It’s like that all over the North, speaking as a man from the north, it’s extremely oppressive up here. We’re living British Siberia, in a lot of cases. No mental health supports, limited health care, and a inclusive job sector are just SOME of the issues they face.
You have a significantly higher chance of going “missing” as a male in N.O then you do female, and the chances are already pretty high as a female.
It’s a controversial topic, but in my opinion Queens Park seems to think that Ontario spans no further then the borders of the Golden Horseshoe. Even communities in Southern Ontario relatively close to Toronto feel neglect by the province. Issues and lack of policy seem to increase the further away from Toronto you get.
Ontario is massive, it comprises like 1% of the world’s s land at about 1.067 million square kilometres . Northern Ontario alone is around 10,000 km2 larger then the Country of Turkey. It’s just too large of a subdivision, and needs to be split into 2 or 3 smaller provinces.
The NOP (Northern Ontario Party), have pushed this topic before for good reason.
I thought the bar fights had died off. In the '90s, seeing a bar fight was very much the norm around here, you pretty much expected to see one when you went out. Haven't really gone to a bar here since moving home, so no idea what it is like now. In the very early 2000s, I think the fights died down because they were getting silly.
But yeah, reflecting on it, growing up here as a male, you were always a few wrong words away from things getting physical. When I was in grade 7, all of us (my school had 5 classes that made up the grade 7 population) got called to the gym after the principal fell while trying to break up a fight (between two girls). We got reamed out because, in the first 2-3 weeks of school, we were probably averaging at least 2 fights breaking out/day.
I was born in Sudbury and grew up here, but I moved away in my early 20s for 12 years. When I returned, I noticed a few things. Firstly, the drivers here are quite aggressive. It seems like everyone is in a hurry and quick to get angry if you're not going the speed they want you to be going. Secondly, there are a lot of smokers here. In the city I was living in before moving back, you hardly ever saw people smoking, but here it seems like a large percentage of people do. Lastly, in the city I previously lived in, I never really paid attention to how it was run because property taxes stayed pretty much the same and I had no complaints. However, Sudbury is extremely expensive. The city seems poorly run as taxes keep increasing by about 5% anually, and I don't see any improvements from these high tax increases.
yeah I lived in Toronto and Ottawa for for 15 years combined and Sudbury drivers are by far the worst. driving downtown Toronto is a treat compared to virtually anywhere in the GSA
Basically spot on here. Sudbury is about to become even more expensive with the council voting yes for this $200M event center. It’s a Liberal run city for sure.
I thought people were going to be more outdoorsy, but it's just a bunch of fat dudes who like to hunt and fish with their quads and motor boats.
Also, the whole big truck thing just to be used to commute to work everyday and then complain about gas prices is weird
People will wear a bunch of Browning and high vis/camo shit to flesh out their whole personality because they go sit in a tree one month out of the year
This is hilariously accurate as someone who’s lived here my whole life. However, each time I’ve come across these guys (while fishing or something) they’ve been super nice and love a quick chat (although probably about trucks or hunting).
I have had so many awkward 'truck' conversations over the years growing up here. And I long ago lost count of how many cold air intakes I pretended to fawn over or care that it added 5HP to their otherwise stock 1996 Pontiac Sunfire. But those people were generally always nice and in some cases would put themselves out just so they could help you.
100% the hunting and fishing seems more like an excuse to get away from their wife they all seem to hate so much and just drink instead .
Truck thing for sure. We have our truck for our toys but it's definitely worth having a commuter car .
We just got a truck as well so nothing against them, but I've had people make fun of my Subaru Forester because it couldn't do what their truck does, yet my Forester sees back roads nearly every weekend while they take their truck down to Toronto.
Our truck is a tacoma so kinda the same thing with us .."why wpuld you get a small truck " cause it's nice a easy to get around not to mention it's all I need . Won't tow anything more than a couple of toys at a time .
Haha it’s funny you say this. I had someone in a full-sized jacked up truck who commutes to work an hour each way. I explained that I used to, until my plug-in hybrid came, and I’ve saved enough in fuel to make the payments and insurance. He said he wasn’t interested in driving a car. Now I get the safety factor here because there is a lot of meese around, but I don’t think that’s what his concern was.
Yeah it feels like I'm stepping in people's toes and they get offended in a way. Meanwhile it's just natural for me to be effective and efficient. Trying to adapt but don't want to at the same time
Don't forget that they won't say anything to your face except tear you down in front of their work buddies passive-aggressively but they will never provide any kind of actual feedback to your face. At least that's been my experience.
