Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This sentence just proves to me that you just don't 'get' Toronto. If anything - the multitude of cultures in this city only ADDS to the cultural prominence of the city - with breadth of diversity...foods, theatre, festivals - heck even protests all add to the tremendous cultural prominence.
Heck - we even have the largest Polish festival in North America and it isn't even high on our radar
I'm starting to believe what others are saying about Toronto detractors - racism is at its heart. Perhaps Toronto should go back to our Victorian past and shun any type of immigration - this way we will have our 'culture' back - stuffy, white and as egalitarian as it was... Thanks but i'll take present day Toronto.
Quote:
Originally Posted by botticelli
Multi-culturalism doesn't mean culture, it basically means lack of culture.
Toronto, culture. Putting these two words together just sound weird to me. Don't get me wrong, Toronto is a good city with a good quality of life, but culture is the last thing it can boast about.
gay parade, carabana, some theatres playing stuff created elsewhere. it is hardly "culture". Multi-culturalism doesn't mean culture, it basically means lack of culture.
Sometimes your views on this city can be really dense. I don't even want to bother wading into this morass of a debate.
I suppose you think Montreal is so much more "cultural". Every city in the New World that has "culture" has gotten it second-hand from the colonial power that once ruled it. We are all relative newcomers to this land and adopting and celebrating the cultural traditions of even newer newcomers does not make our culture any less authentic because we didn't create it. Toronto is a city of many cultures, so it only makes sense that we have great festivals and parades to celebrate them. But you studiously avoided mentioning all the diverse smaller cultural events that are 100% homegrown. Caribana, Pride and TIFF may get all the publicity, but it is the homegrown stuff happening just about every night in the city that really makes this city a cultural capital. Even still, those former festivals are not any less valid as representations of Toronto culture because they celebrate a culture that is not native to the city - they were still created and developed here and it is Torontonians who attend them and give them their unique character. Caribana is not a Caribbean carnival - it is a Toronto carnival with Caribbean influence.
Jeez man, every city has its issues. Are you going to bring up every single one of them to prove that we are not a world city, and is the presence of food trucks really that big of a deal in the larger scheme of things? We still do have food trucks that park in lots to avoid breaking the by-laws and city council will eventually fix this situation so that the food trucks can be out on the street. It's actually restaurant owners who are the major opponents to food trucks and have helped to stall a change to the by-laws.
But really man, why does it seem so important to you to prove that Toronto is not a world city?
I guess because ive seen what that is supposed to look like, feel like and I dont feel it here, and then you have those Torontonians that like to think that this is the center of the universe when it isnt really. Its Canada's best city of course, but global cultural powerhouse..nah
Of all the things that could be a gripe: public transportation, hosting or the ability to host world events/festivals, tourism, sports/sports teams, influence, world headquarters, quality of life, cost of living, education, healthcare, arts/media/music, infrastructure, etc.....Food trucks in Toronto not having more gourmet food options is the most frustrating????
ive mentioned the public transportation thing already...I had just watched a food network show focusing on food trucks and street and it reminded me of this..I hope that is ok with you.
Your extreme lack of knowledge as to what is going on in Toronto is absolutely breathtaking. Do you read any local paper's or magazine's listings or articles at all? Do you even look at posters on poles? There is more stuff going on than you'll ever have time to check out if you tried. Lots of that stuff is created right here in Toronto by Torontonians. Take your head out of the asphalt and try getting to know the city you claim to live in.
that's empty claims.
again, What cultural things that happened/originated in Toronto actually has an influence on the world, or even just North America?
I am sure cities like Melbourne also claims to be a cultural center of the English world. Think about it, what cultural offerings do you know about Melbourne that has influenced anything outside Australia? Guess not. This is exactly how the rest of the world thinks of Toronto.
Some local festivals celebrating a culture from a different part of the world is hardly culture. TIFF is just a movie event showing mostly movies made elsewhere, mostly the US. If you think it is hard evidence of Toronto's cultural position, that's just sad. On the other hand, if Toronto made movies are loved all over the world, then ww are talking about culture.
Last edited by botticelli; 04-15-2013 at 07:58 AM..
I'm starting to believe what others are saying about Toronto detractors - racism is at its heart. Perhaps Toronto should go back to our Victorian past and shun any type of immigration - this way we will have our 'culture' back - stuffy, white and as egalitarian as it was... Thanks but i'll take present day Toronto.
If I am right in my assumptions about botticelli's origins, it would make this statement completely laughable.
again, What cultural things that happened/originated in Toronto actually has an influence on the world, or even just North America?
I am sure cities like Melbourne also claims to be a cultural center of the English world. Think about it, what cultural offerings do you know about Melbourne that has influenced anything outside Australia? Guess not. This is exactly how the rest of the world thinks of Toronto.
Some local festivals celebrating a culture from a different part of the world is hardly culture. TIFF is just a movie event showing mostly movies made elsewhere, mostly the US. If you think it is hard evidence of Toronto's cultural position, that's just sad. On the other hand, if Toronto made movies are loved all over the world, then ww are talking about culture.
So a cultural event or institution has to be world-famous to be significant? I mean what do most people who have never been to New York associate with the city: Statue of Liberty, Empire States Building, Chrysler Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Broadway, Times Square, Central Park. Ask them to go any deeper and see what you get. Same with Shanghai or Tokyo (how any people know anything at all about Tokyo, the largest city on the planet?). Even with London, Paris and Rome, arguably the three most famous cities on Earth, most people are familiar with architectural landmarks more than cultural institutions.
You have these gigantic standards for almost every aspect of a city, and perhaps only a handful of cities on Earth fit any one of those standards. Maybe two or three fit all of them. No one is saying Toronto is London or Paris. It doesn't have to be. You seem to be a big Chicago fan. Tell me, what cultural institution does Chicago have that would be well-known outside of North America?
I would think Chicago style Blues and Jazz along with House music would be considered significant.
Also when it comes to food Deep Dish Pizza and Chicago style hot dog's are something even international tourists go out of their way to try when visiting.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
