As a lifelong Torontonian currently living in Calgary (Just over a year now), I can say...
LRT is AMAZING - honestly I think i prefer it to Subways because you don't have to contend with the screeching sounds of the 3rd rail
But It is amazing here because it is built properly. The stations are built like real metro (subway) designs instead of being upgraded streetcar stops. Downtown Calgary (7th Avenue) is the exception but that's only because of the environment of what its running through, therefore it is appropriate.
LRT in Toronto will be a fail, especially on Finch and Sheppard, because the designers have their heads on unrealistic european avenues in their heads. They think that Finch Avenue is going to become St. Clair one day.
Calgary has a pretty utilitarian approach. Sometimes it makes things worse (like the ugly 70s downtown buildings, luckily rectified in the current boom) but in the case of rapid transit design, it is their strongest asset.
A system that works. The city finds the best ROW and runs the train right through. If the intersection is busy (Like Vic Park/O'Conner/Pharmacy Mess) then they grade separate. Otherwise, the line is kept on the surface.
There are no hard firm rules of ALL Separate or ALL at grade. Simply, the system is built the best way possible for the lowest cost. It is no wonder Calgary already has more rapid transit KM than the Toronto Subway.
In Toronto, Eglinton I have some hope for...but really it still needs lots of work. This avenues mindset of fancy streetcars has to end. I love LRT but i *HATE* the way Toronto plans to use them.
There shouldn't be a stop at Ferrand, Lebovic, or Pharmacy. And there should be a major station in the empty land triangle between Vic Park, Eglinton, and O'Conner (LRT enters a portal west of Vic Park, deviates south into station, then re-emerges back into the median in a portal east of Pharmacy). These kind of pragmatic simple changes can make a huge difference to this line. I have hope for Metrolinx because they are the ones that used this thinking process to fix the western terminus into Mt. Dennis through a unique Elevated alignment... I have 0% hope in TTC however.
Unfortunately, most people in the GTA don't have the opportunity to live in another city with LRT and see how awesome it is, therefore, i 100% understand why people hate them and are frustrated with the idea of them.