Very much agree. I tend to think Toronto is more similar to Chicago than New York: big fish in a small pond, inferiority complex, ~4 million people, finance > culture, next to a lake.
If it's any consolation, there's lots of bad art in New York that we're also supposed to pretend is good.
I think Vancouver, BC does a pretty good job not comparing itself to SF, LA. I think it has done one thing right in accepting the size and status of city. I think Vancouver has a lot to offer compared to Alberta and rides that.
Speaking as an American who's moved to Toronto with intent, I find that Toronto -- as a city -- is reflective of Canadian culture and norms. And, likewise, the major metropolis cities in the US are reflective of American culture and norms. The differences here being that Canadians seem to be way more risk averse, much more obedient in following the rules, less likely to step out of line, raise a fuss, or challenge things. US culture, to me, feels like it is on the opposite side of that spectrum, and thus, you get this very ambitious, fight-till-you-make-it culture in their cities for people to make their mark or change the status-quo. Calling Toronto the "New York of Canada" is no different to me than calling Toronto the Paris or London of Canada.
This is 100% true. I think the OP needs to realize that what they are describing is less about “Toronto vs. U.S. cities” and more about the U.S. being singularly unique in the world when it comes to innovation and risk-taking.
I’m a German in Toronto and I couldn’t agree more. You nailed it. I wonder where Germany or a city like Berlin fits in on that scale. Germans are not necessarily big risk takers (e.g. innovation capital is probably as hard to come by as in Canada) yet I see some bold action in certain areas and challenging the status quo while following the rules seems to be a German virtue.
I haven't spent time in Germany so correct me if I am wrong, but from some of the content I have seen online, it is also a nation of people who "follow the rules". e.g. If you are using the recycle bins incorrectly, it's not unheard of for a neighbour to correct you, or inform you of the proper way.
But yes, I don't think one can compare Berlin and Paris without also considering the nature of the German and French people. And, arguably, the people of any given city in a nation certainly is a reflection of the laws, culture, attitude, and customs of that nation. The U.S. is more rebellious, driven, confrontational, and individualistic than its neighbour to the north which has made it sit on the bleeding-edge of new innovation especially in the tech sector. But at the same time the population can be very stubborn and conservative of yesteryears. e.g. women's health is not protected and currently going in the opposite direction, same-sex marriage only became legal in 2015 (10 years after Canada), the population refused to adopt the Metric system after congress passed the 1975 metrification act, and for a nation that has the best tech industry in the world it's almost like a national prank that when you pay the bill at a restaurant you still have to surrender your credit card to your server who disappears for 15 minutes and returns with a receipt where you have to handwrite the tip, total it, and sign. Canada moved to wireless terminals in.. when? 20 years ago?
RE Germany: yes, absolutely. That’s why I am saying that the Germans seem to have a talent to challenge the status quo while following the rules. One could argue that the peaceful revolution in Eastern Germany which ultimately led to the fall of the Berlin wall is a primary example of that. Anyhow. I mean there are also different cultures and identities within the U.S. and Canada if you will. I don’t pretend that things are “black and white”. I found the book American Nations by Colin Woodard particularly interesting and it helps understand the current political cultures and social movements in Canada and the US. You might like it! https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/306345/american-nations-by-colin-woodard/
"I’ve found that a lot of progress in my life has come from looking at things that are hard to look at, and saying things that are hard to say."
I think Canadian culture as a whole has difficulty with this. People here are pathologically agreeable. Whenever I return to this city, the biggest adjustment is rediscovering how fearful most people are of saying blunt uncomfortable truths
Maybe the fake hype about Toronto comes from the same thing that drives our excess politeness, fear of rocking the boat, political correctness, "inclusivity", etc.
Loved this. Thank you. As someone who recently made a bad rap video about Toronto (a suspiciously common occurrence it seems) I agree with almost everything.
Ultimately pretending you're something you're not is bullsh*t and cringe. Very icky.
I do think unironically though that Toronto is the best place in the world to be right now for ambitious people for the same reason you said you used to love it. Possibility.
Our city is young and growing and Torontonians, as far as I can tell (I'm happy to be proven wrong), are the most ethnically and culturally diverse population in human history.
