Which city is the Rodney Dangerfield of Canada?

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by wave46

Eh, maybe of northern Ontario. I don't think people south of Barrie have much of an idea of Timmins, much less the rest of Canada.

Sudbury would rate higher on that scale - it still carries the 'moon' stigma.

Moon stigma?

[Franco401]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Moon stigma?

I assume it means being very far away and inaccessible.

[kwoldtimer]

NASA sent some Apollo astronauts to do geological training in Sudbury, back in the day. The legend arose that it was because of Sudbury's ressemblance to the surface of the moon!

[shappy]

http://viewpointmining.com/article/t...ion-of-sudbury

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

NASA sent some Apollo astronauts to do geological training in Sudbury, back in the day. The legend arose that it was because of Sudbury's ressemblance to the surface of the moon!

That you needed to explain that reference makes me feel about as old as the moon...

[wave46]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Moon stigma?

During the early industrial era of Sudbury, the sulfur dioxide emissions permanently killed much of the forest in the area and stained the rock black. It was a remarkably desolate visage.

During the 1970s, NASA sent Eugene Cernan (commander of Apollo 17) to Sudbury to study the area, as the geologic formations were similar to those of their landing area on the moon. This gave rise to the idea that the astronauts were sent to Sudbury because it looked like the moon.

This has changed since the 1980s, however. A fairly comprehensive re-greening has taken place - it looks a lot better than it used to.

[SignalHillHiker]

"Driving through northern Ontario is like spaceflight without cryogenics" - Boris.

It's the same here. The highway goes across the north-middle of the island, where no one lives except suburbanite old people who moved closer to the highway/hospitals. It's soul-sucking. It's about 12 hours drive from St. John's to St. Anthony, if you stop to eat, and it feels like three years.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by wave46

During the early industrial era of Sudbury, the sulfur dioxide emissions permanently killed much of the forest in the area and stained the rock black. It was a remarkably desolate visage.

During the 1970s, NASA sent Eugene Cernan (commander of Apollo 17) to Sudbury to study the area, as the geologic formations were similar to those of their landing area on the moon. This gave rise to the idea that the astronauts were sent to Sudbury because it looked like the moon.

This has changed since the 1980s, however. A fairly comprehensive re-greening has taken place - it looks a lot better than it used to.

Yes, my main childhood memory of summers in Sudbury is of the black rocks. And the fact that my grandparents back yard was rock covered by moss.

[GlassCity]

In Canada, Winnipeg and Edmonton. Both have similar images of being cold, boring and dangerous.

In BC, I don't really know. I've never had those sorts of conversations with people outside the Lower Mainland, and those here typically don't think outside of it. But maybe it'd be Prince George?

In the Lower Mainland, definitely Surrey.

I can't speak for other places, but in the Lower Mainland Hamilton doesn't really exist. I'd never heard of it before SSP. For better or for worse, I don't think it has the recognition to really not be given respect.

[khabibulin]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

"Driving through northern Ontario is like spaceflight without cryogenics" - Boris.

It's the same here. The highway goes across the north-middle of the island, where no one lives except suburbanite old people who moved closer to the highway/hospitals. It's soul-sucking. It's about 12 hours drive from St. John's to St. Anthony, if you stop to eat, and it feels like three years.

So why not just declare it all designated wilderness area established in legislation and create provincial/national parks? People will flock there then!

[SignalHillHiker]

Because it's worthless. It's just... flat with trees on either side. Boring.

[Pinus]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

So simple.

Winnipeg. Even Winnipeggers hate Winnipeg.

No exaggeration at all there, eh

[DLLB]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

So simple.

Winnipeg. Even Winnipeggers hate Winnipeg.

Edmonton in close second.

Edmonton I agree with,

Winnipeg, no way

[rousseau]

Not meaning to be pedantic here, but I think this thread bears out the general idea that Winnipeg doesn't really have much of a profile at all outside of the west, as everyone declaring Winnipeg to be, in effect, "Canada's Cleveland" is from the west.

Which obviously means that Canada doesn't actually have a Cleveland, as it doesn't pass the litmus test. There's nowhere in the States where people wouldn't understand an easy potshot at the "Mistake by the Lake," but you'll just get blank stares if you make a crack about Winnipeg when you're in Ontario or Quebec (and I imagine the Maritimes, as well).

I think you have to go regional and/or provincial for this. The only one I know of for sure is that Hamilton is Ontario's go-to punching bag. Brantford, Welland and others mentioned in this thread don't have the province-wide profile that would make them targets. A comedian on a stage in Toronto isn't going to do a quick one-liner about Brantford. If he's reaching for the target of an off-hand snarky remark it's going to be about Hamilton.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

In Canada, Winnipeg and Edmonton. Both have similar images of being cold, boring and dangerous.

In BC, I don't really know. I've never had those sorts of conversations with people outside the Lower Mainland, and those here typically don't think outside of it. But maybe it'd be Prince George?

In the Lower Mainland, definitely Surrey.

I can't speak for other places, but in the Lower Mainland Hamilton doesn't really exist. I'd never heard of it before SSP. For better or for worse, I don't think it has the recognition to really not be given respect.

What about Smithers?

[Docere]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Which obviously means that Canada doesn't actually have a Cleveland, as it doesn't pass the litmus test. There's nowhere in the States where people wouldn't understand an easy potshot at the "Mistake by the Lake," but you'll just get blank stares if you make a crack about Winnipeg when you're in Ontario or Quebec (and I imagine the Maritimes, as well).

I think Winnipeg does have that kind of reputation in southern Ontario at least (i.e Winterpeg, Manisnowba). So it's more than just out west.

[rousseau]

But that's the only thing people around here know about Winnipeg. If they even know that. That's not a recipe for being "Cleveland."

[ssiguy]

Abbotsford BC has to be up there. It has nearly 200,000 people and even if you sy Abbotsford to a Vancouverite it draws a blank stare and the only thing that comes to mind is the place you go thru to get to the Interior. It is a dreadful little place with a "downtown" the size of a town of 2,000 and is a sprawl of a place with no urban planning and incredibly ugly housing and was built strictly for the car. It's ugly, poor, and crime ridden.

I've been to almost all of Canada's major cities and except for a few small mining & forestry outposts, it is by far and away, the ugliest city in the country.

[SaskOttaLoo]

Originally Posted by TownGuy

What's funny about Oshawa is it could've been another Oakville if it centred itself closer to Lake Ontario. All the burbs in the eastern GTA wasted their waterfront location. There's a pair of nuclear plants, some factories and some sprawl. Whitby and Ajax have decent enough waterfront but nothing is around them. Odd that not one city developed a lakefront downtown.

I've wondered that about a few different cities in Canada. Fort St. John for example - sad to situate a city that is that remote (in relative terms) still so far away from mountains and good hiking.

Similarly, in Alberta it's interesting how unlike Colorado there seem to be few or any big settlements that are located right against the foothills / mountains the way settlement developed in Colorado. A shame as many of those Colorado cities have significant in-migration happening for lifestyle reasons among hikers, mountain bikers, etc. Any idea why the settlement pattern was different in Canada? I guess the railroads essentially dictated settlement, and wanted more central locations?

[SaskOttaLoo]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

"Driving through northern Ontario is like spaceflight without cryogenics" - Boris.

It's the same here. The highway goes across the north-middle of the island, where no one lives except suburbanite old people who moved closer to the highway/hospitals. It's soul-sucking. It's about 12 hours drive from St. John's to St. Anthony, if you stop to eat, and it feels like three years.

That is a shame, since NFLD is up there as my next Canadian vacation spot! Would there have been another viable path that the highway could have taken that would have avoided that?