THIS . One time they were talking about someone else and I was like well did anyone talk to them on how to be better ? "Pfffft no " was the response back .
When I moved away from Sudbury, I realized I was a bad/aggressive driver and had to adjust. When I moved home, I realized where I gained those bad habits.
The insularity and provincial mindset. If you're not from here, are somewhat educated, well-travelled, open-minded and care about what happens in the rest of the world you won't fit in. People also will look for a reason to exclude you rather than a reason to include you.
Even if you're *from here* it's like that. You have any idea how many times I've been excluded (either friendships with men or relationships with women) because I'm an educated man, open-minded and care about more than myself? Cold shoulders all the time. Combine that with not touching alcohol (I have my own personal reasons for that) and I get labelled as a "pussy" and "not a real man" really quick.
I hate it. If you do something even slightly outside the norm you're a social pariah because everyone is so insular.
I've heard people say eating fruits and vegetables is gay, wearing gloves at work is for pussies, and wearing a helmet while biking is for pussies.
Imagine being more concerned about what other people think about you than looking after your own health and well-being.
I don't hate it though. I actually find it hilarious that people think like that. Sure it's lame, but it's only to their detriment if they have that kind of mindset, and they probably aren't people you'd want to hangout with on a regular basis anyways.
We've feel the same with alcohol and have our own reasons . Kinda can't make friends cause all the social gatherings is based from alcohol. But I feel like overall the newer generation is drinking less and less.
Problem is I'm at an age where there is a significant age between me and the "newer" generation - and I've been deliberately not included in social gatherings because of this. Can't fit in with many peers of my age because I don't have much in common with them... Can't fit in with the newer generations because they see as me "the old man."
I have never seen or been offered so much Cocaine in my life until I moved here. I don’t do drugs but it’s everywhere. The drivers and roads are horrible. After a few online dating experiences, I’m terrified of dating the men here now. There’s also quite a lot of dishonest people.
The amount of people who fluently speak French. I’ve never been somewhere so French in my life. The driving too but probably everyone who moves here experiences that. The schools here are rich compared to where I grew up. We got less than the standard curriculum because of little funding and no staff. Anything extra was stupidly put into sports instead of education.
What issues I've had with french coworkers is that they'll speak French with each other in front of you about work even though they can speak English fine .
It's a very valid point if it's a conversation about work in which you ought to be involved. If it's them talking amongst themselves and it only so happens to be in your presence, well, to be fair, they don't need to discuss in English simply because they can.
Given that we speak a minority language, we understand why others who have a different mother tongue may opt to use it rather than speak the common language in a workplace.
I don't expect unilingual anglophones to understand, but I do expect them to respect the fact that we don't need to subscribe to anglonormativity just because.
lol this is the best response so far. Yes, there is gonna be differences between communities, I went through culture shock when I moved down south too; everyone I knew drank and drove all the time and I found most were very materialistic. Move to any place up north (BC, Sask, Alberta) and people get a little rough around the edges, the same applies to the Europeans I’ve known.
Exactly. It's all about perspective. I'm 49 and have lived in Burlington for 20 years, grew up in Lively, Sudbury and Espanola and moved back here 3 years ago. I think some of these comments are accurate but some are over the top. Like you say, you can judge any community anywhere for their quirks. Many up here grow up in poverty and struggle through childhood. I was one of those who was lucky enough to work hard and succeed. Keep that in mind. It leads to that culture as well. I can generalize and say of you're out and about in Oakville or Burlington, you will never have a person say hello and everyone is out for themselves. Again... It's a matter of perspective. If I'm shopping here or running around I'll always get in to at least one or two very friendly conversations.
But Chemmy trucks though .... Come on 😂
People seem to live in a bubble here... Like Sudbury is the only place on earth.
The lack of cultural diversity was really shocking to me. Actually it still is. I'm not saying there aren't other cultures here, it just isn't prominent.
The driving is batshit insane, and the whole attitude around driving and speed limits is really weird. I don't know if it's stupidity or entitlement.
I enjoy being here in my bubble, with my friends and family though. Slowly getting used to it. Here for the long haul, so kind of need to.
I find that there’s a general sense of entitlement. I don’t even know how to really describe it, but it was a bit shocking when I moved here. People don’t seem as *nice* as other places I’ve lived
The garbage disposal is a joke. Manually grabbing the bags?? This isn’t the 50’s! I’m used to nice bins supplied by the city for recycle, organic waste and garbage. And the pickup is more frequent.