Culturally and economically the city has gone for bronze for a long time. That sucks. But it also means that today our city remains a blank page ready for this unique population to write a new story about what it really is. I think about NYC, SF, Singapore, London etc. and for all their riches (perhaps precisely because of them) that's something they could never have.
I also take the “blank page” perspective and I find complaining about the state of Toronto to be tiring.
What excites me when I’m in Toronto is when I occasionally come across intrinsically ambitious, genuine, curious, friendly people. So much talk about incentives but less attention paid to character cultivation.
Back when it was possible without a corporate sponsor, my father used to book Roy Thomson Hall, take out ads in the Scottish papers, bring over a Scottish comedian, book some singers and dancers, etc. and sometimes even sell out.
Then, the self-appointed community leaders of The Scottish Community would ring him up. What do you think they had to say? Way to go promoting our culture? Nice to see one of ours making a few bucks? I like the cut of your jib, fella, I think I might have a job for you?
No. None of those things. This is Canada, so they were compelled to deliver our unspoken motto:
*Who Do You Think You Are?*
"Who are you to be doing this? Who told you you could do this? Did you make sure you weren't stepping on anyone's toes before doing this? You certainly didn't get permission from *everyone* first. Tsk tsk. Tut tut."
And his girlfriend, who was a big deal in the '70s for five minutes and had performed all over the country, assured us that it's the same everywhere you go in Canada. Nonetheless, when I had my own tiny dose of success, it was disconcerting to find out not only that it led to absolutely zero doors opening, but people who'd I'd imagined might be rooting for me instead treated me like an interloper.
This country hates ambition, initiative, and agency, and to the degree that we insist on defining ourselves in opposition to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, it's not a fixable problem.
As a former Sidewalk Labs staff person, I feel this: for a moment it seemed like Toronto was ready to be an _ambitious_ place. And then the city reverted to the mean, with a vengeance.
Frankly SWL's failure seemed to scorch the earth for a few years. I have a sense that green shoots of ambition are starting to appear again. I hope so!
I used to go to the town halls — I think the closure of that was quite honestly probably one of the biggest catalysts for me giving up on Toronto and leaving.
this was a deeply refreshing read on many levels - particularly because it really felt like *you* honestly speaking what feels true to you about your experience of this whole phenomenon. i live in toronto, too, and felt a ton of resonance in this and found myself chuckling a few times at the phenomena you’ve labelled here which i’ve seen/heard/been told a bunch of times but never properly labelled. now that you point them out so discreetly, it’s like: wait, yeah that IS exactly what happens (the drake, hinton, insulin bit especially got me). great essay, and a very good conversation to start. thanks for writing it :)
Everything in here is true. But, and maybe it's because I've lived here since the 90s, I'm a bit surprised to see this view posed as a contrary one. That Toronto is not a "real city" has always been the mainstream view in my experience. The city has tons of potential that waxes and wanes over the decades, but it's definitely stagnating now. Real estate prices alone have rendered anything more ambitious than survival hard for many right now.
The problems Toronto faces are not all of its own making, though. Being at the mercy of voters far from Toronto who more or less hate all cities, and Toronto I particular, is a hard thing to overcome. The city has little political power to do more than keep its head above water financially,let alone make drastic changes to lure and keep ambitious change makers here, a tough task when NYC and California are so close and share a language.
The Canadian dream is centered around a suburban house and 2 SUVs in the driveway, not vibrant big cities and world-leading tech or cultural innovation. Small thinking us rampant and every change must be fought tooth and nail.
Nevertheless I have stuck it out in the downtown and will continue to do so, both supporting and promoting the good things about the city, and honestly pointing out the problems. It's all I can do. Many smart and good people do make their home here.
The New Yorkers and Montrealers I know all have long lists of complaints, too. The grass is always greener. And the "tech revolution" wrought by SF hardly been a glowing positive for the world. Maybe we need to find our own, better, kind of ambition.
This - I do not want Toronto to be aggressive like New York, nor full of arrogant & obnoxious tech bros like in SF who delight in 'breaking things' that for the most part work well, but could use improvement.
This post inspires self reflection and I think that’s one of the best kinds of posts. I loved reading it. Thank you Misha!
Implicit in the whole topic of Toronto’s (and by extension Canada’s) identity is that it’s necessarily on the same yardstick as that of its American counterparts. The phrase “New York of Canada” means that “New-York-ishness”is a quality on which to rank Canadian cities (or any city anywhere).
