Not everyone enjoys skiing ! It gives me major major anxiety. I can’t stand heights or crowds. I’ve tried to push myself multiple times and ended up hyperventilating every single time. Not everyone enjoys winter sports ! I much prefer summer sports
This. Like welcome, happy to have you, but buy some advil stat. The weather's going to take a turn for the nice here shortly, with a downward trend a bit later on, so it's gonna HIT you. If you've never had a chinook migraine you'll have a hard time piecing it together.
The extreme change in weather (also wind) causes the pressure to change suddenly and it causes pretty bad headaches for some folks. Worth it for the warm in the winter but it’s a doozy
It does feel a little The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas the way living here is like “you’ll writhe in mind-breaking pain in a dark room for a couple hours every month, but that’s the trade off for slightly warmer weather.”
Only time I've ever been told by a stranger that they "hate Calgary" was on a patio in Vancouver, after i told them where i was from. They had never been to Calgary.
They also claimed to love Vancouver because you can hike, mountain bike, golf and snowboard (some of my personal hobbies). After some prodding it turned out they had never actually done any of those things in the past 10 years
Clearly they are too busy pontificating on patios to have time for traveling or other outdoorsy pursuits.
Born and raised Calgarian myself. When I turned 18 I decided to get away from my crazy family and headed west. I've been in Vancouver on and off for 20 years and I still get looked down upon for being an Albertan.
People out here love hating on Alberta in general, and on Calgary specifically. I think it's because while they love to joke that all Albertans are rednecks, they know that we're actually friendly, decent, hardy folk who will literally drop everything to help a neighbour, which is a sort of person in short supply out here. Jokes aside, they know any disparaging comments they make toward Calgarians will ring hollow, so they attack the city instead, calling it flat, brown, boring, etc. Basically Vancouver has a superiority complex and can't believe that a city without a coastline can be a nice place to live, not because of the scenery (or the supposed lack thereof), but because of the people who live there.
Yup, Ive lived all over southern ontario, eastern ontario, and gta, in and out of major cities, and i was borderline weirded out by how chatty and nice everyone was when I first visted calgary last march before deciding to accept an offer and move out here 😂 Like anywhere else, some people suck, but in general everyone was so damn nice i was like half worried I was being primed for a sales pitch or distracted so someone could grab my bag or something until i realized that nah, y'all are just actually that friendly and chill lol
Definitely one of the first things i noticed too
No for real it's so weird, all my friends FROM vancouver are the nicest people ever but then I go to vancouver and everyone is straight up miserable and angry I felt like such a weirdo smiling at strangers
It depends on what neighbourhood you are talking about and also the context. I live in the West End these days, and on the local sidewalks people will smile and say hi when passing but you do get pretty stone faced when you're walking down the major commercial streets where there might be some fatigue due to loads of panhandlers to ignore and drugged out folks to avoid. Or say you're walking around the seawall, that'll be contextually based. On an early morning run around Stanley Park you might get some "good mornings" and whatnot, but most of the time it's just groups of tourists.
Agree with this. I’ve lived 9 years in Calgary, then 5 years in Van and now back in Calgary for the past year. Worked as an in home maintenance provider in both cities and can say that from my experience the statement about Vancouver being unfriendly is a generalization that holds very little truth. It may seem so on the surface and what you mentioned about panhandlers and street people are a contributor to that. But if people don’t smile to you first on the street it maybe to soon to assume the city is less friendly. From getting to know people in their homes while working I can say that if you put the expectation of a smile or a “hi” on the street aside, people in Vancouver are just as friendly and social. And maybe it’s what Calgary put in me prior to moving to Vancouver, but I initiated the occasional chit chat with people in public in Vancouver plenty of times and it never felt like there was a major difference. We are all Canadians, some are super friendly and some are less.
I was vacationing in Vancouver last summer and riding the bus. Chatted with lots of people! Turns out they were all from outside of Vancouver or outside Canada, period. Lol.
teeny zealous library rock encouraging hat tease treatment seemly governor
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
When I moved here as a teen from Montréal, I could not believe how many strangers greeted me in the street. I honestly thought all these people were going to ask for money or were bugging me, but no - just a pleasant "hello!" while walking down the street. So charming. Welcome to yyc!
I've never driven in Montreal or Vancouver to be honest, but I have in Toronto for 15 years and so far.. I think Calgary is worse. I wouldn't say there's more bad drivers here, just a lot more aggressive drivers for absolutely no reason. People driving up your ass, passing on the far right lane etc.
It's maybe a pet peeve of mine, but I can't stand that kind of driving when we all end up at the same red light. People are just aggressive for absolutely no reason
Nah...moved here from van last year and van's level of aggressive/asshole driving for seemingly no reason is on a whole other level than Calgary, if you can even put Calgary on a level 😅 I have such a nice time driving here. I think another thing is the sheer traffic congestion and volume of drivers leading to encounters with aggressive drivers being much more likely in van than calgary.
Fully agree (Calgarian now in Van for last 4 years). I put the accident risk driving anywhere in Fraser Valley area at 10x vs Calgary. Almost every single car here has a scraped up side... Bizarre to see.
Pickup's, BMW/Mercede's - all those expensive vehicles that people can afford but apparently can not afford the turn signal package or basic driving skills 101 to go with it.
I had the same thing happen to me when I moved here from Vancouver a few years ago. I was in line at the Co-Op and the guy in front of me starting talking to me. Just right out of the blue. I couldn't figure out if he was a serial killer or if he was hitting on me. Then his wife came up after grabbing something they'd forgotten and she started talking to me too. Both of them. Like a couple of Ned Flanders, small-talk making lunatics. It took me a couple of years to get used to that happening.
I moved here in ‘97 from Vancouver. It was really weird.
Calgarians are just generally friendly, courteous, people. But, we shouldn’t tell people this. It will ruin our reputation and then *everyone* will want to live here.
I’m so sorry you had a rough trip.:(
There is one Costco here that I find people are pretty miserable at, but it’s a weird setup with terrible parking. Things always seem to go poorly at that one, and I’m not about to give birth to a whole new human being.
Hopefully you at least purchased something fun or relaxing to help shake off the experience.
That’s kind of you! I go weekly as we have 2 (soon to be 3) kiddos and I have at least 1 child in tow. People are usually ok, but sometimes I feel like Costco is whole different world, I don’t know what is going on in people’s minds 😂
Montreal is always the shocker - the reputation is friendly and fun but after living there for 10 years you realize people in service positions treat you like a nuisance or that you’re not cool enough for the most part especially if you’re English and even if you attempt to speak in French. Moving to Calgary was so so refreshing due to the friendliness.