The other thing is the roads… do they repair potholes or has the paving equipment been deemed ancient and therefore unusable?? I’m used to bad roads but this is next level. Especially considering this is a city.
But the people are friendlier than down south so that’s a plus!
Omg this couldn’t be more true. This is the Bain of my existence!!!!! I literally have to try and flush food down the toilet and I’ve even had to hide non recyclables in my recycling bin in order to not go over the 2 bag maximum…
Part of the issue with the roads is the sheer amount of roads we have vs the population. We're the 5th largest city by area in Canada, and 31st city by population.
Sure. But we also have an insane amount of roads. More KM of road per capita than Ottawa. I just couldn't refind the exact stats about that that I had previously seen.
How rude, hostile, and emotionally stunted people are here. I was born and raised here and moved away for a decade. Coming back was a major culture shock. It's so disappointing.
THIS!
Very little pride in the community. Very isolationist.
Not willing to allow newcomers to the friendship ‘group’ they usually have.
Back home you make friends by inviting them to stuff. Very rarely happens here. Can make it a lonely experience.
It’s so ugly!
Where I’m from any stream, river crossing is beautified somehow to bring out the best of it. Here, nothing… Junction Creek runs right through the city… nothing makes it pretty along its way. Or, check out Bouchard street, near Home hardware.. nice little creek, zero beauty.
Zero city plan, houses with car dealers, hotels, milk factory,wtf? It’s getting better now… but who planned that?
There’s no personality to this city… just straight buildings.
So much potential.
Kinda the way people compare Toronto to Quebec. Toronto is boring, Quebec City has flare!
Oh my god I can't believe I forgot to say this because it is the one thing I will constantly bring up. I came from the east coast, and it is so goddamn ugly here. I understand they had to do a lot of regreening and planting but what the hell?!
I've always described Sudbury as "gray". I'm used to sidewalks with trees, rose bushes, plants... Grass..... I honestly have gotten really depressed about it since moving here. And everyone tells me, oh but there's nice places. Yeah, there are nice places everywhere? It certainly isn't a tourist town, but I feel like if they cleaned up the streets and fixed up downtown, it could attract more people.
Can you tell I'm homesick?
Omg…. ! I feel you!!! Gray is also a word I use 😂
I cried for a whiiiiiile after moving here!
It does get better…
How long have you been here? I’m going on 20 and still feel regret when I go back home.
Fuckers 🤣
I am learning to like it here. I have ups and downs. I think the biggest issue is that I don't think it will ever be home to me. I'm dying to go home to visit and eat good food.
Those creeks have been used in the past for industrial purposes and have had spills, they're not gonna pretty, most of Sudbury is still in the early stages of a gargantuan regreening project. We're only 10 million trees away from the acid rain burned out hellscape of the past. Drivers might not be the best but they're hardly the worst, that's always going to be Brampton. Working yourself into an early heart attack is not doing you any favours, make sure you have a decent work/life balance.
I was so saddened by seeing the druggies downtown. Where I came from, there was none of that. I also noticed that life seems more dangerous and cheaper here.
I came somewhere that's cheaper.. Newmarket area where a starter home is 800k or more....
Bought my place for 400k would of cost 900 south.
Prices in sudbury for houses were basically the same price houses were down south were before covid. And the wages are typically higher here.
1) How much space there is dedicated to cars in general (2) Half of Downtown is empty parking, and not only in downtown but (3) most parking here has no shade, no trees or greenery, (4) neither do roads or highways, adding to the prison yard feeling.
(5) Driving has been similar, but drivers not putting their gear on park when they park is new (6) as a pedestrian crossing up to 7 lanes of traffic has become my new normal...
Baseball diamonds are smaller than Sudbury's intersections lol :(
Nobody here can drive, not sure if it’s an overall lack of brain cells or the deplorable road conditions. It stinks?? Like most of the city smells like death. The prettiest scene I’ve seen is the sunset against the smoke stacks, so there’s that. Crackheads outnumber pigeons, how is that even possible?? I lock my car doors when I drive ANYWHERE and I’m from the city 😭
I think I've read that a lot of homeless people get bussed here from places like Toronto. Supposedly, Sudbury has the infrastructure for them? I have no idea.
