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It must be much more than 15,000 visitors per year. There are 7 direct flights between Mtl and Van every day, plus tons of connecting flights between the 2 cities via Toronto or other cities. There must be about 1000 people travelling in each direction, every day.
Whoops! It should read 150,000 not 15,000
The stats that I can find say that BC gets about 11.4 million domestic visitors a year. These stats cover the years 2000 to 2010.
This links states that 74 percent of those are visitor from BC travelling within BC.
19 percent from Alberta, 4 percent from Ontario, 2 percent from the prairies, just over 1 percent from Quebec and .3 percent from Atlantic Canada.
I wager that minority would feel " judged " even if they weren't being judged. I know of no one from Quebec, that I personally have met, that has said they have felt " judged " when visiting B.C. Sounds a bit paranoid.
Your minority sounds very much like the minority here that have never been to Quebec and think it and the people are a certain way...until they actually visit and realize what a load of BS they've believed.
I guess English Canadians are perfectly fine as long as nobody talks about politics. But one thing is sure, if I'm in English Canada (and I am, given that I now live in Winnipeg), everybody perceives me as a "French Canadian" foremost with all the expectations or, dare I say it, stereotypes they may have about this. Elsewhere in the world I'm just any foreigner.
I'm sure if you met me you'd be perfectly nice. But you've said numerous times before that you think your Quebec-born grandmother understood things that most modern Quebecers (including me) refuse to see. This is what one means by feeling "judged". Similarly, I'm always nice to English Canadians even though I may dislike their unconditional idolizing of their society and values.
But I'm sure you see why some people would prefer visiting a country with which theirs has less "history".
Quote:
In fact it's the folks in Florida that make jokes about overweight Quebeckers in too small swimming suits. I've never heard anyone in BC make any kind of joke towards a Quebecker.
"We would never tell you guys that you're all fat and have no sense of style. It's those guys over there who'd do this."
I guess English Canadians are perfectly fine as long as nobody talks about politics. But one thing is sure, if I'm in English Canada (and I am, given that I now live in Winnipeg), everybody perceives me as a "French Canadian" foremost with all the expectations or, dare I say it, stereotypes they may have about this. Elsewhere in the world I'm just any foreigner.
I'm sure if you met me you'd be perfectly nice. But you've said numerous times before that you think your Quebec-born grandmother understood things that most modern Quebecers (including me) refuse to see. This is what one means by feeling "judged". Similarly, I'm always nice to English Canadians even though I may dislike their unconditional idolizing of their society and values.
But I'm sure you see why some people would prefer visiting a country with which theirs has less "history".
"We would never tell you guys that you're all fat and have no sense of style. It's those guys over there who'd do this."
Everyone from everywhere is judged to some degree. It's the idea that there is a reason for Quebeckers for not visiting BC or or elsewhere in Canada because they will be OVERTLY judged and therefore not have a nice trip.
As for my grandmother, she wasn't born in Quebec, but near you in St Boniface. She moved to Quebec at the age of three.
She was a well travelled intelligent woman who live to be 99 years of age. She understood Canada and Quebec extremely well and I valued her insights.
As for the " fat " jokes, you can't deny that there is some animosity, expressed openly or not, towards Quebeckers in Florida.
Not blaming Quebeckers for that, I am just pointing out that that type of animosity does not exist, at least here in B.C.
I'm also pretty sure that any Quebecker I meet who is part of this minority Acajack is talking about, and refuses to travel because of fears of being judged, probably hasn't travelled much, if at all, within Canada.
You just stated that you'd thought I 'd be nice to you. So how would you know if I was judging you or not? For the record I wouldn't be judging you solely on being from Quebec, but on who you are and how you present yourself.
Me as well. I'm four blocks from a major hospital. I'm surrounded by at least 10 or more walk-in clinics.
I am lucky and don't have to go to a clinic that often but I did last summer and waited 20 minutes to see a doctor.
In our walk-in clinics we see a doctor and not a " Nurse practitioner " . Is it the same in Ontario?
As for shiny and new,VGH has some beautiful newer pavilions, and St Paul's is moving to a brand new state of the art hospital in the next few years.
Nice hospital! This is why it really depends on the hospital and not so much if its Canada or the U.S..
As for your question I've only ever seen a Dr at any walk-in clinic I've gone to in Ontario.
The video comes with the caveat that it's only a rendition of what it might look like.
There was a lot of controversy since the location of the old hospital is right downtown, conveniently located for thousands of residents. The new location is just outside of the downtown core. People were concerned that it wouldn't be convenient for a lot of people living downtown.
I had a similar feeling, but when the old hospital is gone ( condos of course will replace it ) they have mentioned that they would keep some sort of clinic on the site.
I was born in that hospital, so I will be a little sad to see it last days ( it's been there since the 1890's ), but even with the newer additions built in the 1970's or so, the hospital building is just not the best for todays type of medicine. I mean, it's modern in it's treatments in all respects, but trying to upgrade the hospital at the same time of running it was going to be impossible and expensive. So I fully support the move.
SF, Boston and NYC are the only American cities that may potentially offer the lifestyle I described above, but unfortunately, at least for my own cases, none of them can provide the quality of life I have in Toronto.
