Busiest downtowns in Canada

[ZTrade]

I would say Vancouver edges QC in bustle factor. Larger area and more reasons contributing to the busyness.
edit: Here are tourist visits in 2016, Vancouver just straight up has more bodies in every category too. that's why per capita or being more cramped shouldn't weigh more than other factors.

Vancouver
"That’s a new record, the fourth year in a row our city has seen a new record, the agency said Tuesday in a media release. Last year’s total of 10,345,867 people was an increase of 3 per cent over 2016 (10,030,000)" https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...r-for-visitors

QC
"Just over 4.4 million tourists per year (2016)" https://www.quebecregion.com/en/abou...-city-tourism/

[ssiguy]

I find Vancouver very busy during the day and early evenings till about 9 PM but after that it dies down and by midnight even on the weekends it`s shocking how quiet it can be. That is true of all of Western Canada as they go to bed much earlier than Easterners.

[logan5]

Yes yes. I find Toronto and Montreal the same way. Shocking how dead it is in those cities after 9pm.

[Djesus777]

Originally Posted by logan5

Yes yes. I find Toronto and Montreal the same way. Shocking how dead it is in those cities after 9pm.

Not at all, downtown Montreal is still very busy after 9 pm, especially in the summertime. Maybe on Rene Levesque street, it's dead but you still have a lot of life there. Same with Toronto, it's still lively after 9pm, but I noticed it has slowed down a lot compared to when I lived there. Must've been a bad day though.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by Djesus777

Not at all, downtown Montreal is still very busy after 9 pm, especially in the summertime. Maybe on Rene Levesque street, it's dead but you still have a lot of life there. Same with Toronto, it's still lively after 9pm, but I noticed it has slowed down a lot compared to when I lived there. Must've been a bad day though.

I think that was a sarcastic reaction to the absurd claim made by a certain disgruntled poster who often spreads misinformation about Vancouver on the Canada forum. The truth is downtown Vancouver gets especially busy after 9:00 pm precisely in those districts where you would expect nightlife.

Here is some raw footage of Granville Street at 8:25 pm, i.e., during its quiet period a couple of hours before the nightlife begins. It also depicts Granville Street hard on its luck, with multiple theatres and clubs boarded-up and neon signage removed, due to being in between tenants:

• Video Link



And here is Granville Street AFTER midnight (but with even more theatres and clubs boarded-up than before):

• Video Link

[giallo]

The Granville Strip on weekend nights; the epitome of the bridge and tunnel crowd.

[SpongeG]

Its not that bad. Lots of Brazilians around bring new life.

[Nite]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Quebec City probably has the most businesses of any city in Canada that serve primarily tourists.

I think Niagara Falls would you like to have a word with you.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by giallo

The Granville Strip on weekend nights; the epitome of the bridge and tunnel crowd.

All negatives aside, it adds a nice critical mass of people and a nice change of pace from the strictly yoga / yuppie crowd.

I am sure people in Osaka feel the same in Namba with all the non locals that converge there at night (especially foreigners, haha).

But it adds spice...

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by Nite

I think Niagara Falls would you like to have a word with you.

And Whistler...

That place is bustling both winter and summer now.

This is a funny thread that will have no real answer, just pissing matches.

Heck, even places such as Kelowna and Osoyoos are bustling in the summer (Kelowna actually has quite the night scene).

[Hecate]

Honestly I don’t understand the attraction of Vancouver. It’s a modern city in a beautiful setting but its just a big city and the people are jerks. (not a single person I talked to there had something positive to say about my hometown, Winnipeg.) as for its downtown... I was expecting more... felt like a big winnipeg honestly. Quebec and Montreal on the other hand were more welcoming places. Met lots of great non judgemental people and had fun roaming the streets enjoying the nightlife. The buskers and all other sorts of free entertainment were great. The nightlife in Montreal is way better than any city out west hands down. And the downtowns out east feel like proper downtowns. All kinds of shops and services available within a five minute walk out your door. People sitting on their steps saying ‘bonjour’ while a guy across the street is playing guitar on his balcony. Just feels more urban... like a good city should.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Hecate

Honestly I don’t understand the attraction of Vancouver. It’s a modern city in a beautiful setting but its just a big city and the people are jerks. (not a single person I talked to there had something positive to say about my hometown, Winnipeg.) as for its downtown... I was expecting more... felt like a big winnipeg honestly. Quebec and Montreal on the other hand were more welcoming places. Met lots of great non judgemental people and had fun roaming the streets enjoying the nightlife. The buskers and all other sorts of free entertainment were great. The nightlife in Montreal is way better than any city out west hands down. And the downtowns out east feel like proper downtowns. All kinds of shops and services available within a five minute walk out your door. People sitting on their steps saying ‘bonjour’ while a guy across the street is playing guitar on his balcony. Just feels more urban... like a good city should.

