Re: CPR lands
The CPR got a huge land grant (the size of a decent country, e.g. Cuba, Hungary or S. Korea), essentially every second square mile; each township was marked as a checkerboard with the black squares mostly to the railways and the white ones to settlers. The square mile that Fort Calgary was built on was an open one (and where the first Calgarians had already settled); therefore, the CPR built their station in the middle of the mile that they owned (6th St E to 4th St W; 17th Ave S to the river). And they built a large suburb for their executives on the next parcel they owned to the southwest (4th St to 14th St W; 17th Ave to 34th St S), which is where we got Mount Royal.
For more information, consult your Public Library.
Re: CPR tunnel
Because of the high clearance of trains and the low tolerance for grades, the tunnel would have to be exceedingly long, methinks. At 0.5% grade and 12 m vertical deviation, a tunnel that crossed under the Elbow would go back to the midpoint of Alyth yards; another would have to be built if the Nose Creek railroad was to connect, and it would go all the way to the bridge over the Bow. Needless to say, 12th St SE would be shut down for a few years.
Overall, I'd think something closer to 15 km of tunneling would be needed.
Re: Fishwrap reporting standards
Depressing.
Re: Name
My suggestion is South Hillhurst, or more properly, Southe Hillhurste.
Re: Concept plans
I particularly like the land bridge design.
Re: The market
A transit oriented development needs a certain amount of density to really thrive; I'd have moved to Bridgeland years ago if there was a grocery store I could walk to, but it still doesn't have enough density to be compelling enough for someone. (Hopefully soon.) Brentwood and Westbrook are existing successful shopping centres, so there's less pressure there. But if both East and West villages are going simultaneously, it'll take twice as long for either to really build the critical mass to entice services. And without the services, house prices will be lower, which discourages dense building. I like planning for the West Village, but it shouldn't progress until the East Village is already largely complete. Not entirely unlike the staging with the Bridges and the East Village, although I would have waited even longer.