Does your city feel significantly busier than it did 10 years ago?

[giallo]

After seeing that Canada welcomed another 400,000+ people last year it corresponded with how much busier both cities I've been in recently are compared to just 10 years ago.

Kelowna is a bit more obvious. The downtown has seen a dramatic rise in buildings and foot traffic. The amount of car traffic has spiked quite a bit as well.

As for Vancouver, the city itself is a bit less obvious than the suburbs. I was in Metrotown in Burnaby today, and it was legitimately busy. Crowds of people on the streets, in the mall and on the Skytrain. Metrotown is a busy area in general, but it's been feeling a lot more crowded than in the past.

So how about your city? Is there a noticeable uptick in foot traffic? Vehicle traffic? On the train? And in what areas are you finding the biggest change?

[SignalHillHiker]

10 years ago... 2003.

Hmm... it's mixed. In July/August when Water and parts of Duckworth are pedestrian-only, it's as busy on any random Tuesday at 11 a.m. as it ever was on a Saturday night when cars were always allowed.

But the rest of the time, to me, it feels slower. You used to be able to go down to George Street on a Monday right after work and there'd be dozens of people walking between the pubs, etc. We have always had a foggy, indoor culture, that's not new, but it is more severe now somehow. Now, there are long, dead periods downtown where the businesses are full but there's no one in the streets. You could walk the entire downtown and not see a dozen total, despite there being thousands in the buildings around you.

And that's it, really. Busier without cars, deader the rest of the year.

[Architype]

I'm not sure about Vancouver, I think I've heard that traffic has become less with better transit. I am sure however, that parking is more difficult since the city keeps gleefully removing parking spaces, and parking lots have disappeared. I had to run into a store the other day and had to put $6.00 in a meter ($7.00 per hour) to cover the time just in case; that always increases the stress levels, just as busier traffic does. I'd say that it depends on the area, some inner city areas are much more built up (i.e. around False Creek), so it's busier, and that goes for both pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Now since the pandemic, more people work at home, so I guess that should reduce traffic overall, especially downtown. I find the gridlocks are still similar to what they used to be, our bridge & road infrastructure hasn't increased for decades; i.e. gridlock traffic on Georgia Street almost all the time. I think the crowds in the entertainment district downtown have probably increased, but it's really hard to say. Conversely to being busier, Transit also just announced reductions on some routes due to lower ridership.

[giallo]

I had to run into a store the other day and had to put $6.00 in a meter ($7.00 per hour) to cover the time just in case.

I had to park for an hour on Denman St, and the parking lot charged me $10 for that hour. Ugh.

[Architype]

I had to park for an hour on Denman St, and the parking lot charged me $10 for that hour. Ugh.

It's not as bad as going downtown to shop in the evening for an hour, but having to pay the full overnight rates. For an occasional transit user who does not have a pass, transit fares cost almost as much, and for a quick trip the inconvenience makes it not worthwhile.

[ScreamingViking]

It depends. Downtown is getting more life year by year, after bottoming out with shuttered businesses and barren sidewalks in the late-1990s and early 2000s; and a number of condos under construction or planned will infuse the core with thousands more people in the coming years. There are still central sections that are dead zones (e.g., north-east of the traditional "downtown core") but things are planned to change there too. The area around the airport roughly south of the urban area has become much busier with more activity related to air freight and distribution.

Parts of suburban Hamilton are just as busy as they used to be -- upper Hamilton ("the Mountain"), Ancaster, Dundas, Stoney Creek. Those that have grown in the past 10-20 years are obviously more busy than before, when they were basically empty plots or farms on the periphery (such as the lands around the south-east "corner" of the urban area). Waterdown is much busier these days as well, having swollen with more subdivisions.

[thebasketballgeek]

Despite experiencing sizeable population growth Winnipeg doesn’t feel any busier and in certain segments of the city (Downtown and Osborne) it feels less busy.

The two areas it does feel noticeably busier is the area around U of M and to a lesser extent the Forks.

[niwell]

Honestly, yeah, at least for me. Toronto as a whole is much busier to be fair.

I miss things though. I loved Toronto then, and I do now, but it's quite different.

Late breezy nights in 2010 at the waterfront. Nobody checking our cans. Cycle up to Queen W- hey we can sneak this can of Tiger in as they sell it there. Seeing Crystal Castles in an abandoned theatre in Chinatown. Oh, they only come on at 4am? You still sell beers? Things were a vibe.

