I grew up in Alberta and live in Quebec. It is always so difficult to internalize this concept. The people in Quebec are VERY CLEARLY poorer. It is plain as the nose on your face. The services are better, but the incomes are far lower. There isn't a 'big industry' like oil. There just isn't. There is no longer real manufacturing. There are many tech jobs, sure, but that's relatively recent. Their services are better because they'd be fucked if they weren't. They can't pay for the services Albertans enjoy through their personal incomes.
The things Alberta hates Quebec for... are that they take more federal money.
Then I go home to Alberta, and I see $80,000 trucks in driveways of 6 bedroom suburban homes, I see snowmobiles, I see sea-doos, I see nice condos and lots of construction. I see consumption, I see materialism, I see Yeti coolers and Patagonia jackets.
I go home to Alberta and people ask me why I would ever want to live in Quebec, and then we sit down at Deville and drink $7 lattes before we go to Chinook Centre and drink more $7 lattes before we drive home on the cheapest gas in Canada, a home with some of the lowest property taxes of any city in Canada, filled with objects not subject to a provincial sales tax, in a giant open prairie with no barriers to construction whatsoever.
And then I have to try to understand why Alberta hates Quebec, why Alberta complains about Quebec, why it's a given that Quebec is the problem. People in Quebec work the same full time hours Albertans do. I think people in Alberta are so used to being rich they forget many place in Canada are not Alberta, and not rich.
No one in Quebec hates Alberta. No one in Quebec even talks about Alberta.
I do love the mountains though.
Do you have a sense of why you're happier specifically? I'm born and raised in Alberta, but I'm also a tech worker and Quebec seems tempting some days, so I'm always interested in perspectives.
Not OP, but I can add a few things. No boom-bust economy, life feels more stable. Less live-to-work mentality, more balance. Possibly less insecurity due to a stronger social safety net (not that it doesn't have holes, but it's more solid). Less constant rage. Both provinces hate the feds, but here it's almost institutionalised - like, the provincial government will sooner shoot itself in the foot than cooperate with the feds, but I've yet to see a "fuck Trudeau" decal since moving here.
It all comes back to density. All the things I love about Montréal stem from that. The parks, packed with thousands of people having picnics, the good transit, the walkable city. The many streets for pedestrians only they create in the summer. A great diversity of small businesses.
Cost of living is lower in the ways it should be, and more expensive in the ways it should be.
It feels like a place designed for people to be happy in. Alberta feels like a place designed for people to become wealthy in.
It's a city and province built by people who have something intrinsic in common, which is this idea of Quebec as an identity. That does not really exist in Alberta. That underpinning of "we are all, to some degree, on the same team versus everyone else" creates some minor sort of bond that smooths over a lot of problems.
This is my opinion at least.
Substantially less, discrimination in Québec is real and visible. It is a nation built on the idea of French Quebec culture as the most important thing, everything else is secondary.
This is less the case in a big diverse city like Montréal, but like Alberta, the moment you leave the city the inbreeding kicks in.
Thanks, I appreciate the answer! Getting around more without a car has really opened my eyes to some of those things - Lethbridge feels like a city for travelling through, which isn't great when you live here.
The language is my big barrier to moving, and concern that fleeing Alberta right-wing populism is just going to result in dealing with awful politics somewhere else 10 years down the road. The CAQ doesn't seem nearly as bad as the UCP, but they still don't seem fantastic.
Are you bilingual? My wife is from Alberta and we started our family there. We live in New Hampshire now and may move back to Canada one day but frankly can't see moving to Alberta given the shit show the province has become especially with the current government. I love Quebec and we can see ourselves living there one day, but the language could be an issue.
Yes I am bilingual. Quebec is a shitshow too, you just don't speak French so you can't read the news haha! Trust me, our government is fucking crazy too. It's not just Alberta. Unlike Alberta, we have many choices for who to hate next.
It's not, really. Do your DuoLingo every day, take a conversational class, talk to people... it gets easier the more you do it. And there's plenty of English areas to live until you get acquainted.
Just going to throw this in here, I'm born and raised in Quebec. I'm an anglophone and my French is quite poor but I've always managed to get by with my attempts.
As for work, it might be a bit more difficult but I've been unemployed for a total of 4 weeks in the past 35 years through 4 different jobs.
There are loads of bilingual people here, it's more the government whining about not enough French. People get along just fine for the most part
>but the language could be an issue.
Could be, though in my experience that's very location dependent. In and around Montreal you'll have little issue, especially if you speak any French at all. And there are still some pretty anglo areas. I found Quebec City itself fairly welcoming to anglos as well.
I will also say that, generally, Quebec is far more accepting of imperfect English-accented French than France, at least in my experience.
What I read out of that, and 20 years of being born and raised in Fort Mac and watching people do it …is that Albertans have a MUCH higher *debt tolerance* than Quebec or most other provinces.
All those toys you see parked in peoples driveways, and the “bigger than necessary” McMansion houses themselves, keep people here broke because they’re servicing their debt with damn near every penny they have.
When the price of oil tanks like it always does eventually, and the layoffs start coming, those people are stressed to the max and declaring bankruptcy left and right. Alberta is also known to complain the loudest about inflation for the same reason, the interest rates on all their overextended loans go up and up and up. For a conservative province a LOT of the average workers (particularly in the oil patch) have shockingly low financial literacy.
I had a great time in montreal, but one of my fondest memories there was literally just getting up in the morning and stopping by the small hold-in-the-wall coffee shop 3-min walk outside my townhouse and pay $3 for a medium latte and freshly-baked croissant. Your (albeit exaggerated) example reminded me of that lol
This is so well said. And I think it also speaks to how much we are manipulated by politics. The longer they can keep us fighting amongst ourselves, the more they can get away with. And it’s in every party! Feels like a constant game of slight of hand. Corporations do the same thing. We are too worried our co-worker might make $10 an hour more than us that we don’t focus on the millions the CEOs are making.
Alberta politicians are jealous that Quebec has its own distinct systems for laws and governance - "everywhere in canada EXCEPT Quebec" is common to see, and Albertan politicians want that level of control and "specialness" too.
This province only hates Quebec because of Preston Manning in the 80s and every conservative premier since the 80s, too. Our politicians act like toddlers cause mommy isn't paying enough attention to them. They scream, stomp their feet, and make demands, and when mommy finally says, "WHAT?" They act like they don't need or want that attention, until mommy starts paying attention to Quebec again, then the cycle repeats itself.
not enough albertans and canadians in general know who preston manning is and too many who do think he's a good guy for what he's spent his life doing to both alberta and canada.
Preston Manning is an OG ghoul, and he has spawned many more ghouls with his ideology, including Marlaina "Danielle" Smith. They are the worst that Alberta has to offer, and unfortunately, have way too much of a voice here.
Ontario people are more like Albertans than they'd care to admit. I don't encounter enough Quebecers to have any kind of negative opinion on them.
BC people, on the other hand......
The only hate I've seem is towards new Ontario people buying up the house's and charging a huge amount for rent. I'm in a small town and 1 bedroom rent is 1600. 2 bedroom can go for 2200. 6 years ago, that would have been 950 and 1200.
They’re selling there million dollar homes in Toronto - moving to Alberta, buying multiple properties and renting them out. IMO no hate to Ontario people, just angry that they are driving us Albertans out of our own housing market.
I am laughing, I am crying, and now I'm laughing again.
I'm gonna go sit down and smoke a joint because this is far too accurate, u/Alarmed-dictator.
Would you like to join me?
All you newly "west of the rest"-erners welcome too!
The province in Canada who is the noisiest has fewer people than the Montreal metro area, and it's Ontario's people who have an overdeveloped sense of importance?
Back in the 80s and 90s, we used to complain about Toronto being the center of the universe. This was often backed up by news being Toronto-centric or CBC always showing a Leafs game instead of a better Flames/Oilers game or whatever.
Nowadays I find Calgary and Calgarians much worse than TO ever was. And I say that as a born and bred Albertan.
Maybe Grande Prairie is different, but I don't think there's a hate on for anyone. We're happy to have more workers from just about anywhere. Maybe because housing hasn't been as big of a problem. The hate on for Quebec is mostly at the transfer situation not the people. A lot of Albertans especially in the oilfield are working 80hr weeks (sometimes more) and then resent much of their tax money going east justified by income disparity. Especially when QB and ONT gladly take the oil tax money but try to cut off Alberta's livelyhood while making Carbon tax exceptions for their own industries like manufacturing and cement.
It's just the stupidest of the UCP-ers blaming the federal government for all our problems. Nothing to do with actual people from Ontario, that would be stupid. Wait.
That's not how elections work though. Just because the majority if the country lives in one area doesn't mean our votes for MPs don't matter. Every MP is one vote. Every MP is one voice. Our votes count just as much as any other region's votes.
They hate democracy.
It's the fuel behind a lot of separatist movements.
"Our way or the highway. And if i can't have it, we'll take our toys and go home"
I sort of get it, I mean they feel like they don’t have a voice…. But it’s reality so move on and vote a party in that will change the electoral system. The Conservatives and Liberals will never do it because they can win majorities with less than 40% of the popular vote
No, it's just that we're broke and there's nowhere to live and so many people are coming from Ontario to take the few places that there are left to live so it's mostly just frustration with our own government but a lot of people can't come to terms with that so they'll take it out on you
Yep. I've only met some Albertans who hate Ontarians in the same way that Edmontonians hate Calgarians.
