Do people in BC view the United States differently than Ontarians. (moving, parks)

[Vansdad]

Nobody quite views anything like Ontarians.

[Luhts]

Originally Posted by maclock

I disagree. Excepting some of those Canadians who live and/or who grew up right on the border (and I mean RIGHT on the border), I find that Canadians are pretty ignorant about the States. Likewise, most Americans have pretty hazy notions about Canada.

Then we agree to disagree. We recently moved from Canada to the US and I am getting a bit tired of people who think I should know their friend who lives in Toronto or think that Winnipeg is close to Toronto. Very few in Canada (in any province) would presume to think that I would know their friend from New York. I think that Canadians are more US-savvy because of media...Americans are not as exposed to Canadian media so we tend to learn more about them than they do about us.

Originally Posted by GTOlover

Not really... I would say generally Vancouver and Seattle are alot closer than say Vancouver and Toronto are in terms of views, weather, values and culture...

there is a diffrent kind of laidback lifestyle here in the PNW than there is in other states and provinces outside of the PNW Region...It's hard to explain but just a diffrent type of vibe and feeling out here than backeast IMO.

Originally Posted by Fontainedude

If you work in the entertainment business and make the big bucks than yes Los Angeles can be a great place to live (West LA is beautiful) but the majority of the city is still filled with high crime rates and poverty. I lived in Glendale in my early 20's and although it was fun it was also a very toxic environment. Not a great place to raise kids unless you can afford playing 25k per year for private schooling.

Neither of these statements have anything to do with the OP.

[aliss]

I have no idea what people in Ontario think. I grew up in Vancouver and in general, everyone had a great view of the states. Most were familiar with Seattle/Washington state, which is a nice clean city with lots of recreation. Everyone liked shopping at the mega outlet shops.

[qwerbilzak]

Originally Posted by Luhts

If you want generalizations, I would say that people in Canada (both ends of the country) know a lot more about the reality and the diversity of the US than the US knows about the diversity of Canada.

Boy, you can say that again.

[maclock]

Originally Posted by Luhts

Then we agree to disagree. We recently moved from Canada to the US and I am getting a bit tired of people who think I should know their friend who lives in Toronto or think that Winnipeg is close to Toronto. Very few in Canada (in any province) would presume to think that I would know their friend from New York. I think that Canadians are more US-savvy because of media...Americans are not as exposed to Canadian media so we tend to learn more about them than they do about us.

I lived in the US for three years and I never heard stuff like that. Never.

[Luhts]

Have you seen any of the Rick Mercer episodes where he interviews Americans? I know I am not alone in what I have found.


Rick Mercer Talking to Americans Part 2 - YouTube

[callmemaybe]

I noticed in Toronto I saw a lot more American flags than I did in Vancouver. I think Ontario in general seems more pro-US, though Vancouver probably is culturally more similar to Oregon/Washington than Ontario is to places like Michigan and New York States. But then again, Oregon and Washington aren't really that American in a lot of ways, the whole Pacific Northwest seems so isolated physically and culturally, so it's not like I'm saying BC is 'more American' than Ontario.

[maclock]

Originally Posted by Luhts

Have you seen any of the Rick Mercer episodes where he interviews Americans? I know I am not alone in what I have found.


Rick Mercer Talking to Americans Part 2 - YouTube

There are plenty of idiots on both sides of the border. Just because so many Americans are agreeable and are willing to open their mouths whether they know what they're talking about or not doesn't prove to me that Canadians are smarter or that Americans are less intelligent. This is a Canadian conceit that should be put to rest. It's ugly, it's petty, and it's mean.

And if you find yourself surrounded by melonheads, then you might want to consider moving somewhere with more bright sparks or you might want to find some new acquaintances. Contrary to popular belief, there aren't any more morons in America than there are anywhere else.

[danielj72]

Originally Posted by maclock

I disagree. Excepting some of those Canadians who live and/or who grew up right on the border (and I mean RIGHT on the border), I find that Canadians are pretty ignorant about the States. Likewise, most Americans have pretty hazy notions about Canada.

I dont know about Canadians but I have to admit that here in the US we have people with hazy notions about the USA as well. Those people may not even know where Canada is. Some cant even pick thier own state out on a map. There is a shocking number of people who are almost completly uneducated out there. Comedians get alot of laughs out of this fact with the "man on the street interviews". I once met a school teacher who did not know the political party of the sitting president, we have politicians in office who dont know how many states are in the union. Our recent republican primarys exposed several candidates who thought they were qualified to be president, but did not know basic history or current events. I find this very disturbing, ignorance is becoming common. I hope for your sake the state of education in Canada is better than it is here. (im not blaming teachers for this either, its not thier fault)

[maclock]

Originally Posted by danielj72

I dont know about Canadians but I have to admit that here in the US we have people with hazy notions about the USA as well. Those people may not even know where Canada is. Some cant even pick thier own state out on a map. There is a shocking number of people who are almost completly uneducated out there. Comedians get alot of laughs out of this fact with the "man on the street interviews". I once met a school teacher who did not know the political party of the sitting president, we have politicians in office who dont know how many states are in the union. Our recent republican primarys exposed several candidates who thought they were qualified to be president, but did not know basic history or current events. I find this very disturbing, ignorance is becoming common. I hope for your sake the state of education in Canada is better than it is here. (im not blaming teachers for this either, its not thier fault)

During the few years that I spent in the US, the one thing that amazed me was just how local the worldview of many Americans can be. I don't mean that in a judgmental or a dismissive way; I offer it by way of observation only. So much news coverage is dedicated to the local mayors down there, however, that you would be forgiven for thinking that any one of them was President. That myopic focus on the city to the exclusion of everything else isn't terribly healthy. That minor quibble aside, I love Americans.