Been to Fort Hills, can confirm.
Got caught in a sandstorm once, just north of the plant while working on a large hill in the mine leading up to the tailings pond. Pretty sure I swallowed a pound of sand.
There is such a misconception about French NB. I have many generations of family there from when we first landed from France in Port Royal NS in the 1700s. Ā All very Acadian; none have ever been QCers. Ā All between Ingonish and Petit RocheĀ
What misconception?
Acadians are indeed found in NS as well (Cape Breton and Digby/Yarmouth area), and small number in PEI but most people in Edmundston and Grand Falls aren't ethnically Acadian.
Manitoba here, we donāt want them. Northern Ontario is beautiful but oh so desolate. Thunder Bay is basically a larger Thompson. We have enough problems and poverty in this province. We donāt need more.
Thunder Bays economy is on fire right now. As is most of NWO economies. Weād be a great asset to Manitoba honestly. We wonāt bring an influx of poverty.
What sounds better? Onitoba or Mantario? Whatever you and others prefer shall forever be know as that for northern Ontario (is Greater Sudbury included or excluded in this case).
Tbf what people in Southern Ontario consider to be Southern Ontario is an important factor in determining what qualifies as such. Same with people in Northern Ontario.
Same with Kenora I suspect, the sheer size of Ontario struck me when I drove from Toronto to Winnipeg (via the US), it's a 21 hour trip, and when you arrive the Trans-Canada has Kenora as a control city.
Personally, I feel that Kenora belongs in Manitoba. After all, Winnipeggers use it and Lake of the Woods as their summer playground. Might as well add Rainy River, Fort Frances, and Atikokan to the new, expanded Manitoba as well. Vermillion Bay and Dryden are a toss-up, but everything east of Dinorwic is definitely Ontario.
No way man. I grew up in Fort, we are on the edge of the prairies. A distinct geographical terminus lol. Although we'd probaly get more attention being part of MB.
I googled driving time from the MB/ON border to the AB/BC border and it was 16 h 26 m.
I googled driving time from the MB/ON border to Nathan Phillips Square and it was 20 h 21m.
One of the westernmost points in Ontario is closest to the AB/BC border than Toronto. I understand BC is a big province, but I also associate it with being the West Coast.
Thunder Bay feels like it's Northern Ontario. Similar vibes as Sault and Sudbury. Almost like Northern Ontario has a different culture. Almost like it should be its own province...
Northern Ontario also canāt have roads or schools or healthcare without the tax dollars of people who live in Southern Ontario. You canāt have a province with no economy.
Only objection I can think of is would it be economically viable. Its a huge area, although with a more focused and local government maybe things could start being done if they already aren't.
Our natural resources are plentiful and with us being in control of them, would definitely help. Also think it would make for better Indigenous relations. Our population is more than Newfoundland, PEI and the territories put together. I'm pretty sure we could make it work.
As a TBayer who visits Manitoba a bunch, I donāt find it feels like Manitoba at all either, also doesnāt (thankfully) feel like Southern Ontario. The region is its own thing.
They're both part of Ontario. The GTA is just urban, not to mention, Ontario is typically known for its temperate crop friendly weather ("Good things always grow in Ontario") and the Boreal forests and Swamplands of a lot of Northwest Ontario isn't really great for growing anything. The farms of the GTA/Southern tip of Ontario kind of define a lot of Ontario's identity as the multifaceted crop growing part of Canada as opposed to the Prairies which mainly focus on growing grains.
I did Drumheller and Banff on the same day. Wedding destination to honeymoon. What a contrast! Who would have thought these two palaces were in the same country, let alone province.
I dunno, I've been to drum a lot... It feels pretty fucking Albertan to me. Why do you think drum doesn't feel Albertan?
Genuinely curious, I'm from BC so maybe I don't know Drumheller as well as you...
Used to live just outside of Drum. We called it the asshole in the buttcrack of Alberta lol. I may be biased as I moved there at 14 from a bigger small town, but maaaaan I fuckin hate that place. Quintessential small town 'Berta.
Thatās because Windsor *is* basically South Detroit.
Most people donāt realize Windsor is directly south of Detroit. Not North, not east of it, as one would expect.
As a Windsorite, 100% this. Lived here my entire life. It's by far the most Americanized city in my opinion. But that's par for the course with its proximity to Detroit. Anytime I'm anywhere else in the province, there's a noticeable difference.
The Tablelands in Gros Morne National Park. It looks someone took a mountain from the desert and plopped it in the middle of Newfoundland.
Its actually the earths mantle that's exposed, but the entire mountain is bare and full of sandy colored rocks. It sticks out like a sore thumb and looks cool as hell.