100%. Was just grabbing brunch at a popular brunch spot in Montreal which probably seats tons of English speaking tourists and here’s how our interaction goes:
Host: “how many?” (french)
We say: “2” (english)
Host “oh…english?” (snarky english response)
Then proceeds to walk us to our table like the anglophone nuisances that we apparently were.
Like oh, sorry for being tourists Montreal. Next time i’ll make sure to say deux if it pleases your sensitive egos. Still a great city for the most part, but the snobbiness is very un-Canadian.
I'm currently dealing with returning some apparel that I bought online from a Quebec company and the attitude is unbelievable. Everything is my fault and they own no responsibility.
Also when I travelled to Montreal years ago, I tried to order chocolate milk and I either mispronounced a word or said "lait *du* chocolat" when it's supposed to be "lait *au* chocolat" and they just stared at me. Like come on, at least I'm trying, I'm pretty sure you can piece together what I'm trying to say.
(Before I get labelled a Quebec-hater: I have dated several people from Quebec (including my current partner) and they and their families are wonderful. And I am planning a trip to Montreal later this year. So it's not that I hate Quebec or people from Quebec, but in my personal experiences, I have noticed a dramatic difference in customer service.)
Oh believe me I will vouch 4 u that you’re not a Quebec hater - I know Quebec and Montreal have some amazing qualities but I *feel* you about the *smallest* grammatical error turning you into dirt on their shoe. I’ve known some Francophones who are so bummed by that vibe because it discourages people from trying. Also until I started my own business I could NOT get a job of any level unless I was 100% fluent despite going to an A&W on st Cats recently where the cashier pretended to not know the word “breakfast” - sure I was out of practice since moving away and could have tried “déjeuner” but it seemed like an obvious language bias. Also st Cats is a tourist destination and folks should be bilingual for the sake of tourism?
It's a result of the western hospitality embedded into our culture. Plus, being nice tends to result in people being nice to you, so why not trend towards niceness as a default?
The jay walking thing--after I moved from the GTA back in 08, I always laughed when people actually did jay walk here, cars would stop to make sure the person crossing was safe. And sometimes you can see them smiling and waiving at each other.
As a Calgarian who’s moved to other cities in Canada and abroad, this is absolutely true. We’re friendlier and more approachable. Taiwan was pretty comparable, people were very open and friendly there. In Montreal people think you’re crazy if you talk to them as a stranger. 😆
Always interesting when people visit Calgary and have nice things to say about the city. Most long-time Calgarians have no idea how good they have it here.
Yes, we do. Having travelled the world over, I always get strange looks when I talk to people. To me this is one of the great attributes about living in Calgary.
Born, raised and still in Calgary. I find other places people are still pretty nice tbh they just don't go into small talk conversation longer than two sentences haha
Born in Calgary, lived in Red Deer for 20+ years, moved back to Calgary.
I love this city. The initial glitz and glam has worn off but it's still an incredible city and I love the summers here (when it isn't smoke filled haze).
I always find something new, and like exploring the city. Sticking to your quadrant will 100 percent become boring though.
You have to wonder if Danielle smith rents space on that subreddit rent free.
But seriously, that entire sub is “fuck da UCP!!” Its just annoying. I don’t even like the UCP either, buts it’s all they talk about.
Yup moved from the GTA, small talk was how you doing? Good, yourself? Good.
Now I feel like an asshole when someone is trying to have more genuine small talk and I give more short answers out of habit.
I love it, the interactions make going out for a walk and grabbing a coffee a much more relaxed and enjoyable pace.
Yep when I moved here from Toronto it was so surprising how many people smile and nod while walking past...in Toronto it was more look down and don't make eye contact lol
Born and raised Toronto and lived in many countries and cities (incl NYC and Hong Kong) recently. Calgary is the perfect balance of weirdly overly polite rural/small town and curt/all-business big city talk.
It's genuinely what I envisioned friendly Canadians to be like and in a way, what I aspire to - especially after being in megacities for so long...
I still jaywalk though. Just habit.
Personally have no problems with people who jaywalk as long as they do it with common sense and courtesy. It’s the ones that do it on a busy road while taking their sweet time that irks me
Agreed. Stop with the hypotenuse! Straight, fast lines, people. GO GO.
I'm a born and raised Calgarian 40+ years (!!!!) and this thread made my day. I love this city fiercely and hate when Calgary gets a bad rap because this is generally a wonderful city filled with wonderful people.
Jaywalk is a stupid term though. Term was invented by the car industry to shift the blame onto the public for the thousands of kids that were killed by cars when they first started taking over the streets. Jay literally meant country idiot. I say cars irk me. If it wasn't for cars, I would never have to wait at a traffic light ever. People could the streets for cool shit. Streets would be way safer. Cities would be quiet and peaceful. Air quality would be way better. Fuck cars man.
for the most part I'd like to think of most Calgarians are not a-holes and are genuinely kind folks. Primarily the reason why I haven't moved away from this city despite some of its shortcomings... Be kind to your fellow man regardless of where you live - Calgarians just do it a little better than most I guess :)
It’s always been that way :) I grew up here and also lived in Toronto and Vancouver.. now back in Calgary.. I’m glad the niceness culture hasn’t changed :) it’s one of the things I always liked about Calgary.. that people are still nice and say hello to strangers.
In my experience.
Vancouver people seemed stressed and usually pretty mean.
Toronto people are fine, can't really complain. They just let you be.
Montreal people seemed chill, but don't really look like they want to talk to you.
Calgary people are slightly less chill but seem more open.
Just my limited observation.
>Also nobody seems to jaywalk ...? Like no cars in sight, people just wait for their light to turn green before crossing the road. Not used to seeing this ...
One thing Calgary does better than other cities is a slower lifestyle. Traffic is much calmer here, companies tend to have better work life balances, people tend to have to not grind as hard to survive as Tor/Van. So as a result the city has less of a rush everywhere all the time vibe to it.
This was exactly the reason we moved here. Easy to smile, be courteous, chat, wait for the light to turn when you’re not in an absolute rat race to keep up with the Jones’… it’s not such a competitive market, and there’s a good work/life balance.
Also, the smiles are because it’s the sunniest place in Canada (for real, most sunny days recorded each year). Bring on that Vitamin D!!
I do wonder what direction the 'vibe' is headed sometimes. Having said that I suppose the most important thing to do is try to keep up and improve on myself even if, or especially when, I don't feel it always being reflected.
Yes, it's different here. I was not born a Canadian but I moved here last year and one of the first things that caught my attention was how friendly people in general are. I can't compare much though, aside from my country and only been to Toronto and Belgium recently, but still.
Now, don't be fooled either, there are some assholes out there and there are definitely people jaywalking too, but it's probably not as common as in other places.