“Stop Pretending Toronto is More Than It Is” shines a light on a real and perhaps unhealthy or unproductive delusion about the “New-York-ishness” of Toronto, but we could go even further to challenge whether “New-York-ishness” is a thing at all. Can it be measured? Do we care to measure it? Even if the answer is yes do we want to rank highly on that measure?
I love a great many things about New York. It’s a fun and exciting place to visit. The “endless possibility” is intoxicating. But it’s not without its own challenges and drawbacks. People who want to live in New York badly enough to overcome the challenges and tolerate the drawbacks will do so. Personally I’m not one of those people. And for me, Toronto is “better” as measured on many attributes that I personally care about. I don’t pretend Toronto is more than it is because I don’t want nor expect it to be anything other than what it already is.
Maybe that’s the exact “problem” you’re pointing out about Canadian culture: the lack of ambition to assert our will upon the world, to make it different somehow.
It’s true, when FOMO-ing about all the news-worthy, innovative, world-changing things happening south of the border, I often find myself pining for a Canada that fosters more ambition.
But that’s not what Canada is.
Maybe it’s not even what Canada should be.
I’m not sure I’ve read many (or any) missives about how Germany or Turkey or Mexico should be “more American”. How “New-York-ish” is Madrid? No one cares.
But unlike Madrid, we want to hold Toronto to a standard of American-city-ness. And to me that’s even more interesting, or problematic, than pretending Toronto is “more” than it is.
My sister used to be in the arts world in Toronto. She had a button with the slogan,. "We don't care how they do it in New York." And I like that attitude.
I like that you are saying these things. I think it took courage and I love this courage and daring.
I like the explanations and the openness, and the invitation to thought. I like the engagement with community. I also very much like the recognition of Toronto as Toronto. That we are better being honest.
I'm not so fond of the American comparisons. We are not the US. Also there are cities, or Cities, in Europe and other parts of the world that are important. Or Important? I don't want to be American or yearn for American kinds of Importance. I think it can bend our thinking if that's the offer. Not that we shouldn't learn from them or find aspirations there and in other places! I think those American Cities got to be that way by American cultural, physical and historical methods that I'm personally not comfortable with.
For me the trick is to imagine what Toronto can be and should be, as itself. And how does its power work? Can this power be amended to be more open to its old heart. The people who built the UofT buildings weren't being shy or modest. There is an older heart here too of course. Much older.
I don't mean this in an ethereal way. As a writer and editor, and as a former book publisher, I've spent much physical time, and resources, working to manifest culture here. I don't want to go on and on here, but I'm also utterly sympathetic to the wish for real excellence and a strong community.
I love this place. I think what you are saying is important. I am glad there are people right now who think this matters and who care. Thank you. This has been the most intriguing thing in my inbox for a very long time. I look forward to what happens next, and to your next substack.
Ouf, yes - I have felt all of this a lot lately about Toronto. And the thing that I also wonder about is whether people can discern if something is "good" or not. I heard someone call it a "crisis of taste". Frankly, I would take a strong point of view that isn't self-conscious.
People talk a lot about the "hustle" in Toronto (especially compared to other cities in Canada) but I don't know what everyone is hustling towards or for *and* I can't tell if people know themselves.
Anyway, I'm with you that saying the hard honest things are really important for progress and thanks for articulating this uncomfortable truth... !
I find this argument to be quite void. Firstly, i am surprised you believe Toronto to be a city that incorrectly toots its own horn. Toronto may not have these kind of economic or cultural movements that have made NYC or SF relevant but it is in my opinion a more successful city(look at education, specifically post-secondary, immigration, and most notably the metrics in equality of oppurtunity). Its also important to note that the things like hip hop and queer culture that have come from NY and SF are largely as a result of oppression various groups face in these cities- so not something to b very proud of having provoked.
So, Toronto is ACTUALLY a great city. But where I think youre wrong is in your huge assumption that Torontonians overrate toronto or pretend its more thnnit is. This is wrong, or at the very least, not a shared sentiment. Almost everyone I meet in Toronto says the same thing: “yeah its alright”.