Jokingly, that is. Like how two brothers might "hate" each other in a competitive, rivalry sense.
Military family, posted to Alberta on 2016, never treated with anything but kindness here. Lived in Ottawa/Ont 27 years prior to move.
Ontario and Ottawa has a misconception about Albertans, they are compared to ‘red necks’ from Texas unfortunately. Yet once people meet them they change their opinion.
Politics also drives the difference on purpose, it’s sad.
Personally, I love it here. Ottawa and Ontario have changed since 2016, and not for the better. Never moving back, relatives there are now asking about moving here.
Military as well. From Alberta. The rudeness of people from Ontario, more specifically southern Ontario, is crazy.
There’s not that many people from Alberta in the military. Especially compared to Ontario and Quebec. I’ve found that when people from Quebec and Ontario get posted out west they really enjoy it. They have a huge misconception about the west.
Funny because rural areas outside of Ottawa can be pretty “red neck”. It’s beautiful country, when my husband and I were living in Ottawa we looked at moving to a smaller town, having the train go through on its way to Montreal was sure an added bonus.
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say it probably differs based on where in AB. I don’t think you’d get the same answer from someone in Edmonton v. Someone in say, Bonnyville or Peace River. I hope I don’t get pooped on for saying that
To be fair, people in northern and north western Ontario also show disdain for GTA because they get lumped in policies that benefit city life more than policy that would benefit smaller towns and cities.
A large portion of Ontario is more similar to Manitoba fiscally but must pay Ontario prices without getting the same services. So the disdain isn't unfounded.
I think she was just joking around - she wasn’t rude or anything but kept mentioning it. I’m not worried, I love the town I live in! Was just curious to hear other takes on it.
I’ve had Ontario plates in Alberta and we didn’t get vandalized or ran off the road. I think it’s more plausible to happen in BC with Alberta plates or in Quebec with Ontario plates or vice versa. I jest lol.
Definitely not blaming the people who moved, I would’ve too. It’s just 60,000 people moved into Edmonton and 80,000 to Calgary when (IMO) we don’t have the jobs or housing to support that kind of influx in such a short period of time. I’m just saying spending a ton of money on advertisements enticing people to move was a boneheaded move by the UCP
It's definitely a stereotype but like many stereotypes there's some truth behind it. Some Albertans especially in rural areas may see Ontarians through a political lens as an extension of the feds who they feel have given us the short end of the stick. Some of these people just judge outsiders. Some people think Ontarians (especially people from Toronto) are stuck up or self important or city slickers.
I have lots of perfectly nice friends from Ontario but I've also met some Torontonians who fit the "I think Toronto is the centre of the universe" stereotype. They came here for the lower cost of living or a career opportunity but don't actually want to live here. It's one thing to talk about your home or miss it or tell me about things in Toronto cause I've been there several times and would live there over Calgary/Edmonton if I was a bigger city person (cost of living aside). It's another to shit on the place other people live in their presence or make it an incessant talking point. Sounds like you're not one of those people so if someone dislikes you purely based on where you're from, then they are a dick, simple as that.
I’m from N. Vancouver, lived in Quebec (Gatineau) and now live in Alberta. The views on Ontario depend on where in Alberta you are and most of the animosity is concentrated towards the metro areas of Southern Ontario due to political differences. The irony is that a lot of Alberta residents are from out of province. Like it or not, Alberta exists and the lives of people in the province matter just as much as those in Ontario. In recent years there has been a big push to attract more Canadians to Alberta causing housing crises and a shift in politics which is untenable for some. Overall, I find people in Alberta no more intolerant towards other provinces than anyone else in BC/Quebec are towards Alberta. Sigh.
As a driver, I’m hating all of the Ontarians coming here and making me fear for my life more than usual on the roads. Sharp increase in poor driving habits since the influx of people. It’s a mix of new Canadians and other provinces, but I’ve seen a lot of Ontario plates lately.
People that work at a registrar are often a particular sort of Albertan. The sort that if they lived in Ontario would really like the Buck A Beer campaign by Doug Ford. I wouldn't worry too much.
About 30% to 35% of the Alberta population just really enjoys being angry. Angry at everyone and anything. Drive their trucks and tractors to the US border (still not sure why) and to Ottawa. Drive around with vulgar stickers on their vehicles while simultaneuously complining that nobody has any respect anymore. Complaining about immigration. Falling for every bit of culture war nonsense meant to distract from the fact that the problems are Alberta made. It's easier to point at people outside of Alberta and blame them than to suffer the cognitive dissonance that comes with challenging your own ideology.
Depends are you a leafs fan?
Just kidding we are relatively good with where anyone comes from unless your talking to our far right mentally unstable freedum warriors.
I’ve lived in Alberta for over 20 years and I can’t say I’ve ever heard of hate toward Ontario. I’ve heard of it toward Quebec but I lived in BC and the Yukon for 25 years so I know that the animosity isn’t just from Albertans when it comes to Quebec
English Canada hating on Quebec/French Canadians is a story older than Confederation.
I certainly hear more moaning about Quebec out west than I did living 30+ years in Ontario, but it's mostly harmless nonsense, or talk radio level crap.
I think it's an eastern vs. western thing. Alberta in general is taken for granted by Ontario and Quebec. Western Canada is a different place, with very different economies, demographics and relationship with the USA vs other provinces. I think it's safe to say that while most Western Canadians are proud to be a part of Canada... But I think we have a much less distinct sense that we are not 'american' as well. Not so much USA American - but the north/south ties are stronger them than the east/west ties. This is particularly acute in Alberta, where the chances of working with Americans day to day, is much more common than working with anyone from the 'east'. I think it's strong to say 'dislike'... Probably the anti-federal sentiment in Alberta is stronger than elsewhere in Canada, but I don't think that extends to individuals.( Unless you're talking about extreme redneck coal-rollers. Ya there are a few)
... Now, if you happen to be from Toronto, well that's a different story.... I don't even think people in the rest of Ontario can stand a Torontonian! ;)
That's such a shitty thing of her to say. I don't think most of us have an issue with people from Ontario, as long as you're not a douche, which applies to everyone. I would think people from Ontario have way more reason to hate Albertans :p
From my experience in business, Ontario is the centre of the universe for anything in Canada. Businesses run on Eastern time, some stores are only in Ontario and this created a bit of hate towards everything being geared to Ontario.
I hate everyone who drives slow in the left lane even when they’re holding up traffic’s by doing so. More often than not it’s someone with Ontario or Quebec plates
Just moved from Alberta to Ottawa area for a few years for work, and it's not so much they hate Alberta here, it's moreso they don't even know it exists. This place in in their own little bubble, I swear. Canada exists solely in the small finger that is southern Ontario. We seem to have much more in common with Quebec. People proud of their province, no front license plates, and we want to be our own country, haha. Can't wait to move back to Alberta
I don't think any province hates the people from any province. There's lots of anti-Quebec sentiment in AB, but any individual from Quebec would be largely welcomed
Never forget, most of us Albertans are from out of province. We identify as Albertan because we love it here.
Hopefully, the service person was making a joke about this fact.
If your cool, we like you.
If you have an attitude, we don’t.
If you act like you want to be here, we want you here.
If you act like you’d rather be somewhere else, we wish you’d go there.
Simple as.
Albertans dislike people from everywhere that isn't AB, but I believe ON gets a special amount of hate because people equate ON with federal politicians.
No, I don't dislike anyone based on what province they're from. Ironically, even though I was born here, I do get embarrassed by a fair amount of Albertans.
From my experience Albertans are usually welcoming and kind to people from other provinces. The only time we shit talk them is in the privacy of our car when we see a blue plated car doing some sketchy driving.
However I noticed that people from B.C. and Ontario are quick to shit talk Albertans even when it’s not even confirmed that whoever was doing something weird is from Alberta lol. They just assume they are. It seems like they bond over hating on Albertans.
I did an internship in Ottawa for a summer in uni and drove there with my AB plates. Most people were cool, some made dickhead remarks about me being an Albertan. Point is some people are douchebags all over but most are cool and interested in other places.
Chirping each other is a Canadian pastime but some people are serious about it. Those people can be ignored and not invited to barbecues.
Don’t think Alberta hates Ontario at all, it’s probably more of an anti-Toronto, center of the universe thing. But then again, from coast to coast, the Toronto Blue Jays are pretty beloved.
Personally, I love the city of Toronto though and have no problems with the average Ontarians. Been there a few times and know a few Ontarians too and the people are actually quite pleasant. Overall, Canadians make pretty darn good people.
The generalizations here are wild.
You might have a small part of the population say these derogatory things towards people from other provinces, but the vast majority are very friendly and welcoming, in every province. If 5% of the population are crazy, conservative, rednecks, you hear about them in the news and people think ALL Albertan's think this way. It is not true.
But just like how you wouldn't want someone coming into your house telling you how your way is stupid, or your house is all messed up, don't go into someone else's house and do that.
