Little perks of your city

[1overcosc]

What are some minor, not often discussed, aspects of living in your city that are convenient/nice to have? Little conveniences, basically.

I used to live in Ottawa so I'll start the thread off with both Kingston and Ottawa.

For Kingston, its the utility corporation. The natural gas network in Kingston is actually municipal-owned (its not Enbridge or Union) and the city merged this gas company, the city-owned hydro network, and the water & sewer department into a single municipal corporation called "Utilities Kingston". As a result, us Kingstonians have 1 combined bill & 1 account for water, sewer, gas, and electricity. Its way more convenient than in Ottawa, for example, where you have a city water bill, an Enbridge gas bill, and a HydroOttawa bill that all have to be paid seperately.

For Ottawa, its the water. The municipal tap water in Ottawa is extremely high quality; its one of the softest water supplies in the world, IIRC something like 30ppm of dissolved metals. As a result people in Ottawa never have to deal with scaling on their appliances. My brother in Ottawa drained his hot water tank after 12 years of use and there was literally no sediment.

What's a similar, minor detail but nice to have, aspect of your city?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

For Kingston, its the utility corporation. The natural gas network in Kingston is actually municipal-owned (its not Enbridge or Union) and the city merged this gas company, the city-owned hydro network, and the water & sewer department into a single municipal corporation called "Utilities Kingston". As a result, us Kingstonians have 1 combined bill & 1 account for water, sewer, gas, and electricity. Its way more convenient than in Ottawa, for example, where you have a city water bill, an Enbridge gas bill, and a HydroOttawa bill that all have to be paid seperately.

Do apartment listings in Kingston still refer to "PUC" being included or not included? You need to learn what that means when you're looking to rent a place in the city.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Do apartment listings in Kingston still refer to "PUC" being included or not included? You need to learn what that means when you're looking to rent a place in the city.

Yep, still quite common. Even though the entity is know called "Utilities Kingston" instead of the PUC.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Yep, still quite common. Even though the entity is know called "Utilities Kingston" instead of the PUC.

Showing my age.

[Acajack]

It's not just a Gatineau thing but cities in Quebec (almost all of them including Montreal and Quebec City AFAIK) do not have residential water meters anywhere I am pretty sure.

You just pay a flat rate on your taxes for water, in the range of 150 dollars per year.

Not a good thing ecologically of course, and there is talk and maybe even a new policy coming to bring water meters on board in our municipalities. But so far I have not hear much about it.

Commercial and industrial buildings do have water meters I think.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

What are some minor, not often discussed, aspects of living in your city that are convenient/nice to have? Little conveniences, basically.

I used to live in Ottawa so I'll start the thread off with both Kingston and Ottawa.

For Kingston, its the utility corporation. The natural gas network in Kingston is actually municipal-owned (its not Enbridge or Union) and the city merged this gas company, the city-owned hydro network, and the water & sewer department into a single municipal corporation called "Utilities Kingston". As a result, us Kingstonians have 1 combined bill & 1 account for water, sewer, gas, and electricity. Its way more convenient than in Ottawa, for example, where you have a city water bill, an Enbridge gas bill, and a HydroOttawa bill that all have to be paid seperately.

For Ottawa, its the water. The municipal tap water in Ottawa is extremely high quality; its one of the softest water supplies in the world, IIRC something like 30ppm of dissolved metals. As a result people in Ottawa never have to deal with scaling on their appliances. My brother in Ottawa drained his hot water tank after 12 years of use and there was literally no sediment.

What's a similar, minor detail but nice to have, aspect of your city?

Agreed on Ottawa's waster quality. I'd even throw in Hydro Ottawa in there; although their rates are the same as Hydro One, the extra fees are far lower. They are also a very competent, well managed utility company compared to Hydro One.

Originally Posted by Acajack

It's not just a Gatineau thing but cities in Quebec (almost all of them including Montreal and Quebec City AFAIK) do not have residential water meters anywhere I am pretty sure.

You just pay a flat rate on your taxes for water, in the range of 150 dollars per year.

Not a good thing ecologically of course, and there is talk and maybe even a new policy coming to bring water meters on board in our municipalities. But so far I have not hear much about it.

Commercial and industrial buildings do have water meters I think.

But Gatineau's water quality is terrible. Boil water advisories nearly every week at different corners of the City. There's a certain street in Touraine that has had major water quality issues for quite a while, and the City refuses to do anything about it, going as far as telling citizens that their house is the problem (water tank, water pipes).

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Agreed on Ottawa's waster quality. I'd even throw in Hydro Ottawa in there; although their rates are the same as Hydro One, the extra fees are far lower. They are also a very competent, well managed utility company compared to Hydro One.