[manny_santos]

I was in London last week, and drove around west of the city. The amount of traffic between Byron and Komoka has increased significantly over the past decade or more.

[Phil McAvity]

no

10 years ago... 2003.

This is why people make fun of Newfies

[Architype]

no



This is why people make fun of Newfies

We all missed that one. He's not a number cruncher, he's artistic. ;)

[whatnext]

Downtown Vancouver doesn’t feel much busier than ten years ago. Obviously some arts of MetroVancouver do live Brentwood and the North Vancouver Shipyards district. Perhaps because as others have noted the City of Vancouver has made a fetish out of driving away (pardon the pun) those who might come by car by gouging for parking.

[Drybrain]

Without question in Halifax. Downtown office busy-ness may still be slightly below pre-pandemic levels, but overall street life is definitely up, which has got to be directly due to a development/population boom. The Halifax peninsula has grown by more than 10,000 people in the past five years, and nearby central parts of the city by still more.

There are times, particularly weekends, when you can wend your way for a good hour or more through contiguous but discrete downtown and downtown-adjacent areas and experience unbroken street life in a way that’s reminiscent of much larger cities. The city a decade ago was far from dead, but it wasn’t this healthy-feeling, either.

There are also new mixed-use and higher density nodes developing beyond downtown, and occasional downtown-ish crowded sidewalks beginning to spread farther, particularly into the North End. (Though it can also be pretty quiet up there at other times; it’s a bit unpredictable.)

The downside is that this is also true of vehicle traffic, and congestion on city streets is more common. But this doesn’t seem to be as pronounced as the increased pedestrian density.

[Innsertnamehere]

Covid has screwed with things a lot in Toronto unfortunately, but it was definitely way busier in 2019 then when I moved there in 2013. Even those 6 years made a huge difference in crowds, densities and amount of activities.

While for Hamilton I haven’t lived here for long, it’s improved a decent bit from a decade ago. I remember going to super crawl in 2013-2014ish, and the city seeming a lot less vibrant once you discounted the event related crowds. It’s still pretty sleepy overall.. but this next decade is when I think we are going to see some real dramatic changes with the amount of development in the pipeline for downtown.
Kitchener has changed a TON in a decade. That’s a city where you really see it.

[urbandreamer]

Kitchener Waterloo, especially in the past 5 years, has seen significant demographic change: tens of thousands of South Asian immigrants, students and TFW. It's really noticeable when Walmart, Best Buy, Dollarama, even my local SDM etc have replaced most of their workforce with what appears to be SA TFWs? I'm not certain I like this trend towards creating a modern form of a lower caste, almost slave worker.

Outside of the downtown peninsula, Vancouver reminds me of how Toronto felt in the mid '90s: vibrant but not overwhelming, lots of patios, mostly white and Asian.

[le calmar]

Ottawa is slowly going back to how things were pre-Covid, so it just seems like there’s still quite a bit of catching up to do before we can claim the city looks “busier”. In terms of demographics, it does seem like my neighbourhood has a lot more South Asians than even just 5 years ago. As a result many new Indian restaurants and grocery stores have opened shops. The number of amenities targeting South Asians has probably tripled in 10 years.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Drybrain covers Halifax fairly well. Definitely increased activity in the city core, but there has also been significant growth in outlying areas north of the city in areas which were previously mostly rural in nature. Many of these folks still commute to the city for work, which has resulted in increased commuter traffic, and no viable plan in place to serve these growing communities with rail service, unfortunately.

[acottawa]

Most parts of Ottawa are a pale shadow of what they were 10 years ago.

[electricmodes]

Seeing Crystal Castles in an abandoned theatre in Chinatown. Oh, they only come on at 4am? You still sell beers? Things were a vibe.

THIS. I saw them in 2010 at Twist Art Gallery. It is one of the best memories I have from living in Toronto 2005-2010.

[MonctonRad]

In Moncton, traffic has certainly become a lot heavier overall, but the downtown core is less busy. This is mostly pandemic related with many workers choosing home work, and the subsequent starvation of downtown service businesses. There are more vacancies downtown than typical.

Residential densification in the core is occurring however, with a lot more apartment buildings under construction. This renaissance is mostly driven by the Avenir Centre. I would imagine that over the next decade that downtown residents will replace the former office workers as drivers of downtown vitality. In some ways this is a good thing.