And a huge population in Alberta is not even from Alberta. They come from all over. Lots from SK, ON, and the maritimes. More than half of my coworkers are from other parts of the country or from outside of Canada. There's probably more 1st gen Albertan's than 2nd or 3rd gen Albertan's that are born and raised here. I almost never run into these true born and raised Albertan's.
The main issue that Canadians from all other provinces and territories have is the majority of people in Ontario believe that the rest of Canada does not exist. Check out political posts on REDDIT. It’s just insane how narrow minded they are.
Yeah, I’d change those plates ASAP. Then maybe see a speech therapist to get rid of the accent.
I think the issue is everybody and their grandma has moved because it's "affordable" in doing so it has been a nightmare. No houses less work I know mass immigration is a huge factor in it but everyone has been moving here.
I have no umbrage with Ontarians, as people. We are all people. If there is any festering issue, it's that Federal elections are decided by Quebec and Ontario before the vote ever gets to Alberta. As a result of that population concentration, the same disparity applies to Federal government spending, even when compared per capita.
So long story short, no problem with Ontarians.
Problem with the systems of the Federal government.
This is silly and that DMV woman was silly. I’m not going to hate anyone based on what province they are from or live in. I’m an Albertan who is married to an Ontarian! There is absolutely no reason to sow hatred between the provinces.
I think when people in Alberta do complain about people from Ontario it has more to do with things like housing concerns than the individual people. Our provincial government spent a lot of money advertising “the Alberta advantage” in Ontario to get people to move here without any consideration over whether we actually had the housing and infrastructure to accommodate that influx of people. Thats the fault of our provincial government, not Ontarians who decided to take them up on the offer.
My take as someone who grew up in Alberta, moved to Ontario for a decade, and then moved back... I don't hate Ontarians but I do hate how Ontarians talk about Alberta/Albertans. We are not all conservative hicks and it's incredibly frustrating that Ontarians don't acknowledge all the fantastic things about Alberta. Also annoys the shit out of me that they don't realize many of the iconic places (ie. Lake Louise, Moraine Lake...) in Canada are in Alberta not BC. It always feels like they don't take any time to know about our province and just make all these baseless assumptions and so THAT I hate!
As an Ontario lad, I only encountered real hate from B.C folks. Which is ironic since half of them seem to be from Ontario! (Not saying all B.C people are like that - just my experience). Albertans are always very cool. Much love and respect
The 'hate' against Ontario is an extension of the hate against Trudeau Sr and the National Energy Program. It was started by the WCC.
Alberta has a lot of oil but the people that live here don't really control our resources. On one side, you have the private oil companies. On the other side, you had Trudeau taking our resources and using it to pad support in Ontario and Quebec.
The way our elections and ridings are set up, due to time zones, the majority of votes happen in those 2 provinces so by the time western voters go to the polls, our elections are already determined.
The [WCC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Canada_Concept) started as a protest movement similar to the [FLQ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_de_lib%C3%A9ration_du_Qu%C3%A9bec) who were Quebec separatists. The WCC got fairly popular before being taken over by supporters of the old Social Credit Party. That's how Preston Manning started the Reform Party and why the UCP pander hard to rural Albertans.
As an amorphous faceless idea yes many do hate them. When confronted with a random individual they learn is from Ontario no they like them like anyone else. It’s all the others they haven’t met who are bad.
It won't last. Brothers and sisters are natural enemies. Like Ontarians and Albertans. Or British Columbians and Albertans. Or Quebecers and Albertans. Or Albertans and other Albertans! Damn Albertans! They ruined Alberta!
Not generally. I think there’s more tension in recent years because lots of folks from Toronto are flocking here for cheaper housing and it’s making the cost of our homes skyrocket. You could get a one bedroom for like $800 a couple years ago. Now it’s like $1200 for one in the hood and $1600+ for a nice one
I mean conservative right wing Albertans usually dislike everything that isn't them. They also are the most unfriendly and worst part of the province. Us middle ground Albertans love Ontarians. Come and bring your culture here, we just gotta stick together and focus on not letting these hyper capitalists over monetize our basic right to shelter.
I mean, as a born and raised Albertan, I don't hate the other provinces. But it is fun to clown on them a little bit every now and again. "Quebec isn't Canada", "Saskatchewan is flat and empty", "Manitoba is really fucking cold", jokes like that I'll hear or make every so often, but I don't think I've met anyone who dislikes Ontarians or people from the other provinces.
A lot of especially older Albertans feel that Alberta is constantly shafted by the Ontario-based federal government and used as a cash cow. Those sentiments are not being made any better by the deluge of people moving to Alberta to capitalize on the so-called Alberta Advantage, making things much more difficult for people who grew up living here and are being affected by the insane housing market, lack of jobs, etc.
On a one to one basis, though, Albertans don't hate Ontarians as long as they come here to be Albertans and leave the Ontario attitude in Ontario.
Any hate towards Ontario is either coming from jealous (like getting the best concerts and events) or follish bullshit (like thinking Ottawa is taking our rights). I've been to Toronto briefly twice and didn't mind it and I'd like to see more of the province. That's probably where most people's opinions fall.
I can’t give a percentage estimate but I encounter a lot of people with family in Ontario (myself included) or have moved from Ontario. Feels like there are deep familial ties to Ontario throughout Alberta (BC too). Any dislike you encounter should be of the sports opponent variety (which seems to be stronger towards people from Saskatchewan).
No, its just political nonsense. Most of the people I know have moved provinces in their lives to begin with or would at least be open to it, almost no one is that attached to one province until they are worried about retirement. A ton of the people in Alberta weren't born there to begin with, I moved there from Sask and ended up in Quebec for my career and tons of people from everywhere else are constantly moving around.
Its fake drama and political nonsense for the weak minded.
There's a lot of people in this thread living in Alberta demonstrating that they hate Ontarians. I've encountered a number IRL as well so it's definitely not 'fake nonsense'.
My whole family is from Ontario, so I’ve spent a lot of time there, but we’ve lived in Alberta since I was young. Personally I have no hate for anyone just because they are from a different province and i especially don’t have any issue with Ontario. The woman you spoke to should speak for herself, and remove the word “us” from her vocabulary because she sure as hell doesn’t speak for me. Welcome back!! :)
As someone who grew up in non-Ottawa, non-Toronto Ontario, maybe I can shed light on this. So many city folk from those two cities have the idea that their way of life, their experience, is the defining Canadian experience. It's not just arguing that urban life is better and more efficient, it's almost a condescending attitude towards people who do things like use propane, grow or raise their own food, ethically manage wildlife and natural landscapes, drive vehicles, pretend to like church to maintain community, etc. Ok, it's a bit more than Ottawa. Outremont and Mount Royal are honourary neighbourhoods of Ottawa.
So it's not necessarily about disliking individuals who have that city Ontario mentality, it's disliking the superiority complex that comes with it. And it gets dumped on everyone from the province. You are guilty until you prove, to a high degree, otherwise.
I don’t know what it is, and no hate, but I can spot an Ontarioian in about ten minutes of conversation. Also, they say coupon weird. It’s not cyoupon?
I grew up in Ontario but lived in Alberta for 25 years. When I first got to Alberta I asked my roommate which province Albertans actually liked and he responded "Maybe Manitoba I guess."
Coming up on a year since we moved here. We've had nothing but welcoming kindness. Having said that, I admit I am pretty low-key about being from Ontario... a little embarrassed or wary that Ontarians should be hated in some ways.
Would say its more an anti Toronto thing than anti Ontario. The rest of Ontario hates Toronto in equal measure. I hear mostly that easterners should leave that Toronto attitude at the border.
Please don’t bring that Toronto attitude here would sum it up for most of Berta.
There's some good answers here but to add to them, I think people dislike the attitude that migrants from Toronto tend to shit all over Edmonton/Calgary. Not everyone's like this of course but like 3/4 of torontonians I've met that moved to Alberta complain about Alberta within minutes of meeting them.
I lived in Alberta in the 80s. I grew up in Ontario but my family's homebase was New Brunswick. I had just turned 18. Whenever an Albertan knew where I was from, I was lectured about the NEP, the stealing of jobs and that Alberta beef was a superior product due to the feed 😂. I moved to NS in 1991 and other than the politics, I still miss Alberta and the friends I had made there with all my heart.
I’m an Alberta girl dating an Ontario boy. Definitely don’t dislike them. Only had one “bad” interaction when my boyfriend and I went to Ontario during covid. We had no mask bylaw in Alberta at the time so we went into an LCBO in Ottawa when we got there and got told a bit rudely to put on a mask. We put one on no problem and it’s the only interaction I can think of that could somehow be negative. lol.
The only time I notice out of province plates is when the person with said plate is driving like a dickead. Then I just assume nobody in Ontario/Manitoba/bc (the classic repeat offenders) knows how to drive. As long as your driving is half decent you shouldn’t have any issues!
There are people everywhere who "dislike" people from somewhere else.
It's funny here seeing people who moved to Alberta from another province and then rant online about people from other provinces. Alberta tends to have a net positive migration from other provinces, so we get people of all walks of life. Some are better at basic logic and manners than others.
Hang in there.
