before Peterborough showed up… So shall we describe in glowing terms the wonders to be had at the ‘permanent’ yard-sales along Highway Seven? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/76 "2003-04-02T19:51:39Z")
Lived in a number of cities in Canada from the east to the west. My favourite has to be Ottawa. I am in Halifax right now which I also like. On the smaller side, which no one has mentioned yet, I vote for Guelph, Ontario. Only about 90K people, university and hippy-ish, close to some nice smaller towns (Fergus, Elora) and just 45 minutes from Toronto. Only downside is the awful southern Ontario summer. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/77 "2003-04-02T20:30:27Z")
Sorry **Willy** , I once spent a forced two hours in the Harvey’s/gas station in Port Hope, waiting for a new school bus to come and take my class back to Toronto. I never, ever want to go back. … shiver … My heart belongs to Toronto (the best city in the world, IMHO, not only Canada !), but Guelph and Montreal can share it. ---
**Author:** ![Willy\_ph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea5d25/32.png) [@Willy\_ph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Willy_ph)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/78 "2003-04-03T23:04:31Z")
I don’t blame you, the Harvey’s/gas station place is nasty. I shudder everytime I’m forced to drive past it on my way to university. ---
**Author:** ![kplmonkeypants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d07c76/32.png) [@kplmonkeypants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kplmonkeypants)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/79 "2003-04-03T23:18:16Z")
TORONTO is the greatest place in canada… but canada is great in general… ---
**Author:** ![beatgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/90db22/32.png) [@beatgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beatgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513/80 "2003-04-04T00:09:32Z")
Being as I like Calgary, I’m happy to point out no one has picked Edmonton as their fave city. That said Northern Alberta has alot to offer Giant Perogy Giant Ukranian Easter Egg Giant Sausage Mmmm giant sausage… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-city-in-canada/165513.md?page=5)