How are they different, except as noted above? Same chain stores and restaurants, same seas of plaid shirts (doubtless from the same shops), same lines of F150s. The differences, while discernable by the natives, are very subtle whereas the differences between, say, Skegness and Juan-les-Pins are glaring and comprehensive.

But which has the better zoo?

Well, alright, to be realistic, substitute highway 89 for Bloor. Northern Ontario, Nunavut, NWT, very similar to each other.

One has a zoo, one does not, that's the kind of slap-you-in-the-face cultural difference between towns you get in Europe!

If you think the culture in Vancouver is the same as that in Calgary, which is the same as that in Toronto, which is the same as that in St. John's then you are delusional.

No actually, it was not amusing. It was just typical Toronto arrogance.

I suppose there are more annoying hipsters in Lulu Lemon in Vancouver and more wannabe cowboys in Calgary though the people there would likely object that those are stereotypes. It's certainly hard to argue that the people of Vancouver look more ridiculous in their faux-retro trilbies and fake NHS issue specs than do the people of Toronto's Beach or the customers of the Jet Fuel coffee shop. St. John's is crammed with oil and gas people so it's not likely Calgary at all, oh no.

I'll give you that, AFAIK, neither Vancouver nor St. John's has a zoo.

To a newly-arrived Brit, they are homogenous.

It's like asking a Bangladeshi immigrant to explain the "enormous" cultural differences between Manchester, Glasgow and Newcastle. To an outsider, it's just three similar sinkholes of deprivation full of violent drunks who speak funny.

I live near a street called Juan-les-Pins (would do really; this neighbourhood is called Cote d'Azur). I have yet to see a Rue Skegness.

When you go on a run to Costco, do you pass near naked startlets French kissing miniature poodles?

Near-naked skanks with boob jobs snogging rusted F150 owners with body art would be closer to the mark.

Don't see many poodles in these parts. It's Lab territory.

Ah, sounds like Winnipeg.

It is not a very good zoo, but ...

http://www.gvzoo.com/

Or Ascot and the Grand National.

Whey, that's easy pet. They divn't speak English is Glasgae or Manchester.