[north 42]

Driving around Windsor now, you definitely notice the increase in traffic all over the city. Foot traffic seems up as well, especially with the thousands of South Asians that are now in the city, sometimes they seem to be the main group of people walking about and waiting for busses. So many south Asian restaurants and grocery stores all over the city as well.

Downtown seems about as busy as ten years ago, but less busy than 20 years ago. DT seems to be slowly gaining more foot traffic recently though, with new businesses and developments going up, and Americans tourists are finally coming back over the border again. Hopefully this trend continues, but with the uptick in homelessness and vagrancy, it might be tough, as people are starting to not feel safe anymore.

[WhipperSnapper]

People being welcomed annually to Toronto have been fairly stable over the course of the last decade. I have no clue on tourism. Presumably it is fairly stable as well. Visa issued have exploded during that time. Undocumented have risen as well although annual estimates remain insignificant to the total number of people.

[suburbanite]

no



This is why people make fun of Newfies

Coming from the guy with 90% of his posts containing improper grammar or punctuation.

[esquire]

Despite experiencing sizeable population growth Winnipeg doesn’t feel any busier and in certain segments of the city (Downtown and Osborne) it feels less busy.

The two areas it does feel noticeably busier is the area around U of M and to a lesser extent the Forks.

I'd agree with this take. Pre pandemic it felt like traffic was getting heavier and bus ridership was pretty high, but post pandemic things have not really bounced back.

In terms of events, goings on, etc., it feels about the same as a decade ago. No major changes or swings.

[Marty_Mcfly]

no



This is why people make fun of Newfies

> Obvious joke goes over his head
> Responds with deliberately offensive comment

Sorry to break this to you, but you might be the fucking dumbass here.

[someone123]

I'm not sure about Vancouver, I think I've heard that traffic has become less with better transit.

I've found that traffic is worse and traffic jams tend to extend out to longer hours. I think it's really hard to make traffic better with improved transit.

As far as busier areas with more pedestrians and shops I agree with what others said. For the most part the inner city has only changed slowly with the notable exceptions of Main Street below Terminal Ave or so and development along the Canada Line. Lots of new buildings around the north end of that stretch and the variety and quality of businesses along Main has gone up. On the other hand, a lot of Broadway out in Kitsilano, 4th, the West End, Commercial Drive, and so on has not really changed.

On the other hand some suburban TOD nodes have exploded. Not just Metrotown but also Brentwood, now Lougheed, Port Moody, Coquitlam Centre. Maybe Surrey Centre too? Then in in the rest of suburbia it's mostly incremental with a bit of development along the fringes.

[goodgrowth]

St John's metro is kinda weird in that on one hand it went through a economic boom in the late 00's that died off between oil prices and muskrat falls doomerism but on the other hand there is a noticeable amount of immigrants here compared to 10 years ago.

So it's like less busy in terms of construction than 10 years ago but maybe feels a bit busier in a way if you walk into a Walmart today compared to 10 years ago.

[GeneralLeeTPHLS]

I agreew with others that Toronto has become busier, but that's to be expecting when the city went up 200,000+ people over 11 years. (Probably more when I think further about it).

My area specifically has grown a lot in terms of foot traffic, but it's hard to tell at times because there's still so many barriers/obstructions due to construction from the Crosstown.

Mississauga's "downtown" is seeing more foot traffic these days, but it's not a massive difference over 10 years. Also, there's lots more car traffic, that's for sure.

I think this decade we'll see London continue to get busier in the core. It's getting better, but I think it's likely been busier more toward the Western campus in the last couple years.

[someone123]

There are times, particularly weekends, when you can wend your way for a good hour or more through contiguous but discrete downtown and downtown-adjacent areas and experience unbroken street life in a way that’s reminiscent of much larger cities. The city a decade ago was far from dead, but it wasn’t this healthy-feeling, either.

There used to be a lot of prominent gaps and "thinness" in the urban core where you'd see a parking lot on a prominent corner (like SGR and Queen or Barrington and George St) and you had to pick your route somewhat carefully to avoid dead zones. My impression is that this has changed a lot, though there is still lots of room for improvement. There is an "island" of weird underused lots around Salter Street. And then there's maybe a 40 block part of downtown that has few gaps left.