The difference between a city like Toronto and SF is that they operste under entirely different systems. The reason you have people in the Bay full of “hope” to have impact on the world isnt because they are living in SF(a capitalist hive). Rather, it is because once you find yoursef in a high economic class in the US, you are afforded far far more economic freedom to be ambitious and “have impact on the world” - whatever that means. When the german shopify guy says Canadians need to “overcome its go for bronze culture”, this is very obviously some wealthy business owner trying to complain about the more regultory approach Canada takes and this - to absolutely no ones surprise - makes Canada a nicer place for people to live than in the US. But all this aside, if you want to be convinced by someone far smarter than me, I urge you to read the book “Perfect City”.
When comparing Chicago (Toronto's true comparison) to Toronto, Canadian journalist (and Torontonian) Allan Fotheringham said "One is a great city on a lake, and one is a city on a Great Lake," and I feel it still holds true.
I loved this piece. Thank you for writing so honestly
Me and my partner recently talked about moving to the US after having grown up in Toronto and lived in a few places in Canada. We’re both ambitious so we thought we should consider it seriously
I ultimately landed on staying for the immediate future. I and my partner want to help make Toronto a better place. We both get a deep sense of satisfaction from helping our friends and families.
Even though it’s those same friends and families that often encourage us to aim lower. I’m not sure we’ve figured out how we’re going to overcome this.
But I think the first step is committing to Toronto. The next step is getting on with it
I resonate with this comment deeply. My partner and I also grew up in Toronto and have left on and off over the last decade to explore other countries. Today, we had a discussion about how my partner wants to try rooting here earnestly for real this year (after working for a global ngo for 4 years) and figuring that out and then making a decision in a year or so about rooting elsewhere or not.
What I'm afraid of is that we are in a cycle of gambling for more here (spiritually, career-wise, socially, etc.) when rather its about accepting Toronto as it is, as it changes and noticing how it may or may not be at odds with our inner being and desires. And I agree too that its feels like our circles don't shape us towards the ambitiousness we have in our souls, and because we are sensitive to that, I often feel (even on a good day) slightly like a version of myself I am not happy with (even though we are perfectly happy here at times too).
We will try the committing to Toronto thing too and sort of feel our way to the limits of that I guess? There are truly a lot of great individuals here and that gives me hope.
Insightful read. Having moved to Montreal in 2012 from the U.K., I’d often go on work trips to Toronto. I was struck by how often the city, its media and institutions would engage in this nebulous discourse about whether Toronto was a “world class city” or not. If you feel the need to ask this question of yourself then you’re probably not “world class”.
Yeahhhh…low ambition is a fair descriptor of Canada. We don’t like to create celebrities — talent, yes, but not celebrities. We don’t do much to strengthen national identity.
But I also wonder if it’s simply because the country is less capitalist by necessity. There’s NYC, LA, and SF in the US. In Canada, there’s just Toronto. Maybe Vancouver (although I think Montreal has more going on). It’s a big empty country with a few population centres spread across a large geography and with a massive undeveloped territory. Our railroad, which enabled development, was financed by the British. So the state is the largest actor in a lot of areas, Crown Corps are still a thing, and…it’s a much younger nation built on a singular trade (fur) before resource wealth kicked in.
Definitely get what you’re talking about…give it another 75 years.
Also a main reason why Canadians move south apart from opportunity is weather. We’re a cold country and it’s just easier to live in a warmer climate. However, it is not easier to settle in the US as a refugee or live in poverty there. Win some, lose some.
Man tbh you know what I’d like to see? A widely accessible online dictionary for Canadian English. The Canadian Encyclopaedia isn’t that old—like we just weaned ourselves off of Encyclopaedia Brittanica. I’d like to see a little more franco-anglophone integration, a little more shared identity between the two. I’d like to see more of an effort to keep talent in Canada. Small things can go a long way. Everyone loved it when Margaret Atwood pointed out that CanLit is about survival. Finally! A unique identifying cultural characteristic! Let’s uncover more of that.
The US did this. Noah Webster wrote his dictionary specifically to differentiate US/UK English and strengthen national identity. All part of growing up as a country.
Very much agree. I tend to think Toronto is more similar to Chicago than New York: big fish in a small pond, inferiority complex, ~4 million people, finance > culture, next to a lake.