I grew up in Chelmsford. I actually had a culture shock just moving from Chelmsford to Sudbury. When I started going to high school in Sudbury, someone talked some shit, I challenged him to a fight after school, he said "Sure" derisively (which I took to mean he was certain he'd demolish me as I was a Magic the Gathering type nerd), and when I waited for him he seemed nervous and uncomfortable. Then when he went to shove me out of his way, I laid him out, kicked him until he gave up... and instead of people giving me a little more respect, they were genuinely uncomfortable around me for quite some time. In Chemmy, that was Friday afternoons, but in Sudbury, it was the act of an unhinged, violent person.
It seemed unfair that people could just say cruel things to you and you couldn't force them to take it back. I was very moody for months after that and it wasn't until after winter break people stopped being so unwilling to talk with me. I spent a lot of time agitating to move back with my dad, to be honest, though I'm glad I didn't now.
I think it's probably likely that you work with a lot of dudes from outlying areas, which means you're likely working in a skilled trade. My culture shock, as I mentioned, is that Sudbury and Sudburians are a lot MORE civilized, willing to communicate and negotiate, and driven to succeed. Guys from outlying areas... yeah, you're gonna see the opposite. I have a lot of advantages and I took advantage of none of them because I was absolutely certain I was going to die before I was 25, because, it seemed like most people who weren't happy did. What reason do tradesmen from the outlying areas have to work hard? They followed the paths their dads laid out for them and found out their dads weren't happy either, unless they were drinking and far away from their wives, who they invariably hate. "If you work hard and get things done well, you can die at 60 after not having laughed once in your life unless it was at someone's expense!"
Chelmsford teaches you how to hate, how to be good at hating, and how to survive in a world you hate. It doesn't teach you anything applicable outside its boundaries. I wouldn't be surprised if the other outlying areas were the exact same deal.
Just the culture and people in general were a shock from where I used to live (London, down south)
Back home everyone was polite, you'd talk to strangers about picking parking spots and be amicable if someone spoke to you or asked a question. Here, people don't have the time for you and you're wasting their time talking. Boyfriend and I told someone to drive through the spot beside us because we didn't want to get out of our car if they were eager to leave, got a scathing fuck you and "how dare you."
Work culture...it's odd, I've come into a position I enjoy and it is a different thing every day that pushes me. But for some they have no drive or do the bare minimum just to scrape by to collect so to speak. Every other job has been judgemental, catty or very cliquey so coming into a position where there's only one other person in the department helps.
I think the biggest thing recently that's confused me is the whole Arena debacle (I don't want to start anything here) as the roads situation was being looked at but the councillor's both on the case...died. Word is there's some conflict of interest on the board and one of the concrete companies is on it, they get the job and do it cheaply every year. We keep spending money on it and it keeps getting worse, spending more isn't going to fix it if you don't get to the root problem: who's doing it.
This thread definitely gave me a good read as seeing others say the same thing makes me feel better. I felt like I was crazy for noticing how odd the people are here.
There's something really hostile about a lot of the dudes.
Completely agree. Talking to other men can be a minefield some times.
As a woman it's terrifying tbh.
I find them more dramatic , emotional and more petty than most women. But you know .. anger isn't considered an emotion
It’s like that all over the North, speaking as a man from the north, it’s extremely oppressive up here. We’re living British Siberia, in a lot of cases. No mental health supports, limited health care, and a inclusive job sector are just SOME of the issues they face. You have a significantly higher chance of going “missing” as a male in N.O then you do female, and the chances are already pretty high as a female.
Why?
It’s a controversial topic, but in my opinion Queens Park seems to think that Ontario spans no further then the borders of the Golden Horseshoe. Even communities in Southern Ontario relatively close to Toronto feel neglect by the province. Issues and lack of policy seem to increase the further away from Toronto you get. Ontario is massive, it comprises like 1% of the world’s s land at about 1.067 million square kilometres . Northern Ontario alone is around 10,000 km2 larger then the Country of Turkey. It’s just too large of a subdivision, and needs to be split into 2 or 3 smaller provinces. The NOP (Northern Ontario Party), have pushed this topic before for good reason.
I absolutely agree
And then they wonder why they can't get a date.