In the past Gottingen Street had also heavily degraded and felt very separate from downtown. I haven't been back since before covid but I'd guess it's decently busy now and it's closer to contiguous with the busy parts of downtown even though Cogswell is not done yet. It's actually quite a long stretch of medium density mixed commercial that runs for about 2 km. Then there's another 2 km or so in the downtown and south side running to Inglis. People used to talk a lot about how compact Halifax is and how you can easily walk around and see everything. I'm not sure it was true before and it's getting less true. This is part of why I think something like a tramway would be useful in the future. There will be an increasingly expansive and busy medium density core where people live, work, shop, and entertain themselves, and they will demand high quality short distance trips that don't require a car.

[esquire]

^ From my experience in Halifax last summer, it has taken on a bit of a European city feeling where it can be a bit hard to tell where the downtown and downtown-adjacent areas end, and the rest of the city with outlying neighbourhoods begin. There's a lot of continuity in the urban fabric.

[niwell]

Halifax definitely feels a lot larger than it is in the North American context. There’s a lot going on over a relatively large area which you don’t find in most smaller centres. In that way I can see the euro comparison for sure.

I’ve mentioned this before but the amount of change in Halifax between my two visits in 2018 and this past year is palpable. My wife who’s been a lot more than me noticed it even moreso.

[vanman]

For Vancouver certain areas definitely seem much busier. For example the intersection of Broadway and Cambie regularly has crowds of pedestrians almost as large as anywhere downtown.

As others have mentioned the suburban nodes all feel much busier also. The increased density and improvements in walkability are really starting to pay off. I'm still shocked when I see streetlife around Metrotown or Brentwood. They were dead areas for decades but now are starting to finally come alive.

[Architype]

I've found that traffic is worse and traffic jams tend to extend out to longer hours. I think it's really hard to make traffic better with improved transit.

As far as busier areas with more pedestrians and shops I agree with what others said. For the most part the inner city has only changed slowly with the notable exceptions of Main Street below Terminal Ave or so and development along the Canada Line. Lots of new buildings around the north end of that stretch and the variety and quality of businesses along Main has gone up. On the other hand, a lot of Broadway out in Kitsilano, 4th, the West End, Commercial Drive, and so on has not really changed.

On the other hand some suburban TOD nodes have exploded. Not just Metrotown but also Brentwood, now Lougheed, Port Moody, Coquitlam Centre. Maybe Surrey Centre too? Then in in the rest of suburbia it's mostly incremental with a bit of development along the fringes.

If the question was "is it busier now than decades ago" (the 80s), my answer would be an absolute yes, but it's harder to gauge over the past ten years unless you are constantly travelling throughout the area. I am not sure whether all the traffic calming, bike lane augmentation, newer urban densification, etc. has done much except shift the activity.

Here is the current traffic map from Google. You can see that as you approach downtown there is heavier traffic, also on approaches to bridges. I am not sure how much this may vary at any given time though (this is midday on a Saturday), and probably reflects traffic obstruction more than actual volume, but the suburbs seem to have less traffic intensity. They do have the freeways and collector roads to help, which we all seem to despise.


https://a4.pbase.com/o12/52/479852/1/173288872.mECkoO5p.VancouverTraffic130pmJan072023.jpg

[SpongeG]

I've found that traffic is worse and traffic jams tend to extend out to longer hours. I think it's really hard to make traffic better with improved transit.

As far as busier areas with more pedestrians and shops I agree with what others said. For the most part the inner city has only changed slowly with the notable exceptions of Main Street below Terminal Ave or so and development along the Canada Line. Lots of new buildings around the north end of that stretch and the variety and quality of businesses along Main has gone up. On the other hand, a lot of Broadway out in Kitsilano, 4th, the West End, Commercial Drive, and so on has not really changed.

On the other hand some suburban TOD nodes have exploded. Not just Metrotown but also Brentwood, now Lougheed, Port Moody, Coquitlam Centre. Maybe Surrey Centre too? Then in in the rest of suburbia it's mostly incremental with a bit of development along the fringes.

I agree, areas have changed moreso outside of vancouver itself.

I commute from Coquitlam/Lougheed and it takes about 40 minutes, prior to labour day it was taking 30 minutes on average, for comparison on a sunday the same commute takes 20 minutes or slightly under. Covid really reduced traffic and during 2020 to most of 2022 the commute was always moving and decent, but now its stop and go and just so much longer, going home can take anywhere from 30 - 90 minutes depending what time i can leave work.

