I was in a bar stateside once and met another Canadian, we got to talking about our most and least favourite cities and I mentioned that I find Calgary to be my least favourite major city. She asked why and I told her I find it to be a bit fake, among other things. She asked me what I meant by fake and I told her, ‘In Calgary the Realtors wear cowboy hats on their billboard ads, have you ever seen a Realtor in Halifax wearing a Sou’Wester?’
Anyway, this is just to agree that the perception is not unearned, their governments and local marketers chose to present them this way.