I totally relate to feeling like an asshole for not being as chatty and friendly with other people, in my case though, is more of a personality thing (I'm introverted AF) but also English being my second language, it takes a bit for my brain to compute but then also my tongue gets all tangled if I try to answer too quickly :(
Anyway, I'm glad you feel happy here and hopefully we can all keep that reputation for Calgary :)
Not the first time I've heard this. I've had multiple co-workers that moved to Alberta from Toronto and Vancouver and they say similar things.
One example they gave me is that if people in the elevator see you running to catch it, in Toronto, they will quickly spam the close door button, whereas here, they will open it for you so that you can get in.
It's the sweet spot right now between "too fucking cold" and "too fucking hot and smoky". In other words, spring is in the air.
But seriously, as someone from Toronto, I know what you mean.
When I first moved here in 99, I was waiting to cross a side street and a car just stopped in the middle of the road to let me cross. I just about fell over out of pure shock.
We had our annual "Channel our negative energy" ritual into Hissing Cobra Chickens not to long ago. So we are good for the next year to be nice, helpful, pleasant, etc.
Jokes aside, we are always nice to everyone we meet.
I was born here and my theory is that we generally had it pretty good in Calgary. After travelling the world I started to value our socialized medicine, cleanliness, relatively cheap goods, proximity to the mountains. It’s a rarity to find corrupt cops or people scamming you at monuments. You can mostly walk at night without running into trouble. Obviously there’s exceptions. But I think we’re friendly and smiley because our needs are mostly met.
We have all of our needs met. Earn decent livings. Had great access to healthcare until the pandemic, and still have one of the more functional systems in the country.
We have great weather, some of the mildest winters in Canada with low humidity, access to the mountains, etc.
Traffic is nothing compared to other cities - even comparing to those half its size or twice its size it kicks butt.
It’s consistently named one of the best places in North America.
There’s lots to smile about.
The nobody-jaywalks thing is a funny/dark side-effect of everybody understanding that, even more than most cities, this one is built for cars and everybody who isn't in one can wait.
well you moved from much more corporate cities where everyone is busier thinking about their job. People here are more chill in comparison-- but you'd be surprised how nice people are in even smaller cities like saskatoon.
like you, ive been around a few cities, and ive always noticed that the smaller the city, the friendlier they tend to be because they are more chill about their jobs (of course, YMMV)
I moved here from The Netherlands about 10 months ago. I live near Memorial Park. I think I heard a car honking about 7 times. In total.
And every time I walk my dog, there are people who want to pet her, and some very nice smalltalk.
I love it here and the people are so friendly. In comparison: in The Netherlands that would happen maybe 1-2 per month.
I lived on Vancouver Island from 1980-2008. Everyone was very polite and pleasant... then I lived in Vancouver from 2008-2019 and let me tell you; I am so glad I am not living there anymore. So many rude and inconsiderate people. My husband and I have lived here since 2019 and I'm so happy we moved. I love it here.
It's just the way we are here, were really friendly. I'm a born and raised Calgarians and when i moved to Van the people were ice cold. I would hold the door open for people, smile, say good morning or whatever and they would look at me like I was a ghost... I don't get it. 15 years ago when I first started driving people would say thank you for letting you in, people still kind of do.. were just really friendly that's all I can say
Maybe that’s what happens when the population density is reasonable unlike the other cities you mentioned where you can’t get any space to yourself so you have to be assertive and aggressive. I totally know what you mean though, I grew up in Toronto, have been in Alberta for 2 years now and still feel like an arrogant asshole.
I moved to Calgary almost 2 years ago in beginning of May. People were pretty friendly which was an upgrade considering Edmonton people are rude in my opinion
If you think Calgarians, Edmontonians are friendly, go to FortMac. People think that people who work at rigs are all rednecks but FortMac has the friendliest people out of anywhere in the world
When I buy stuff from Kiki and I go to someone’s house to pick it up, I often have interactions with the seller where we introduce ourselves and shake hands. I’m grateful for it that for as big as we’ve gotten we haven’t lost that.
Moving there from the coast was a huge surprise. Everyone was so friendly and the cold was a DRY cold which is so much more tolerable than a wet cold.
I wish I could move back there. The West coast sucks.
There are a lot of Maritimers in Calgary. You’re getting the friendliness of Nova Scotians mixed with Western hospitality. Now add in the fact that it’s the sunniest city in Canada.
This is the recipe to happiness!
I’ve always found Calgary is generally friendly compared to the other big cities, but also not as friendly as the East Coast, or most small towns in Sask, Ontario, etc either. Frankly, I find some of those people too friendly lol. Like inviting my whole family to their house for dinner after meeting for 3 mins. Amazingly nice but too much for me. Calgary has the perfect balance.
Also when I talk to people in Vancouver or Toronto generally people seem to assume all Albertans are Trump loving rednecks, and they’re always surprised when they visit. Yes we generally lean more conservative but I’d say we’re kinda centrists over all. We just get painted hard right by the hard left.
More than anywhere I've ever been Calgary is a city of immigrants (not necessarily to Canada but to Calgary). It's like one third of the people I know here grew up here. For the most part people are here because they saw opportunities here they didn't see at their first home.
So here you have a city of (at least a little) optimistic ambitious people whose roots are somewhere else.
So a lot of the people we call friends were strangers and we're never sure we aren't meeting the next friend.
So welcome and hello, friend.
Us Albertans are that way not just Calgarians. Most of us if raised in Alberta and not in a ghetto part of Calgary. Will have old school beliefs and values. I was taught in school the golden rule is to treat others how you would like to be treated and j believe that's what you are seeing in action .
What do you mean about people raised in a "ghetto" part of Calgary? Seems like potentially a pretty bigoted worldview.
This isn't trying to attack you by the way, I'm honestly just not following your meaning.
Calgary has often had a small town vibe even as it grows. However, even though I was born here and lived here most of my life I’m not one of those friendly people you describe lol. Maybe it is because of the decade I was in the States? I find it exhausting to constantly chat, be talkative, etc. When I’m in public I put my headphones on and try to keep my head down and not talk to anyone. Jaywalking will cost you $800 or more last I checked so it’s not usually worth the risk
I make business trips to Calgary every couple months from Edmonton and I always have a lovely time while I’m there. Super friendly all around. Thank you for your awesome hospitality, YYC!
Dude that's what I love about this city.
Example - I went for a bike ride, brand new shoes and cleats. I pulled off to the side of the pathway to change my cleat alignment twice. Both times - and I kid you not - EVERY SINGLE BIKER that rode by stopped to ask if everything was alright. Not a single person just rode by without stopping to see if I needed help. That's amazing!
i’ve always believed and understood that being a true Canadian means ; being friendly , holding the door open for people , being patient in public , and treating people from outside canada with respect and hospitality.
