Culture shock: A Torontonian in Pincher Creek

Pincher Creek, Alberta, has a population of less than 4,000, but has more than 10 places to eat, at least 13 places to pray, a yoga studio, hockey and curling arenas and even a Walmart.

Yet by anyone’s definition, Pincher Creek is a very small town. For a city person like me, arriving in Pincher Creek from big-city Toronto was like walking into a bizarre, new world and a very different Canada.

I moved to Pincher Creek in 2009 to work for the town’s local newspaper.  Once I arrived, I discovered that residents were eagerly anticipating the imminent arrival of – of all things – a Tim Hortons.

Anyone who lives in Canada knows that you can find a Tim’s pretty much anywhere. Or so I thought. In Pincher Creek, you had to drive through several other small towns to get to one until 2010. I knew then that this was going to be an experience unlike any other.

Even after saying goodbye to urban staples like Starbucks and buying the smallest all-wheel-drive I could find, I wasn’t prepared for living in a town with a three-kilometre main street.

My culture shock lasted for weeks.

Pincher Creek is the kind of town city tourists might label “charming,” “eclectic” or simply “with character.” Plopped against the mountains of the nearby Waterton Lakes National Park, practically on the border with British Columbia and Montana, Pincher Creek has breathtaking views, flower baskets and a prominent statue of pincers (in honour of the town’s origins).

In theory, being surrounded by nature’s bounty and endless fresh air should have been a relief from the congestion of Toronto’s downtown. I’m also an immigrant to Canada, so you’d assume I was more than capable of adapting to a radical change in environment, right?

Well, no. Not in this case.  And here are 15 reasons why.

1. Because you have to look (hard) to find young people

Pincher Creek’s population has been aging over the years — it has exactly as many retirement homes as high schools. The first people I met in town were local retirees who spent their days getting involved in every conceivable community activity under the sun. But finding people in town that matched my own age bracket was like winning a few bucks on a lotto card: rare enough to surprise me every time.

2. Because my landlord knew my boss

I never imagined it would be possible to know every single one of your neighbours. It was slightly unnerving to discover that my landlord knew my employer and consulted her before taking me in.

Then, two weeks after I joined a pottery class in town, I learned that I was never going to be anonymous in Pincher Creek. During an interview with a local subject, he interjected: “I heard you are taking pottery. How is it?” 

I felt slightly creeped out.

Of course, Pincher Creek residents really did care. My landlords, new co-workers and a few total strangers brought me enough furniture to fill my one-bedroom apartment. But this level of attention also meant I had nowhere to hide. I started to miss crowded streets full of movement and people who couldn’t care less.

3. Because there was no road rage

Many roads around town were gravel, making speeding virtually impossible. But even on paved town streets, no one seemed to be in a rush. Pincher Creek motorists seemed determined to snooze at every stop sign, yet no one seemed to mind at all. Was there something inherently wrong with us angry, city people?

A few times, thinking I was alone on the road, I lingered at stop signs to take photos without moving my car, only to notice another motorist patiently waiting for me to move on. In Toronto, they’d be honking, cursing and possibly rushing out to flog me in person.

4. Because I was always dealing with wildlife

For my first assignment at the Pincher Creek paper, I wrote about a bear that had snuck into town at night. I also had to run around with a camera looking for sighted beavers, deer and a fox. A few owls attempted to crash-land on my windshield at night. And I had to learn that when the elk make mating calls, they are bugling. Still, the nature was great, as long as it wasn’t going through my garbage at 2 a.m.

5. Because it was easier to buy cowboy boots than a dress

After moving to Pincher Creek, I was surprised by how similar many women’s hairstyles seemed to be. Apparently that’s what happens when a town’s most popular hairdresser develops a signature look.

The town’s fashion statements included real cowboy boots, cowboy hats and some variation of plaid. It was actually easier for me to buy some Heartland-style boots than a dress. The town’s mall didn’t sell any clothes while the local Walmart seemed to specialize in wool socks and long johns. Was this town trying to prevent me from spending my money?