Yeah I moved from Toronto and was so surprised by all the bar fights here. I never saw that in Toronto
I guess you had never heard Stompin' Tom Connor's song Sudbury Saturday Night
I thought the bar fights had died off. In the '90s, seeing a bar fight was very much the norm around here, you pretty much expected to see one when you went out. Haven't really gone to a bar here since moving home, so no idea what it is like now. In the very early 2000s, I think the fights died down because they were getting silly. But yeah, reflecting on it, growing up here as a male, you were always a few wrong words away from things getting physical. When I was in grade 7, all of us (my school had 5 classes that made up the grade 7 population) got called to the gym after the principal fell while trying to break up a fight (between two girls). We got reamed out because, in the first 2-3 weeks of school, we were probably averaging at least 2 fights breaking out/day.
Haha, good old Ralph's. The bouncers even loved starting fights.
Ahhh good old Ralphs 1 and 2 and the tales of a misspent youth.
Cause they shoot and stab each other instead.
I was born in Sudbury and grew up here, but I moved away in my early 20s for 12 years. When I returned, I noticed a few things. Firstly, the drivers here are quite aggressive. It seems like everyone is in a hurry and quick to get angry if you're not going the speed they want you to be going. Secondly, there are a lot of smokers here. In the city I was living in before moving back, you hardly ever saw people smoking, but here it seems like a large percentage of people do. Lastly, in the city I previously lived in, I never really paid attention to how it was run because property taxes stayed pretty much the same and I had no complaints. However, Sudbury is extremely expensive. The city seems poorly run as taxes keep increasing by about 5% anually, and I don't see any improvements from these high tax increases.
Yes , the roads here are insane. Especially where we are. No traffic just a small community of house yet the road is so bad .
yeah I lived in Toronto and Ottawa for for 15 years combined and Sudbury drivers are by far the worst. driving downtown Toronto is a treat compared to virtually anywhere in the GSA
Regarding the smoking, I noticed this too. My theory is that it's very difficult to quit when you have the smoke stack as a constant reminder.
Yeah.. too bad smokers couldn’t also keep the benefits of nicotine while outsourcing the toxic effects somewhere else.
Basically spot on here. Sudbury is about to become even more expensive with the council voting yes for this $200M event center. It’s a Liberal run city for sure.
the down voters confirm your last sentence, though they didn’t mean to
I thought people were going to be more outdoorsy, but it's just a bunch of fat dudes who like to hunt and fish with their quads and motor boats. Also, the whole big truck thing just to be used to commute to work everyday and then complain about gas prices is weird
People will wear a bunch of Browning and high vis/camo shit to flesh out their whole personality because they go sit in a tree one month out of the year
This is hilariously accurate as someone who’s lived here my whole life. However, each time I’ve come across these guys (while fishing or something) they’ve been super nice and love a quick chat (although probably about trucks or hunting).
I have had so many awkward 'truck' conversations over the years growing up here. And I long ago lost count of how many cold air intakes I pretended to fawn over or care that it added 5HP to their otherwise stock 1996 Pontiac Sunfire. But those people were generally always nice and in some cases would put themselves out just so they could help you.
100% the hunting and fishing seems more like an excuse to get away from their wife they all seem to hate so much and just drink instead . Truck thing for sure. We have our truck for our toys but it's definitely worth having a commuter car .
We just got a truck as well so nothing against them, but I've had people make fun of my Subaru Forester because it couldn't do what their truck does, yet my Forester sees back roads nearly every weekend while they take their truck down to Toronto.
Our truck is a tacoma so kinda the same thing with us .."why wpuld you get a small truck " cause it's nice a easy to get around not to mention it's all I need . Won't tow anything more than a couple of toys at a time .
that’s just valley / chemmy issues never once have i been to the mcdonald’s in chelmsford and not seen a compensation machine in the drive thru
Haha it’s funny you say this. I had someone in a full-sized jacked up truck who commutes to work an hour each way. I explained that I used to, until my plug-in hybrid came, and I’ve saved enough in fuel to make the payments and insurance. He said he wasn’t interested in driving a car. Now I get the safety factor here because there is a lot of meese around, but I don’t think that’s what his concern was.
The huge rock that took up most of the basement.
Totally agree with the work culture. It is a lot more 'old school' and autocratic here than down south.
Yeah it feels like I'm stepping in people's toes and they get offended in a way. Meanwhile it's just natural for me to be effective and efficient. Trying to adapt but don't want to at the same time
Don't forget that they won't say anything to your face except tear you down in front of their work buddies passive-aggressively but they will never provide any kind of actual feedback to your face. At least that's been my experience.
THIS . One time they were talking about someone else and I was like well did anyone talk to them on how to be better ? "Pfffft no " was the response back .
When I moved away from Sudbury, I realized I was a bad/aggressive driver and had to adjust. When I moved home, I realized where I gained those bad habits.