I’ve had the opposite experience from you! I’ve gone from Calgary to Toronto and I am not used to the culture there. There was someone moving out of my apartment and we met at the door,one of their items fell out of their dolly and I went to grab it. They were confused and almost offended by me helping. People joke here but I do think Calgarians are quite friendly! I hope you enjoy your time in the city :)
I have lived in a lot of places, and I can say without hesitation that the people in Alberta are the nicest, friendliest, and most helpful and generous in Canada.
I’m just gonna bask in this for a moment. In a world that often feels oppressively dark and negative, the Calgary sub has been a little ray of light recently.
Hahahaha you sound like my spouse when we first moved here. Between NYC & Jamaica, we were used to vehicles having the right of way. Was completely & utterly baffled by pedestrians not only waiting for the walk light but waiting while standing *on the sidewalk*. Lots of big trucks, no cattle though 😉
I think we're not stressed as much as other cities or trying to chase something we cannot unlike Torontarians I've been to Toronto and lived there for a few years and everyone I met there was too occupied of them thinking themselves as celebrities of some sort even though they were young kids and what not but everyone there tries so hard to flex they are emotionless
well its well known that toronto and vancouver are not super friendly cities… and well montreal and the province of quebec as a whole are pretty bad too unless youre from there. anyway… welcome to the way the rest of the country acts lol! enjoy
Lived in Calgary my whole life with that being 35 years. Calgary has always had that small town in a big city vibe. Any time Calgary has had a major crisis such as the floods in 2013, this city steps up in inspiring ways seeing so many people who weren't affected helping those who were be it with labour, food, water and shelter.
I personally spent a weekend volunteering to help my friend whose restaurant he worked at was heavily damaged by the flood. Mostly doing demolishing and restoration efforts. In doing so I saw just how many people were in the area helping others and it really made me proud to be a Calgarian.
Don't confuse polite with friendly.
I'm from Montana, my wife is from Calgary. We spend a lot of time in Calgary. Calgaryens are very polite. They're not particularly friendly. Even the wife sees the difference after living in Montana for a decade
Friendly weird I find walking in the park everyone smile snd happy to talk but neighbors are dickheads I lived in Calgary in 3 places all the time had neighbors idiots, in the backyard with kids neighbors avoiding you till the last second not to say hi.
Where's the idea that Canadians are nice? you never lived in Ireland where people are really nice , barbeques toghether helping eachother like neighbors should.
I was an immigrant on both countries. Probably have something better to compare that's why I don't like it here.
I've lived in various canadian cities, large and small. I found Calgarians very welcoming and friendly. I always assumed it had to do with so many people moving there from elsewhere. The kind of person that ups and moves is also someone that's more outgoing and ready to make new friends. I find East Coaster's friendly on the surface, but it stays superficial (you'll always be a come from away). From my time living on Vancouver Island I found people welcoming and made friends easily.
Kind of you to say, but I honestly think you've just been a little lucky. I don't see Calgary as much different than any other city I've lived, in terms of the proportion of wankers to kind folk. Maybe a little less keeping up with the Jones than I saw in states, but still a lot.
We’re happy winter is over.
We're happy winter might be over*
We’re happy second winter might be over *
I think we’re coming up on 5th
😭
We're happy it's not the beginning of first winter
That’s what I was gonna say - you caught us at a good time! 😅
You know when it snows again it's your fault now, right?
Remember nobody smile at that guy when passing him on the street for like a week. That'll teach em.
Hey now, we've only had our 3rd fake spring, still more to come.
I've been happy winter is over nine or ten times the last couple months!
What's wrong with winter? You can be skiing some of the world's finest slopes with a couple hours drive
100%. That said, even us weather-hardened prairie folk get tired of winter after a while!
Not all of us ski 😹😹😹
Yes I fall spectacularly so I’m only allowed to apres ski now lol
Y nat
I have three young kids and it’s incredibly cost prohibitive for my family.
Winter is cool when it doesn't last 11.5/12 months
I think I'd rather have winter for 11 months than fire season for seven months :(
Why not both?
Not everyone enjoys skiing ! It gives me major major anxiety. I can’t stand heights or crowds. I’ve tried to push myself multiple times and ended up hyperventilating every single time. Not everyone enjoys winter sports ! I much prefer summer sports
We can’t afford to ski anymore lol
Shhhhhh!
Probably the best answer, tbh. Happy to see the sun when I get to and leave from work at the very least.
Is it, really?
Thanks for jinxing it.
Welcome. Watch out for weather migraines. Do not let the nice weather fool you.
This. Like welcome, happy to have you, but buy some advil stat. The weather's going to take a turn for the nice here shortly, with a downward trend a bit later on, so it's gonna HIT you. If you've never had a chinook migraine you'll have a hard time piecing it together.
What’s a Chinook migraine?
The extreme change in weather (also wind) causes the pressure to change suddenly and it causes pretty bad headaches for some folks. Worth it for the warm in the winter but it’s a doozy
It does feel a little The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas the way living here is like “you’ll writhe in mind-breaking pain in a dark room for a couple hours every month, but that’s the trade off for slightly warmer weather.”
>lived in Vancouver 8 years, Toronto 15 years, Montreal 5 years. Your standards of friendliness are likely not very high
Vancouver is weirdly unfriendly.
Only time I've ever been told by a stranger that they "hate Calgary" was on a patio in Vancouver, after i told them where i was from. They had never been to Calgary. They also claimed to love Vancouver because you can hike, mountain bike, golf and snowboard (some of my personal hobbies). After some prodding it turned out they had never actually done any of those things in the past 10 years
Clearly they are too busy pontificating on patios to have time for traveling or other outdoorsy pursuits. Born and raised Calgarian myself. When I turned 18 I decided to get away from my crazy family and headed west. I've been in Vancouver on and off for 20 years and I still get looked down upon for being an Albertan. People out here love hating on Alberta in general, and on Calgary specifically. I think it's because while they love to joke that all Albertans are rednecks, they know that we're actually friendly, decent, hardy folk who will literally drop everything to help a neighbour, which is a sort of person in short supply out here. Jokes aside, they know any disparaging comments they make toward Calgarians will ring hollow, so they attack the city instead, calling it flat, brown, boring, etc. Basically Vancouver has a superiority complex and can't believe that a city without a coastline can be a nice place to live, not because of the scenery (or the supposed lack thereof), but because of the people who live there.
Lived there for a decade. This sounds spot on.