If it's any consolation, there's lots of bad art in New York that we're also supposed to pretend is good.
I think Vancouver, BC does a pretty good job not comparing itself to SF, LA. I think it has done one thing right in accepting the size and status of city. I think Vancouver has a lot to offer compared to Alberta and rides that.
Inferiority complex? Do you live here? You can have an opinion without insulting its residents. It's already a cliche.
Speaking as an American who's moved to Toronto with intent, I find that Toronto -- as a city -- is reflective of Canadian culture and norms. And, likewise, the major metropolis cities in the US are reflective of American culture and norms. The differences here being that Canadians seem to be way more risk averse, much more obedient in following the rules, less likely to step out of line, raise a fuss, or challenge things. US culture, to me, feels like it is on the opposite side of that spectrum, and thus, you get this very ambitious, fight-till-you-make-it culture in their cities for people to make their mark or change the status-quo. Calling Toronto the "New York of Canada" is no different to me than calling Toronto the Paris or London of Canada.
This is 100% true. I think the OP needs to realize that what they are describing is less about “Toronto vs. U.S. cities” and more about the U.S. being singularly unique in the world when it comes to innovation and risk-taking.
I’m a German in Toronto and I couldn’t agree more. You nailed it. I wonder where Germany or a city like Berlin fits in on that scale. Germans are not necessarily big risk takers (e.g. innovation capital is probably as hard to come by as in Canada) yet I see some bold action in certain areas and challenging the status quo while following the rules seems to be a German virtue.
I haven't spent time in Germany so correct me if I am wrong, but from some of the content I have seen online, it is also a nation of people who "follow the rules". e.g. If you are using the recycle bins incorrectly, it's not unheard of for a neighbour to correct you, or inform you of the proper way.
But yes, I don't think one can compare Berlin and Paris without also considering the nature of the German and French people. And, arguably, the people of any given city in a nation certainly is a reflection of the laws, culture, attitude, and customs of that nation. The U.S. is more rebellious, driven, confrontational, and individualistic than its neighbour to the north which has made it sit on the bleeding-edge of new innovation especially in the tech sector. But at the same time the population can be very stubborn and conservative of yesteryears. e.g. women's health is not protected and currently going in the opposite direction, same-sex marriage only became legal in 2015 (10 years after Canada), the population refused to adopt the Metric system after congress passed the 1975 metrification act, and for a nation that has the best tech industry in the world it's almost like a national prank that when you pay the bill at a restaurant you still have to surrender your credit card to your server who disappears for 15 minutes and returns with a receipt where you have to handwrite the tip, total it, and sign. Canada moved to wireless terminals in.. when? 20 years ago?
RE Germany: yes, absolutely. That’s why I am saying that the Germans seem to have a talent to challenge the status quo while following the rules. One could argue that the peaceful revolution in Eastern Germany which ultimately led to the fall of the Berlin wall is a primary example of that. Anyhow. I mean there are also different cultures and identities within the U.S. and Canada if you will. I don’t pretend that things are “black and white”. I found the book American Nations by Colin Woodard particularly interesting and it helps understand the current political cultures and social movements in Canada and the US. You might like it! https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/306345/american-nations-by-colin-woodard/
Ok I think you nailed it with this line:
"I’ve found that a lot of progress in my life has come from looking at things that are hard to look at, and saying things that are hard to say."
I think Canadian culture as a whole has difficulty with this. People here are pathologically agreeable. Whenever I return to this city, the biggest adjustment is rediscovering how fearful most people are of saying blunt uncomfortable truths
Maybe the fake hype about Toronto comes from the same thing that drives our excess politeness, fear of rocking the boat, political correctness, "inclusivity", etc.
Loved this. Thank you. As someone who recently made a bad rap video about Toronto (a suspiciously common occurrence it seems) I agree with almost everything.
Ultimately pretending you're something you're not is bullsh*t and cringe. Very icky.
I do think unironically though that Toronto is the best place in the world to be right now for ambitious people for the same reason you said you used to love it. Possibility.
Our city is young and growing and Torontonians, as far as I can tell (I'm happy to be proven wrong), are the most ethnically and culturally diverse population in human history.