The barrens that dot the island are weird too. Looks like a landscape above the Arctic circle. The barrens between Peter's River and Trepassy are creepy as hell in the fog. When I was a kid the Avalon caribou herd ranged down there, I used to have nightmares that they were gonna stampede
Quebecās Lower North Shore has an anglophone majority (speaking the NL variety of English) and the communities look a lot like rural Atlantic Canada.
Some communities up there wanted to join the Atlantic bubble during the pandemic but none of the provinces involved gave them much attention.
Also, Labrador is kinda like a buffer zone between Newfoundland and Nunavut in terms of its culture and landscape.
>Some communities up there wanted to join the Atlantic bubble during the pandemic but none of the provinces involved gave them much attention.
I mean we're not gonna change provincial borders for a few hundred people lol. Also, this means we'd have to engage in discussions regarding provincial borders between Quebec and Newfoundland, which is whole other can of worms.
I don't think they meant changing borders, but for the purpose of quarantine controls.
Atlin BC is only accessible through the Yukon and for the purposes of the pandemic, they were treated as part of the Yukon, not BC.
It did make sense, though. The communities on Quebec's Lower North Shore aren't connected to the rest of Quebec by road, but are connected to southern Labrador. The ferry from Newfoundland to Labrador actually docks at Blanc-Sablon, Quebec.
There are also many smaller French speaking communities in Manitoba where the first language in schools and commerce and signage is French. Not to mention a couple of French areas in Winnipeg. Itās not that surprising, considering Manitobaās history, but having grown up in a 100% German community in Manitoba myself it was a bit of culture shock, haha.
I had to do a research on Plamondon, AB for an assigment in elementary school. It was such a small town, my mom took me there to help me with my report and I think we ran into Plamondon's (as in, the guy who founded the town) great grandaughter. I presented the history of the town with puppets lmao
Much of central and northern AB was settled first by French Canadians. Hence place names like Lac Labiche, Grande Prairie, Morinville, etc. Source: 4th gen Franco-Albertain (il y a des dizaines de nous..)
Many other parts of BC share similar characteristics such has Lytton/Lillooet, upper Fraser canyon in the cariboo, other parts of the Okanagan. I wouldn't consider Osoyoos a class of its own.
I have a friend who lives in Oliver, which is right next to Osoyoos. The small town is mostly orchards and grape fields now, but he tells me that it used to be almost completely dessert once you left the little valley the city is tucked in.
Apparently Ashcroft is the true desert and Osoyoos is a semi-aridā¦. Something or other haha
https://infotel.ca/newsitem/canadas-only-desert-is-in-bc-but-not-where-you-think-it-is/it75548
I live in the Okanagan - Osoyoos is weird because of the half/half lake with the border. Oliver is all vineyards at this point. OK falls is a ghost town basically. Pent to Vernon all have their own charm but are basically the same haha š¤£
Itās apparently very unusual in Canada to have so many small towns in such close proximity outside of major cities
Osoyoos is absolutely beautiful. I hitchhiked from Ottawa to Victoria when I was in my late teens and Osoyoos was one of the places which visually stood out to me the most. There were brush fires nearby and the weird yellow tone of the air when staring at the mountains felt other-wordly.
Most of B.C., geographically, is rural and redneck. This isnāt unusual ā most of Ontario outside the GTA is also fairly conservative.
Consider Seattle and Portland ā very progressive cities, but Washington and Oregon are extremely MAGA everywhere else
I mean... The Carcross desert is more of a sand box than an actual Desert.
If We're talking about the Yukon though... Whitehorse feels the most out of place compared to the rest of the Yukon. Mostly because it feels like a normal sized city/town the rest of the Yukon is small, remote and absolutely wild.
Abbotsford. I get that BC interior is way more conservative than Van but my god. Ultra conservative, tons of churches, lots of Jesus freaks, constant protesting, pro life. Itās heavily entrenched in every day life. Feels like rural Midwest America
Lol I (22) grew up about 2 hrs from west k and those types of billboards have been here my whole life. Anti abortion, anti Vax, evangelical billboards you name it
Iād say you get that influence in Niagara Falls and Fort Erie only. Niagara Falls has tons of American brands and hotels along with the tourist area. Fort Erie just feels very American, but not as sure how. The housing stock seems very similar to what youād see in Buffalo, and the Peace Bridge into Buffalo seems to be a big part of what the town is known for aside from Crystal Beach. The rest of Niagara feels very āOntario-yā (if thatās a thing lol), with Grimsby almost feeling like an extended GTA suburb (although that along with Hamilton are not technically in the GTA).
Northern Saskatchewan is actually very hilly! A totally different landscape than the south. Nothing close to the mountains, but a lot of it is a drumlin field and they're huge. There's some incredible scenery up there.
