Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

So after living in Canada for over 10 years now in various locations, I have discovered that born and bred Canadians although united by their nationality, tend to fall into two different camps….country living or city living….the two don’t really understand each other and have no desire to, they both think their life is the only way to live, and I have often heard them refer to each other with such derogatory terms like “cidiots” or “country rednecks” amongst others.

Its something that I have never seen in the UK, not to this extent anyway, I guess its because Canada is so much geographically bigger, and in being that way it clearly highlights these two different ways of life and the persona of people that live these lives. I guess the closest you could compare it to in a UK sense is the north south divide…..but that’s not the same as what I am talking about here, country and city living in Canada are ways of life, not just geographical locations.

I was born and lived most of my life in the UK (I moved to Canada when I was 38) in addition to this I have spent a good portion of this time single, so I have found I was/am much more flexible as to what type of life I choose to live in Canada. In my time here, having lived in both environments, I feel I can make a fair assessment of both. From a personal point of view, I think the country offers more activities to do all year round, hiking, camping, boating, snowmobiling…..if you enjoy that kind of thing which I do, and they are definitely the ways to see what Canada is all about, which to my mind is its stunning natural beauty. On the down side, country living does lack on the entertainment side of things and all that comes with that…. So I do enjoy city living for many aspects of its entertainment and the finer things in life and also for meeting new and different people.

As for the people in these environments, and this is not a hard fact on either side, I find country people very friendly, down to earth, and importantly kind and genuine, which are very likeable traits, but some can have a bit of a blinkered view on certain things. City people are more aloof and some can even be a little arrogant, it’s harder to make friends as there are established closed circles of friends, but on the plus side if you do make aquaintances there seems to be a more open mindedness when it comes to discussing some topics which could include music, politics, cuisine and the aspects of differing cultures which I enjoy doing.

Personally I think there are arguments for both, being British born and bred, I can view the two worlds as an outsider, and judge each on their own merit, and enjoy what both have to offer. I was wondering if anyone else had noticed this difference between these two lifestyles and their people, they are both born and bred proud Canadians, but could easily be viewed as people from totally different countries/cultures because their lives are so very different.

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

Having lived in both in the both the UK and Canada, I would argue that the differences are the same either side of the Atlantic. Farmers and those that live, for example, in London, are likely to have just as different a perspective of things as those that live in rural Alberta and downtown Toronto will have.

Lots of people that live in cities spend lots of time exploring the outdoors, just as lots that live rurally spend lots of time "gaming" too.

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

I live in a hybrid version of what you are describing. For example, Vancouverites think that Kamloops is a 'red neck town in the country' and folk from nearby smaller communities come to 'the big city of Kamloops' to do their weekly Costco food shopping.

The company I work for has two main offices. One in Vancouver and the Head Office in Kamloops. Having the HO in Kamloops is a bone of contention for the Vancouverites. A lot of people feel the HO should be in Vancouver and not Kamloops. Needless to say, Kamloops locals get very emotional about this subject and a lot of it boils down to what you wrote about. Country mentality and city mentality.

I have lived in Vancouver, and I am far happier in the country.

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

I agree that there is this difference in the UK too... but not to the the extent it is in Canada, and as I said in my initial post, I think it is emphasised because of the geographic size of Canada...and the the activities each promotes. I think only London stands alone as generating a city lifestyle differing from the country lifestyle. When I lived in the UK I lived close to the UKs second biggest city; Birmingham, then I moved to a rural area same area of the UK...with the exception if the peace and quiet I didn't notice any difference in the peoples demeanor or attitude.

For example the outdoors to Torontonians is a trip to the cottage in the summer.... and they hiberanate during the winter....most have never seen a snowmobile let alone ride one.


This is the kind of thing I am talking about...country and city mentality...you don't seem to get that level of difference in the UK, with the exception of London.

Your post is a good example of how I see it., as you also get levels of "countryness" too..... the real remote country people see Kamloops as the city! Same here....I used to live in Peterborough....and people used to drive an hour and half south into Peterborough..... the city! Peterborough to me is a country town.

I have to say I think the country suits me better too....there is more to see and do, and I love the "toys" that you can use in a country environment....as I have often said Canada has the best back yard playground in the world....and many city people have never seen that or have any desire to, its one of the things that drew me to Canada in the first place. The only downside to the country I have found for me personally is being single, its very hard to meet someone unlike in a big city..

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

With your cute British accent I'm surprised those country girls aren't flocking at your feet :lol:
It's 2020 Paul, unfortunately you need to sign up on Tinder to meet people these days :thumbs_down:

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

Happily, I have no requirement for Tinder, but I saw it on a program the other day, and it seems like a very good system to match people up !! It makes the old days all seem a bit random, actually. Paul, we look forward to your weekly updates !!

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

Sadly yes....I despise that online stuff ...cold,souless and sterile. I am living near Toronto at present, so its been easier, its a much bigger gene pool! lol I don't think I will be living here forever though....the company I work for is so messed up...very frustrating, so who knows where I could end up again! Maybe back in the country. :unsure:

Thats one ive never tried.... I don't have a need ar present, but that could change... lol :getcoat:

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

Just like those of the bigger cities in Canada consider where I am as the back of beyond with no jobs, no civilisation etc and people from PEI consider it Sin City. :lol:

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

Woah, PEI must be slow and boring. One half of my inlaws are from Moncton and I find Moncton to be staid

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

Moncton is positively the Sodem and Gomorra...or at the very least, a bit of good time fun, in comparison to Fredericton! Fredericton is truly the Capital of No Funswick...beware Fredericton!!!

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

Ha ha. From about 1995-2000 we had neighbours here in Ottawa who were from NB (Fredericton and Dalhousie in the northern part of NB) who moved back to NB in 2000. We went to visit them in about 2003 I think in Fredericton and the social highlight seemed to be going to a hotel buffet place that had 'foods from around the world' and it was along the river somewhere.

There is a reason that NB demographically is aging.

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

I had a friend from PEI, and he said that if you did something wrong in the morning, the people on the other side of the island knew about it before the sun went down. He also said that when he turned 16 his dad took him to a "booze can" or bootlegger's establishment to buy him a drink, and when he looked around, saw Premier Joey Smallwood sitting in the corner drinking with some friends.

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

Yeah....thats small town country life in nut shell. It does feel like a goldfish bowl at times...

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

I live in the country. Once, when I was in a car crash, I went to the nearest farm house. The people there spoke what turned out to be Danish. I sat for a while in a police car, chatting. The cop lamented the perception that there's no diversity in the country "even the white people are all from different places".

Yesterday I went to the feed store where the friendly, historically Swiss but not really of this world, Mennonite woman served me. Today I went to the dentist in the nearby town. She’s from Vietnam and was assisted by a Romanian. I was referred to her by the regular dentist, an Iranian who has a Chinese assistant, a receptionist from Afghanistan and a Polish hygienist. I’m mulling having a haircut, the barber’s from Iraq as is the owner of the coffee shop I favour.

There are few people in the office, it being Friday. I’ve spoken to a chap from Dubai, an Indian and a Filipino. A cradle did stop by with a technical question and I spoke to another one about old motorcycles. A Korean, who has a child with a Cuban, popped up in a chat window to tell me we’re having lunch next week with a Russian and an African as well as the Scottish woman. Disappointingly, I haven’t seen the Peruvian of Japanese descent today, he’s kind of an ethnic trump card.

I wonder how you find enough Canadians to form an opinion about them; are you counting everyone who has a Canadian passport?

Re: Country Canadian vs City Canadian
 

Are you fixing the UN's computer system?