Culturally and economically the city has gone for bronze for a long time. That sucks. But it also means that today our city remains a blank page ready for this unique population to write a new story about what it really is. I think about NYC, SF, Singapore, London etc. and for all their riches (perhaps precisely because of them) that's something they could never have.
Totally! As you know, I love (and respect) your optimism about the city! I hope you are right about everything.
I also take the “blank page” perspective and I find complaining about the state of Toronto to be tiring.
What excites me when I’m in Toronto is when I occasionally come across intrinsically ambitious, genuine, curious, friendly people. So much talk about incentives but less attention paid to character cultivation.
Back when it was possible without a corporate sponsor, my father used to book Roy Thomson Hall, take out ads in the Scottish papers, bring over a Scottish comedian, book some singers and dancers, etc. and sometimes even sell out.
Then, the self-appointed community leaders of The Scottish Community would ring him up. What do you think they had to say? Way to go promoting our culture? Nice to see one of ours making a few bucks? I like the cut of your jib, fella, I think I might have a job for you?
No. None of those things. This is Canada, so they were compelled to deliver our unspoken motto:
*Who Do You Think You Are?*
"Who are you to be doing this? Who told you you could do this? Did you make sure you weren't stepping on anyone's toes before doing this? You certainly didn't get permission from *everyone* first. Tsk tsk. Tut tut."
And his girlfriend, who was a big deal in the '70s for five minutes and had performed all over the country, assured us that it's the same everywhere you go in Canada. Nonetheless, when I had my own tiny dose of success, it was disconcerting to find out not only that it led to absolutely zero doors opening, but people who'd I'd imagined might be rooting for me instead treated me like an interloper.
This country hates ambition, initiative, and agency, and to the degree that we insist on defining ourselves in opposition to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, it's not a fixable problem.
As a former Sidewalk Labs staff person, I feel this: for a moment it seemed like Toronto was ready to be an _ambitious_ place. And then the city reverted to the mean, with a vengeance.
Frankly SWL's failure seemed to scorch the earth for a few years. I have a sense that green shoots of ambition are starting to appear again. I hope so!
I used to go to the town halls — I think the closure of that was quite honestly probably one of the biggest catalysts for me giving up on Toronto and leaving.
We couldn’t even have one good thing.
this was a deeply refreshing read on many levels - particularly because it really felt like *you* honestly speaking what feels true to you about your experience of this whole phenomenon. i live in toronto, too, and felt a ton of resonance in this and found myself chuckling a few times at the phenomena you’ve labelled here which i’ve seen/heard/been told a bunch of times but never properly labelled. now that you point them out so discreetly, it’s like: wait, yeah that IS exactly what happens (the drake, hinton, insulin bit especially got me). great essay, and a very good conversation to start. thanks for writing it :)
Everything in here is true. But, and maybe it's because I've lived here since the 90s, I'm a bit surprised to see this view posed as a contrary one. That Toronto is not a "real city" has always been the mainstream view in my experience. The city has tons of potential that waxes and wanes over the decades, but it's definitely stagnating now. Real estate prices alone have rendered anything more ambitious than survival hard for many right now.
The problems Toronto faces are not all of its own making, though. Being at the mercy of voters far from Toronto who more or less hate all cities, and Toronto I particular, is a hard thing to overcome. The city has little political power to do more than keep its head above water financially,let alone make drastic changes to lure and keep ambitious change makers here, a tough task when NYC and California are so close and share a language.
The Canadian dream is centered around a suburban house and 2 SUVs in the driveway, not vibrant big cities and world-leading tech or cultural innovation. Small thinking us rampant and every change must be fought tooth and nail.
Nevertheless I have stuck it out in the downtown and will continue to do so, both supporting and promoting the good things about the city, and honestly pointing out the problems. It's all I can do. Many smart and good people do make their home here.
The New Yorkers and Montrealers I know all have long lists of complaints, too. The grass is always greener. And the "tech revolution" wrought by SF hardly been a glowing positive for the world. Maybe we need to find our own, better, kind of ambition.
This - I do not want Toronto to be aggressive like New York, nor full of arrogant & obnoxious tech bros like in SF who delight in 'breaking things' that for the most part work well, but could use improvement.
This post inspires self reflection and I think that’s one of the best kinds of posts. I loved reading it. Thank you Misha!
