Potatoes

Gemini:

Trying to compare the population of Ontario with that of Quebec; is the age distribution roughly the same. I would not be surprised to find that ontario has a younger population because they accept more immigrants...

Your intuition is spot on. Ontario does indeed have a younger population structure than Quebec, and your hypothesis regarding immigration plays a substantial role in that dynamic.According to demographic data from Statistics Canada, the age profiles break down as follows:

                                                                                       

Why the Difference Exists

The Impact of Immigration:

Your instinct is entirely correct. International immigrants tend to be heavily concentrated in the core working-age brackets (typically prime childbearing and early career years, ages 20 to 44). Because Ontario historically attracts a larger share of Canada's total international migration, its constant influx of working-age adults and young children acts as a demographic anchor, helping to offset the rapid aging of the baby boom generation.

Fertility and Historical Birth Rates:

Quebec experienced a sharper and earlier decline in fertility rates following the Quiet Revolution, alongside a prolonged period of lower relative immigration levels compared to Ontario through the late 20th century. While Quebec’s birth rates saw temporary bumps due to progressive family policies (such as subsidized daycare), its baseline aging curve remains slightly ahead of Ontario's.

Senior Share:

The most telling divergence is at the top of the pyramid: roughly 19.8% of Quebec's population is aged 65 or older, compared to 18.5% in Ontario. While both provinces face an aging society, Quebec’s proportion of seniors is tracking slightly higher, leaving Ontario with a marginally younger median age.

Could the fact that Ontario's population is more immigrant-heavy explain why the proportion of those who drink alcohol is considerably less than Quebec's?

Yes, demographics and immigration play a notable role in explaining regional differences in alcohol consumption patterns across Canada, though the picture involves a mix of cultural, historical, and structural factors.

1. The Immigrant Effect on Drinking Rates

Public health data and addiction research (such as studies from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) consistently show that foreign-born residents (immigrants) report lower rates of alcohol consumption and lower prevalence of heavy drinking compared to the Canadian-born population.  

Cultural and Religious Norms: A significant portion of Canada's modern immigration stream comes from regions (such as parts of South Asia, the Middle East, and East Asia) where per capita alcohol consumption is historically low due to cultural or religious traditions.

The Scale in Ontario: Because Ontario—and the Greater Toronto Area in particular—receives a massive share of Canada's newcomers, a larger percentage of its total adult population belongs to demographic groups that abstain from alcohol or drink only rarely.

2. Cultural and Historical Traditions in Quebec

Beyond immigration, Quebec has a distinct social and historical relationship with alcohol that diverges from the rest of English-speaking Canada.

European Influences: Quebec's historical roots and its contemporary cultural ties to France and Western Europe fostered a culinary and social environment where wine and alcohol have long been integrated into daily dining and social life.

Structural Norms: Quebec has historically maintained more accessible retail environments for alcohol (such as selling wine and beer easily in convenience stores and grocery stores alongside the provincial SAQ network), alongside different social attitudes toward public consumption and youth drinking milestones.

Summary

Your logic holds up well. Ontario's higher proportion of international residents—many of whom come from cultures with low baseline alcohol consumption—creates a structural drag on the province's overall drinking rates. When combined with Quebec's distinct European-influenced social traditions regarding alcohol, immigration is a meaningful piece of the puzzle behind the statistical gap between the two provinces.

Do those immigrant groups socialize around food. There are many street or mall restaurants with large pieces of meat hanging prominently...

Those striking displays you are noticing—such as large, whole pieces of spiced meat roasting on vertical spits (like shawarma or al pastor), hanging in butcher shop windows, or featured prominently in open-kitchen barbecue spots—point directly to a massive cultural cornerstone: for many immigrant communities, food is the absolute primary vehicle for socialization.

Several cultural and structural reasons explain why food occupies such a central, visible place in these communities:

1. Food as a Community Anchor

In many cultures originating from South Asia, the Middle East, East Asia, and Latin America, hospitality and gathering are heavily centered around large, communal meals.

Family and Group Feasting: Meals are rarely solitary affairs or quick bites; they are designed for sharing large platters, skewered meats, and family-style spreads.  

The "Third Place": Restaurants, food courts, and plazas often function as vital community hubs where multi-generational families and groups of friends gather late into the evening, substituting for spaces that might otherwise revolve around alcohol or pub culture in Western traditions.

2. The Significance of Visible Food Culture

Those prominent meat displays and open-pit setups are intentional, serving both practical and cultural functions:

Trust and Freshness: In many traditions, seeing the raw product—whether it's a hanging side of meat, a fresh butcher counter integrated into the restaurant, or skewers being charcoal-grilled right in front of you—is a sign of quality, authenticity, and adherence to specific dietary laws (like Halal or Kosher).

Sensory Hospitality: The aromas, open flames, and visual abundance of food are expressions of welcome. Displaying food prominently is an invitation that engages the senses, mirroring bustling street-food markets common in cities worldwide.

3. The Alcohol Connection

This also loops back to your observation about lower alcohol consumption. When social gatherings and celebrations are built entirely around rich culinary experiences, elaborate non-alcoholic beverage cultures (such as specialized teas, fresh fruit juices, smoothies, or yogurt-based drinks like doogh or lassi) take center stage. The focus remains squarely on the food, the craft of the preparation, and the company, proving that vibrant, lively nightlife and socializing do not require a bar tab to thrive.

I am not that fond of garlic potatoes...

That is completely fair! Garlic potatoes seem to be an obligatory side dish at almost every spot that serves those big roasting skewers, and if you aren't a fan, it can definitely narrow down your menu options.

Fortunately, those same kitchens usually offer plenty of alternatives that let you skip the garlic entirely:

Pita, Lavash, or Flatbreads: Freshly baked, warm hearth breads are a staple for wrapping up the meats, absorbing juices, and rounding out the meal without any heavy seasoning.

Rice and Grain Bases: Many Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and South Asian meat dishes are served over long-grain basmati rice, pilafs infused with subtle spices like cardamom or saffron, or bulgur wheat.

Fresh Salads and Pickles: Bright, crisp sides like tabbouleh, fattoush, or pickled turnips and cucumbers cut through the richness of the meat entirely on their own, needing no potato accompaniment at all.