After crossing Canada coast to coast and then backtracking to Banff on my Moose Network tour, I met with a few tourism folks for a quart of beer at the Banff Ave. Brewing Company. We talked about how in each city I visited, it didn’t take long to nail down its vibe and personality. In quick succession, I rattled off a few adjectives to describe each place.

Obviously my experiences are different from others: my huge friend-base in Toronto love the city, I didn’t; I loved Montreal and still ache to go back, but Joanna Haugen didn’t enjoy it at all. The point is each city’s first impressions stuck with me, and even though some cities were only a few hours of driving apart, their contrasts were incredible. I’m fascinated by how these places adapt those personas, and why they stick.

So without further ado, here are my impressions (minus New Brunswick, since I didn’t spend time in any cities).

St. John’s

Historical, alive with culture, close-knit, incredibly isolated, surrounded by nature

Halifax

Young, upbeat university town, welcoming, diverse with its people, eastern hospitality

Charlottetown

“gentle island” works, family friendly, surprisingly fun nightlife, peaceful, place to escape

Montreal

Alive with beautiful people, open-minded, independent, upbeat, feels like home

Ottawa

Conservative, uptight, aesthetically pleasing, air of safety, Canada’s pride

Toronto

Busy, full of self-importance, the epicentre of Canada, opportunistic, place to be

Winnipeg

People living here have always been here, family-oriented, flat, artistic, hard to figure out

Regina

Quiet, isolated, welcoming people, currently under construction, booming

Calgary

Full of young new grads, oil town, progressive, party place, folks in suits

Vancouver

Active people, outdoor lovers, hipsters, environmentally friendly, full of pride

Agree? Disagree? Weigh in.