I worked in retail before, there was one time when a guy from Ontario came to the store and talked to me that he was surprised that there is this retail store in our little town, i told him, we are one of the bigger stores by volume and his immediate reply was "Oh, this store is nothing compared to the stores in Toronto, your store is like a toilet".
so yea, that's one experience with an Ontarian.
I don't think there's a large population that hates people from Ontario or Quebec. It all stems from politics, or rather, how much sway the two provinces have during federal elections. To most in Alberta, it feels as though the election is decided before the prairie provinces have a say, which is usually the case. "Ontario" in Alberta is synonymous with federal politics; not the people. Usually.
Quebec is a little different. It's viewed as a province that wouldn't even be a part of Canada if it wasn't for the equalization payments it gets, which is funded largely by Alberta's oil industry. Which is true. The 1995 referendum was over 49% in favour. If it weren't for the fact that Quebec would be a lot poorer independent, it probably wouldn't be in Canada. It's also not on the constitution, unlike the rest of Canada. Yet, it receives some of the biggest contributions from equalization. Many also see Quebec's natural resources sitting unused, while getting the brunt of the penalties from carbon emissions while propping up the economy.
There are a 'lot' of policies that feel targeted at Albertan industries in the name of 'green' initiatives that lead many Albertans to believe Ontario (the driver behind these, next to BC (though these guys seem to hate us as opposed to the other way around - we love the mountains and scenery), or Quebec) takes the province that props up the economy for granted. And they'd be right. The Carbon Tax is highly controversial here, and we're told on a daily basis by both government and corporations that the price of everything has went up as a result - which tracks. Groceries, taxes, gas, shipping - all of it is seeing an increase.
This is of course, a barebones version of what I've seen growing up in Alberta. I don't work in O&G, or trades. Personally, with my industry I'd be a lot happier in BC, Quebec, or Ontario with better job opportunities, as I work in the entertainment sector. I don't particularly like living in Alberta, but I see where the animosity comes from.
People in Alberta (yes I’m one) are taught from an early age to hate anything that’s from somewhere else. Then bitch when people come to work here but don’t stay.
Well, in my experience, only those from Toronto are kind of disliked, and mostly those who say and think Toronto is the one and only, most amazing, best city in the world, and everything else is shit. Now you do find that kind of torontonian but very rarely.
Generally speaking, I’d say they don’t hate nobody, maybe quebecers a little bit tho lol
No albertans don’t hate ontarians. We hate politicians in Ottawa. I’ve lived in both provinces, it’s literally the same people lol. Only difference is the amount of trucks XD
Nah! I wouldn’t say so. Everyone I know just wants to be around kind, good citizens….no matter where they’re from. I’m in the Edmonton area. I know it’s not the same experience for everyone, but most of us are just trying to get by and get through the day. You are welcome here 👍
I don't have any animosity towards people from anywhere outside Alberta. I think politicians from everywhere like to blame somewhere else for problems in their own area. Alberta's Premier is constantly whining about other provinces and the federal government. The things you notice are probably just spill over from Smith trying to find a scapegoat.
There are a lot of fools who believe in the concept of "western alienation" and don't understand that they are being played by the political elite.
If an Albertan doesn't like an Ontarian (or someone from any other province), they are probably of that ilk.
Kind of…. My wife and I are moving to Ontario soon and almost every single person we have told has made a negative comment towards Ontario or cringed in some way. These are people across the political spectrum (most on the left).
I don't think so? I have teasingly made comments and yes it is annoying that ontarians all moved here at once and made finding a rental so much harder and more expensive. But I know that Ontario was unaffordable and they didn't have much of a choice...I wish they moved more to midsize cities like grande prairie and medicine hat so there was a bit more balance, but I can see why calgary and edmonton are more desirable. It's a symptom of a larger problem so I do not blame the ontarians.
I worked in Banff and people from Ontario were called “Ontarrible” and teased a lot. My Ontario friends would lie about where they were from to avoid being insulted in some way
I’m originally from Alberta. I went to university in Ontario. Personally I have always loved Ontario. Some of the best universities around. Also, I have always liked the people. We are ALL Canadians. We need to take on the world together as Canadians rather than take on each other.
I moved to Alberta over 30 years ago and I still met fewer people who were Albertan for more than one generation than people who moved here over the decades. Oddly, there were a lot of Winnipegers who crossed paths with me. I recently learned that my great grandfather lived in Alberta for a while and met his wife here 142 years ago. People have been moving around Canada forever and anyone who claims that Albertans don’t like people from other provinces are living a life within a very small circle of people and they just like to have a scapegoat to crap on.
I’d say no. Albertans will bitch about Ottawa specifically (but that’s more the politicians, not the people). Also will hate on Toronto specifically (but that’s mostly just jealous about how much love/attention their sports teams get in the national media). The province as a whole though? I’d say no.
I lived in Alberta for 6 months last year for work (born and raised in ON) and although it wasn’t super common (mainly because most of the people I met were actually from Ontario as well) it was common enough to where I would get dirty looks while driving with Ontario plates, and I got a lot of “you’re a Trudeau lover” and other comments like that mostly geared towards politics and such despite not mentioning it at all other than the fact that I’m from Ontario so it’s hit or miss generally but it seems like Alberta truly blames Ontario for the status of our government lol
I think that it's more just conservatives hating anything that they consider to be liberal. I would assume that it just appears to be all Albertans because conservative voices tend to be loudest and drive around with the "fuck Trudeau" stickers.
As for me, the only thing I dislike about Ontarians is how crazy they drove when I was in Toronto for a week when I was a teen. I think my dad was going 130 on the 401 and was passing NOBODY. But I think it's more the memory I dislike rather than the people
Don't care much for people from BC because the way they treated us during covid. Quebec because they think they so much better than rest of Canada but still take our money and treat us like shit because we don't speak French but neutral towards Ontario.
I'm from Vancouver and have lived in Alberta for 14 years. We all dont like Ontarians!! Just kidding but its all in good fun and if they are serious then they can get f#cked.
Well abertans are mad that people from Toronto and b.c can sell there house and be able to afford 2 or more houses in Alberta and then charge rent and become free. If albertns had the opportunity or ability to do the same thing they would. Just salty people, I would lean into it. Just go around saying WOW everything IS DIRTY CHEAP here to everyone that gives u a dirty jealous look.
Ontario hate… not really. Now Quebec hate is waaay more common.
I grew up in Alberta and live in Quebec. It is always so difficult to internalize this concept. The people in Quebec are VERY CLEARLY poorer. It is plain as the nose on your face. The services are better, but the incomes are far lower. There isn't a 'big industry' like oil. There just isn't. There is no longer real manufacturing. There are many tech jobs, sure, but that's relatively recent. Their services are better because they'd be fucked if they weren't. They can't pay for the services Albertans enjoy through their personal incomes. The things Alberta hates Quebec for... are that they take more federal money. Then I go home to Alberta, and I see $80,000 trucks in driveways of 6 bedroom suburban homes, I see snowmobiles, I see sea-doos, I see nice condos and lots of construction. I see consumption, I see materialism, I see Yeti coolers and Patagonia jackets. I go home to Alberta and people ask me why I would ever want to live in Quebec, and then we sit down at Deville and drink $7 lattes before we go to Chinook Centre and drink more $7 lattes before we drive home on the cheapest gas in Canada, a home with some of the lowest property taxes of any city in Canada, filled with objects not subject to a provincial sales tax, in a giant open prairie with no barriers to construction whatsoever. And then I have to try to understand why Alberta hates Quebec, why Alberta complains about Quebec, why it's a given that Quebec is the problem. People in Quebec work the same full time hours Albertans do. I think people in Alberta are so used to being rich they forget many place in Canada are not Alberta, and not rich. No one in Quebec hates Alberta. No one in Quebec even talks about Alberta. I do love the mountains though.
Interestingly given that description, people in Quebec are also consistently happier than people in Alberta, by quite a fair margin by some studies.
Of course. I'm happier here than I ever was in Alberta or Ontario. It's not even close.
Do you have a sense of why you're happier specifically? I'm born and raised in Alberta, but I'm also a tech worker and Quebec seems tempting some days, so I'm always interested in perspectives.
Not OP, but I can add a few things. No boom-bust economy, life feels more stable. Less live-to-work mentality, more balance. Possibly less insecurity due to a stronger social safety net (not that it doesn't have holes, but it's more solid). Less constant rage. Both provinces hate the feds, but here it's almost institutionalised - like, the provincial government will sooner shoot itself in the foot than cooperate with the feds, but I've yet to see a "fuck Trudeau" decal since moving here.
It all comes back to density. All the things I love about Montréal stem from that. The parks, packed with thousands of people having picnics, the good transit, the walkable city. The many streets for pedestrians only they create in the summer. A great diversity of small businesses. Cost of living is lower in the ways it should be, and more expensive in the ways it should be. It feels like a place designed for people to be happy in. Alberta feels like a place designed for people to become wealthy in. It's a city and province built by people who have something intrinsic in common, which is this idea of Quebec as an identity. That does not really exist in Alberta. That underpinning of "we are all, to some degree, on the same team versus everyone else" creates some minor sort of bond that smooths over a lot of problems. This is my opinion at least.
Do non-white, non-French minorities get that Quebec identity thing?
