# What are the largest Canadian cities you've never been to/heard of? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 11, 2007, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593 "2007-04-11T02:32:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/1 "2007-04-11T02:32:42Z")
As a counterpart to the American thread, go down the list [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_100_largest_metropolitan_areas_in_Canada) of the largest metropolitan areas in Canada and tell me which is the largest you’ve never 1) been to, 2) heard of (especially if you’ve never been to Canada). As in the other thread, being there means actually being in the city for some local purpose – business trip counts, changed planes/drove through doesn’t count. I’ve never been to Calgary (5) and the largest I haven’t heard of is Norfolk, Ontario (53). ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/2 "2007-04-11T02:54:24Z")
I got all the way down to Sherbrooke, Quebec (19) before I found one I hadn’t been to. Hadn’t heard of? That would be Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu at number 41. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/3 "2007-04-11T02:55:51Z")
Former US resident. I’ve never been to Toronto, but I’ve been to Montreal, Quebec and Vancouver, as well as all around the Gaspé peninsula. I’ve never heard of Kitchener (#11) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/4 "2007-04-11T03:09:30Z")
I’ve never been to Canada. First one I encountered that didn’t seem familiar to me was Oshawa. Unless you include the alternative name for Niagara. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/5 "2007-04-11T03:12:37Z")
St. John’s at #20. The list is sort of bullshitty, though, because it’s not a list of CITIES, it’s a list of census metropolitan areas. The reason Matt has never heard of the city of Norfolk is because there’s no such city. Norfolk has always been a county, and started calling itself a “single tier municipality” to pretend it was bigger than it really is. The biggest town in Norfolk is Simcoe, which might have 20,000 people at the very outside. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/6 "2007-04-11T03:40:38Z")
The only Canadian metro area I’ve been to so far is Toronto (and whatever I drove through on the way to/from Toronto). I’ve had hundreds and hundreds of Canadian clients, though, so I’ve heard of all sorts of smaller cities and towns - I got to #22 on the list (Kelowna) before I found one I hadn’t heard of, but then my clients have been highly skewed toward Ontario, and to a lesser extent, Quebec, so I’ve heard of quite a number of the metro areas lower on the list as well. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/7 "2007-04-11T03:46:48Z")
Never been to Toronto. I’ve been to Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec City. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/8 "2007-04-11T03:55:43Z")
Biggest I’ve never been to is Montreal (#2) Biggest I’ve never heard of is Barrie (#21) I haven’t spent much time in Canada. Maybe a month altogether. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/9 "2007-04-11T03:57:50Z")
Sadly, never been to any of them. Never heard of Edmonton. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/10 "2007-04-11T04:08:36Z")
Anything but Vancouver. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/11 "2007-04-11T04:41:17Z")
Never been to London (10). Never heard of Chatham-Kent (34). ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/12 "2007-04-11T05:06:22Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] The biggest town in Norfolk is Simcoe, which might have 20,000 people at the very outside. [/QUOTE] Even so, I’ve not heard of that town, although I have heard of Lake Simcoe and the riding of Simcoe–Grey. (Likewise, despite not having heard of Norfolk, I’ve heard of Haldimand–Norfolk. Ah, the oddments of being involved in federal politics.) ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/13 "2007-04-11T05:52:17Z")
Largest agglomeration I’ve never been to: Winnipeg (8) Largest agglomeration I’ve never heard about: Chatham-Kent (34) didn’t really ring a bell ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Macphisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Ms\_Macphisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Macphisto)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/14 "2007-04-11T06:04:21Z")
Largest I’ve never been to: Ottawa (4) Largest I can safely say I’ve never even heard the name: Kawartha Lakes (48) ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/15 "2007-04-11T06:27:29Z")
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now! Highest number I’ve never been to is easy, Toronto – I’m a West Coaster and the only bits I’ve ever visited are in BC! Granby was the first I’d never heard of. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/16 "2007-04-11T06:31:22Z")
St. Johns (20) is the largest I haven’t been too. Kawartha Lakes (47) is the largest I’ve never heard off. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/17 "2007-04-11T07:04:36Z")
[QUOTE=LunaV] Sadly, never been to any of them. Never heard of Edmonton. [/QUOTE] I’ve never been to Canada, but I do know that Wayne Gretzgey (sp?) started his pro career with the Edmonton Oilers. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/18 "2007-04-11T07:40:18Z")
[QUOTE=matt\_mcl] Even so, I’ve not heard of that town, although I have heard of Lake Simcoe and the riding of Simcoe–Grey. (Likewise, despite not having heard of Norfolk, I’ve heard of Haldimand–Norfolk. Ah, the oddments of being involved in federal politics.) [/QUOTE] I think if I have the county correct, the largest population area is port dover. I expect to stand corrected though. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/19 "2007-04-11T07:52:56Z")
I’ve never been to Canada… _WAAAAAAAAH!_ The largest I haven’t heard of is 12) St. Catharines-Niagara (Welland). London (Ontario) would have been the answer a while back, but I had a consulting job involving a factory there… I just didn’t get to go visit. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593/20 "2007-04-11T08:05:50Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] First one I encountered that didn’t seem familiar to me was Oshawa. [/QUOTE] Which happens to be where I live. Heh. Never been to Vancouver (#3) - never been further West than round about Burlington, ON - and that was just passing through on the way to Niagara Falls. Never heard of Saint-Jean-sur-Richalieu (#41). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-largest-canadian-cities-youve-never-been-to-heard-of/399593.md?page=2)