I live in northern Saskatchewan and I count my blessings every day that the nature here hasnāt, and will likely never be tainted by people. Hidden fucking gems. I laugh at people who hear Sask and think flat and boring. Youāre missing out.
I also remember sometime in the early seventies we had a tree but nobody knew if it was dangerous or not so we brought in a bulldozer and knocked it down.
Hahahaha the image I have right now of a crowd of locals standing around a tree, hands on hips, going āI donāt knowā¦I donāt trust itā, āyup, sheās gotta goā, just cracks me up.
In Winnipeg the garbage was buried in the late 1800ās (80/90ās-ish). Closed in the 40ās. Itās a big hill, great tobogganing. Now a park. We called it Saskatchewan hill as a joke to the province being traditionally known as flat. Itās also āgarbage hillā or ādump hillā or whatever the park was called
This was one of my favourite camping trips with my family. The whole way driving there we kept saying "are we sure we're going the right way? It's just flat farmland as far as you can see!". Then when you actually get there it's a whole new world.
Grand Forks BC has always felt very American to me.
Itās very similar to a lot of small towns in northeastern Washington and Idaho, it feels more religious (could have something to do with Jesus billboards heading out of town), and I feel like Iāve seen the local highshoolers walking around in their varsity jackets before.
One time while driving through, I saw one of those digital store signs, and it was displaying the temperature in Fahrenheit.
Being so close to the border and isolated from larger BC cities probably has an effect on it Iām sure.
Wow, never heard someone mention Grand Forks organically before. I grew up there. It's definitely a very religious place in general, with most everyone being either Doukhobor or Mennonite. I never used f as a kid, the sign might just be one of those alternating ones. It's also kinda gone to shit in the last 10 years, with a growing homeless population and an associated uptick in crime.
The street lights in Quebec are always a trip to me. I haven't done much exploring but they're so much different than Ontario. I've driven from Calgary to BC and I think only Quebec has the sideways lights.
Traffic light is not the most significant one imo. The mininum speed signs on the highway. No right turn on red lights in areas like Montreal, the counter staying on 0 for the pedestrian red lights, all the french-only signs. Driving to QC is an adventure for sure. Imagine living in Ottawa and seeing two different traffic lights in a span of 30 seconds when crossing the bridge lol
Ottawa, and Gatineau on the other side of the river. Despite being over a million people it often feels like the provincial government forgets that its part of the province. Given how much both cities are focused around the federal government it does sometimes feel like the National Capital Region should be it's own administrative area rather than being split between Ontario and Quebec.
I mean any mountain town in AB really. The vast majority of the province is prairies, and then you drive west into these massive dramatic mountains.
Drumheller in AB as well, miles of flat prairies all around then suddenly it looks like your on Mars.
The vast majority of the province is actually forest.
I've always lived in Alberta. The mountains, forests, and prairie are all part of my home. It's a very large land area, with a lot of different landforms. Go explore, and see more of it.
As someone who lives in the prairie section of Saskatchewan, the couple times I have ventured into the Canadian Shield section have always felt weird. It's less a feeling of one section not belonging and more a little bit of a shock just going from farm land, wide plains, and valleys to land with lots of trees, rocks, etc., knowing that I'm still in the same province despite the differing landscape.
I've lived in the Lower Mainland of BC for over a decade. Went to the Okanagan last year for the first time and I was astounded at how different it felt. Deserty and almost Mediterranean looking in parts. Totally different from the temperate rain forest I'm used to
**Lloydminster** This city is uniquely positioned on the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan. Although it is officially in both provinces, it often feels more like an Albertan city due to its economic ties to the oil and gas industry, which is more dominant in Alberta.
**Churchill, Manitoba** Located on the shores of Hudson Bay, Churchill feels quite distinct from the rest of Manitoba, which is primarily prairie land. Its subarctic climate, polar bears, and beluga whales make it feel more like a remote Arctic community.
**St. Pierre and Miquelon** Although not part of Canada, these islands are a French territory off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. They provide a strong European feel right next to Canada.
Eastern Ontario (East of Ottawa) might as well just be Quebec, everyone speaks French, it looks and feels more like Quebec than ontario. Even the east end of Ottawa is practically Quebec
Toronto feels extraordinarily American to me. From the demographics to the architecture and the general culture, it really feels to me like I just got dropped into a random large American city.Ā
Saskatchewan has sand dunes
Saskatchewan has a desert/badlands and a boreal forest all in the same province.
Lol! Not sure about the sand dunes, but Alberta has badlands, boreal, and mountains!
Manitoba has the Carberry desert.
Or by Spruce Woods park too
Alberta has sand dunes too. About 200km north of Fort McMurray.
Lol! That explains the oil sands...