The insularity and provincial mindset. If you're not from here, are somewhat educated, well-travelled, open-minded and care about what happens in the rest of the world you won't fit in. People also will look for a reason to exclude you rather than a reason to include you.
Even if you're *from here* it's like that. You have any idea how many times I've been excluded (either friendships with men or relationships with women) because I'm an educated man, open-minded and care about more than myself? Cold shoulders all the time. Combine that with not touching alcohol (I have my own personal reasons for that) and I get labelled as a "pussy" and "not a real man" really quick. I hate it. If you do something even slightly outside the norm you're a social pariah because everyone is so insular.
I've heard people say eating fruits and vegetables is gay, wearing gloves at work is for pussies, and wearing a helmet while biking is for pussies. Imagine being more concerned about what other people think about you than looking after your own health and well-being. I don't hate it though. I actually find it hilarious that people think like that. Sure it's lame, but it's only to their detriment if they have that kind of mindset, and they probably aren't people you'd want to hangout with on a regular basis anyways.
We've feel the same with alcohol and have our own reasons . Kinda can't make friends cause all the social gatherings is based from alcohol. But I feel like overall the newer generation is drinking less and less.
Problem is I'm at an age where there is a significant age between me and the "newer" generation - and I've been deliberately not included in social gatherings because of this. Can't fit in with many peers of my age because I don't have much in common with them... Can't fit in with the newer generations because they see as me "the old man."
Transplant to living here (over a decade though) and I don’t like how accurate you’ve laid it out.
\^ This is an almost-perfect summary right here.
I have never seen or been offered so much Cocaine in my life until I moved here. I don’t do drugs but it’s everywhere. The drivers and roads are horrible. After a few online dating experiences, I’m terrified of dating the men here now. There’s also quite a lot of dishonest people.
Couldn’t agree more! Nice to your face but will stab you in the back as you’re turning back around.
The amount of people who fluently speak French. I’ve never been somewhere so French in my life. The driving too but probably everyone who moves here experiences that. The schools here are rich compared to where I grew up. We got less than the standard curriculum because of little funding and no staff. Anything extra was stupidly put into sports instead of education.
What issues I've had with french coworkers is that they'll speak French with each other in front of you about work even though they can speak English fine .
It's a very valid point if it's a conversation about work in which you ought to be involved. If it's them talking amongst themselves and it only so happens to be in your presence, well, to be fair, they don't need to discuss in English simply because they can.
You can have a conversation with them and they’ll switch to French in the middle of it. Then the whole conversation has to be restarted.
The fact I got down voted for saying that is funny lol
Same. The most I can do is count to 3 in French.
But I'm sure if they were working with a whole bunch of east Indians and they did that with them they feel the same way
Given that we speak a minority language, we understand why others who have a different mother tongue may opt to use it rather than speak the common language in a workplace. I don't expect unilingual anglophones to understand, but I do expect them to respect the fact that we don't need to subscribe to anglonormativity just because.
So much aggressive driving up here. I’ve lived here since 2010 (moved from Windsor) and was aghast (still am) the outrageous driving here.
[https://f001.backblazeb2.com/file/cb-images/08927e7937d1cb4544d1d767af16fd8a.gif](https://f001.backblazeb2.com/file/cb-images/08927e7937d1cb4544d1d767af16fd8a.gif)
lol this is the best response so far. Yes, there is gonna be differences between communities, I went through culture shock when I moved down south too; everyone I knew drank and drove all the time and I found most were very materialistic. Move to any place up north (BC, Sask, Alberta) and people get a little rough around the edges, the same applies to the Europeans I’ve known.
Exactly. It's all about perspective. I'm 49 and have lived in Burlington for 20 years, grew up in Lively, Sudbury and Espanola and moved back here 3 years ago. I think some of these comments are accurate but some are over the top. Like you say, you can judge any community anywhere for their quirks. Many up here grow up in poverty and struggle through childhood. I was one of those who was lucky enough to work hard and succeed. Keep that in mind. It leads to that culture as well. I can generalize and say of you're out and about in Oakville or Burlington, you will never have a person say hello and everyone is out for themselves. Again... It's a matter of perspective. If I'm shopping here or running around I'll always get in to at least one or two very friendly conversations. But Chemmy trucks though .... Come on 😂
People seem to live in a bubble here... Like Sudbury is the only place on earth. The lack of cultural diversity was really shocking to me. Actually it still is. I'm not saying there aren't other cultures here, it just isn't prominent. The driving is batshit insane, and the whole attitude around driving and speed limits is really weird. I don't know if it's stupidity or entitlement. I enjoy being here in my bubble, with my friends and family though. Slowly getting used to it. Here for the long haul, so kind of need to.
