The 7 biggest differences I’ve found between Ontarians and British Columbians since moving, Life in canada

Ontarians are more direct

You want to make plans? Ontarians are already putting it in the Google Calendar. You piss someone off? An Ontarian will tell you straight up and ask what’s going on.

Ontarians tend to say what they mean, while British Columbians are a little softer, more indirect, or, sometimes, passive-aggressive. A “maybe” really can mean maybe. And if you do something they don’t like? They might not say a word — they’ll just quietly disappear from your life.

British Columbians people can be more reserved socially

I once described it to a co-worker like this: British Columbians are nice, but they’re not always warm. They can be friendly and polite, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re looking to become friends.

Otherwise known as the “Vancouver Freeze” — when locals freeze you out from getting to know them or being included in their lives. It doesn’t sound good because it’s not. It’s chilly, even if they don’t really mean any harm.

In Ontario, it didn’t matter if someone had grown up there or had just moved to the province — people seemed more open to meeting new people. I grew up in Ontario and constantly made new friends throughout my twenties and thirties, and found it pretty easy to integrate into different social circles.

In B.C., I’ve found that much harder. People have their established friend groups, and breaking into them can feel like trying to get into a very exclusive club — except nobody will tell you what’s the secret password.

Ontarians are quicker to make plans

Not surprisingly, Ontarians are quicker to make plans. There’s more of a “Want to grab a drink Friday?” mentality, whereas in B.C., social circles can take longer to break into.

Plans sound like a good idea at first, but everyone’s busy, taking the weekend to explore their hobbies, or heading outdoors, so it can be harder to actually nail anything down — if it ever happens.

British Columbians are more “If it happens, it happens,” without considering that you actually have to make it happen for it to happen.

British Columbians have more hobbies

I’m not saying Ontarians don’t have hobbies, but having a hobby is kind of a thing here in B.C. Almost every British Columbian seems to have a niche hobby, and it most likely involves something outdoors — whether it’s tennis, pickleball, paddleboarding, hiking, camping, skiing – you name it.

When I lived in Ontario, hobbies were common, but they weren’t treated with quite as much dedication as they are here. People genuinely want to know what you’re passionate about, what you do for fun and what you’re getting up to on the weekend.

Ontarians don’t really care to talk about hobbies as much. Ask someone in Ontario what they do for fun and you might get, “I don’t know, I hang out with my friends?”

Ask someone in B.C., and you could get a 20-minute breakdown of their last hike.

Ontarians are more career-oriented

That’s not to say British Columbians don’t care about their careers or making money — I mean, just look at the real estate prices and cost of living out here — but there’s a subtle difference.

British Columbians are driven, but they also seem to make sure there’s time for the other things they care about, especially those hobbies I mentioned. There’s more of an emphasis on protecting your personal time and making sure your job doesn’t become your entire identity.

In Ontario, I found people were more likely to identify themselves by what they do for a living, where they live and what they have to show for it. Your job, your house, your car — there can be a little more emphasis on what you’ve accomplished.

In B.C., it feels more like, “What do you do for fun?” And somehow, the answer is always walking the seawall.

British Columbians wear athleisure 24/7

Even if they’re not going out for a hike or a run that day, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a British Columbian not wearing some sort of athleisure. Whether it’s Lululemon leggings, a Patagonia vest or an Arc’teryx jacket, British Columbians seem to favour function over fashion.

In Ontario, on the other hand, especially in Toronto, you’ll find more diversity in clothing and style. There’s not quite the same common uniform of athleisure basics (with some Aritzia thrown in for good measure). People will actually dress up there.

In B.C., underdressing seems to be what’s in style.

Ontarians don’t care about the weather as much

Which is ironic, since Ontarians seem to have way more seasons than British Columbians, since in the Lower Mainland it seems to rain more often than not.

Sure, Ontario winters can be brutal, and Ontarians will complain about the snow and cold, but then they’ll just shrug and go, “Yeah, winter sucks. Oh well.” You still have somewhere to be.

In B.C., though, the weather seems to become a thing. Is it raining in Vancouver? Everyone has an opinion about it. It snows? It’s a big deal. There’s a thunderstorm? Suddenly, it’s the event of the week.

And if you’re into skiing or snowboarding, forget it. People will live and die for a good dump of snow.

I’ve never seen people get quite so excited about the weather. In Ontario, it’s more like, “Yeah, it’s snowing. Drive carefully.” In Vancouver, it’s, “OMG, IT’S SNOWING.”