Been to Fort Hills, can confirm. Got caught in a sandstorm once, just north of the plant while working on a large hill in the mine leading up to the tailings pond. Pretty sure I swallowed a pound of sand.
Haha I work at fort hills, can confirm, the dust this time of year is just awful, I work on the tailing ponds š
Between Miette and Jasper too. We just hiked around Lake Annette and theres quicksand warnings around there.
The Yukon has sand dunes!! Carcross Desert!
Smallest desert in the world!
They're gorgeous! And feel really out of place.
[Northern Alberta has pelicans.](https://www.peacecountrysun.com/2018/06/25/white-pelicans-increasing-in-numbers)
You can see them in Edmonton from time to time. It's weird.
So does Manitoba
And BC
And Newfoundland.
Edmundston NB (and its surroundings) feels a lot more like Quebec than New Brunswick. 95+% of people there speak French, but the vast majority are not ethinically Acadian; they also get newspapers from Quebec City and local TV channels from RiviĆØre-du-Loup. Many people there have family members in Quebec. It is more comparable to an extension of TĆ©miscouata than to English-speaking NB or the Acadian coast.
Yup I have a friend from there. While I identify as french-Acadian she is Brayonne.
RiviĆØre-du-Loup and TĆ©miscouta to Edmundston is one of my favourite drives ever. Driving it in the fall is a must, that whole stretch is gorgeous. If I stay in Edmundston while Iām on the road I basically feel like Iām in Quebec still for sure.Ā
There is such a misconception about French NB. I have many generations of family there from when we first landed from France in Port Royal NS in the 1700s. Ā All very Acadian; none have ever been QCers. Ā All between Ingonish and Petit RocheĀ
What misconception? Acadians are indeed found in NS as well (Cape Breton and Digby/Yarmouth area), and small number in PEI but most people in Edmundston and Grand Falls aren't ethnically Acadian.
Thunder Bay feels more Manitoba than Ontario
That region should be known as Mantario.
Ontario clearly can't manage it. 30 years after most of Canada twinned the Trans-Canada highway and Ontario still can't finish their part.
Honestly? Yeah. Ontario could get cut up a bit. Use Lake Nipigon as the new Manitoba border
Manitoba here, we donāt want them. Northern Ontario is beautiful but oh so desolate. Thunder Bay is basically a larger Thompson. We have enough problems and poverty in this province. We donāt need more.
Thunder Bays economy is on fire right now. As is most of NWO economies. Weād be a great asset to Manitoba honestly. We wonāt bring an influx of poverty.
Yeah, see, the thing is y'all go boom and bust more often than Fort McMurray. The "right now" is the critical part of your testimony.
Not much blasting required in the prairies.
What sounds better? Onitoba or Mantario? Whatever you and others prefer shall forever be know as that for northern Ontario (is Greater Sudbury included or excluded in this case).
Iāve never met anyone in Southern Ontario who thinks of Sudbury as in Southern Ontario
That's cus everyone in SO calls anything 2 hrs north of Toronto, 'Northern Ontario' and 90% haven't gone past Huntsville.
Tbf what people in Southern Ontario consider to be Southern Ontario is an important factor in determining what qualifies as such. Same with people in Northern Ontario.
Sudbury as part of the North so they can have the numbers
Montario?
Same with Kenora I suspect, the sheer size of Ontario struck me when I drove from Toronto to Winnipeg (via the US), it's a 21 hour trip, and when you arrive the Trans-Canada has Kenora as a control city.
Personally, I feel that Kenora belongs in Manitoba. After all, Winnipeggers use it and Lake of the Woods as their summer playground. Might as well add Rainy River, Fort Frances, and Atikokan to the new, expanded Manitoba as well. Vermillion Bay and Dryden are a toss-up, but everything east of Dinorwic is definitely Ontario.
Kenora has the same feel as the Frontenac area in South East Ontario.
No way man. I grew up in Fort, we are on the edge of the prairies. A distinct geographical terminus lol. Although we'd probaly get more attention being part of MB.
Atikokan is east of Dinorwic
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I googled driving time from the MB/ON border to the AB/BC border and it was 16 h 26 m. I googled driving time from the MB/ON border to Nathan Phillips Square and it was 20 h 21m. One of the westernmost points in Ontario is closest to the AB/BC border than Toronto. I understand BC is a big province, but I also associate it with being the West Coast.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Thunder Bay feels like it's Northern Ontario. Similar vibes as Sault and Sudbury. Almost like Northern Ontario has a different culture. Almost like it should be its own province...
That would be great. Northern Ontario never gets to make any decisions that are in favour of northern OntarioĀ
Northern Ontario also canāt have roads or schools or healthcare without the tax dollars of people who live in Southern Ontario. You canāt have a province with no economy.
