Toronto least liked Canadian city, poll finds

Canada hates Toronto.

That cliché has been bandied about for years, but a recent survey suggests there's some truth behind the claim.

A poll conducted by Leger Marketing found that Ontario's capital is the least-liked city in Canada, primarily among westerners.

Leger Marketing surveyed 2,345 Canadians on behalf of the National Capital Commission and the Association of Canadian Studies, asking if they had a very positive, somewhat positive, somewhat negative or very negative perception of eight major cities.

Respondents were also given the option of having no opinion toward a particular city or for those who preferred not to answer.

The results showed that 19 per cent of respondents felt negatively toward Toronto, and the anti-love was highest in Western Canada.

Thirty per cent of Albertans said they disliked Toronto, a sentiment shared by 27 per cent of responders in Manitoba and Saskatchewan and 23 per cent in British Columbia.

Ontario's capital fared best among those inside the province, but 15 per cent of survey participants responded negatively.

Ottawa was the city most liked by Canadians, receiving 82 per cent positive response, while Victoria, B.C., Vancouver and Calgary also ranked favourably.