Implicit in the whole topic of Toronto’s (and by extension Canada’s) identity is that it’s necessarily on the same yardstick as that of its American counterparts. The phrase “New York of Canada” means that “New-York-ishness”is a quality on which to rank Canadian cities (or any city anywhere).
“Stop Pretending Toronto is More Than It Is” shines a light on a real and perhaps unhealthy or unproductive delusion about the “New-York-ishness” of Toronto, but we could go even further to challenge whether “New-York-ishness” is a thing at all. Can it be measured? Do we care to measure it? Even if the answer is yes do we want to rank highly on that measure?
I love a great many things about New York. It’s a fun and exciting place to visit. The “endless possibility” is intoxicating. But it’s not without its own challenges and drawbacks. People who want to live in New York badly enough to overcome the challenges and tolerate the drawbacks will do so. Personally I’m not one of those people. And for me, Toronto is “better” as measured on many attributes that I personally care about. I don’t pretend Toronto is more than it is because I don’t want nor expect it to be anything other than what it already is.
Maybe that’s the exact “problem” you’re pointing out about Canadian culture: the lack of ambition to assert our will upon the world, to make it different somehow.
It’s true, when FOMO-ing about all the news-worthy, innovative, world-changing things happening south of the border, I often find myself pining for a Canada that fosters more ambition.
But that’s not what Canada is.
Maybe it’s not even what Canada should be.
I’m not sure I’ve read many (or any) missives about how Germany or Turkey or Mexico should be “more American”. How “New-York-ish” is Madrid? No one cares.
But unlike Madrid, we want to hold Toronto to a standard of American-city-ness. And to me that’s even more interesting, or problematic, than pretending Toronto is “more” than it is.
I guess I’m requesting a follow-up article:
“Stop Wanting Toronto to Not Be Toronto”
My sister used to be in the arts world in Toronto. She had a button with the slogan,. "We don't care how they do it in New York." And I like that attitude.
I like that you are saying these things. I think it took courage and I love this courage and daring.
I like the explanations and the openness, and the invitation to thought. I like the engagement with community. I also very much like the recognition of Toronto as Toronto. That we are better being honest.
I'm not so fond of the American comparisons. We are not the US. Also there are cities, or Cities, in Europe and other parts of the world that are important. Or Important? I don't want to be American or yearn for American kinds of Importance. I think it can bend our thinking if that's the offer. Not that we shouldn't learn from them or find aspirations there and in other places! I think those American Cities got to be that way by American cultural, physical and historical methods that I'm personally not comfortable with.
For me the trick is to imagine what Toronto can be and should be, as itself. And how does its power work? Can this power be amended to be more open to its old heart. The people who built the UofT buildings weren't being shy or modest. There is an older heart here too of course. Much older.
I don't mean this in an ethereal way. As a writer and editor, and as a former book publisher, I've spent much physical time, and resources, working to manifest culture here. I don't want to go on and on here, but I'm also utterly sympathetic to the wish for real excellence and a strong community.
I love this place. I think what you are saying is important. I am glad there are people right now who think this matters and who care. Thank you. This has been the most intriguing thing in my inbox for a very long time. I look forward to what happens next, and to your next substack.
Ouf, yes - I have felt all of this a lot lately about Toronto. And the thing that I also wonder about is whether people can discern if something is "good" or not. I heard someone call it a "crisis of taste". Frankly, I would take a strong point of view that isn't self-conscious.
People talk a lot about the "hustle" in Toronto (especially compared to other cities in Canada) but I don't know what everyone is hustling towards or for *and* I can't tell if people know themselves.
Anyway, I'm with you that saying the hard honest things are really important for progress and thanks for articulating this uncomfortable truth... !
I find this argument to be quite void. Firstly, i am surprised you believe Toronto to be a city that incorrectly toots its own horn. Toronto may not have these kind of economic or cultural movements that have made NYC or SF relevant but it is in my opinion a more successful city(look at education, specifically post-secondary, immigration, and most notably the metrics in equality of oppurtunity). Its also important to note that the things like hip hop and queer culture that have come from NY and SF are largely as a result of oppression various groups face in these cities- so not something to b very proud of having provoked.
So, Toronto is ACTUALLY a great city. But where I think youre wrong is in your huge assumption that Torontonians overrate toronto or pretend its more thnnit is. This is wrong, or at the very least, not a shared sentiment. Almost everyone I meet in Toronto says the same thing: “yeah its alright”.