As for Surrey as more condos get built and people move in, there is definitely more pedestrian action, east of gateway along 108th area a lot more people are walking, and much less homeless and druggies wandering around. With at least 5 new developments happening along 108th right now that could bring in 3000 or so more people and even more making the trek to gateway station in the next few years. The area just north of 108 also has multiple projects on the way, houses are getting sold and demolished etc in the area.

There is also a lot more pedestrians along KGH especially around 100, it was always quite quiet but this past year for sure you always see a lot more signs of life.

Will add in general I see a ton of delivery trucks all the time, just in my immediate area, there is always something a grocery delivery or an Amazon truck etc double parked, previoulsy the area was pretty dead.

[zahav]

I've found that traffic is worse and traffic jams tend to extend out to longer hours. I think it's really hard to make traffic better with improved transit.

As far as busier areas with more pedestrians and shops I agree with what others said. For the most part the inner city has only changed slowly with the notable exceptions of Main Street below Terminal Ave or so and development along the Canada Line. Lots of new buildings around the north end of that stretch and the variety and quality of businesses along Main has gone up. On the other hand, a lot of Broadway out in Kitsilano, 4th, the West End, Commercial Drive, and so on has not really changed.

On the other hand some suburban TOD nodes have exploded. Not just Metrotown but also Brentwood, now Lougheed, Port Moody, Coquitlam Centre. Maybe Surrey Centre too? Then in in the rest of suburbia it's mostly incremental with a bit of development along the fringes.

Add Richmond Centre to that list. It is actually much better vehicle-traffic wise compared to pre-2009 (Canada Line). Growing up in Richmond No. 3 Rd. was a horrible road to drive. Super congested, so many lights, the annoying B Line in the centre making it a hassle to turn. Just really bad, and everyone in Richmond would avoid it if they could. The Canada Line and the associated lane improvements made a massive difference, shocking really. It is now a very easy road to drive, and never THAT congested. But more importantly, the stretch of Richmond from Granville Ave. north is so much livelier with pedestrians now. And so many more apartments and restaurants, and of course all the commercial zones and malls. Specifically the area right around Brighouse Station is buzzing, so much pedestrian and transit activity. A big improvement over what it was like circa 2001. Again, TOD and related spinoffs.

[niwell]

THIS. I saw them in 2010 at Twist Art Gallery. It is one of the best memories I have from living in Toronto 2005-2010.

A pal of mine used to work there! Didn’t go to that show but was there for other stuff.

Another memory is seeing grimes open up for Rich Aucoin in the basement of a place in Kensington. I don’t even like Grimes but that was fun - she was a nobody at the time. Rich had a parachute like gym class in the 90s. It was rad.

[theman23]

Probably? Or maybe I'm just nostalgic and out of touch? A bit more than 10 years ago but I had a handful of quiet scenic spots in Toronto where I would take dates. None of them are quiet anymore. Maybe there are other spots that people go to nowadays, but I feel like the city has filled out and there aren't any special spots like that left anymore.

[logan5]

If you live in the core, it's hard to feel much of a difference when it's already saturated with people. Adding 5000 people annually isn't much in the downtown area, but in the suburbs, that would be noticeable.

The next 10 years for the downtown area of Vancouver should be interesting though. Development along the Broadway subway will bring huge changes.

[Coldrsx]

I have only been in Canmore for 2 years now, but after speaking with the locals and long-time residents, it is clear that Canmore is very different from 2013.

It has grown nearly 20% since then and is most definitely out of the 'Banff shadow'; it has really redefined itself, so much so that folks now come here as a destination and don't bother with the overheated Banff. Canmore is now over 16,000 and often 20k or more on weekends.

Real estate wise it's average* home price is greater than Toronto, Vancouver and back and forth with Whistler at $1.5 million.

Growth pressures are significant community issues, as is the 'erosion' of the character of 'Old Canmore'.

Former car dealerships or light industrial sites are being town down for 60-90 units/ha of townhouses, 8 plexes or 4 plexes on former single family sites.

Land is $4-7million/acre, if you can even acquire any.

Paid parking has been implemented in the Downtown due to vehicular traffic issues and intercept parking is a real thing.

There is a real lack of a collective vision of what Canmore aims to be, could be or wants to be.

And then there are the environmental concerns, wildlife corridor conflicts, issues and major event impacts such as fire/flood.

[goodgrowth]

I think it's pretty safe to say that a place like Canmore is never going to be affordable..