Only objection I can think of is would it be economically viable. Its a huge area, although with a more focused and local government maybe things could start being done if they already aren't.
Our natural resources are plentiful and with us being in control of them, would definitely help. Also think it would make for better Indigenous relations. Our population is more than Newfoundland, PEI and the territories put together. I'm pretty sure we could make it work.
What city would be the capital?
I'd say Thunder Bay. I'm biased yes, but we have the larger airport and a rail and shipping hub.
Also Taco Time which is š„š„š„
Hard to argue that. Taco Bell opened up last year and don't think anyone noticed
There are no Taco Times in Southern Ontario so its a strictly Northern Ontario and Western Canada thing. Apparently Timmins has one in a mall.
I didn't realize that. Nice to have something up here that you guys don't for a change š
True this. I ate at the TacoTime in Weyburn last summer and haven't been inside a Taco Bell since!
As a Manitoban, I dont see Thunder Bay as "feeling like Manitoba" at all.Ā It doesnt look like many places in MB
As a TBayer who visits Manitoba a bunch, I donāt find it feels like Manitoba at all either, also doesnāt (thankfully) feel like Southern Ontario. The region is its own thing.
I grew up in NW Ontario so to me that area feels more like Ontario than GTA does
They're both part of Ontario. The GTA is just urban, not to mention, Ontario is typically known for its temperate crop friendly weather ("Good things always grow in Ontario") and the Boreal forests and Swamplands of a lot of Northwest Ontario isn't really great for growing anything. The farms of the GTA/Southern tip of Ontario kind of define a lot of Ontario's identity as the multifaceted crop growing part of Canada as opposed to the Prairies which mainly focus on growing grains.
Drumheller, Alberta. Especially, if you're doing banff and DH same day
I feel like going to Banff and Drumheller in the same day does both towns a disservice
Drumheller is 2 days. One for the area, and one for the dinosaur museum. Maybe 2 for the dinosaur museum. 3? Do they offer residency?
I did Drumheller and Banff on the same day. Wedding destination to honeymoon. What a contrast! Who would have thought these two palaces were in the same country, let alone province.
I dunno, I've been to drum a lot... It feels pretty fucking Albertan to me. Why do you think drum doesn't feel Albertan? Genuinely curious, I'm from BC so maybe I don't know Drumheller as well as you...
if you go just outside of town there are large canyons and hoodoos. It looks completely out of place from the flat prairies around it
Used to live just outside of Drum. We called it the asshole in the buttcrack of Alberta lol. I may be biased as I moved there at 14 from a bigger small town, but maaaaan I fuckin hate that place. Quintessential small town 'Berta.
Windsor Ontario feels like Detroit. They even talk about weather temperatures in Fahrenheit on the local radio stations.
Fair, we do get pretty reved up when Journey tells us that the city boy was born and raised in SOUTH DETROIT!
Thatās because Windsor *is* basically South Detroit. Most people donāt realize Windsor is directly south of Detroit. Not North, not east of it, as one would expect.
They are practically Canadian Detroit
Canoit
We also have a few restaurant chains that don't exist anywhere else in the province.
As a Windsorite, 100% this. Lived here my entire life. It's by far the most Americanized city in my opinion. But that's par for the course with its proximity to Detroit. Anytime I'm anywhere else in the province, there's a noticeable difference.
Donāt get us started on pizza
The Tablelands in Gros Morne National Park. It looks someone took a mountain from the desert and plopped it in the middle of Newfoundland. Its actually the earths mantle that's exposed, but the entire mountain is bare and full of sandy colored rocks. It sticks out like a sore thumb and looks cool as hell.
Closest thing to Mars you'll ever see here on Earth.
I think they even test Marsā rovers there!
Gros Morne also has fjords that look like they were transplanted from Norway.
Head up to LāAnse aux Meadows and itāll feel even more Norwegian.
The vikings probably felt at home.
I was there a couple years ago, itās crazy to see.
How have I never even heard of this place?! I just looked it up and it's gorgeous
The barrens that dot the island are weird too. Looks like a landscape above the Arctic circle. The barrens between Peter's River and Trepassy are creepy as hell in the fog. When I was a kid the Avalon caribou herd ranged down there, I used to have nightmares that they were gonna stampede
Quebecās Lower North Shore has an anglophone majority (speaking the NL variety of English) and the communities look a lot like rural Atlantic Canada. Some communities up there wanted to join the Atlantic bubble during the pandemic but none of the provinces involved gave them much attention. Also, Labrador is kinda like a buffer zone between Newfoundland and Nunavut in terms of its culture and landscape.
