(?) I didn't know they did. All of the rest of Canada, that is. But that is the title of a 2007 Borat-like parody film. (Note: If there wasn't some truth in it, they wouldn't have named the film "Let's All Hate Tornoto." Duh.) And there is some truth in it, some really substantial truth in it according to a Macleans article (caveat emptor: I read about the Maclean's article by somebody who posted on Reddit.). 75% of Canadians name Toronto as their most hated city and Ontario most hated province. 75%. You can stereotype based on 75% hoo doggie.
In the film the Canadian Borat guy goes across the country faux promoting "Toronto Appreciation Day."
This was not appreciated. They spit on the banner in the Maritime Provinces. O-Borat risked his life wearing Wayne Gretzky's name on the back of a "Maple Leaf's" sweater. This was during 'Ton's 2006 Stanley Cup run. I could see that moving Ed to violence. Jesus Christ O-Borat, death wish?
So what explains this? And particularly, which is how I found out about this, why do they hate the "Maple Leafs"? A CBC article today rhetorically asked if, with Calgary and Winnipeg out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, might Canadians pull for their fellow countrymen in Toronto. "Probably not," was CBC's deadpan answer. Now, on that, lemme learn y'all somethin' about why I was really surprised to hear that. One, of course, Canadians desperately want a Canadian team to win the Cup. Two, the "Maple Leafs" have been a fucking JOKE for about 50 years. A complete fucking joke. Cannot grab their ass with both hands. Having a wet dream? Think of the "Leafs," they'll ruin it for you. So this is not like the hatred of the New York "Yankees" or Dallas "Cowboys". Those teams are good, almost always have been. They do not SUCK. The "Leafs" SUCK! Therefore, ergo, other Canadians hate the "Leafs"...you got it, just because they are based in Toronto.
So then what is the answer to the first question? It seems it's similar to the hatred of Washington, D.C. or New York City (But I don't know if the rest of Amerika 2.0 hates NYC, do they?). Ontario is DEFINITELY the power center in every way of Canada, economically, population, wealth, political and so there is the garden variety resentment of elites, snobs, power, the wealthy, envy in short. That is one, and a very important one component of the Toronto hate. And there are not the same countervailing forces at work in Canada as in Amerika 2.0. There are so many competing power centers down south. L.A. California. Talk about a competing power center huh? Jeezus. Chicago. Atlanta. "From CNN Center in Atlanta." Texas. I guarantee you there is NO ONE in the State of Texas who "envies" New York City or the East Coast. Canada does not have those competing power loci. Canada is a BIG ass country and there's a lot of nowhere between Toronto and the third largest city, Vancouver. It is 41 hours (2,700 miles) from Toronto to Vancouver. It's a very manageable 5+ hours from Toronto to second largest Montreal but Montreal is in a different country (practically). It's more like Europe than the States. You drive five hours in Europe you can cross six national borders. Of course, Montreal hates Toronto; Montreal hates Toronto the most. They're French, Toronto is English; they're Quebecois first, Canadians a distant second (Or third. Could be they are Montrealers first or second.) I read that Vancouver does not hate Toronto too, too much. Why would that be when they're 41 hours away from the Center? Because Canada does not have a strong federal system like the U.S. does. Canadian federalism does not create the feeling of One Nation that American federalism does. Shouldn't that make the distant large cities hate the Center even more? It doesn't. I read that Vancouverites don't hate Toronto so much because they claim they seldom think of it. They are self-contained in Starbucks Nation and the government to them is their provincial government. Too indifferent to hate.
There is also, as there is here, an urban-rural divide and Canada has lots of rural. The fourth biggest city is Calgary, 32 hours away; the fifth largest, Edmonton, 33 hours distant. Winnipeg is seven, 20.5 hours. Alberta is Canada's oil patch, like Texas. There is economic power there. Manitoba (Winnipeg) is Canada's breadbasket. (True story: an official of Team Canada during the '70's hockey wars with the Soviet Union said Canada better win those series because Canada leads the world in only two things, hockey and wheat.). So there is rural power in Manitoba and the other wide open spaces in those 20.5 hours from Toronto. But five of the other top fifteen largest cities in Canada are in Ontario or the East. Thirty-eight percent of all Canadians reside in Ontario. 38%! Quebec (foreign country) is second at 22+%. The only other provinces in double digits in percentage of Canadian population are B.C., 13.4% and Alberta, 11.6%. Combined the two next largest English provinces are -13% to Ontario. No competing population or power loci.