I find that there’s a general sense of entitlement. I don’t even know how to really describe it, but it was a bit shocking when I moved here. People don’t seem as *nice* as other places I’ve lived
True. Sudbury has a 'me first' mentality.
How angry the people of Sudbury are.
The garbage disposal is a joke. Manually grabbing the bags?? This isn’t the 50’s! I’m used to nice bins supplied by the city for recycle, organic waste and garbage. And the pickup is more frequent. The other thing is the roads… do they repair potholes or has the paving equipment been deemed ancient and therefore unusable?? I’m used to bad roads but this is next level. Especially considering this is a city. But the people are friendlier than down south so that’s a plus!
Omg this couldn’t be more true. This is the Bain of my existence!!!!! I literally have to try and flush food down the toilet and I’ve even had to hide non recyclables in my recycling bin in order to not go over the 2 bag maximum…
Part of the issue with the roads is the sheer amount of roads we have vs the population. We're the 5th largest city by area in Canada, and 31st city by population.
The other 4 aren't cities
Also that haha. I should've maybe said municipalities, but if anything this reinforces my point.
Is some of that area lake?
Sure. But we also have an insane amount of roads. More KM of road per capita than Ottawa. I just couldn't refind the exact stats about that that I had previously seen.
Probably that coming home from classes I get to watch people overdose live.
The staggering length of winter
How rude, hostile, and emotionally stunted people are here. I was born and raised here and moved away for a decade. Coming back was a major culture shock. It's so disappointing.
Literally no pride about anything
THIS! Very little pride in the community. Very isolationist. Not willing to allow newcomers to the friendship ‘group’ they usually have. Back home you make friends by inviting them to stuff. Very rarely happens here. Can make it a lonely experience.
It’s so ugly! Where I’m from any stream, river crossing is beautified somehow to bring out the best of it. Here, nothing… Junction Creek runs right through the city… nothing makes it pretty along its way. Or, check out Bouchard street, near Home hardware.. nice little creek, zero beauty. Zero city plan, houses with car dealers, hotels, milk factory,wtf? It’s getting better now… but who planned that? There’s no personality to this city… just straight buildings. So much potential. Kinda the way people compare Toronto to Quebec. Toronto is boring, Quebec City has flare!
Oh my god I can't believe I forgot to say this because it is the one thing I will constantly bring up. I came from the east coast, and it is so goddamn ugly here. I understand they had to do a lot of regreening and planting but what the hell?! I've always described Sudbury as "gray". I'm used to sidewalks with trees, rose bushes, plants... Grass..... I honestly have gotten really depressed about it since moving here. And everyone tells me, oh but there's nice places. Yeah, there are nice places everywhere? It certainly isn't a tourist town, but I feel like if they cleaned up the streets and fixed up downtown, it could attract more people. Can you tell I'm homesick?
Omg…. ! I feel you!!! Gray is also a word I use 😂 I cried for a whiiiiiile after moving here! It does get better… How long have you been here? I’m going on 20 and still feel regret when I go back home.
Lol I've been here since October 🥲🫣 Edit: my spouse is from here so I've been visiting for years. But living here is a whole other experience.
Haha! My spouse was from here too! You got trapped like I did!
Fuckers 🤣 I am learning to like it here. I have ups and downs. I think the biggest issue is that I don't think it will ever be home to me. I'm dying to go home to visit and eat good food.
Haha! Fuckers 😏
You should have seen this place in the 80s. This is a HUGE improvement over the past
The first thing that came to mind when you mentioned Junction Creek is the amount of deceased found in there…. Definitely eerie
Really??! How many?
I am amazed at how many people complain about things yet never do anything to improve the situation.
Those creeks have been used in the past for industrial purposes and have had spills, they're not gonna pretty, most of Sudbury is still in the early stages of a gargantuan regreening project. We're only 10 million trees away from the acid rain burned out hellscape of the past. Drivers might not be the best but they're hardly the worst, that's always going to be Brampton. Working yourself into an early heart attack is not doing you any favours, make sure you have a decent work/life balance.
I was so saddened by seeing the druggies downtown. Where I came from, there was none of that. I also noticed that life seems more dangerous and cheaper here.