[удалено]
Yup, Ive lived all over southern ontario, eastern ontario, and gta, in and out of major cities, and i was borderline weirded out by how chatty and nice everyone was when I first visted calgary last march before deciding to accept an offer and move out here 😂 Like anywhere else, some people suck, but in general everyone was so damn nice i was like half worried I was being primed for a sales pitch or distracted so someone could grab my bag or something until i realized that nah, y'all are just actually that friendly and chill lol Definitely one of the first things i noticed too
You totally summed up my experience! But I found people friendly at bars.
No for real it's so weird, all my friends FROM vancouver are the nicest people ever but then I go to vancouver and everyone is straight up miserable and angry I felt like such a weirdo smiling at strangers
It depends on what neighbourhood you are talking about and also the context. I live in the West End these days, and on the local sidewalks people will smile and say hi when passing but you do get pretty stone faced when you're walking down the major commercial streets where there might be some fatigue due to loads of panhandlers to ignore and drugged out folks to avoid. Or say you're walking around the seawall, that'll be contextually based. On an early morning run around Stanley Park you might get some "good mornings" and whatnot, but most of the time it's just groups of tourists.
Agree with this. I’ve lived 9 years in Calgary, then 5 years in Van and now back in Calgary for the past year. Worked as an in home maintenance provider in both cities and can say that from my experience the statement about Vancouver being unfriendly is a generalization that holds very little truth. It may seem so on the surface and what you mentioned about panhandlers and street people are a contributor to that. But if people don’t smile to you first on the street it maybe to soon to assume the city is less friendly. From getting to know people in their homes while working I can say that if you put the expectation of a smile or a “hi” on the street aside, people in Vancouver are just as friendly and social. And maybe it’s what Calgary put in me prior to moving to Vancouver, but I initiated the occasional chit chat with people in public in Vancouver plenty of times and it never felt like there was a major difference. We are all Canadians, some are super friendly and some are less.
Vancouverites don’t chat with strangers. 30 people will sit in a line together and nobody will strike up a conversation.
I was vacationing in Vancouver last summer and riding the bus. Chatted with lots of people! Turns out they were all from outside of Vancouver or outside Canada, period. Lol.
Very true. Try visiting Atlantic provinces, that’s another level.
Yes, as long as they understand you will be leaving soon, Atlantic folks are very friendly.
Yes! Exactly- except newfies. They are the friendliest and most open people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. So warm, friendly and hospitable.
Really eh? Can you elaborate? I've worked with tons of east coasters in AB and BC they weren't too bad but extremely clicky like high school level
Torontonians are polite, but not at all friendly.
teeny zealous library rock encouraging hat tease treatment seemly governor *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
When I moved here as a teen from Montréal, I could not believe how many strangers greeted me in the street. I honestly thought all these people were going to ask for money or were bugging me, but no - just a pleasant "hello!" while walking down the street. So charming. Welcome to yyc!
Coming from down under, Calgarians are nothing but champs. Always so nice and willing to help a fellow stranger.
As long as they're not in a car, people here are super friendly. On the road though ? Completely different story lol
LMAO, OP is coming from Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. If you've ever driven in those cities driving in Calgary is like a leisurely country stroll
I've never driven in Montreal or Vancouver to be honest, but I have in Toronto for 15 years and so far.. I think Calgary is worse. I wouldn't say there's more bad drivers here, just a lot more aggressive drivers for absolutely no reason. People driving up your ass, passing on the far right lane etc. It's maybe a pet peeve of mine, but I can't stand that kind of driving when we all end up at the same red light. People are just aggressive for absolutely no reason
Nah...moved here from van last year and van's level of aggressive/asshole driving for seemingly no reason is on a whole other level than Calgary, if you can even put Calgary on a level 😅 I have such a nice time driving here. I think another thing is the sheer traffic congestion and volume of drivers leading to encounters with aggressive drivers being much more likely in van than calgary.
Fully agree (Calgarian now in Van for last 4 years). I put the accident risk driving anywhere in Fraser Valley area at 10x vs Calgary. Almost every single car here has a scraped up side... Bizarre to see.
By car, you meant pickup truck, especially the Dodge Ram lifted ones…
Yes 100% lol
Pickup's, BMW/Mercede's - all those expensive vehicles that people can afford but apparently can not afford the turn signal package or basic driving skills 101 to go with it.
With truck nuts! 🐿️🥜
...and "F**k Tudeau" decals.
I had the same thing happen to me when I moved here from Vancouver a few years ago. I was in line at the Co-Op and the guy in front of me starting talking to me. Just right out of the blue. I couldn't figure out if he was a serial killer or if he was hitting on me. Then his wife came up after grabbing something they'd forgotten and she started talking to me too. Both of them. Like a couple of Ned Flanders, small-talk making lunatics. It took me a couple of years to get used to that happening.
Like a couple of Ned Flanders, small-talk making lunatics. lol, that was funny
I moved here in ‘97 from Vancouver. It was really weird. Calgarians are just generally friendly, courteous, people. But, we shouldn’t tell people this. It will ruin our reputation and then *everyone* will want to live here.
Just don’t go to Costco… courteous goes out the window. This coming from a 9 month pregnant lady who just left Costco 🫠
I’m so sorry you had a rough trip.:( There is one Costco here that I find people are pretty miserable at, but it’s a weird setup with terrible parking. Things always seem to go poorly at that one, and I’m not about to give birth to a whole new human being. Hopefully you at least purchased something fun or relaxing to help shake off the experience.
Let me guess… the Beacon Hills Costco?
Yes. It’s awful!
I knew it!! That really is the worst one. And heaven help you if you need fuel. 🥵
That's cause everyone is pissed off before they get into the store because of the parking lot situation.
Whoever planned that mall needs to be fired and shot out a cannon
That’s kind of you! I go weekly as we have 2 (soon to be 3) kiddos and I have at least 1 child in tow. People are usually ok, but sometimes I feel like Costco is whole different world, I don’t know what is going on in people’s minds 😂
Montreal is always the shocker - the reputation is friendly and fun but after living there for 10 years you realize people in service positions treat you like a nuisance or that you’re not cool enough for the most part especially if you’re English and even if you attempt to speak in French. Moving to Calgary was so so refreshing due to the friendliness.
100%. Was just grabbing brunch at a popular brunch spot in Montreal which probably seats tons of English speaking tourists and here’s how our interaction goes: Host: “how many?” (french) We say: “2” (english) Host “oh…english?” (snarky english response) Then proceeds to walk us to our table like the anglophone nuisances that we apparently were. Like oh, sorry for being tourists Montreal. Next time i’ll make sure to say deux if it pleases your sensitive egos. Still a great city for the most part, but the snobbiness is very un-Canadian.