So, let's all hate Toronto and "Leafs," you come with who brought you so we hate you too.
In the film the Canadian Borat guy goes across the country faux promoting "Toronto Appreciation Day."
This was not appreciated. They spit on the banner in the Maritime Provinces. O-Borat risked his life wearing Wayne Gretzky's name on the back of a "Maple Leaf's" sweater. This was during 'Ton's 2006 Stanley Cup run. I could see that moving Ed to violence. Jesus Christ O-Borat, death wish?
So what explains this? And particularly, which is how I found out about this, why do they hate the "Maple Leafs"? A CBC article today rhetorically asked if, with Calgary and Winnipeg out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, might Canadians pull for their fellow countrymen in Toronto. "Probably not," was CBC's deadpan answer. Now, on that, lemme learn y'all somethin' about why I was really surprised to hear that. One, of course, Canadians desperately want a Canadian team to win the Cup. Two, the "Maple Leafs" have been a fucking JOKE for about 50 years. A complete fucking joke. Cannot grab their ass with both hands. Having a wet dream? Think of the "Leafs," they'll ruin it for you. So this is not like the hatred of the New York "Yankees" or Dallas "Cowboys". Those teams are good, almost always have been. They do not SUCK. The "Leafs" SUCK! Therefore, ergo, other Canadians hate the "Leafs"...you got it, just because they are based in Toronto.
So then what is the answer to the first question? It seems it's similar to the hatred of Washington, D.C. or New York City (But I don't know if the rest of Amerika 2.0 hates NYC, do they?). Ontario is DEFINITELY the power center in every way of Canada, economically, population, wealth, political and so there is the garden variety resentment of elites, snobs, power, the wealthy, envy in short. That is one, and a very important one component of the Toronto hate. And there are not the same countervailing forces at work in Canada as in Amerika 2.0. There are so many competing power centers down south. L.A. California. Talk about a competing power center huh? Jeezus. Chicago. Atlanta. "From CNN Center in Atlanta." Texas. I guarantee you there is NO ONE in the State of Texas who "envies" New York City or the East Coast. Canada does not have those competing power loci. Canada is a BIG ass country and there's a lot of nowhere between Toronto and the third largest city, Vancouver. It is 41 hours (2,700 miles) from Toronto to Vancouver. It's a very manageable 5+ hours from Toronto to second largest Montreal but Montreal is in a different country (practically). It's more like Europe than the States. You drive five hours in Europe you can cross six national borders. Of course, Montreal hates Toronto; Montreal hates Toronto the most. They're French, Toronto is English; they're Quebecois first, Canadians a distant second (Or third. Could be they are Montrealers first or second.) I read that Vancouver does not hate Toronto too, too much. Why would that be when they're 41 hours away from the Center? Because Canada does not have a strong federal system like the U.S. does. Canadian federalism does not create the feeling of One Nation that American federalism does. Shouldn't that make the distant large cities hate the Center even more? It doesn't. I read that Vancouverites don't hate Toronto so much because they claim they seldom think of it. They are self-contained in Starbucks Nation and the government to them is their provincial government. Too indifferent to hate.
There is also, as there is here, an urban-rural divide and Canada has lots of rural. The fourth biggest city is Calgary, 32 hours away; the fifth largest, Edmonton, 33 hours distant. Winnipeg is seven, 20.5 hours. Alberta is Canada's oil patch, like Texas. There is economic power there. Manitoba (Winnipeg) is Canada's breadbasket. (True story: an official of Team Canada during the '70's hockey wars with the Soviet Union said Canada better win those series because Canada leads the world in only two things, hockey and wheat.). So there is rural power in Manitoba and the other wide open spaces in those 20.5 hours from Toronto. But five of the other top fifteen largest cities in Canada are in Ontario or the East. Thirty-eight percent of all Canadians reside in Ontario. 38%! Quebec (foreign country) is second at 22+%. The only other provinces in double digits in percentage of Canadian population are B.C., 13.4% and Alberta, 11.6%. Combined the two next largest English provinces are -13% to Ontario. No competing population or power loci.
So, let's all hate Toronto and "Leafs," you come with who brought you so we hate you too.