There's some truth to this.

I like Vancouver as a place to live but it can be strangely unsatisfying if you are looking for a big city experience. The streetview shots show this. Lots of people and businesses but mostly generic looking buildings on wide streets and relatively little history or local culture. Vancouver ticks a lot of practical boxes and misses a lot of intangible factors.

There are lots of nice people here but there's an identifiable pattern of individuals who think they've "made it" because they are here and this is the best place around. They display their superiority in various transparent and cringeworthy ways. I associate this with small town folks who move to the big city, or people who grew up in a bit of a bubble. Vancouver is a bit more isolated than most other cities of similar size, so you can easily grow up here and hardly travel anywhere but second or third tier BC towns.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by osmo

Toronto isn't the 24/7 steady busy action city it used to be. It used to cycle uses between work, live, and play quite well. It used to be that the "Entertainment District" when known as Clubland, would have people out and about almost evrey night of the week with only Sunday nights where oddly quiet in downtown Toronto. These days in get the odd quiet nights most nights aside from Friday and Saturday. All the new condos add people but they don't, in my view, add action.

Canadian urbaninity is quite poor overall aside from some small pockets and exceptions so saying Toronto is lacking may not be popular. The city has "grown" but it has replaced much of what created activity in the past for now non-active uses. The example of many new condos have been notorious for killing street frontages with underwhelming retail or spaces that sit empty.

Victoria for its size I find is busy. The pictures of St Johns mirror the reality of the abundant density present there which gives it greet street action.

i wouldn't say that at all - activity has just moved around. Most of the "going out" spaces in the city these days in along King West, west of Spadina, or over on Dundas West and West Queen West / Parkdale. The entertainment district is quieter, but that's just the city evolving.. there are still plenty of busy spots. Walk along Dundas west at 1am on a friday and it's bustling for what during the day is a quiet residential neighbourhood.

Toronto is changing rapidly - and I feel a lot of people look back with rose coloured glasses on the city of old a lot - but it certainly isn't less busy than before. The city is busier than ever. Even in the 6 years I've been living downtown there has been massive changes.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by someone123

There's some truth to this.

I like Vancouver as a place to live but it can be strangely unsatisfying if you are looking for a big city experience. The streetview shots show this. Lots of people and businesses but mostly generic looking buildings on wide streets and relatively little history or local culture. Vancouver ticks a lot of practical boxes and misses a lot of intangible factors.

That's funny since as an outsider I always thought of it as a place that lacks practicality (mainly due to lack of affordability) but that's very satisfying in terms of the experience for those who can afford it (nature, scenery, climate, ambiance, cool historical district, dense/urban centre, etc.) Interesting to hear how a local perceives it.

[Denscity]

“Local”

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

That's funny since as an outsider I always thought of it as a place that lacks practicality (mainly due to lack of affordability) but that's very satisfying in terms of the experience for those who can afford it (nature, scenery, climate, ambiance, cool historical district, dense/urban centre, etc.) Interesting to hear how a local perceives it.

Well, Vancouver has all kinds of "locals," including economic transplants who pine for their hometown and whose perceptions are thus limited and coloured by their unhappiness of not being where they truly want to be. Vancouver has a history and culture that is rich and distinct but very different than the faraway hometowns of some people whose dissatisfaction from not making their home where their heart is renders them unable (or unwilling) to appreciate or explore more deeply.

I would thus caution you regarding some of the claims made about Vancouver in the Canada forum and encourage you to visit and explore this unique Canadian city for yourself and make-up your own mind free from the personal baggage of others.

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

Well, Vancouver has all kinds of "locals," including transports who pine for their hometown and whose perceptions are thus limited and coloured by their unhappiness of not being where they truly want to be.

Ugh, I feel very attacked. That was me in Winnipeg.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by Denscity

“Local”

Well he's been there for over a decade now. How long does a person have to live somewhere before they can qualify as a local?

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

Well he's been there for over a decade now. How long does a person have to live somewhere before they can qualify as a local?

That is a good question, I would say there are two answers.

First is born there or at least raised from childhood.

The second is through your actions you declare it as your place of primary identity.

Obviously someone123 is not the first category, but given that he obviously identifies Halifax as his home and pride and Vancouver as a temporary situation (which is pretty obvious from his posts) I would not call him a local in the sense of the second category either.

To put it simply, I can not see Someone123 calling himself a Vancoiverite.

[ZTrade]

I'm more interested in what's busier after Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver. I didn't expect this to turn into dissecting Vancouver haha. What would you guys say is 4th busiest and so on? My guess is:

4. Edmonton
5. QC
6. Ottawa
7. Calgary
8. Winnipeg
9. Halifax
10. Hamilton