Substantially less, discrimination in Québec is real and visible. It is a nation built on the idea of French Quebec culture as the most important thing, everything else is secondary. This is less the case in a big diverse city like Montréal, but like Alberta, the moment you leave the city the inbreeding kicks in.
Big No
Thanks, I appreciate the answer! Getting around more without a car has really opened my eyes to some of those things - Lethbridge feels like a city for travelling through, which isn't great when you live here. The language is my big barrier to moving, and concern that fleeing Alberta right-wing populism is just going to result in dealing with awful politics somewhere else 10 years down the road. The CAQ doesn't seem nearly as bad as the UCP, but they still don't seem fantastic.
Are you bilingual? My wife is from Alberta and we started our family there. We live in New Hampshire now and may move back to Canada one day but frankly can't see moving to Alberta given the shit show the province has become especially with the current government. I love Quebec and we can see ourselves living there one day, but the language could be an issue.
Yes I am bilingual. Quebec is a shitshow too, you just don't speak French so you can't read the news haha! Trust me, our government is fucking crazy too. It's not just Alberta. Unlike Alberta, we have many choices for who to hate next.
It's not, really. Do your DuoLingo every day, take a conversational class, talk to people... it gets easier the more you do it. And there's plenty of English areas to live until you get acquainted.
Absolutely!
Just going to throw this in here, I'm born and raised in Quebec. I'm an anglophone and my French is quite poor but I've always managed to get by with my attempts. As for work, it might be a bit more difficult but I've been unemployed for a total of 4 weeks in the past 35 years through 4 different jobs. There are loads of bilingual people here, it's more the government whining about not enough French. People get along just fine for the most part
>but the language could be an issue. Could be, though in my experience that's very location dependent. In and around Montreal you'll have little issue, especially if you speak any French at all. And there are still some pretty anglo areas. I found Quebec City itself fairly welcoming to anglos as well. I will also say that, generally, Quebec is far more accepting of imperfect English-accented French than France, at least in my experience.
I found Quebec City itself fairly welcoming to anglos as well. Tourism is their bread and butter...
Who knew good public transit/walkable neighborhoods, good work life balance and cheaper cost of living makes you happier?
What I read out of that, and 20 years of being born and raised in Fort Mac and watching people do it …is that Albertans have a MUCH higher *debt tolerance* than Quebec or most other provinces. All those toys you see parked in peoples driveways, and the “bigger than necessary” McMansion houses themselves, keep people here broke because they’re servicing their debt with damn near every penny they have. When the price of oil tanks like it always does eventually, and the layoffs start coming, those people are stressed to the max and declaring bankruptcy left and right. Alberta is also known to complain the loudest about inflation for the same reason, the interest rates on all their overextended loans go up and up and up. For a conservative province a LOT of the average workers (particularly in the oil patch) have shockingly low financial literacy.
A great point actually, I didn't think of it that way
I had a great time in montreal, but one of my fondest memories there was literally just getting up in the morning and stopping by the small hold-in-the-wall coffee shop 3-min walk outside my townhouse and pay $3 for a medium latte and freshly-baked croissant. Your (albeit exaggerated) example reminded me of that lol
This is so well said. And I think it also speaks to how much we are manipulated by politics. The longer they can keep us fighting amongst ourselves, the more they can get away with. And it’s in every party! Feels like a constant game of slight of hand. Corporations do the same thing. We are too worried our co-worker might make $10 an hour more than us that we don’t focus on the millions the CEOs are making.
Alberta politicians are jealous that Quebec has its own distinct systems for laws and governance - "everywhere in canada EXCEPT Quebec" is common to see, and Albertan politicians want that level of control and "specialness" too.
It's not as distinct as people make it sound. Civil law isn't even fully applied here in Quebec.
This province only hates Quebec because of Preston Manning in the 80s and every conservative premier since the 80s, too. Our politicians act like toddlers cause mommy isn't paying enough attention to them. They scream, stomp their feet, and make demands, and when mommy finally says, "WHAT?" They act like they don't need or want that attention, until mommy starts paying attention to Quebec again, then the cycle repeats itself.
not enough albertans and canadians in general know who preston manning is and too many who do think he's a good guy for what he's spent his life doing to both alberta and canada.
Preston Manning is an OG ghoul, and he has spawned many more ghouls with his ideology, including Marlaina "Danielle" Smith. They are the worst that Alberta has to offer, and unfortunately, have way too much of a voice here.
Hahah I will have to agree on this!
Alberta used to hate on Quebec. Now they want to be Quebec.
Self awareness isn't a conservative trait
Ontario people are more like Albertans than they'd care to admit. I don't encounter enough Quebecers to have any kind of negative opinion on them. BC people, on the other hand......
If only Albertans lived rent free in the minds of Quebecois the way Quebec lives rent free in the minds of Albertans.
The only hate I've seem is towards new Ontario people buying up the house's and charging a huge amount for rent. I'm in a small town and 1 bedroom rent is 1600. 2 bedroom can go for 2200. 6 years ago, that would have been 950 and 1200.
They’re selling there million dollar homes in Toronto - moving to Alberta, buying multiple properties and renting them out. IMO no hate to Ontario people, just angry that they are driving us Albertans out of our own housing market.
No, we hate people with overdeveloped senses of self importance. Those people come from all over.
Doesn't Alberta kind of have an overdeveloped sense of importance on oil? :V
Yes, that’s why we hate ourselves
We tend to dislike in others what we most despise in ourselves.
I became the very thing I swore to destroy
That can't be true. I'm fine with kinksters.
I am laughing, I am crying, and now I'm laughing again. I'm gonna go sit down and smoke a joint because this is far too accurate, u/Alarmed-dictator. Would you like to join me? All you newly "west of the rest"-erners welcome too!
LOL this right here. We often hate with the most ferocity the stuff we see in others that we subconsciously hate about ourselves.
The province in Canada who is the noisiest has fewer people than the Montreal metro area, and it's Ontario's people who have an overdeveloped sense of importance?
Back in the 80s and 90s, we used to complain about Toronto being the center of the universe. This was often backed up by news being Toronto-centric or CBC always showing a Leafs game instead of a better Flames/Oilers game or whatever. Nowadays I find Calgary and Calgarians much worse than TO ever was. And I say that as a born and bred Albertan.
Mostly from here.
Nah don't worry about it. It's more of a stereotype for Albertans to hate Ontario lol
I thought so too lol.
I think a lot of people don't like what everyone moving to AB means for the people currently living here
Maybe Grande Prairie is different, but I don't think there's a hate on for anyone. We're happy to have more workers from just about anywhere. Maybe because housing hasn't been as big of a problem. The hate on for Quebec is mostly at the transfer situation not the people. A lot of Albertans especially in the oilfield are working 80hr weeks (sometimes more) and then resent much of their tax money going east justified by income disparity. Especially when QB and ONT gladly take the oil tax money but try to cut off Alberta's livelyhood while making Carbon tax exceptions for their own industries like manufacturing and cement.
It's just the stupidest of the UCP-ers blaming the federal government for all our problems. Nothing to do with actual people from Ontario, that would be stupid. Wait.
I think that’s driven by the federal election basically being over once Ontario is in.
That's not how elections work though. Just because the majority if the country lives in one area doesn't mean our votes for MPs don't matter. Every MP is one vote. Every MP is one voice. Our votes count just as much as any other region's votes.
Yeah, cuz there's more people. I never understood the anger about that
They hate democracy. It's the fuel behind a lot of separatist movements. "Our way or the highway. And if i can't have it, we'll take our toys and go home"
I sort of get it, I mean they feel like they don’t have a voice…. But it’s reality so move on and vote a party in that will change the electoral system. The Conservatives and Liberals will never do it because they can win majorities with less than 40% of the popular vote
So...my take is that most Albertans don't care. But you do have enough that hate everyone, including other Albertans. I wouldn't give it much thought.
No, it's just that we're broke and there's nowhere to live and so many people are coming from Ontario to take the few places that there are left to live so it's mostly just frustration with our own government but a lot of people can't come to terms with that so they'll take it out on you
I am a senior and have lived here almost my entire life. I have yet to hear someone say they hate people from Ontario.
Yep. I've only met some Albertans who hate Ontarians in the same way that Edmontonians hate Calgarians. Jokingly, that is. Like how two brothers might "hate" each other in a competitive, rivalry sense.
I can put you in touch with some people who will say that if you'd like!
Military family, posted to Alberta on 2016, never treated with anything but kindness here. Lived in Ottawa/Ont 27 years prior to move. Ontario and Ottawa has a misconception about Albertans, they are compared to ‘red necks’ from Texas unfortunately. Yet once people meet them they change their opinion. Politics also drives the difference on purpose, it’s sad. Personally, I love it here. Ottawa and Ontario have changed since 2016, and not for the better. Never moving back, relatives there are now asking about moving here.
Military as well. From Alberta. The rudeness of people from Ontario, more specifically southern Ontario, is crazy. There’s not that many people from Alberta in the military. Especially compared to Ontario and Quebec. I’ve found that when people from Quebec and Ontario get posted out west they really enjoy it. They have a huge misconception about the west.
