Telling people you're from Toronto or Canada abroad

[wild goose chase]

When abroad (whether living or travelling), in a country outside Canada, even in the US, do you say "I'm from Toronto" first or "I'm from Canada"? Perhaps you mention both as in "Toronto, Canada".

When I'm in the US, I usually say I'm from Toronto when asked where I'm from, since most people know the city at least exists and is in Canada, but occasionally, I will say I'm Canadian first without mentioning the city, but I kind of want to also be clear that I'm a Torontonian specifically, and Canada is so big that I could be just as clueless about the Yukon or Newfoundland where I haven't been, so just because I'm Canadian doesn't mean I know those places well any more than the average American. I would imagine further afield, say when in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa etc. you might say Canada first, then Toronto.

 

[gabe]

When abroad (whether living or travelling), in a country outside Canada, even in the US, do you say "I'm from Toronto" first or "I'm from Canada"? Perhaps you mention both as in "Toronto, Canada".

When I'm in the US, I usually say I'm from Toronto when asked where I'm from, since most people know the city at least exists and is in Canada, but occasionally, I will say I'm Canadian first without mentioning the city, but I kind of want to also be clear that I'm a Torontonian specifically, and Canada is so big that I could be just as clueless about the Yukon or Newfoundland where I haven't been, so just because I'm Canadian doesn't mean I know those places well any more than the average American. I would imagine further afield, say when in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa etc. you might say Canada first, then Toronto.

When i'm in the US i say i'm from Toronto, and more than a few times i've had this response..." The city with the crackhead mayor!!" Thank you Rob Ford for putting Toronto on the map.

 

[James]

In the U.S., I typically just say "Toronto" as I have yet to meet anyone during my U.S. travels who don't know the city.

Outside of North America, I do typically say "Toronto, Canada"...but often times, the person I'm talking to will also already know of the city and/or also know someone who moved here!

 

[Admiral Beez]

Whenever I find a Canadian abroad they often say they're from Toronto, but when I ask where, they say Barrie, Hamilton, Mississauga, Kingston, etc. It's as if we have only two cities, Toronto and perhaps Ottawa.

 

[ticky]

Whenever I find a Canadian abroad they often say they're from Toronto, but when I ask where, they say Barrie, Hamilton, Mississauga, Kingston, etc.

Because no one outside of Ontario knows what or where Hamilton, Barrie, et al. is so people just say Toronto and a majority would know the name, possibly know where in Canada it is.

 

[James]

Whenever I find a Canadian abroad they often say they're from Toronto, but when I ask where, they say Barrie, Hamilton, Mississauga, Kingston, etc. It's as if we have only two cities, Toronto and perhaps Ottawa.

From my personal experience, I would have to say this is true, but I can certainly see why they would say that. No one in South America would know where Barrie is, but Toronto? Most likely.

You can tell if you're talking to someone who lives in the GTA by their response to some who says they are "from Toronto". Because it is such a big city, people who actually live in the GTA will always respond with,"Whereabouts in Toronto?" as in "you can't just say Toronto without giving a neighborhood!".

 

[wild goose chase]

Because no one outside of Ontario knows what or where Hamilton, Barrie, et al. is so people just say Toronto and a majority would know the name, possibly know where in Canada it is.

I feel like I would say "a city close to/near Toronto" rather than Toronto for places like Hamilton and Barrie. I have heard people say things like "I've from a place an hour or two from Toronto" Maybe folks from places in the GTA, especially closer to the city itself like Mississauga (after all, that's where the airport is) or Pickering, seem more reasonably described as "from Toronto".

 

[wild goose chase]

People do this with Chicago too, saying they're from the city to outsiders while living in the far-flung Chicagoland suburbs.

 

[wild goose chase]

Whenever I find a Canadian abroad they often say they're from Toronto, but when I ask where, they say Barrie, Hamilton, Mississauga, Kingston, etc. It's as if we have only two cities, Toronto and perhaps Ottawa.

Kingston to me would be a bit of a stretch. By then, you might as well say "I'm from a city halfway between Toronto and Montreal" or between Toronto and Ottawa since those are cities outsiders would know (at least Montreal if not Ottawa)!

 

[Admiral Beez]

I was born in Lewisham, UK. When people ask me where I was born, I never say solely London, but instead say Lewisham, SE London. Not that it's anything to be proud of, the gentrification process seemed to have forgotten the area, but I do prefer reasonable accuracy when describing places.

 

[Michael1985]

Went to the US last month and mentioned that I was from Toronto, I got a lot of people replying that I'm from "The 6ix!"

 

[SunriseChampion]

Always, always Toronto.

When the person asking doesn't know where that is, the conversation is over.

 

[Johnny Au]

When I was in New York City in 2016, there's some who know that I'm from Toronto without even asking (the Angry Jays cap I wore there is a giveaway to where I am from).

I had a short conversation with a hot dog vendor in midtown Manhattan and asked me about José Bautista (correctly assuming that I'm a Jays fan).

When I went to Nintendo New York, one of the cashiers asked me where I was from. I answered Toronto of course.

When I went to a restaurant in Manhattan's Chinatown, I donated an old Canadian $5 bill to put on the wall along with other foreign currency and I wrote on it, "Greetings from Toronto!"

Speaking of assumptions, a NYC taxi driver drove me around northeastern New Jersey before dropping us in my hotel in North Bergen, NJ, since she believed that she can get away with charging me extra (she just looked at my Angry Jays cap and correctly assumed I was a tourist from Toronto).

 

[pman]

New South Wales has a Toronto, so it’s important to include Canada to avoid confusion.

 

[Johnny Au]

New South Wales has a Toronto, so it’s important to include Canada to avoid confusion.

That once reminded me of my high school years when we had a foreign exchange teacher from Newcastle, New South Wales. When he was told that he would be temporarily transferred to Toronto, Canada, he told his class that he's going to Toronto. The students responded, "That won't be too far away. Toronto's only 40km from here."