What are Canada's most educated and cultured small towns?

[BobLoblawsLawBlog]

The towns such as Gibsons and Sechelt at the Sunshine Coast in BC are "cultured" I guess. The towns are quite appear quite different from other small towns across Canada and have a lot of artisy, laid back people.

[isaidso]

Regarding Stratford, Shakespeare certainly puts it on the map but I'd be careful not to extrapolate that into concluding its a cultured place. I'm far more impressed by a town/city that produces content or develops something new than one that parrots culture from some other place.

Shakespeare is part of global culture but a country, city, people are noted for the culture that they produce/export. It's nice that Stratford has found a high brow niche to exploit but it ranks as a cultural colony of England more than anything else.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by Docere

So far:

BC: Saltspring Island, Whistler, Nelson

Alberta: Banff

Ontario: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Deep River

Quebec: Bromont

New Brunswick: Caraquet, Sackville

Nova Scotia: Antigonish, Wolfville

What do you think of the Chester-Mahone Bay area? There's Chester Race Week and a ton of old money there but I never know quite what to make of that place.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Regarding Stratford, Shakespeare certainly puts it on the map but I'd be careful not to extrapolate that into concluding its a cultured place. I'm far more impressed by a town/city that produces content or develops something new than one that parrots culture from some other place.

Shakespeare is part of global culture but a country, city, people are noted for the culture that they produce/export. It's nice that Stratford has found a high brow niche to exploit but it ranks as a cultural colony of England more than anything else.

There is a lot of truth to that and I totally understand the sentiment. But it's such a high standard to live up to. Few places in Canada truly can IMO.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Regarding Stratford, Shakespeare certainly puts it on the map but I'd be careful not to extrapolate that into concluding its a cultured place. I'm far more impressed by a town/city that produces content or develops something new than one that parrots culture from some other place.

Shakespeare is part of global culture but a country, city, people are noted for the culture that they produce/export. It's nice that Stratford has found a high brow niche to exploit but it ranks as a cultural colony of England more than anything else.

Yes, wouldn't we all rather live in a community founded around Canadian experimental theatre.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Regarding Stratford, Shakespeare certainly puts it on the map but I'd be careful not to extrapolate that into concluding its a cultured place. I'm far more impressed by a town/city that produces content or develops something new than one that parrots culture from some other place.

Shakespeare is part of global culture but a country, city, people are noted for the culture that they produce/export. It's nice that Stratford has found a high brow niche to exploit but it ranks as a cultural colony of England more than anything else.

As the resident Stratfordite on this forum, I guess it falls to me to respond to a silly post like this.

This little city has a world-renowned cultural industry attracting more than half a million annual visitors who come here explicitly to see plays. If that's not the very definition of cultured, then I don't know what is. They come here to engage with the greatest storyteller the world has ever known. They're not drawn by anything uniquely Canadian or Stratfordian, and nobody cares, because nobody comes to Canada to engage with anything uniquely Canadian save for Japanese tourists who want to look at polar bears.

If Canada didn't have the Stratford Festival, we'd still be a bland country without a distinctive culture. As it stands now we're a bland country nobody cares about, except we also have North America's largest classical repertory theatre company. If that doesn't impress you, then, well...duly noted.

We don't have a compelling national culture, or any compelling regional ones. Ho hum. Though Quebec sort of counts, at least in a North American context. Still, that's an accident of history. It's not as if you can create uniqueness these days to draw the tourists. The so called "makers" and "creatives" who are "keeping local" are all...the...same. In every single city in the Western World, they are all...the...same...espresso...artisanal butchers...boutique bakers...locally grown ingredients...unique pesto...hipster tacos...grilled cheese sandwiches...craft breweries...whisky tasting menus...

They're all individuals. The only one who isn't, isn't.

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[casper]

Given Deep River, Ontario is on the list we should also include Pinawa, MB.

Pinawa is the mini-Deep River. Same demographics just half the size.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by casper

Given Deep River, Ontario is on the list we should also include Pinawa, MB.

Pinawa is the mini-Deep River. Same demographics just half the size.

I confess that I've never heard of Deep River in the context of culture.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I confess that I've never heard of Deep River in the context of culture.

Deep River could be highly educated but not cultured.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Deep River could be highly educated but not cultured.

Kind of like Waterloo!

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by rousseau

As the resident Stratfordite on this forum, I guess it falls to me to respond to a silly post like this.

This little city has a world-renowned cultural industry attracting more than half a million annual visitors who come here explicitly to see plays. If that's not the very definition of cultured, then I don't know what is. They come here to engage with the greatest storyteller the world has ever known. They're not drawn by anything uniquely Canadian or Stratfordian, and nobody cares, because nobody comes to Canada to engage with anything uniquely Canadian save for Japanese tourists who want to look at polar bears.

If Canada didn't have the Stratford Festival, we'd still be a bland country without a distinctive culture. As it stands now we're a bland country nobody cares about, except we also have North America's largest classical repertory theatre company. If that doesn't impress you, then, well...duly noted.

We don't have a compelling national culture, or any compelling regional ones. Ho hum. Though Quebec sort of counts, at least in a North American context. Still, that's an accident of history. It's not as if you can create uniqueness these days to draw the tourists. The so called "makers" and "creatives" who are "keeping local" are all...the...same. In every single city in the Western World, they are all...the...same...espresso...artisanal butchers...boutique bakers...locally grown ingredients...unique pesto...hipster tacos...grilled cheese sandwiches...craft breweries...whisky tasting menus...