Funny because rural areas outside of Ottawa can be pretty “red neck”. It’s beautiful country, when my husband and I were living in Ottawa we looked at moving to a smaller town, having the train go through on its way to Montreal was sure an added bonus.
yea i grew up an hour south of Ottawa (more rural than being posted in Cold Lake imo other than the lack of a larger city being closer)
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say it probably differs based on where in AB. I don’t think you’d get the same answer from someone in Edmonton v. Someone in say, Bonnyville or Peace River. I hope I don’t get pooped on for saying that
To be fair, people in northern and north western Ontario also show disdain for GTA because they get lumped in policies that benefit city life more than policy that would benefit smaller towns and cities. A large portion of Ontario is more similar to Manitoba fiscally but must pay Ontario prices without getting the same services. So the disdain isn't unfounded.
True it’s so much more about the GTA (aka centre of the universe). I’m not actually speaking for myself here just anecdotal:)
There are definitely different regions of "Fuck Trudeau" density than others lol
Now ask that question in reverse 😬
I have never heard of this... Is she suggesting that your car would get vandalized since it has ON plates? I don't think you have to worry about that.
I think she was just joking around - she wasn’t rude or anything but kept mentioning it. I’m not worried, I love the town I live in! Was just curious to hear other takes on it.
I’ve had Ontario plates in Alberta and we didn’t get vandalized or ran off the road. I think it’s more plausible to happen in BC with Alberta plates or in Quebec with Ontario plates or vice versa. I jest lol.
Nope but I hate our prov govt for telling them all to move here lol
I just love it here, I can’t help that lol
Definitely not blaming the people who moved, I would’ve too. It’s just 60,000 people moved into Edmonton and 80,000 to Calgary when (IMO) we don’t have the jobs or housing to support that kind of influx in such a short period of time. I’m just saying spending a ton of money on advertisements enticing people to move was a boneheaded move by the UCP
It's definitely a stereotype but like many stereotypes there's some truth behind it. Some Albertans especially in rural areas may see Ontarians through a political lens as an extension of the feds who they feel have given us the short end of the stick. Some of these people just judge outsiders. Some people think Ontarians (especially people from Toronto) are stuck up or self important or city slickers. I have lots of perfectly nice friends from Ontario but I've also met some Torontonians who fit the "I think Toronto is the centre of the universe" stereotype. They came here for the lower cost of living or a career opportunity but don't actually want to live here. It's one thing to talk about your home or miss it or tell me about things in Toronto cause I've been there several times and would live there over Calgary/Edmonton if I was a bigger city person (cost of living aside). It's another to shit on the place other people live in their presence or make it an incessant talking point. Sounds like you're not one of those people so if someone dislikes you purely based on where you're from, then they are a dick, simple as that.
I got no problem with Ontario except the weird bagged milk
Hahaha omg I forgot that’s an Ontario thing!
I’m from N. Vancouver, lived in Quebec (Gatineau) and now live in Alberta. The views on Ontario depend on where in Alberta you are and most of the animosity is concentrated towards the metro areas of Southern Ontario due to political differences. The irony is that a lot of Alberta residents are from out of province. Like it or not, Alberta exists and the lives of people in the province matter just as much as those in Ontario. In recent years there has been a big push to attract more Canadians to Alberta causing housing crises and a shift in politics which is untenable for some. Overall, I find people in Alberta no more intolerant towards other provinces than anyone else in BC/Quebec are towards Alberta. Sigh.
As a driver, I’m hating all of the Ontarians coming here and making me fear for my life more than usual on the roads. Sharp increase in poor driving habits since the influx of people. It’s a mix of new Canadians and other provinces, but I’ve seen a lot of Ontario plates lately.
People that work at a registrar are often a particular sort of Albertan. The sort that if they lived in Ontario would really like the Buck A Beer campaign by Doug Ford. I wouldn't worry too much.
LOL. No no, I’m not worried. Just curious about the topic and different takes on it lol 😊
About 30% to 35% of the Alberta population just really enjoys being angry. Angry at everyone and anything. Drive their trucks and tractors to the US border (still not sure why) and to Ottawa. Drive around with vulgar stickers on their vehicles while simultaneuously complining that nobody has any respect anymore. Complaining about immigration. Falling for every bit of culture war nonsense meant to distract from the fact that the problems are Alberta made. It's easier to point at people outside of Alberta and blame them than to suffer the cognitive dissonance that comes with challenging your own ideology.
I have not personally seen anything.
Depends are you a leafs fan? Just kidding we are relatively good with where anyone comes from unless your talking to our far right mentally unstable freedum warriors.
Maybe try a different motor vehicles in the future. Sounds more like a disgruntled opinionated dumbass creating misinfo.
Albertans don't hate Ontarians. They hate Toronto Maple Leaf.🤣
I’ve lived in Alberta for over 20 years and I can’t say I’ve ever heard of hate toward Ontario. I’ve heard of it toward Quebec but I lived in BC and the Yukon for 25 years so I know that the animosity isn’t just from Albertans when it comes to Quebec
English Canada hating on Quebec/French Canadians is a story older than Confederation. I certainly hear more moaning about Quebec out west than I did living 30+ years in Ontario, but it's mostly harmless nonsense, or talk radio level crap.
There was a nationwide poll in 2022 and Canadians voted Quebec as their least favourite province. It’s definitely not specific to Alberta
I think it's an eastern vs. western thing. Alberta in general is taken for granted by Ontario and Quebec. Western Canada is a different place, with very different economies, demographics and relationship with the USA vs other provinces. I think it's safe to say that while most Western Canadians are proud to be a part of Canada... But I think we have a much less distinct sense that we are not 'american' as well. Not so much USA American - but the north/south ties are stronger them than the east/west ties. This is particularly acute in Alberta, where the chances of working with Americans day to day, is much more common than working with anyone from the 'east'. I think it's strong to say 'dislike'... Probably the anti-federal sentiment in Alberta is stronger than elsewhere in Canada, but I don't think that extends to individuals.( Unless you're talking about extreme redneck coal-rollers. Ya there are a few) ... Now, if you happen to be from Toronto, well that's a different story.... I don't even think people in the rest of Ontario can stand a Torontonian! ;)
That's such a shitty thing of her to say. I don't think most of us have an issue with people from Ontario, as long as you're not a douche, which applies to everyone. I would think people from Ontario have way more reason to hate Albertans :p
From my experience in business, Ontario is the centre of the universe for anything in Canada. Businesses run on Eastern time, some stores are only in Ontario and this created a bit of hate towards everything being geared to Ontario.
I just hate assholes. That's based on the individual not geography
I hate everyone who drives slow in the left lane even when they’re holding up traffic’s by doing so. More often than not it’s someone with Ontario or Quebec plates
Just moved from Alberta to Ottawa area for a few years for work, and it's not so much they hate Alberta here, it's moreso they don't even know it exists. This place in in their own little bubble, I swear. Canada exists solely in the small finger that is southern Ontario. We seem to have much more in common with Quebec. People proud of their province, no front license plates, and we want to be our own country, haha. Can't wait to move back to Alberta
I don't think any province hates the people from any province. There's lots of anti-Quebec sentiment in AB, but any individual from Quebec would be largely welcomed
Never forget, most of us Albertans are from out of province. We identify as Albertan because we love it here. Hopefully, the service person was making a joke about this fact.
If your cool, we like you. If you have an attitude, we don’t. If you act like you want to be here, we want you here. If you act like you’d rather be somewhere else, we wish you’d go there. Simple as.
Probably because Ontarians have been buying up the real estate in AB way over asking price with straight up cash
Albertans dislike people from everywhere that isn't AB, but I believe ON gets a special amount of hate because people equate ON with federal politicians.
No, I don't dislike anyone based on what province they're from. Ironically, even though I was born here, I do get embarrassed by a fair amount of Albertans.
From my experience Albertans are usually welcoming and kind to people from other provinces. The only time we shit talk them is in the privacy of our car when we see a blue plated car doing some sketchy driving. However I noticed that people from B.C. and Ontario are quick to shit talk Albertans even when it’s not even confirmed that whoever was doing something weird is from Alberta lol. They just assume they are. It seems like they bond over hating on Albertans.
The cost of living has sky rocketed in Alberta Albertans aren't happy. I'll leave it at that.
I did an internship in Ottawa for a summer in uni and drove there with my AB plates. Most people were cool, some made dickhead remarks about me being an Albertan. Point is some people are douchebags all over but most are cool and interested in other places. Chirping each other is a Canadian pastime but some people are serious about it. Those people can be ignored and not invited to barbecues.
Anyone who hates anyone based on where they are from is an asshole. Alberta has plenty of those, just like anywhere else.
Don’t think Alberta hates Ontario at all, it’s probably more of an anti-Toronto, center of the universe thing. But then again, from coast to coast, the Toronto Blue Jays are pretty beloved. Personally, I love the city of Toronto though and have no problems with the average Ontarians. Been there a few times and know a few Ontarians too and the people are actually quite pleasant. Overall, Canadians make pretty darn good people.
From Alberta, originally from Sask. I don't hate anyone really, and can definitely say I don't hate people from Ontario...because that's kooky talk.