The difference between a city like Toronto and SF is that they operste under entirely different systems. The reason you have people in the Bay full of “hope” to have impact on the world isnt because they are living in SF(a capitalist hive). Rather, it is because once you find yoursef in a high economic class in the US, you are afforded far far more economic freedom to be ambitious and “have impact on the world” - whatever that means. When the german shopify guy says Canadians need to “overcome its go for bronze culture”, this is very obviously some wealthy business owner trying to complain about the more regultory approach Canada takes and this - to absolutely no ones surprise - makes Canada a nicer place for people to live than in the US. But all this aside, if you want to be convinced by someone far smarter than me, I urge you to read the book “Perfect City”.
When comparing Chicago (Toronto's true comparison) to Toronto, Canadian journalist (and Torontonian) Allan Fotheringham said "One is a great city on a lake, and one is a city on a Great Lake," and I feel it still holds true.
I loved this piece. Thank you for writing so honestly
Me and my partner recently talked about moving to the US after having grown up in Toronto and lived in a few places in Canada. We’re both ambitious so we thought we should consider it seriously
I ultimately landed on staying for the immediate future. I and my partner want to help make Toronto a better place. We both get a deep sense of satisfaction from helping our friends and families.
Even though it’s those same friends and families that often encourage us to aim lower. I’m not sure we’ve figured out how we’re going to overcome this.
But I think the first step is committing to Toronto. The next step is getting on with it
I resonate with this comment deeply. My partner and I also grew up in Toronto and have left on and off over the last decade to explore other countries. Today, we had a discussion about how my partner wants to try rooting here earnestly for real this year (after working for a global ngo for 4 years) and figuring that out and then making a decision in a year or so about rooting elsewhere or not.
What I'm afraid of is that we are in a cycle of gambling for more here (spiritually, career-wise, socially, etc.) when rather its about accepting Toronto as it is, as it changes and noticing how it may or may not be at odds with our inner being and desires. And I agree too that its feels like our circles don't shape us towards the ambitiousness we have in our souls, and because we are sensitive to that, I often feel (even on a good day) slightly like a version of myself I am not happy with (even though we are perfectly happy here at times too).
We will try the committing to Toronto thing too and sort of feel our way to the limits of that I guess? There are truly a lot of great individuals here and that gives me hope.
Insightful read. Having moved to Montreal in 2012 from the U.K., I’d often go on work trips to Toronto. I was struck by how often the city, its media and institutions would engage in this nebulous discourse about whether Toronto was a “world class city” or not. If you feel the need to ask this question of yourself then you’re probably not “world class”.
Yeahhhh…low ambition is a fair descriptor of Canada. We don’t like to create celebrities — talent, yes, but not celebrities. We don’t do much to strengthen national identity.
But I also wonder if it’s simply because the country is less capitalist by necessity. There’s NYC, LA, and SF in the US. In Canada, there’s just Toronto. Maybe Vancouver (although I think Montreal has more going on). It’s a big empty country with a few population centres spread across a large geography and with a massive undeveloped territory. Our railroad, which enabled development, was financed by the British. So the state is the largest actor in a lot of areas, Crown Corps are still a thing, and…it’s a much younger nation built on a singular trade (fur) before resource wealth kicked in.
Definitely get what you’re talking about…give it another 75 years.
Also a main reason why Canadians move south apart from opportunity is weather. We’re a cold country and it’s just easier to live in a warmer climate. However, it is not easier to settle in the US as a refugee or live in poverty there. Win some, lose some.
Man tbh you know what I’d like to see? A widely accessible online dictionary for Canadian English. The Canadian Encyclopaedia isn’t that old—like we just weaned ourselves off of Encyclopaedia Brittanica. I’d like to see a little more franco-anglophone integration, a little more shared identity between the two. I’d like to see more of an effort to keep talent in Canada. Small things can go a long way. Everyone loved it when Margaret Atwood pointed out that CanLit is about survival. Finally! A unique identifying cultural characteristic! Let’s uncover more of that.
The US did this. Noah Webster wrote his dictionary specifically to differentiate US/UK English and strengthen national identity. All part of growing up as a country.