But Gatineau's water quality is terrible. Boil water advisories nearly every week at different corners of the City. There's a certain street in Touraine that has had major water quality issues for quite a while, and the City refuses to do anything about it, going as far as telling citizens that their house is the problem (water tank, water pipes).

I'd disagree that Gatineau's water quality is terrible. It's perfectly fine and there is no tangible difference with Ottawa's. Boil water advisories are frequent but are almost always preventive and due to them being worry-warts about anything happening.

Yes we have water main breaks sometimes just like any other city with thousands of km of older pipes.

The main impact of not having water meters I already acknowledged, which is that it leads to lots of waste.

We also have lawn watering restrictions in the summer which cities like Ottawa do not have because the meters temper the enthusiasm of water wasters.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I'd disagree that Gatineau's water quality is terrible. It's perfectly fine and there is no tangible difference with Ottawa's. Boil water advisories are frequent but are almost always preventive and due to them being worry-warts about anything happening.

Yes we have water main breaks sometimes just like any other city with thousands of km of older pipes.

The main impact of not having water meters I already acknowledged, which is that it leads to lots of waste.

We also have lawn watering restrictions in the summer which cities like Ottawa do not have because the meters temper the enthusiasm of water wasters.

Terrible might have been too strong of a word, but questionable might not be. The frequent boil water advisories might be the City being overly cautious, but it does indicate serious investments are needed.

What Gatineau does particularly well is garbage and recycling. Limiting the amount of garbage households can throw out, mandatory composting, multiple recycling centres accessible to the population for things that are not eligible for curb-side pickup. For environmentally conscious people, that's definitely a perk.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Terrible might have been too strong of a word, but questionable might not be. The frequent boil water advisories might be the City being overly cautious, but it does indicate serious investments are needed.

What Gatineau does particularly well is garbage and recycling. Limiting the amount of garbage households can throw out, mandatory composting, multiple recycling centres accessible to the population for things that are not eligible for curb-side pickup. For environmentally conscious people, that's definitely a perk.

Quebec has imposed on all its municipalities an objective of reducing by 60% the total waste sent to landfills. So they need to work towards these goals.

Also Gatineau is not fussy about recyclables and so you don't need to rinse and sort here. Just dump everything in the big bin.

In all honesty it is not perfect and there is still a long way to go but it does get people on board if it's simple. In other municipalities where they are sticklers about recyclables, my sense is that this discourages a lot of people from taking part and they just dump everything in the garbage.

[harls]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Terrible might have been too strong of a word, but questionable might not be. The frequent boil water advisories might be the City being overly cautious, but it does indicate serious investments are needed.

To be honest, I remember 2 or 3 boil water advisories in the last 16 years in my area of Aylmer (last one was quite recently).

They seem to be more common in Hull and Gatineau sectors.

[jonny24]

Part of the city specifically - the Niagara Escarpment creates a little micro-climate for Lower Hamilton. In spring and fall, it's it's pretty common for me to get to my work up on top of the mountain and be surprised by an inch or so of snow, while it was only raining down below.

[MonkeyRonin]

I took Toronto's pet friendliness for granted - there's no shortage of dog parks, vets, and pet stores; and most importantly apartments there are universally pet-friendly by law, unlike in Vancouver where its already-tight rental market is made even more challenging if you have an animal.

In Vancouver, I appreciate that parking is free 24/7 in most residential neighbourhoods. Makes life easier not having to deal with permits, etc.

[O-tacular]

Nice thread idea (credit where it’s due). For Calgary I would say I really appreciate the natural park space and pathway system. From Fish Creek to Nose Hill and all along the Bow river. I realized this once I returned from a 38 day trip across Europe in my 20’s. Also proximity to the mountains in one direction and badlands in the other.

[ericmacm]

London has really great naturalized spaces and a very wide-reaching and highly connected multi-use pathway system that runs through the Thames River. It’s definitely not as green or as naturalized as some other cities in the country, but no matter where you are in London, the Thames River or some offshoot creek or forested area is located nearby, and there’s a good chance it is connected to the Thames Valley Parkway path system.

I lived in Windsor for 6 years and Chatham for 1 year, prior to moving to London. Both have a terrifying lack of naturalized green space throughout their urban areas and you can very easily feel the effect that it has on you. I will never take good naturalized green space for granted ever again after living in both of those places. The fact that many SW Ontario cities (and SW Ontario as a whole) have long neglected the need for naturalized areas is a tragedy, in my opinion.

[flar]

Originally Posted by ericmacm

London has really great naturalized spaces and a very wide-reaching and highly connected multi-use pathway system that runs through the Thames River. It’s definitely not as green or as naturalized as some other cities in the country, but no matter where you are in London, the Thames River or some offshoot creek or forested area is located nearby, and there’s a good chance it is connected to the Thames Valley Parkway path system.