The generalizations here are wild. You might have a small part of the population say these derogatory things towards people from other provinces, but the vast majority are very friendly and welcoming, in every province. If 5% of the population are crazy, conservative, rednecks, you hear about them in the news and people think ALL Albertan's think this way. It is not true. But just like how you wouldn't want someone coming into your house telling you how your way is stupid, or your house is all messed up, don't go into someone else's house and do that. And a huge population in Alberta is not even from Alberta. They come from all over. Lots from SK, ON, and the maritimes. More than half of my coworkers are from other parts of the country or from outside of Canada. There's probably more 1st gen Albertan's than 2nd or 3rd gen Albertan's that are born and raised here. I almost never run into these true born and raised Albertan's.
The main issue that Canadians from all other provinces and territories have is the majority of people in Ontario believe that the rest of Canada does not exist. Check out political posts on REDDIT. It’s just insane how narrow minded they are. Yeah, I’d change those plates ASAP. Then maybe see a speech therapist to get rid of the accent.
I think the issue is everybody and their grandma has moved because it's "affordable" in doing so it has been a nightmare. No houses less work I know mass immigration is a huge factor in it but everyone has been moving here.
I have no umbrage with Ontarians, as people. We are all people. If there is any festering issue, it's that Federal elections are decided by Quebec and Ontario before the vote ever gets to Alberta. As a result of that population concentration, the same disparity applies to Federal government spending, even when compared per capita. So long story short, no problem with Ontarians. Problem with the systems of the Federal government.
This is silly and that DMV woman was silly. I’m not going to hate anyone based on what province they are from or live in. I’m an Albertan who is married to an Ontarian! There is absolutely no reason to sow hatred between the provinces. I think when people in Alberta do complain about people from Ontario it has more to do with things like housing concerns than the individual people. Our provincial government spent a lot of money advertising “the Alberta advantage” in Ontario to get people to move here without any consideration over whether we actually had the housing and infrastructure to accommodate that influx of people. Thats the fault of our provincial government, not Ontarians who decided to take them up on the offer.
My take as someone who grew up in Alberta, moved to Ontario for a decade, and then moved back... I don't hate Ontarians but I do hate how Ontarians talk about Alberta/Albertans. We are not all conservative hicks and it's incredibly frustrating that Ontarians don't acknowledge all the fantastic things about Alberta. Also annoys the shit out of me that they don't realize many of the iconic places (ie. Lake Louise, Moraine Lake...) in Canada are in Alberta not BC. It always feels like they don't take any time to know about our province and just make all these baseless assumptions and so THAT I hate!
I specifically hate when I’m looking at places to buy and 1/3 of the listing are from people located in Ontario
Yes, but Quebec is more hated.
As an Ontario lad, I only encountered real hate from B.C folks. Which is ironic since half of them seem to be from Ontario! (Not saying all B.C people are like that - just my experience). Albertans are always very cool. Much love and respect
•Alberta is cool with all Canadian provinces and territories.
The 'hate' against Ontario is an extension of the hate against Trudeau Sr and the National Energy Program. It was started by the WCC. Alberta has a lot of oil but the people that live here don't really control our resources. On one side, you have the private oil companies. On the other side, you had Trudeau taking our resources and using it to pad support in Ontario and Quebec. The way our elections and ridings are set up, due to time zones, the majority of votes happen in those 2 provinces so by the time western voters go to the polls, our elections are already determined. The [WCC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Canada_Concept) started as a protest movement similar to the [FLQ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_de_lib%C3%A9ration_du_Qu%C3%A9bec) who were Quebec separatists. The WCC got fairly popular before being taken over by supporters of the old Social Credit Party. That's how Preston Manning started the Reform Party and why the UCP pander hard to rural Albertans.
I dont hate Ontarians. I hate the people from Ontario who talk about how great Ontario is yet they haven't worked there for 20 years.
No hate. housing market maybe a bit. cash purchase. ngl.
Albertans hate everyone that dislikes alberta. If you join the discourse there should be no issue...
As an amorphous faceless idea yes many do hate them. When confronted with a random individual they learn is from Ontario no they like them like anyone else. It’s all the others they haven’t met who are bad.
It won't last. Brothers and sisters are natural enemies. Like Ontarians and Albertans. Or British Columbians and Albertans. Or Quebecers and Albertans. Or Albertans and other Albertans! Damn Albertans! They ruined Alberta!
Not generally. I think there’s more tension in recent years because lots of folks from Toronto are flocking here for cheaper housing and it’s making the cost of our homes skyrocket. You could get a one bedroom for like $800 a couple years ago. Now it’s like $1200 for one in the hood and $1600+ for a nice one
I mean conservative right wing Albertans usually dislike everything that isn't them. They also are the most unfriendly and worst part of the province. Us middle ground Albertans love Ontarians. Come and bring your culture here, we just gotta stick together and focus on not letting these hyper capitalists over monetize our basic right to shelter.
I mean, as a born and raised Albertan, I don't hate the other provinces. But it is fun to clown on them a little bit every now and again. "Quebec isn't Canada", "Saskatchewan is flat and empty", "Manitoba is really fucking cold", jokes like that I'll hear or make every so often, but I don't think I've met anyone who dislikes Ontarians or people from the other provinces.
A lot of especially older Albertans feel that Alberta is constantly shafted by the Ontario-based federal government and used as a cash cow. Those sentiments are not being made any better by the deluge of people moving to Alberta to capitalize on the so-called Alberta Advantage, making things much more difficult for people who grew up living here and are being affected by the insane housing market, lack of jobs, etc. On a one to one basis, though, Albertans don't hate Ontarians as long as they come here to be Albertans and leave the Ontario attitude in Ontario.
No, I just hate other Albertans...haha
Any hate towards Ontario is either coming from jealous (like getting the best concerts and events) or follish bullshit (like thinking Ottawa is taking our rights). I've been to Toronto briefly twice and didn't mind it and I'd like to see more of the province. That's probably where most people's opinions fall.
I don’t think so but we do hate they keep voting for JT.
No, I don’t think that is the case.
Worstcaseontario.
water under the fridge
I can’t give a percentage estimate but I encounter a lot of people with family in Ontario (myself included) or have moved from Ontario. Feels like there are deep familial ties to Ontario throughout Alberta (BC too). Any dislike you encounter should be of the sports opponent variety (which seems to be stronger towards people from Saskatchewan).
No. You're fine. You want to be here. We understand!
There’s something about people who work at registries, they’re all weird and outspoken.
No, its just political nonsense. Most of the people I know have moved provinces in their lives to begin with or would at least be open to it, almost no one is that attached to one province until they are worried about retirement. A ton of the people in Alberta weren't born there to begin with, I moved there from Sask and ended up in Quebec for my career and tons of people from everywhere else are constantly moving around. Its fake drama and political nonsense for the weak minded.
There's a lot of people in this thread living in Alberta demonstrating that they hate Ontarians. I've encountered a number IRL as well so it's definitely not 'fake nonsense'.
Why would ppl hate someone just from where they’re from lol
My whole family is from Ontario, so I’ve spent a lot of time there, but we’ve lived in Alberta since I was young. Personally I have no hate for anyone just because they are from a different province and i especially don’t have any issue with Ontario. The woman you spoke to should speak for herself, and remove the word “us” from her vocabulary because she sure as hell doesn’t speak for me. Welcome back!! :)
Thank you!!
Not that I'm aware of. It's usually the other way around from my perspective - people in Ontario love to knock Alberta.
As someone who grew up in non-Ottawa, non-Toronto Ontario, maybe I can shed light on this. So many city folk from those two cities have the idea that their way of life, their experience, is the defining Canadian experience. It's not just arguing that urban life is better and more efficient, it's almost a condescending attitude towards people who do things like use propane, grow or raise their own food, ethically manage wildlife and natural landscapes, drive vehicles, pretend to like church to maintain community, etc. Ok, it's a bit more than Ottawa. Outremont and Mount Royal are honourary neighbourhoods of Ottawa. So it's not necessarily about disliking individuals who have that city Ontario mentality, it's disliking the superiority complex that comes with it. And it gets dumped on everyone from the province. You are guilty until you prove, to a high degree, otherwise.
I don’t know what it is, and no hate, but I can spot an Ontarioian in about ten minutes of conversation. Also, they say coupon weird. It’s not cyoupon?
lol I say coupon but some people definitely say cyoupon. It makes me laugh when Albertan’s say “hey” instead of “eh” 😅
Not just Ontarians.
The Albertans with an actual personality don't.
I grew up in Ontario but lived in Alberta for 25 years. When I first got to Alberta I asked my roommate which province Albertans actually liked and he responded "Maybe Manitoba I guess."
Coming up on a year since we moved here. We've had nothing but welcoming kindness. Having said that, I admit I am pretty low-key about being from Ontario... a little embarrassed or wary that Ontarians should be hated in some ways.
Would say its more an anti Toronto thing than anti Ontario. The rest of Ontario hates Toronto in equal measure. I hear mostly that easterners should leave that Toronto attitude at the border. Please don’t bring that Toronto attitude here would sum it up for most of Berta.
There's some good answers here but to add to them, I think people dislike the attitude that migrants from Toronto tend to shit all over Edmonton/Calgary. Not everyone's like this of course but like 3/4 of torontonians I've met that moved to Alberta complain about Alberta within minutes of meeting them.
