Alberta and Ontario Differences...

I have officially been in Ontario for 1 month, 2 days, 2 hours, and 11 minutes… okay, I approximated on the minutes, but I have been here for 1 month and 2 days!

One of the questions that I have been asked several times is something along the lines of “So, what are the biggest differences between West and Ontario?” (and/or any variation of that question).

So, this is a list of the biggest differences that I have noticed.

1. It would be wrong for me to start this list with ANYTHING BUT the fact that milk is bought in bags in here. This is without question the oddest oddity about Ontario. I was so confused when I first got here where the milk was that I didn’t know what to do! I have come to appreciate milk in bags, in fact, if you were to ask me which ones tastes better… I would have to admit that I think that milk tastes fresher in the bags. But that’s beside the point… It’s weird having milk in bags. Feels fragile.
2. People here actually think that the Toronto Maple Leafs are a good team! Out West it is regular for a person that claims to be a TML fan to be mocked… but here, that’s the majority opinion! Such a large group of people so misled to believe that they ‘actually have a chance this year!’ Although, I have to be fair… It would be ignorant of me to ignore the fact they have looked very sharp the first two games of the year, and if I could quote a friend that is a TML fan, ‘they will be able to cheer longer this year!’ … my response to that is… of course you can cheer longer, probably two games longer this season before they are mathematically eliminated. And if I could quote another friend… The Oilers and Maple Leafs have both started well, but we both know they are going nowhere. Regardless, at the end of the day… GO CANUCKS GO!
3. In my 21 years of life I have never seen a more beautiful autumn than this fall. WOW! Ontario you sure know how to have a beautiful fall! The colors are simply spectacular – breathtaking – to say the least. There are no falls in Calgary like the one I have experienced here… in fact there is no fall really at all in Calgary - it snowed there the second week of September! (But to be fair, I must say that it was also in the mid 20’s there last week).
4. Lakes! I grew up in British Columbia so lakes are a regular sighting for me, but there are NO lakes at all like Ontario has in Alberta. In Calgary, the closest natural lake to drive to is over an hour away… and everyone in South-Central Alberta goes there, so it’s chaotic and busy! The water system here is absolutely incredible! I think to make up for a lack of lakes in Alberta, God gave them the Rocky Mountains (which are magnificent!).
5. Ontario weather = Consistent.
Alberta weather = Don’t like it? Wait five minutes…
Ontario weather is actually consistent with how weather should be this time of year. Weather in Alberta is sporadic and inconsistent (to put it nicely!) Like I said before, it snowed there week 2 of September, and a week and a half later is was 26 degrees C… What is with that! Here it is nice and consistent!
6. I was visiting some family in Brockville and I chose to take the long way home, I drove along the 2 highway for the majority of the way, and I noticed that every small town along the way has a Division St, Ontario St, King St (which is typically the #2 highway). Which is neat, there aren’t the same road names in every small town Alberta.
7. I have noticed that speed limits are typically ten km/h lower here than in Alberta. For example, the major highway in Calgary is called the Deerfoot; the speed limit on that road is 110 km/h… Whereas here, the speed limit on the 401 is 100 km/h. Does that make Ontario people more patient? Or reckless drivers so they have to have a lower speed limit… I’m not sure!

There are many more difference I could mention, these are the main seven that I have noticed so far… but the cool thing is that at the end of the day as many differences that there are, there is one similarity between Alberta, British Columbia, and now Ontario… They truly all do feel like home.

Blessings my friends,

-kAt