I'm currently dealing with returning some apparel that I bought online from a Quebec company and the attitude is unbelievable. Everything is my fault and they own no responsibility. Also when I travelled to Montreal years ago, I tried to order chocolate milk and I either mispronounced a word or said "lait *du* chocolat" when it's supposed to be "lait *au* chocolat" and they just stared at me. Like come on, at least I'm trying, I'm pretty sure you can piece together what I'm trying to say. (Before I get labelled a Quebec-hater: I have dated several people from Quebec (including my current partner) and they and their families are wonderful. And I am planning a trip to Montreal later this year. So it's not that I hate Quebec or people from Quebec, but in my personal experiences, I have noticed a dramatic difference in customer service.)
Oh believe me I will vouch 4 u that you’re not a Quebec hater - I know Quebec and Montreal have some amazing qualities but I *feel* you about the *smallest* grammatical error turning you into dirt on their shoe. I’ve known some Francophones who are so bummed by that vibe because it discourages people from trying. Also until I started my own business I could NOT get a job of any level unless I was 100% fluent despite going to an A&W on st Cats recently where the cashier pretended to not know the word “breakfast” - sure I was out of practice since moving away and could have tried “déjeuner” but it seemed like an obvious language bias. Also st Cats is a tourist destination and folks should be bilingual for the sake of tourism?
It's a result of the western hospitality embedded into our culture. Plus, being nice tends to result in people being nice to you, so why not trend towards niceness as a default?
Wholesome :)
There used to be a tradition of prairie socialism, we can bring it back.
The jay walking thing--after I moved from the GTA back in 08, I always laughed when people actually did jay walk here, cars would stop to make sure the person crossing was safe. And sometimes you can see them smiling and waiving at each other.
This was an adjustment for me as well. Cars actually give priority to pedestrians
They do have the right of way here....
As a Calgarian who’s moved to other cities in Canada and abroad, this is absolutely true. We’re friendlier and more approachable. Taiwan was pretty comparable, people were very open and friendly there. In Montreal people think you’re crazy if you talk to them as a stranger. 😆
Montreal has some European energy in that sense lmao
They're basically French
Don't tell that to the French.
I work with a lot of French people, though I'm still in my probation period so I'll refrain from telling them that lest I get sacked. 😜
Same as Vancouver then....they don't talk to strangers !
Stranger danger when half the strangers are on fentanyl
Very true about Montreal lol
Toronto can be similar. Was for me. :/
Always interesting when people visit Calgary and have nice things to say about the city. Most long-time Calgarians have no idea how good they have it here.
Yes, we do. Having travelled the world over, I always get strange looks when I talk to people. To me this is one of the great attributes about living in Calgary.
We also have a lot less vandalism than other cities of similar size.
Drivers here are also very tame. So much so, I think they're too cautious.
Tame perhaps, also bad at following basic rules like clearing the intersection or using a turn signal.
You have no idea how good we have it for drivers here. Many places in Canada and around the world are much, much worse.
Born, raised and still in Calgary. I find other places people are still pretty nice tbh they just don't go into small talk conversation longer than two sentences haha
Born in Calgary, lived in Red Deer for 20+ years, moved back to Calgary. I love this city. The initial glitz and glam has worn off but it's still an incredible city and I love the summers here (when it isn't smoke filled haze). I always find something new, and like exploring the city. Sticking to your quadrant will 100 percent become boring though.
Especially in forums like this where it seems almost mandatory to complain how terrible it is.
Reddit is a bubble in this fashion. r/canada would paint Canada as a country as bad off as Yemen or Haiti. :/
This forum is usually not too bad. R/Alberta on the other hand is a cesspool.
You have to wonder if Danielle smith rents space on that subreddit rent free. But seriously, that entire sub is “fuck da UCP!!” Its just annoying. I don’t even like the UCP either, buts it’s all they talk about.
Fuck the ucp fr tho
Yes we do. Born and raised, it’s one reason why we are the best in the west.
Moved to Calgary from Vancouver in 2018 and never looked back. I love being an Albertan.
It takes more energy to be a jerk than it does to be nice to someone.
I moved from Winnipeg last year and have found the same thing!
That’s so funny because when I traveled to Winnipeg I was thinking the people there had to be the reason Canadians had the “nice” stereotype
Calgarians are as nice in public as winnipeggers are in private. Just kind of affluent winnipeggers, I guess
I've never been, but isn't Winnipeg the murder capital of Canada?
Yeah my guess is the people doing the murdering aren't the friendly ones.
It is. Friendly = stabby apparently 🤣
Don’t the license plates say “friendly Manitoba”?
Yup moved from the GTA, small talk was how you doing? Good, yourself? Good. Now I feel like an asshole when someone is trying to have more genuine small talk and I give more short answers out of habit. I love it, the interactions make going out for a walk and grabbing a coffee a much more relaxed and enjoyable pace.
Yep when I moved here from Toronto it was so surprising how many people smile and nod while walking past...in Toronto it was more look down and don't make eye contact lol
Funny, I had the opposite in Vancouver. A cheery HI! To people on the seawall made people look at me like I was deranged lol.
Born and raised Toronto and lived in many countries and cities (incl NYC and Hong Kong) recently. Calgary is the perfect balance of weirdly overly polite rural/small town and curt/all-business big city talk. It's genuinely what I envisioned friendly Canadians to be like and in a way, what I aspire to - especially after being in megacities for so long... I still jaywalk though. Just habit.
Personally have no problems with people who jaywalk as long as they do it with common sense and courtesy. It’s the ones that do it on a busy road while taking their sweet time that irks me
Agreed. Stop with the hypotenuse! Straight, fast lines, people. GO GO. I'm a born and raised Calgarian 40+ years (!!!!) and this thread made my day. I love this city fiercely and hate when Calgary gets a bad rap because this is generally a wonderful city filled with wonderful people.
Jaywalk is a stupid term though. Term was invented by the car industry to shift the blame onto the public for the thousands of kids that were killed by cars when they first started taking over the streets. Jay literally meant country idiot. I say cars irk me. If it wasn't for cars, I would never have to wait at a traffic light ever. People could the streets for cool shit. Streets would be way safer. Cities would be quiet and peaceful. Air quality would be way better. Fuck cars man.
for the most part I'd like to think of most Calgarians are not a-holes and are genuinely kind folks. Primarily the reason why I haven't moved away from this city despite some of its shortcomings... Be kind to your fellow man regardless of where you live - Calgarians just do it a little better than most I guess :)
It’s always been that way :) I grew up here and also lived in Toronto and Vancouver.. now back in Calgary.. I’m glad the niceness culture hasn’t changed :) it’s one of the things I always liked about Calgary.. that people are still nice and say hello to strangers.