>Some communities up there wanted to join the Atlantic bubble during the pandemic but none of the provinces involved gave them much attention. I mean we're not gonna change provincial borders for a few hundred people lol. Also, this means we'd have to engage in discussions regarding provincial borders between Quebec and Newfoundland, which is whole other can of worms.
I don't think they meant changing borders, but for the purpose of quarantine controls. Atlin BC is only accessible through the Yukon and for the purposes of the pandemic, they were treated as part of the Yukon, not BC.
It did make sense, though. The communities on Quebec's Lower North Shore aren't connected to the rest of Quebec by road, but are connected to southern Labrador. The ferry from Newfoundland to Labrador actually docks at Blanc-Sablon, Quebec.
Beaumont Alberta. Literally the stop signs are even in French. š¤Æ
There are also many smaller French speaking communities in Manitoba where the first language in schools and commerce and signage is French. Not to mention a couple of French areas in Winnipeg. Itās not that surprising, considering Manitobaās history, but having grown up in a 100% German community in Manitoba myself it was a bit of culture shock, haha.
Also, in Plamondon, Alberta. And River-Que Barre , Alberta . Also in Calgary (Misson Neighborhood) and Edmonton ( French Quarter).
I had to do a research on Plamondon, AB for an assigment in elementary school. It was such a small town, my mom took me there to help me with my report and I think we ran into Plamondon's (as in, the guy who founded the town) great grandaughter. I presented the history of the town with puppets lmao
Really?? Wow. How did that happen?
Much of central and northern AB was settled first by French Canadians. Hence place names like Lac Labiche, Grande Prairie, Morinville, etc. Source: 4th gen Franco-Albertain (il y a des dizaines de nous..)
Fahler and Girouxville south of Peace River as other examples
There are hundreds of thousands of us, actually. And Alberta was predominantly settled by the mƩtis specifically, not just any french Canadians.
Merci de conserver votre culture franco-canadienne
On April 9, 1742, Louis-Joseph and FranƧois (Gaultier de La VƩrendrye) left Fort La Reine, with orders to travel as far as possible to the west. By January 1, 1743, they had ascended the Upper Missouri as far as Yellowstone River. A huge wall of stone barred their way and the view of the West. They were at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. French canadiens were the first europeans to see the rockies, so you can count on some to have lived in Alberta for a long time (there is also a few known roman catholic priest). We have also a few stories like that along the Mississipi.
Thereās a bunch of little French farm towns in Alberta
They ran out of English signs.
Osoyoos BC. It is completely desert. Sand, sage brush, cactuses, and rattlesnakes. It is not at all what people picture when thinking of BC.
Many other parts of BC share similar characteristics such has Lytton/Lillooet, upper Fraser canyon in the cariboo, other parts of the Okanagan. I wouldn't consider Osoyoos a class of its own.
There are boa constrictors in parts of BC, too. The rubber boa lives around Radium, Pemberton, and Williams Lake.
The feather boa does not do well in Alberta.
I have a friend who lives in Oliver, which is right next to Osoyoos. The small town is mostly orchards and grape fields now, but he tells me that it used to be almost completely dessert once you left the little valley the city is tucked in.
Oliver does have orchards. Itās like Southern California. As soon alas you leave irrigated areas, itās just desert.
Apparently Ashcroft is the true desert and Osoyoos is a semi-aridā¦. Something or other haha https://infotel.ca/newsitem/canadas-only-desert-is-in-bc-but-not-where-you-think-it-is/it75548 I live in the Okanagan - Osoyoos is weird because of the half/half lake with the border. Oliver is all vineyards at this point. OK falls is a ghost town basically. Pent to Vernon all have their own charm but are basically the same haha š¤£ Itās apparently very unusual in Canada to have so many small towns in such close proximity outside of major cities
Osoyoos is absolutely beautiful. I hitchhiked from Ottawa to Victoria when I was in my late teens and Osoyoos was one of the places which visually stood out to me the most. There were brush fires nearby and the weird yellow tone of the air when staring at the mountains felt other-wordly.
Lloydminster, AB feels eerliy similar to Lloydminster, SK
I can't imagine why
Most of B.C., geographically, is rural and redneck. This isnāt unusual ā most of Ontario outside the GTA is also fairly conservative. Consider Seattle and Portland ā very progressive cities, but Washington and Oregon are extremely MAGA everywhere else
the yukon has a desert.
I mean... The Carcross desert is more of a sand box than an actual Desert. If We're talking about the Yukon though... Whitehorse feels the most out of place compared to the rest of the Yukon. Mostly because it feels like a normal sized city/town the rest of the Yukon is small, remote and absolutely wild.
lmao i know itās a desert in name & basically a sand dune. but itās pretty cool none the less.
Brampton
In the same vein, Surrey
Cape Breton feels more like Newfoundland. Don't tell either of them.
