It was recently found that the politest city in Canada shares a border with the rudest city in Canada. What could possibly be going on when you magically cross that border?
Both cities are in the Greater Toronto Area. The politest is Markham and the rudest is the city of Vaughan. I feel I can give my opinion here as I once lived in Vaughan and I once worked in Markham.
Vaughan was so happy when it could finally call itself a city. Because it was in the GTA it didn’t feel comfortable doing this till it had a population of over 100 000 (in the rest of Ontario, places call themselves a city if they have over 30 000 people). Back then, it could join the ranks of North York, Brampton etc. as a peer. But it couldn’t peer with Markham. Markham had 150 000 people at that time and was still demanding to be called a town.
Indeed it wasn’t till 2012 that a government of Markham changed this to be called a city. At that time, Markham was the 16th largest municipality in Canada with 310 000 people. Even at this size, developers opposed the change, thinking it would make Markham less desirable.
But bad blood shouldn’t exist from that time. 2012 is so long ago. The pretentious bastards who kept calling Markham a town are long gone. Aren’t they?! So Vaughanians are long over it and the fact that some Markhamers still want to be a town.
How can Vaughanians ) @ ^^ ^ the city of Markham? I certainly can’t. Those @$$es are finally doing exactly what I wished them to do way back in the ’90s.
Markham being called a city was long past due. I bet the Markhamers apologize for their tardiness, these days. Especially now, that they have to live up to their polite ranking. But politeness only counts for so much. I wouldn’t be surprised if Markham had the same per capita murder rate as Vaughan.
Politeness is just that. It doesn’t necessarily carry over into other areas of life. Indeed it might be a veneer for the horrible things that lurk beneath the surface.
Like when I worked in Markham, I had to cover my seething rage with a polite demeanor in order to serve the public.
Anyhow, my verdict is that Vaughanians are rude precisely because Markhamers are polite.