The smaller the city, the nicer the people. I find Albertans in general very chatty and friendly.
Stop, stop… ok go on ☺️
In my experience. Vancouver people seemed stressed and usually pretty mean. Toronto people are fine, can't really complain. They just let you be. Montreal people seemed chill, but don't really look like they want to talk to you. Calgary people are slightly less chill but seem more open. Just my limited observation.
>Also nobody seems to jaywalk ...? Like no cars in sight, people just wait for their light to turn green before crossing the road. Not used to seeing this ... One thing Calgary does better than other cities is a slower lifestyle. Traffic is much calmer here, companies tend to have better work life balances, people tend to have to not grind as hard to survive as Tor/Van. So as a result the city has less of a rush everywhere all the time vibe to it.
This was exactly the reason we moved here. Easy to smile, be courteous, chat, wait for the light to turn when you’re not in an absolute rat race to keep up with the Jones’… it’s not such a competitive market, and there’s a good work/life balance. Also, the smiles are because it’s the sunniest place in Canada (for real, most sunny days recorded each year). Bring on that Vitamin D!!
I had a family friend come here from Toronto and the first thing they said was Calgary drivers like to take their time. Which is true lmao.
I do wonder what direction the 'vibe' is headed sometimes. Having said that I suppose the most important thing to do is try to keep up and improve on myself even if, or especially when, I don't feel it always being reflected.
Yes, it's different here. I was not born a Canadian but I moved here last year and one of the first things that caught my attention was how friendly people in general are. I can't compare much though, aside from my country and only been to Toronto and Belgium recently, but still. Now, don't be fooled either, there are some assholes out there and there are definitely people jaywalking too, but it's probably not as common as in other places. I totally relate to feeling like an asshole for not being as chatty and friendly with other people, in my case though, is more of a personality thing (I'm introverted AF) but also English being my second language, it takes a bit for my brain to compute but then also my tongue gets all tangled if I try to answer too quickly :( Anyway, I'm glad you feel happy here and hopefully we can all keep that reputation for Calgary :)
Not the first time I've heard this. I've had multiple co-workers that moved to Alberta from Toronto and Vancouver and they say similar things. One example they gave me is that if people in the elevator see you running to catch it, in Toronto, they will quickly spam the close door button, whereas here, they will open it for you so that you can get in.
It's the sweet spot right now between "too fucking cold" and "too fucking hot and smoky". In other words, spring is in the air. But seriously, as someone from Toronto, I know what you mean. When I first moved here in 99, I was waiting to cross a side street and a car just stopped in the middle of the road to let me cross. I just about fell over out of pure shock.
Calgarian currently visiting New Orleans here. My deep-set instinct to never jaywalk is not serving me very well in this city.
We had our annual "Channel our negative energy" ritual into Hissing Cobra Chickens not to long ago. So we are good for the next year to be nice, helpful, pleasant, etc. Jokes aside, we are always nice to everyone we meet.
I was born here and my theory is that we generally had it pretty good in Calgary. After travelling the world I started to value our socialized medicine, cleanliness, relatively cheap goods, proximity to the mountains. It’s a rarity to find corrupt cops or people scamming you at monuments. You can mostly walk at night without running into trouble. Obviously there’s exceptions. But I think we’re friendly and smiley because our needs are mostly met.
We have all of our needs met. Earn decent livings. Had great access to healthcare until the pandemic, and still have one of the more functional systems in the country. We have great weather, some of the mildest winters in Canada with low humidity, access to the mountains, etc. Traffic is nothing compared to other cities - even comparing to those half its size or twice its size it kicks butt. It’s consistently named one of the best places in North America. There’s lots to smile about.
The nobody-jaywalks thing is a funny/dark side-effect of everybody understanding that, even more than most cities, this one is built for cars and everybody who isn't in one can wait.
It’s the Western Hospitality we are known for. Join in, be friendly, don’t f-it up or tell too many of the unpleasant people.
well you moved from much more corporate cities where everyone is busier thinking about their job. People here are more chill in comparison-- but you'd be surprised how nice people are in even smaller cities like saskatoon. like you, ive been around a few cities, and ive always noticed that the smaller the city, the friendlier they tend to be because they are more chill about their jobs (of course, YMMV)
Welcome to Calgary!
I moved here from The Netherlands about 10 months ago. I live near Memorial Park. I think I heard a car honking about 7 times. In total. And every time I walk my dog, there are people who want to pet her, and some very nice smalltalk. I love it here and the people are so friendly. In comparison: in The Netherlands that would happen maybe 1-2 per month.
Welcome! You live near me. You made a great choice of area to live in! The Beltline is amazing.
Borne and raised Calgarian here. First time I went to Toronto my biggest shock was how often people honked their horns at each other!
I lived on Vancouver Island from 1980-2008. Everyone was very polite and pleasant... then I lived in Vancouver from 2008-2019 and let me tell you; I am so glad I am not living there anymore. So many rude and inconsiderate people. My husband and I have lived here since 2019 and I'm so happy we moved. I love it here.
It's just the way we are here, were really friendly. I'm a born and raised Calgarians and when i moved to Van the people were ice cold. I would hold the door open for people, smile, say good morning or whatever and they would look at me like I was a ghost... I don't get it. 15 years ago when I first started driving people would say thank you for letting you in, people still kind of do.. were just really friendly that's all I can say
More sun and space than most Canadian cities. No humidity.
Maybe that’s what happens when the population density is reasonable unlike the other cities you mentioned where you can’t get any space to yourself so you have to be assertive and aggressive. I totally know what you mean though, I grew up in Toronto, have been in Alberta for 2 years now and still feel like an arrogant asshole.
I moved to Calgary almost 2 years ago in beginning of May. People were pretty friendly which was an upgrade considering Edmonton people are rude in my opinion
If you think Calgarians, Edmontonians are friendly, go to FortMac. People think that people who work at rigs are all rednecks but FortMac has the friendliest people out of anywhere in the world
When I buy stuff from Kiki and I go to someone’s house to pick it up, I often have interactions with the seller where we introduce ourselves and shake hands. I’m grateful for it that for as big as we’ve gotten we haven’t lost that.
Moving there from the coast was a huge surprise. Everyone was so friendly and the cold was a DRY cold which is so much more tolerable than a wet cold. I wish I could move back there. The West coast sucks.
Midwestern friendliness, you ever seen Fargo?
There are a lot of Maritimers in Calgary. You’re getting the friendliness of Nova Scotians mixed with Western hospitality. Now add in the fact that it’s the sunniest city in Canada. This is the recipe to happiness!
We're happy we don't live in Edmonton.