Youāre not going to want to say that out loud there or in NewfoundlandĀ
Nan always said people from Cape Breton were just Newfoundlanders who ran out of money on the way to Ontario lol
Got lost on the way to the ferry I heard
My fiancĆ© always says Capers are Newfs that missed the boat š«£ Me mudder is 100% Caper and I just give him the death stare when he says that
Well thereās a long running joke that Cape Breton is Newfies who got lost on the way to Toronto. š
Even the hardest of old Newfoundland baymen look at Cape Breton and say "good enough". They've got a fine reputation in NL
Abbotsford. I get that BC interior is way more conservative than Van but my god. Ultra conservative, tons of churches, lots of Jesus freaks, constant protesting, pro life. Itās heavily entrenched in every day life. Feels like rural Midwest America
The largest religious university in Canada is located in Langley (right beside Abbotsford). Trinity Western has over 6,000 students.
the beginning of bc's own bible belt
I didnāt know this about BC. I (stupidly) assumed the laidback vibe of Vancouver was more of a widespread way of life.
I had never seen actual anti-vax billboard before visiting West Kelowna
Lol I (22) grew up about 2 hrs from west k and those types of billboards have been here my whole life. Anti abortion, anti Vax, evangelical billboards you name it
I feel you start to see a bit more American influence the further towards St. Catharines and Niagara Falls you go on the QEW.
Same with Windsor area. My in-laws live in Chatham and they mostly watch American News, listen to American radio and measure temperature in F.
I donāt think thatās very normal
It's perfectly normal for those of us who grew up in Windsor.
Somewhere around London the cultural gravity of Detroit starts to surpass that of Toronto.
Iād say you get that influence in Niagara Falls and Fort Erie only. Niagara Falls has tons of American brands and hotels along with the tourist area. Fort Erie just feels very American, but not as sure how. The housing stock seems very similar to what youād see in Buffalo, and the Peace Bridge into Buffalo seems to be a big part of what the town is known for aside from Crystal Beach. The rest of Niagara feels very āOntario-yā (if thatās a thing lol), with Grimsby almost feeling like an extended GTA suburb (although that along with Hamilton are not technically in the GTA).
Kimberley BC feels like you are in Germany or something.
Google Cypress Hills in Sask.
"Saskatchewan" and "hills" in the same sentence feels like an oxymoron.
Northern Saskatchewan is actually very hilly! A totally different landscape than the south. Nothing close to the mountains, but a lot of it is a drumlin field and they're huge. There's some incredible scenery up there.
This country is so beautiful and vast, Iāve really got to see more of it!
I live in northern Saskatchewan and I count my blessings every day that the nature here hasnāt, and will likely never be tainted by people. Hidden fucking gems. I laugh at people who hear Sask and think flat and boring. Youāre missing out.
It is. That is why this is so unique.
Thatās insaneā¦in the membrane.
I also remember sometime in the early seventies we had a tree but nobody knew if it was dangerous or not so we brought in a bulldozer and knocked it down.
Hahahaha the image I have right now of a crowd of locals standing around a tree, hands on hips, going āI donāt knowā¦I donāt trust itā, āyup, sheās gotta goā, just cracks me up.
In Winnipeg the garbage was buried in the late 1800ās (80/90ās-ish). Closed in the 40ās. Itās a big hill, great tobogganing. Now a park. We called it Saskatchewan hill as a joke to the province being traditionally known as flat. Itās also āgarbage hillā or ādump hillā or whatever the park was called
This was one of my favourite camping trips with my family. The whole way driving there we kept saying "are we sure we're going the right way? It's just flat farmland as far as you can see!". Then when you actually get there it's a whole new world.
Cypress is really pretty.
Winnipeg is way too fucking cool, and has way too many incredible and creative chefs/restaurants, to be in Manitoba. Sorry, but I said it.
But is there a Manitoba without Winnipeg?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
LOL or west coast equivalent: Surrey
Grand Forks BC has always felt very American to me. Itās very similar to a lot of small towns in northeastern Washington and Idaho, it feels more religious (could have something to do with Jesus billboards heading out of town), and I feel like Iāve seen the local highshoolers walking around in their varsity jackets before. One time while driving through, I saw one of those digital store signs, and it was displaying the temperature in Fahrenheit. Being so close to the border and isolated from larger BC cities probably has an effect on it Iām sure.
Wow, never heard someone mention Grand Forks organically before. I grew up there. It's definitely a very religious place in general, with most everyone being either Doukhobor or Mennonite. I never used f as a kid, the sign might just be one of those alternating ones. It's also kinda gone to shit in the last 10 years, with a growing homeless population and an associated uptick in crime.
