This makes sense.

I’m from Calgary, and many of us who have been here for a long time love nature and go almost everywhere but Banff for our dose of the wild. Banff is considered a sacrificial anode that attracts all the traffic so everything else can stay peaceful. Banff is so incredibly busy and populated that its tiny infrastructure struggles to process tourists and send them on their way. The locals that lived there ages ago might remember a time when the world was less populous, and the town was quant and are very sour about the tourists, despite needing and depending on them. Unsurprisingly, you encountered some poor attitudes; other tourists might also be grumpy from feeling like cattle.

Based on your post, my first guess was Toronto and Montreal. They are two of the least welcoming places in Canada.

The most significant social difference between these big old cities and small new cities I find is that people tend to inherit their friends, family and connections. In Calgary, everyone is from everywhere else, and people remember what it’s like to be new and enjoy meeting and welcoming new people. It’s pretty easy to break into a social circle here. In Toronto, you must be someone special or know someone to get in, and newcomers will always be considered outsiders. It’s so strange because the “outsider” attitude is usually associated with rural areas, but it also seems strong in bigger old cities.

I don’t expect tourists to know where to go to find the cultural experiences they are looking for.

I also agree with the other comment that the east coast is still quaint and welcoming!