I lived in Windsor for 6 years and Chatham for 1 year, prior to moving to London. Both have a terrifying lack of naturalized green space throughout their urban areas and you can very easily feel the effect that it has on you. I will never take good naturalized green space for granted ever again after living in both of those places. The fact that many SW Ontario cities (and SW Ontario as a whole) have long neglected the need for naturalized areas is a tragedy, in my opinion.

Chatham and Windsor are probably the most backward places in Canada. A few years ago, Chatham discussed introducing a tree cutting bylaw, and promptly thousands of acres of precious Carolinian forest were bulldozed by farmers trying get a few more bushels of beans. Deforestation is now at over 97% in both Essex and Kent.

The perks are, ironically, Point Pelee and Rondeau, as well as Lakes Erie and St. Clair

My taxes are very low, but you're on your own for everything. I don't even have garbage pickup or recycling

[ericmacm]

Originally Posted by flar

Chatham and Windsor are probably the most backward places in Canada. A few years ago, Chatham discussed introducing a tree cutting bylaw, and promptly thousands of acres of precious Carolinian forest were bulldozed by farmers trying get a few more bushels of beans. Deforestation is now at over 97% in both Essex and Kent.

The perks are, ironically, Point Pelee and Rondeau, as well as Lakes Erie and St. Clair

My taxes are very low, but you're on your own for everything. I don't even have garbage pickup or recycling

I agree completely. I even remember not that long ago, the mayor of Windsor was petitioning Doug Ford’s government to remove the ANSI/PSW designations from the South Cameron Woodlot and Tallgrass/Ojibway Prairie areas so they could fill those areas in with more detached homes. Fortunately, even the current government believes that this is a very stupid idea, but this sentiment is still maintained by the city of Windsor to this day. Actually making environmental and conservation considerations during development and planning is a relatively new thing to Windsor, but they’re slowly starting to understand. It’s taken the federal government working toward a National Urban Park as well as re-naturalization around the Herb Gray Parkway/Gordie Howe Bridge to finally change the discussion.

Chatham, meanwhile, has so little naturalized space left that they have a massive crow problem, as they prefer non-naturalized areas (agriculture and urban areas provide lots of food). Their solution? Try to kill all the crows year after year, instead of treating the root of the problem and re-naturalizing some areas.

Both Windsor and Chatham (as well as Essex/Kent) just cut everything down or pave everything over and let people build homes right next to the water’s edge on every little creek and river. Yet the governments wonder why everything floods when it rains.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by flar

A few years ago, Chatham discussed introducing a tree cutting bylaw, and promptly thousands of acres of precious Carolinian forest were bulldozed by farmers trying get a few more bushels of beans.

Its my understanding that Ontario actually has provincial legislation that prohibits municipal bylaws from restricting any commercial agricultural activity. There was a kerfluffle in Ottawa recently about deforestation of farmland and the city said they can't do anything because farms are exempt from the tax cutting bylaw, and have to be because of this provincial law.

[flar]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Its my understanding that Ontario actually has provincial legislation that prohibits municipal bylaws from restricting any commercial agricultural activity. There was a kerfluffle in Ottawa recently about deforestation of farmland and the city said they can't do anything because farms are exempt from the tax cutting bylaw, and have to be because of this provincial law.

Woodlots can be protected, Chatham-Kent is still looking at this, there was recently a call for public input and citizens are overwhelmingly (>80%) in favour of a protecting the remaining forest. But, agriculture is a $4 billion dollar industry in Essex-Kent...

[Blitz]

Originally Posted by ericmacm

London has really great naturalized spaces and a very wide-reaching and highly connected multi-use pathway system that runs through the Thames River. It’s definitely not as green or as naturalized as some other cities in the country, but no matter where you are in London, the Thames River or some offshoot creek or forested area is located nearby, and there’s a good chance it is connected to the Thames Valley Parkway path system.

I lived in Windsor for 6 years and Chatham for 1 year, prior to moving to London. Both have a terrifying lack of naturalized green space throughout their urban areas and you can very easily feel the effect that it has on you. I will never take good naturalized green space for granted ever again after living in both of those places. The fact that many SW Ontario cities (and SW Ontario as a whole) have long neglected the need for naturalized areas is a tragedy, in my opinion.

It helps that London has three branches of a river running through it, each of them with a wide floodplain where development can't occur anyway and the only sensible thing to build is a trail. The one tiny river that Windsor has is mostly naturalized (the Little River on the east side of town). Windsor has a very good and well-maintained parks system. We will have one of the few national urban parks in the country within the next few years.

[logan5]

Dude Chillin’ Park. Lots of bum fights to watch. One of the worst beatings I saw was when this huge lady beat the hell out of a small drunk guy who could barely stand. She punched him in the face around 20 times, even while he was on the ground passed out. He came to a couple minutes later and wandered off somewhere.