I have lots of friends in Ontario.
I lived in Alberta in the 80s. I grew up in Ontario but my family's homebase was New Brunswick. I had just turned 18. Whenever an Albertan knew where I was from, I was lectured about the NEP, the stealing of jobs and that Alberta beef was a superior product due to the feed 😂. I moved to NS in 1991 and other than the politics, I still miss Alberta and the friends I had made there with all my heart.
I’m an Alberta girl dating an Ontario boy. Definitely don’t dislike them. Only had one “bad” interaction when my boyfriend and I went to Ontario during covid. We had no mask bylaw in Alberta at the time so we went into an LCBO in Ottawa when we got there and got told a bit rudely to put on a mask. We put one on no problem and it’s the only interaction I can think of that could somehow be negative. lol.
I don't hate anyone in canada because of what province they are from. I honestly dont know why i would either.
The only time I notice out of province plates is when the person with said plate is driving like a dickead. Then I just assume nobody in Ontario/Manitoba/bc (the classic repeat offenders) knows how to drive. As long as your driving is half decent you shouldn’t have any issues!
Just the Gen Z ones who start every sentence with fam lol
i have no thoughts on people from ontario.
My partner is from Belleville. Other than making fun of her accent occasionally, I like Ontarians just fine.
Just the ones who start sentences with, 'I'm from Toronto, and you don't know what you're talking about'...
It's more like Nickelback hate
There are people everywhere who "dislike" people from somewhere else. It's funny here seeing people who moved to Alberta from another province and then rant online about people from other provinces. Alberta tends to have a net positive migration from other provinces, so we get people of all walks of life. Some are better at basic logic and manners than others. Hang in there.
PS: Small towns especially tend to have an "us vs them" mentality toward everyone outside their town and province.
Agreed! I’ve heard the whole “Alberta dislikes Ontarians” a handful of times, so just wanted to hear perspectives on it 😊 Thanks! I do love it here!
I worked in retail before, there was one time when a guy from Ontario came to the store and talked to me that he was surprised that there is this retail store in our little town, i told him, we are one of the bigger stores by volume and his immediate reply was "Oh, this store is nothing compared to the stores in Toronto, your store is like a toilet". so yea, that's one experience with an Ontarian.
It’s like they think Toronto is the only big city in Canada lol
make sure you stop for pedestrians crossing roads 🤝
I don't think there's a large population that hates people from Ontario or Quebec. It all stems from politics, or rather, how much sway the two provinces have during federal elections. To most in Alberta, it feels as though the election is decided before the prairie provinces have a say, which is usually the case. "Ontario" in Alberta is synonymous with federal politics; not the people. Usually. Quebec is a little different. It's viewed as a province that wouldn't even be a part of Canada if it wasn't for the equalization payments it gets, which is funded largely by Alberta's oil industry. Which is true. The 1995 referendum was over 49% in favour. If it weren't for the fact that Quebec would be a lot poorer independent, it probably wouldn't be in Canada. It's also not on the constitution, unlike the rest of Canada. Yet, it receives some of the biggest contributions from equalization. Many also see Quebec's natural resources sitting unused, while getting the brunt of the penalties from carbon emissions while propping up the economy. There are a 'lot' of policies that feel targeted at Albertan industries in the name of 'green' initiatives that lead many Albertans to believe Ontario (the driver behind these, next to BC (though these guys seem to hate us as opposed to the other way around - we love the mountains and scenery), or Quebec) takes the province that props up the economy for granted. And they'd be right. The Carbon Tax is highly controversial here, and we're told on a daily basis by both government and corporations that the price of everything has went up as a result - which tracks. Groceries, taxes, gas, shipping - all of it is seeing an increase. This is of course, a barebones version of what I've seen growing up in Alberta. I don't work in O&G, or trades. Personally, with my industry I'd be a lot happier in BC, Quebec, or Ontario with better job opportunities, as I work in the entertainment sector. I don't particularly like living in Alberta, but I see where the animosity comes from.
Most of the time is just friendly ribbing or jabs. I'm sure there are some wack jobs who hate Ontarians
Liberal hate, no Ontario. It just so happens that the East gets generalized as Ontario.
Albertans and Ontarian’s hate each other equally. Quebec is a people who just hate.
People in Alberta (yes I’m one) are taught from an early age to hate anything that’s from somewhere else. Then bitch when people come to work here but don’t stay.
Not at all. People from Ontario are great. They are totally welcome here in my opinion! ❤️
Well, in my experience, only those from Toronto are kind of disliked, and mostly those who say and think Toronto is the one and only, most amazing, best city in the world, and everything else is shit. Now you do find that kind of torontonian but very rarely. Generally speaking, I’d say they don’t hate nobody, maybe quebecers a little bit tho lol
There’s bigots in every province
Here I am “oh look…Ontario plates….cool I never been.”
No albertans don’t hate ontarians. We hate politicians in Ottawa. I’ve lived in both provinces, it’s literally the same people lol. Only difference is the amount of trucks XD
They dislike anyone with a differing opinion
Nah! I wouldn’t say so. Everyone I know just wants to be around kind, good citizens….no matter where they’re from. I’m in the Edmonton area. I know it’s not the same experience for everyone, but most of us are just trying to get by and get through the day. You are welcome here 👍
I don't have any animosity towards people from anywhere outside Alberta. I think politicians from everywhere like to blame somewhere else for problems in their own area. Alberta's Premier is constantly whining about other provinces and the federal government. The things you notice are probably just spill over from Smith trying to find a scapegoat.
There are a lot of fools who believe in the concept of "western alienation" and don't understand that they are being played by the political elite. If an Albertan doesn't like an Ontarian (or someone from any other province), they are probably of that ilk.
A lot of us who live in Alberta, dislike those Albertans, and have no special animosity for any other province.
Kind of…. My wife and I are moving to Ontario soon and almost every single person we have told has made a negative comment towards Ontario or cringed in some way. These are people across the political spectrum (most on the left).
I don't think so? I have teasingly made comments and yes it is annoying that ontarians all moved here at once and made finding a rental so much harder and more expensive. But I know that Ontario was unaffordable and they didn't have much of a choice...I wish they moved more to midsize cities like grande prairie and medicine hat so there was a bit more balance, but I can see why calgary and edmonton are more desirable. It's a symptom of a larger problem so I do not blame the ontarians.
I worked in Banff and people from Ontario were called “Ontarrible” and teased a lot. My Ontario friends would lie about where they were from to avoid being insulted in some way
I’m originally from Alberta. I went to university in Ontario. Personally I have always loved Ontario. Some of the best universities around. Also, I have always liked the people. We are ALL Canadians. We need to take on the world together as Canadians rather than take on each other.
Fwiw I've lived in Alberta for 39 years and I've never heard anyone say they dislike ontarians.
I moved to Alberta over 30 years ago and I still met fewer people who were Albertan for more than one generation than people who moved here over the decades. Oddly, there were a lot of Winnipegers who crossed paths with me. I recently learned that my great grandfather lived in Alberta for a while and met his wife here 142 years ago. People have been moving around Canada forever and anyone who claims that Albertans don’t like people from other provinces are living a life within a very small circle of people and they just like to have a scapegoat to crap on.
Nope. I have a lot of good friends there and have a great time in Toronto when I visit.
This is the first time ive heard of this and ive lived in Alberta my whole life.
I’d say no. Albertans will bitch about Ottawa specifically (but that’s more the politicians, not the people). Also will hate on Toronto specifically (but that’s mostly just jealous about how much love/attention their sports teams get in the national media). The province as a whole though? I’d say no.
I lived in Alberta for 6 months last year for work (born and raised in ON) and although it wasn’t super common (mainly because most of the people I met were actually from Ontario as well) it was common enough to where I would get dirty looks while driving with Ontario plates, and I got a lot of “you’re a Trudeau lover” and other comments like that mostly geared towards politics and such despite not mentioning it at all other than the fact that I’m from Ontario so it’s hit or miss generally but it seems like Alberta truly blames Ontario for the status of our government lol
Bertans gonna Bert.
I think that it's more just conservatives hating anything that they consider to be liberal. I would assume that it just appears to be all Albertans because conservative voices tend to be loudest and drive around with the "fuck Trudeau" stickers. As for me, the only thing I dislike about Ontarians is how crazy they drove when I was in Toronto for a week when I was a teen. I think my dad was going 130 on the 401 and was passing NOBODY. But I think it's more the memory I dislike rather than the people
Don't care much for people from BC because the way they treated us during covid. Quebec because they think they so much better than rest of Canada but still take our money and treat us like shit because we don't speak French but neutral towards Ontario.
I'm from Vancouver and have lived in Alberta for 14 years. We all dont like Ontarians!! Just kidding but its all in good fun and if they are serious then they can get f#cked.
> “you CAN… but I don’t know if you’d want to.. a lot of us dislike people from Ontario…” This is grossly unprofessional.
Well abertans are mad that people from Toronto and b.c can sell there house and be able to afford 2 or more houses in Alberta and then charge rent and become free. If albertns had the opportunity or ability to do the same thing they would. Just salty people, I would lean into it. Just go around saying WOW everything IS DIRTY CHEAP here to everyone that gives u a dirty jealous look.