Toronto was the very first city I visited in Canada, even before I lived in Vancouver.
I went to Toronto in the summer of my second-to-the-last year in university. That time, I was part of a theatre group that got invited by our North American alumni association to perform in four cities in the US and Canada East Coast – New York, Washington DC, Detroit, and Toronto.
I liked Toronto right away. It is a bustling city with soaring skyscrapers and a dynamic metropolis life. It has a mix of attractions, from museums and art galleries, to colourful markets and multi-cultural restaurants. But it also has a lot of green spaces and a big lake. I thought to myself, I could picture myself living there.
But I chose to live in Vancouver first when I immigrated to Canada. As a new settler, it was easier to be with family (my aunt’s). They taught me all the ropes and helped me adjust to my new environment and a new lifestyle. I also fell in love with Vancouver on the summer that I visited my aunt’s family as a tourist a few years back. I was enamoured by its mountains, its proximity to the ocean, its mild climate, and its multiculturalism. Majority of Vancouver immigrants are Asians - Chinese, Filipinos, Indians, mostly – and it hosts a lot of Japanese and Korean students who are learning English. I felt right at home there.
My initial plan was to get settled and enjoy Vancouver first, then move to Toronto to re-start a career. While I acclimatized well in the West Coast, and in fact, even got used to its more laid-back lifestyle, a part of me yearned to go back to the hustle-and-bustle of my television job and to thrive in a city that has more action. In my mind that time, Toronto had everything I’d need to return to my former profession. Though I landed a good and stable job in Vancouver (after months of obtaining local experience and volunteering), it wasn’t exactly in my field. I missed the fast-pace, excitement, and challenges that a job in media could provide.
A friend pointed out that Vancouver is often nicknamed, “the Hollywood of the North” because of its popularity as a film and TV series location and the number of production companies that are based there. But employment opportunities were not as many, at least during the time I was there.
Things are done differently over here in Canada. Television networks do not produce their own entertainment shows (except for local talk shows, sports shows, and newscasts). TV series and other entertainment show formats are produced by independent production companies. To enter the industry, there are union membership requirements and apprentice work to consider. One has to also keep in mind that credentials and professional experience in one's home country may not be recognized, or only partially-recognized. And since most of the production companies are fairly small and the number of projects is variable, job security and stability could face uncertainties. These were highly impractical, and rather unwise for someone who was just starting up in a new country.
Then, I found out that media companies that could possibly offer something similar or comparable to the job I had in Manila are mostly based in Toronto. I kept that in mind and started to form a plan to eventually move to the East Coast.
I did move to the East Coast, but not in Toronto, and not for those reasons. You see, things have a way of turning your life upside down, and in the process, your priorities change, and you, yourself, experience a change within you.
I met my husband in Vancouver. After our wedding, we continued living in the city for three years, but since he is originally from Montreal, he wanted to move back east to be closer to his family. When he found a job in Ottawa, close enough to Montreal, we relocated. At this point, career was no longer a priority for me. I wanted to start a family and focus on that for the time being.
I eventually landed a good job in Ottawa - not a media job, but still a good one. Then I got pregnant after a year…and the rest is the saga of many young families – juggling work with home and family life. I was fortunate that my job was challenging enough, but also family-friendly and flexible, so I was able to manage both aspects of my life and maintain some balance. I also started to like our new home city. It’s not as picturesque as Vancouver, not as dynamic as Toronto, and not as culturally vibrant (yet) as Montreal, but it has its own charm and appeal. And for us, young parents, we found it to be a perfect place to raise a child.
Now that my priorities have changed (and they constantly evolve as the family evolves), Toronto is no longer the land of my career dreams. I still find it exciting, but perhaps, I’ve become a different person. I no longer harbour thoughts of moving there. Its professional appeal to me has vanished. It has now become just a place to take the family to do fun things if we want some variety from the sights in Montreal or if we want a break from the more serene life in Ottawa.
My husband honestly doesn’t like it much. He hates the traffic, the congestion, and the crowds. He thinks it’s too busy, less safe, and less friendly. He feels for Toronto the way I feel for New York - I like visiting, but I won’t live there. And I must say, as I spend more years here in Ottawa, I am starting to share my husband’s sentiments.
I heard a rumour that a huge chunk of Canadians does not like Toronto (or even hate it with a passion). A survey done by a business magazine reported results that said something like this: out of 10,000 Canadians from all major cities who were asked which city and province they hate the most, around 75% said they hate Toronto out of all cities the most, and 60% said they hate Ontario out of all provinces the most. I am not sure how accurate this is and whether or not it really reflects the sentiments of the whole country, but the following are some of the reasons why people reportedly dislike/hate Toronto (and to some extent, the whole of Ontario):
There’s an old stereotype that people from Toronto think they are the centre of the Canadian universe and that Torontonians view themselves as elites compared to the rest of Canadians, even exhibiting some sense of entitlement.
Ontarians have a higher representation in government because of its large population, so Ontario is perceived to have a stronger influence in politics.
Some provinces think Ontario is wealthier because it is the center of political power (Ottawa, the country’s capital, is in the province of Ontario) and that unbalanced federal spending and unfair policies are in place, with the other provinces put on the side.
People in Toronto are perceived to be cold, unfriendly (or ruder and more arrogant), and obsessed about their careers (I could have been like this!) than other Canadians.
Toronto is expensive, crowded, and congested. Traffic is a nightmare and crime rates are higher than other major cities.
The Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team (no explanation necessary)
Please just take the above comments with a grain of salt. I don't take them seriously either. We all know that people in every country feel the same way about their country’s major city (e.g., New York for the Americans, Paris for the French, Tokyo for the Japanese, etc.). And please don’t get me wrong. I like Toronto. I just can’t say I love it now as much as I thought I did.
I do think that preferences are driven not only by personal choice and priorities, but by the stage in life a person is currently in - young and ready to conquer the world, living a dream career, raising a family, about to retire, retired, etc. At each stage of life, there is a perfect match. So, one can’t really say a city is good or bad. It is relative.
My younger self would have loved to live in Toronto. My present older self, not so much. For now, I am happy where I live, but who knows where I might end up again someday?
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