The street lights in Quebec are always a trip to me. I haven't done much exploring but they're so much different than Ontario. I've driven from Calgary to BC and I think only Quebec has the sideways lights.
Calgary has mostly sideways lights but they don't look like *that*
Traffic light is not the most significant one imo. The mininum speed signs on the highway. No right turn on red lights in areas like Montreal, the counter staying on 0 for the pedestrian red lights, all the french-only signs. Driving to QC is an adventure for sure. Imagine living in Ottawa and seeing two different traffic lights in a span of 30 seconds when crossing the bridge lol
You mean like spread horizontally?
Ottawa, and Gatineau on the other side of the river. Despite being over a million people it often feels like the provincial government forgets that its part of the province. Given how much both cities are focused around the federal government it does sometimes feel like the National Capital Region should be it's own administrative area rather than being split between Ontario and Quebec.
Brampton
We all know why.
Edmonton is an NDP stronghold and not a particularly wealthy city. I love it, but it definitely doesn't match the Alberta stereotype.
What makes you think Edmonton is not wealthy?
It's because they spend all their money on sweatpants and monster energy drinks
I mean any mountain town in AB really. The vast majority of the province is prairies, and then you drive west into these massive dramatic mountains. Drumheller in AB as well, miles of flat prairies all around then suddenly it looks like your on Mars.
The vast majority of the province is actually forest. I've always lived in Alberta. The mountains, forests, and prairie are all part of my home. It's a very large land area, with a lot of different landforms. Go explore, and see more of it.
Dinosaur provincial park NE of Brooks AB is even more dramatic imo. Prairies for hours and you descend a little hill and *boom* youāre on the moon.
Yeahh I did not feel like I was in Canada at all. š Amazing tho, such a cool experience.
As someone who lives in the prairie section of Saskatchewan, the couple times I have ventured into the Canadian Shield section have always felt weird. It's less a feeling of one section not belonging and more a little bit of a shock just going from farm land, wide plains, and valleys to land with lots of trees, rocks, etc., knowing that I'm still in the same province despite the differing landscape.
I've lived in the Lower Mainland of BC for over a decade. Went to the Okanagan last year for the first time and I was astounded at how different it felt. Deserty and almost Mediterranean looking in parts. Totally different from the temperate rain forest I'm used to
**Lloydminster** This city is uniquely positioned on the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan. Although it is officially in both provinces, it often feels more like an Albertan city due to its economic ties to the oil and gas industry, which is more dominant in Alberta. **Churchill, Manitoba** Located on the shores of Hudson Bay, Churchill feels quite distinct from the rest of Manitoba, which is primarily prairie land. Its subarctic climate, polar bears, and beluga whales make it feel more like a remote Arctic community. **St. Pierre and Miquelon** Although not part of Canada, these islands are a French territory off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. They provide a strong European feel right next to Canada.
Kelowna is trying so hard to be California
[Iām just gonna leave this hereā¦](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj0kWQPPBis)
Atlin BC is only accessible by road via the Yukon. There's even a local joke of "Atlin, YT" bumper stickers
Corner Brook, NL feels more like a Nova Scotia or Ontario town in some ways.
My birthplaceĀ
Ashbridgeās Bay beach in Toronto. For a second I thought I was on the west coast on a nice sunny day
Ottawa-Gatineau feels like it should be its own capital territory
Richmond BC, South Surrey BC, Brampton ON.
The Okanagan in BC is a desert with cacti and the rest of the province in massive rainforests.
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Saint albert, Alfred and Hawkesbury should all be part of Quebec.
Fort St. John is known as the asshole of BC, so makes sense they are seen as Alberta.
Eastern Ontario feels a bit more like Western Quebec than the Golden Horseshoe. Ottawa feels more like Gatineau than Toronto.
All of it
Lots of eastern Ontario towns, there are a lot of Francophone communities east of Ottawa and whenever I go there and switch to French I have to remind myself that Iām still in Ontario and not QuĆ©bec (they wonāt admit it but they speak French like QuĆ©becois too)
Manitou Beach in Sk feels like the Sunshine Coast in BC.
Eastern Ontario (East of Ottawa) might as well just be Quebec, everyone speaks French, it looks and feels more like Quebec than ontario. Even the east end of Ottawa is practically Quebec
Drumheller in Alberta
Fort McMurray is filled with Newfoundland accents. ššš
Fraser, BC, only accessible via Yukon or Alaska.
Tobermory, more specifically, the Grotto.
Steep rock Manitoba. Has blue green water and almost looks tropical at certain areas
Brampton, it feels like a 3rd world country.
Toronto feels extraordinarily American to me. From the demographics to the architecture and the general culture, it really feels to me like I just got dropped into a random large American city.Ā