SF IMO is grossly overrated. Other than the weather and its natural location, I don't see anything particularly attractive about that city. 70% of San Francisco (which is similar in size as the old city of Toronto) is not that urban according to my criteria - Sunset, Richmond, Bayview, Hunter's view are more like suburbs than a city. Many parts of central SF is filled with homelessness and smell or urine. If you think Moss Park is bad, you won't tolerate that kind of urban blight in SF. The buildings are not attractive barring some areas, the NIMBYsm is out of control, causing manmade skyrocketing rent and housing price due to shortage. People say SF is becoming a niche city for the rich - but I am sorry, if I am a rich person, there are 20 more attractive cities to be than SF. If it is so attractive to other rich people, good for them. I would have much higher standard if I could afford that price tag. Of course outside SF the so called "bay area" is nothing but a huge suburb, not unlike Mississauga. There is zero advantage in living in them other than for the weather.
Boston has some very appealing areas in the city, but sorry, if I need to move somewhere for a better life, I won't choose a city with even worse weather than Toronto. Boston is also a lot more provincially minded in my opinion when in fact it is just a regional centre of New England. Yes, it is a center of education or this and that, but it is still a smallish city with an one of the worse sprawling suburbs in North America, and by now everyone should know how much I despise the mindless suburbs where even a sidewalk is rarity.
NYC's all attractiveness lies in the borough of Manhattan. Honestly if I can't live in Manhattan, I don't see the point of living in NYC, not to mention nearby New Jersey, which is essentially a dump yet claiming to be part of New York area just to feel good. But the truth is Manhattan is way too expensive, not to mention too congested. Spending 10 minutes taking the NYC subway makes me miss Toronto already. The thought of doing that every day, even for 20-30 minutes, is unbearable. If I could make $150k a year, NYC might be an option, but that also means 100% more work hours, which isn't exactly an improvement of quality of life. So what's the point of living somewhere just to work twice the hours?
Outside these cities, I fail to see anywhere more attractive than Toronto. As I said, Philly and Chicago are scary and declining every year. LA's car dependence is a non starter. Seattle/Denver/Portland etc, no matter what good things people can say about them, are too small to my liking. Seattle's downtown is almost empty on the weekends with nobody but tourists. Miami is a dump not to say ugly (I have zero interest lying on the beaches getting tanned like an idiot). and you can't pay me to live in Atlanta, Houston etc - I'd rather live a second tier city in China.
No one denies one's dollar stretches farther in the US than in Canada overall, because America is one of the cheapest countries in live in among rich countries, but you have to realize what you get in return for the cheap price. If your goal is have a large 5 bedroom house in the suburb, to shop at strip malls or Costco every weekend, and doing work in the yard, taking kids to their soccer practice, then some cheap places in the US are perfect, but for a person who expects a more city like life and cares about stuff like public spaces and building aesthetics, that kind of life is unbearable. I myself wouldn't live in places where I can't walk to watch a movie.
There was once someone proudly told me she lives in big house in a gated community in Florida. I was like: if a city needs gated communities, that constitutes great urban failure already.
You come off as a bit of an affected wimp. People here in Chicago walk home from the movies all the time at 11PM, not a big deal in any part of town one would actually want to live in. You are either sadly impressionable or more likely a Canadian homer who chooses what facts to weigh such that they fit his predetermined narrative. Enjoy the ridiculously expensive beer, the mediocre food, and the needle parks in Toronto.
The video comes with the caveat that it's only a rendition of what it might look like.
There was a lot of controversy since the location of the old hospital is right downtown, conveniently located for thousands of residents. The new location is just outside of the downtown core. People were concerned that it wouldn't be convenient for a lot of people living downtown.
I had a similar feeling, but when the old hospital is gone ( condos of course will replace it ) they have mentioned that they would keep some sort of clinic on the site.
I was born in that hospital, so I will be a little sad to see it last days ( it's been there since the 1890's ), but even with the newer additions built in the 1970's or so, the hospital building is just not the best for todays type of medicine. I mean, it's modern in it's treatments in all respects, but trying to upgrade the hospital at the same time of running it was going to be impossible and expensive. So I fully support the move.
Yeah I agree, sometimes its better just to start fresh with something!
You come off as a bit of an affected wimp. People here in Chicago walk home from the movies all the time at 11PM, not a big deal in any part of town one would actually want to live in. You are either sadly impressionable or more likely a Canadian homer who chooses what facts to weigh such that they fit his predetermined narrative. Enjoy the ridiculously expensive beer, the mediocre food, and the needle parks in Toronto.
Botti has only been in Canada for 7 years and if you are familiar with his posts is hardly a Canadian homer.. Sometimes Canadian and homer are oxymoronic when it comes to Botti..
As for the mediocre food comment - meh its all relative but T.O has as eclectic a food scene as the number of cultures and ethnicities here... Needle parks - huh? Your post is coming across as Chicago homerism there.
Botti has only been in Canada for 7 years and if you are familiar with his posts is hardly a Canadian homer.. Sometimes Canadian and homer are oxymoronic when it comes to Botti..
As for the mediocre food comment - meh its all relative but T.O has as eclectic a food scene as the number of cultures and ethnicities here... Needle parks - huh? Your post is coming across as Chicago homerism there.
I am no Chicago homer this city is rife with issues, but writing it off due to perceived safety issues is just weak, it's just not that bad-at least not yet.
I've heard great things about Chicago...it's on my list of places to visit.
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