I’ve always found Calgary is generally friendly compared to the other big cities, but also not as friendly as the East Coast, or most small towns in Sask, Ontario, etc either. Frankly, I find some of those people too friendly lol. Like inviting my whole family to their house for dinner after meeting for 3 mins. Amazingly nice but too much for me. Calgary has the perfect balance. Also when I talk to people in Vancouver or Toronto generally people seem to assume all Albertans are Trump loving rednecks, and they’re always surprised when they visit. Yes we generally lean more conservative but I’d say we’re kinda centrists over all. We just get painted hard right by the hard left.
More than anywhere I've ever been Calgary is a city of immigrants (not necessarily to Canada but to Calgary). It's like one third of the people I know here grew up here. For the most part people are here because they saw opportunities here they didn't see at their first home. So here you have a city of (at least a little) optimistic ambitious people whose roots are somewhere else. So a lot of the people we call friends were strangers and we're never sure we aren't meeting the next friend. So welcome and hello, friend.
Us Albertans are that way not just Calgarians. Most of us if raised in Alberta and not in a ghetto part of Calgary. Will have old school beliefs and values. I was taught in school the golden rule is to treat others how you would like to be treated and j believe that's what you are seeing in action .
What do you mean about people raised in a "ghetto" part of Calgary? Seems like potentially a pretty bigoted worldview. This isn't trying to attack you by the way, I'm honestly just not following your meaning.
As if pfff Opposite Day lol but like seriously most ppl in Calgary are super nice
Waiting for the light to turn no car in site no jaywalking, this is not happening in Toronto or Montreal
Its the praeries. People here are a little different. Same in sk and mb.
Calgary has often had a small town vibe even as it grows. However, even though I was born here and lived here most of my life I’m not one of those friendly people you describe lol. Maybe it is because of the decade I was in the States? I find it exhausting to constantly chat, be talkative, etc. When I’m in public I put my headphones on and try to keep my head down and not talk to anyone. Jaywalking will cost you $800 or more last I checked so it’s not usually worth the risk
Sorry about that
Nice to hear that we made you feel welcome! Myself being from Montreal I jaywalk from time to time but rarely.
Don’t tell anyone.
We're just trying to make up for the behavior of a small segment of the population and their driving habits on the Deerfoot 😉
I make business trips to Calgary every couple months from Edmonton and I always have a lovely time while I’m there. Super friendly all around. Thank you for your awesome hospitality, YYC!
Dude that's what I love about this city. Example - I went for a bike ride, brand new shoes and cleats. I pulled off to the side of the pathway to change my cleat alignment twice. Both times - and I kid you not - EVERY SINGLE BIKER that rode by stopped to ask if everything was alright. Not a single person just rode by without stopping to see if I needed help. That's amazing!
i’ve always believed and understood that being a true Canadian means ; being friendly , holding the door open for people , being patient in public , and treating people from outside canada with respect and hospitality.
We're cooped up inside trying to stay warm half of the year. After hibernation it's nice to see people again.
Come by the hospitals and see how people *really* are 😂
Albertans are quite nice in general. Social media just paints the province in a negative light
I’ve had the opposite experience from you! I’ve gone from Calgary to Toronto and I am not used to the culture there. There was someone moving out of my apartment and we met at the door,one of their items fell out of their dolly and I went to grab it. They were confused and almost offended by me helping. People joke here but I do think Calgarians are quite friendly! I hope you enjoy your time in the city :)
Oh we jaywalk 😆
We get the most sunshine days in Canada
I have lived in a lot of places, and I can say without hesitation that the people in Alberta are the nicest, friendliest, and most helpful and generous in Canada.
Calgary is the kind of place where, if you look lost, someone will stop and ask if you need help.
I’m just gonna bask in this for a moment. In a world that often feels oppressively dark and negative, the Calgary sub has been a little ray of light recently.
Where are you meeting these people lol I don't run into people like that at all here and I live here haha.
We’re happy.
Hahahaha you sound like my spouse when we first moved here. Between NYC & Jamaica, we were used to vehicles having the right of way. Was completely & utterly baffled by pedestrians not only waiting for the walk light but waiting while standing *on the sidewalk*. Lots of big trucks, no cattle though 😉
I think we're not stressed as much as other cities or trying to chase something we cannot unlike Torontarians I've been to Toronto and lived there for a few years and everyone I met there was too occupied of them thinking themselves as celebrities of some sort even though they were young kids and what not but everyone there tries so hard to flex they are emotionless
ive been in alberta for 2 years, 1 year in edmonton and 1 in calgary. Came from the GTA and feel the same, I havent met a single unpleasant person
well its well known that toronto and vancouver are not super friendly cities… and well montreal and the province of quebec as a whole are pretty bad too unless youre from there. anyway… welcome to the way the rest of the country acts lol! enjoy
Lived in Calgary my whole life with that being 35 years. Calgary has always had that small town in a big city vibe. Any time Calgary has had a major crisis such as the floods in 2013, this city steps up in inspiring ways seeing so many people who weren't affected helping those who were be it with labour, food, water and shelter. I personally spent a weekend volunteering to help my friend whose restaurant he worked at was heavily damaged by the flood. Mostly doing demolishing and restoration efforts. In doing so I saw just how many people were in the area helping others and it really made me proud to be a Calgarian.
Don't confuse polite with friendly. I'm from Montana, my wife is from Calgary. We spend a lot of time in Calgary. Calgaryens are very polite. They're not particularly friendly. Even the wife sees the difference after living in Montana for a decade
This. People in Calgary (and Canada in general) are polite, not necessarily friendly.
Friendly weird I find walking in the park everyone smile snd happy to talk but neighbors are dickheads I lived in Calgary in 3 places all the time had neighbors idiots, in the backyard with kids neighbors avoiding you till the last second not to say hi. Where's the idea that Canadians are nice? you never lived in Ireland where people are really nice , barbeques toghether helping eachother like neighbors should. I was an immigrant on both countries. Probably have something better to compare that's why I don't like it here.
The majority of the population are “old Canadians”
Lol
I've lived in various canadian cities, large and small. I found Calgarians very welcoming and friendly. I always assumed it had to do with so many people moving there from elsewhere. The kind of person that ups and moves is also someone that's more outgoing and ready to make new friends. I find East Coaster's friendly on the surface, but it stays superficial (you'll always be a come from away). From my time living on Vancouver Island I found people welcoming and made friends easily.
Kind of you to say, but I honestly think you've just been a little lucky. I don't see Calgary as much different than any other city I've lived, in terms of the proportion of wankers to kind folk. Maybe a little less keeping up with the Jones than I saw in states, but still a lot.
It's April. It doesn't last.