6. Because we had too much idle time

We all seemed to have so much spare time. The locals constantly organized some sort of initiatives — they cleaned the town creek, raised funds for a playground, pulled out invasive Blueweed plants from local fields and planted flowers all over town. The residents seemed to be living from one event to the next: from a fundraiser fashion show to Christmas to a cowboy poetry gathering to the local rodeo. In between those, we had horseback riding, pottery making, salsa dancing and tumbling down ski hills. I could probably find a new activity to fail at every week. But I was willing to trade all of that for just a few hours of city-style shopping.

7. Because no one gave short answers

Exchanges with the cashiers, neighbours and strangers all took longer in Pincher Creek, dosing me with minute details and sidebars. I couldn’t get away with Toronto’s signature “how are you?” that didn’t require an elaborate response.

Worse yet, many town events started with speeches in which numerous people got thanked every time. The lists of people to thank were long enough for me to wonder if every single local got mentioned.

8. Because there was no map

My GPS refused to work in the rural areas and I couldn’t find a map that showed all of the area’s roads. It didn’t help that the locals’ direction-giving lacked precision. Imagine following instructions like these: “Drive straight for about 20 minutes, turn left at a green fence, keep going for 10-15 more minutes and then turn right by the barn.”

9. Because people said outrageous things

When I arrived, one local berated me for being from that so-called liberal paradise known as Toronto. He claimed it was my city’s fault that Canada elected so many left-leaning “hippies” into politics.

Unfortunately, that was just the beginning.

Later, I heard a few public speakers describe an action as “retarded” in front of a crowd. Some people shamelessly made racist comments that would get them fired or punched in the face in Toronto or Montreal. Most common of all, locals looked scandalized every time the subject of gay relationships came up.

10. Because barn dances were cool

Entertainment options in Pincher Creek were, to put it mildly, limited. If I wanted to see a movie, I had to go to the local theatre where two movies ran once or twice a day. And you could completely forget clubbing or bar-hopping. A special night on the town involved heading to a barn for a dance. When a night of two-step dancing on Halloween was the most fun I’d had in a while, I knew just how much my life had been turned upside down.

11. Because owning a small car was a bad idea

My Suzuki Hatchback was one of the smallest cars in town among all the giant pick-up trucks and SUVs. I was glad that I didn’t have something smaller when I got stuck in the snow in a parking lot.

12. Because the environment was a taboo subject

Global warming was one of the town’s hottest points of contention. Residents trying to reduce energy consumption to save the environment were treated with a dose of strongly-worded skepticism. At least the town’s recycling station — where you had to drive your own waste — was only 10 minutes away.

13. Because break-ins were silly

The town felt incredibly safe. Among rare cases of break-ins, one involved seemingly hungry thieves running away with a few pounds of meat and cold cuts. During another break-in, someone stole an ATV and took it for a very short joyride, landing in a nearby creek.

14. Because we had Christmas

In Toronto, I grew used to the idea of celebrating “winter holidays” every year. Even the city’s Christmas tree downtown often looks too abstract to be called a tree, in order to avoid offending anyone. In Pincher Creek, there was no “winter holidays” treatment. During the town-wide celebration at the community hall, Pincher Creek said a prayer, sang carols and a few religious hymns. During all this I sat wondering if I was the only Jewish person in town.

15. Because to eat international cuisine, I had to cook it myself

After meeting a local who had never tried sushi, tiramisu or curry, I knew that I’d have to cook my own Japanese, Italian and Indian food in this town. That year I became obsessed with ethnic cooking tutorials on YouTube. And on good weekends, I’d drive for three hours to Calgary to stock up on authentic ingredients. By the time I decided to go back to Toronto, my fridge’s content became almost as diverse as a small-scale gathering at the UN.

Moving to Pincher Creek from Toronto was more than an experience – it was an adventure. In hindsight, it may have been one of the best adventures of my life. I might even come back there to retire one day. Maybe, by then, the town will be building its own Starbucks.