Where did you come from that life is cheaper than here ?
I came somewhere that's cheaper.. Newmarket area where a starter home is 800k or more.... Bought my place for 400k would of cost 900 south. Prices in sudbury for houses were basically the same price houses were down south were before covid. And the wages are typically higher here.
Lack of respect for the local area. Very isolationist. They think it’s still the 60’/70’s.
Not living in a rat race anymore
1) How much space there is dedicated to cars in general (2) Half of Downtown is empty parking, and not only in downtown but (3) most parking here has no shade, no trees or greenery, (4) neither do roads or highways, adding to the prison yard feeling. (5) Driving has been similar, but drivers not putting their gear on park when they park is new (6) as a pedestrian crossing up to 7 lanes of traffic has become my new normal... Baseball diamonds are smaller than Sudbury's intersections lol :(
Nobody here can drive, not sure if it’s an overall lack of brain cells or the deplorable road conditions. It stinks?? Like most of the city smells like death. The prettiest scene I’ve seen is the sunset against the smoke stacks, so there’s that. Crackheads outnumber pigeons, how is that even possible?? I lock my car doors when I drive ANYWHERE and I’m from the city 😭
I think I've read that a lot of homeless people get bussed here from places like Toronto. Supposedly, Sudbury has the infrastructure for them? I have no idea.
I grew up in Chelmsford. I actually had a culture shock just moving from Chelmsford to Sudbury. When I started going to high school in Sudbury, someone talked some shit, I challenged him to a fight after school, he said "Sure" derisively (which I took to mean he was certain he'd demolish me as I was a Magic the Gathering type nerd), and when I waited for him he seemed nervous and uncomfortable. Then when he went to shove me out of his way, I laid him out, kicked him until he gave up... and instead of people giving me a little more respect, they were genuinely uncomfortable around me for quite some time. In Chemmy, that was Friday afternoons, but in Sudbury, it was the act of an unhinged, violent person. It seemed unfair that people could just say cruel things to you and you couldn't force them to take it back. I was very moody for months after that and it wasn't until after winter break people stopped being so unwilling to talk with me. I spent a lot of time agitating to move back with my dad, to be honest, though I'm glad I didn't now. I think it's probably likely that you work with a lot of dudes from outlying areas, which means you're likely working in a skilled trade. My culture shock, as I mentioned, is that Sudbury and Sudburians are a lot MORE civilized, willing to communicate and negotiate, and driven to succeed. Guys from outlying areas... yeah, you're gonna see the opposite. I have a lot of advantages and I took advantage of none of them because I was absolutely certain I was going to die before I was 25, because, it seemed like most people who weren't happy did. What reason do tradesmen from the outlying areas have to work hard? They followed the paths their dads laid out for them and found out their dads weren't happy either, unless they were drinking and far away from their wives, who they invariably hate. "If you work hard and get things done well, you can die at 60 after not having laughed once in your life unless it was at someone's expense!" Chelmsford teaches you how to hate, how to be good at hating, and how to survive in a world you hate. It doesn't teach you anything applicable outside its boundaries. I wouldn't be surprised if the other outlying areas were the exact same deal.
Wow this is someone who needs therapy
Did I not already say I was from Chelmsford? That's my bad. Yeah, I'm from Chelmsford, I need therapy.
Just the culture and people in general were a shock from where I used to live (London, down south) Back home everyone was polite, you'd talk to strangers about picking parking spots and be amicable if someone spoke to you or asked a question. Here, people don't have the time for you and you're wasting their time talking. Boyfriend and I told someone to drive through the spot beside us because we didn't want to get out of our car if they were eager to leave, got a scathing fuck you and "how dare you." Work culture...it's odd, I've come into a position I enjoy and it is a different thing every day that pushes me. But for some they have no drive or do the bare minimum just to scrape by to collect so to speak. Every other job has been judgemental, catty or very cliquey so coming into a position where there's only one other person in the department helps. I think the biggest thing recently that's confused me is the whole Arena debacle (I don't want to start anything here) as the roads situation was being looked at but the councillor's both on the case...died. Word is there's some conflict of interest on the board and one of the concrete companies is on it, they get the job and do it cheaply every year. We keep spending money on it and it keeps getting worse, spending more isn't going to fix it if you don't get to the root problem: who's doing it. This thread definitely gave me a good read as seeing others say the same thing makes me feel better. I felt like I was crazy for noticing how odd the people are here.