They're all individuals. The only one who isn't, isn't.

• Video Link

It could be that Canada or some parts of it have the makings of something more unique and compelling, but such stuff does not mature overnight. We will all likely be dead before it becomes a thing.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

It could be that Canada or some parts of it have the makings of something more unique and compelling, but such stuff does not mature overnight. We will all likely be dead before it becomes a thing.

More compelling than Shakespeare? Hard to imagine.

[wg_flamip]

Re: Stratford, it's important to note that theatre is a living thing. All of those involved in staging a play - the director, the actors, the set designers, &c. - are artists in their own right, bringing their own interpretations and styles to the Bard's work. Besides, I would argue that Shakespeare is part of the cultural heritage of humanity as a whole, especially for English-speakers. He is about as "foreign" to Canada's culture as the Bible.

Stratford isn't only about Shakespeare though. Plays and musicals written by Canadians are performed there too, among many other works. The festival is extremely important for the development of Canadian talent as well, which goes on to enrich the theatre scene in the larger cities.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by wg_flamip

Re: Stratford, it's important to note that theatre is a living thing. All of those involved in staging a play - the director, the actors, the set designers, &c. - are artists in their own right, bringing their own interpretations and styles to the Bard's work. Besides, I would argue that Shakespeare is part of the cultural heritage of humanity as a whole, especially for English-speakers. He is about as "foreign" to Canada's culture as the Bible.

Stratford isn't only about Shakespeare though. Plays and musicals written by Canadians are performed there too, among many other works. The festival is extremely important for the development of Canadian talent as well, which goes on to enrich the theatre scene in the larger cities.

I live between wig makers. Seriously. Two women, one in the house to the right of me, and one in the house to the left, are employed at the Festival making wigs. Apparently these are the only full-time theatrical wig-making positions in Canada.

The neighbour the next house over has been a seamstress with the Festival for thirty years. Another neighbour is an actor. I do group rides (cycling) with a master electrician. I'm friends with two set-builders. I know a couple of professional musicians who are employed full-time by the Festival.

https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/Wat...ehindTheScenes

Stratford is essentially a normal Walmart/Tim Horton's/McDonald's kind of small Canadian city for 90% of the people here who rarely get out of their minivans and mostly avoid downtown where the tourists are. But it's also pretty easy to immerse yourself into the theatrical and artistic side of town if you want to.

[240glt]

In BC, the more interesting or "cultured" small towns I think include:

Smithers
Telkwa
Kaslo
Nelson
Cherryville
Hornby, Denman, Saltspring Islands

There are probably lots more, but I've found these places to have interesting people who are engaged in local arts, activism, outdoor pursuits which gives the towns a unique feeling

[JHikka]

Caraquet is considered in NB? Alright...

St.Andrews-by-the-sea is my pick for NB.

Lunenburg for NS.

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by isaidso

What do you think of the Chester-Mahone Bay area? There's Chester Race Week and a ton of old money there but I never know quite what to make of that place.

It's sort of the NS equivalent of Ontatio's cottage country. It's mostly a summertime destination and there isn't much to do in Chester itself other than sail, party, and hang out at the beach. It's also quite close to Halifax (basically the edge of the commutershed) so people tend to go to the city for "cultural" stuff, or to nearby Lunenburg.

Edit: I guess if you're talking about the culture of boating/marine sports then it's "cultured" in the same sense as say, Banff, but without the Banff Centre.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by rousseau

It's not as if you can create uniqueness these days to draw the tourists. The so called "makers" and "creatives" who are "keeping local" are all...the...same. In every single city in the Western World, they are all...the...same...espresso...artisanal butchers...boutique bakers...locally grown ingredients...unique pesto...hipster tacos...grilled cheese sandwiches...craft breweries...whisky tasting menus...

Well, in my experience the most interesting stuff developed organically to serve a real purpose (usually directly beneficial to the creator -- food that was easy to make with locally-available ingredients for example -- that gets at what people mean when they talk about "authenticity"). Some of that attracts tourists and some of it doesn't. Some bad stuff attracts tourists. Very few self-conscious attempts to draw tourists or create "uniqueness" work out well, at least in my unscientific estimation, although much of that is commercially successful. A lot of stuff in North America, particularly in the US, falls into that camp. I think most of the things you listed off could be like that to the degree that they are replicated for relatively high-end (and maybe non-"indie", i.e. profits go to rentier instead of workers) commercial purposes.

I was recently in Portland. It's a nice city but it's also pretty Disneyfied. The cheap pizza place is made to look like it's retro because everyone there wants 1970's and similar because they are led by a combination of herd mentality and their own personal tastes (really impossible to disentangle). The city's culture is aggressively showy and has been exported a lot so when you go there it doesn't feel like there's much new stuff to see. I find Portland pleasant but predictable. Actually I think it's a fair bit worse off than Vancouver, which despite being a similarly new and image-conscious city is saved somewhat by having large immigrant communities.

I think Canada is full of interesting cultural features with a unique sense of place. Few are high profile but who cares? All of the good stuff I can think of from the Eastern part of the country was created to serve locals first and foremost. Surprisingly little of it is available in other parts of North America, at least when it comes to food (which to be honest is about 80% of the cultural stuff I find interesting). But there's performance art and other stuff in Canada that people are creating purely because they like it and/or want a sense of mastery of some discipline and that is good and authentic stuff too.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

More compelling than Shakespeare? Hard to imagine.

It doesn't have to be on that level, seriously.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Caraquet is considered in NB? Alright...

People who know the town know that it makes sense.