[Doady]

I always see people panhandling at major intersections in Mississauga in recent months, standing in the middle of the road and even holding up signs asking for money from the waiting motorists. I never saw that here before.

[urbandreamer]

Canmore sucks. It's like Waterdown without the historic charm. Very beige and grey.

[Coldrsx]

Canmore sucks. It's like Waterdown without the historic charm. Very beige and grey.

It's got its issues, but certainly has charm in parts and is a beautiful spot.

[someone123]

I’ve mentioned this before but the amount of change in Halifax between my two visits in 2018 and this past year is palpable. My wife who’s been a lot more than me noticed it even moreso.

From 2016-2021 the population downtown went up by 26% and I think that likely sped up toward the end of that period. The rate will go down as the population grows too but basically it is changing significantly every year. There is a blogger who tracks businesses opening and closing, and there are significantly more openings every year. The quality and variety seem to be going up too.

As one example, Halifax really did not have a great selection of hotels just a few years ago. It still doesn't have what would qualify as a major luxury hotel in a big city, but it has or is getting a handful of nicer higher end and interesting ones (e.g. Marriott Autograph or Sutton Place). In the 80's and 90's the old railway hotels were almost like rooming houses and the owners contemplated tearing them down.

A lot of the changes are more like "phase changes" than incremental. For example for tourism a town can be worth flying to for a long weekend or not. And a neighbourhood can be convenient to live in without a car or not.

[Architype]

^ There is an assumed built-in increase in busyness with increased population. Vancouver has added an entire Saskatoon or more in the past ten years, and has more than doubled since I lived here.

I always see people panhandling at major intersections in Mississauga in recent months, standing in the middle of the road and even holding up signs asking for money from the waiting motorists. I never saw that here before.

Those have been here for years. Oddly, I've thought there are fewer panhandlers now, at least in my area of Vancouver. I've attributed it to most people not carrying any actual cash/change to give out. I often don't have anything in my pocket except plastic, but occasionally I've bought something for people sitting outside of stores when they asked.

[Nashe]

From 2016-2021 the population downtown went up by 26% and I think that likely sped up toward the end of that period. The rate will go down as the population grows too but basically it is changing significantly every year. There is a blogger who tracks businesses opening and closing, and there are significantly more openings every year. The quality and variety seem to be going up too.

As one example, Halifax really did not have a great selection of hotels just a few years ago. It still doesn't have what would qualify as a major luxury hotel in a big city, but it has or is getting a handful of nicer higher end and interesting ones (e.g. Marriott Autograph or Sutton Place). In the 80's and 90's the old railway hotels were almost like rooming houses and the owners contemplated tearing them down.

A lot of the changes are more like "phase changes" than incremental. For example for tourism a town can be worth flying to for a long weekend or not. And a neighbourhood can be convenient to live in without a car or not.I just got back from a weekend in Halifax (usually do that a couple of times each year). The changes to the downtown skyline and density are huge. The waterfront walk is developing and expanding as well... less gaps and more "interesting" things to see and do. We usually stay at the Sutton, since it opened. Fantastic hotel right in the convention center.

[ericmacm]

Windsor felt like it was very slowly getting busier every year I lived there from 2015-2021. COVID destroyed downtown (like most cities) but it is slowly recovering from what I have been observing on my occasional trips down. My partner, however, who spent most of her life in Windsor, says that Windsor, especially downtown, is a far cry from what it used to be before the Financial Crisis. Lots of growth is happening but it’s been more on the outskirts and less in the city.

Mississauga, where I grew up, has changed significantly over the years. More infill development, more traffic, and more new money. I can say I have also noticed more panhandling in various areas in recent years on my trips back. Kind of crazy how rapidly it has changed and it feels like a different place now. Feels more of an extension of Toronto than a true suburb like it used to.

[harls]

Rush hour traffic seems a lot worse in my area than it was 15 years ago when I moved to this city.

I guess that will happen when you plop big box crap and condos everywhere without expanding transit or road upgrades.

[Wigs]

> Obvious joke goes over his head
> Responds with deliberately offensive comment

Sorry to break this to you, but you might be the fucking dumbass here.

:haha: :cheers: cheers, b'ys


to answer the topic of the thread, yes every municipality in Niagara is growing so it definitely feels busier in the region.

[MonkeyRonin]

Honestly, yeah, at least for me.  Toronto as a whole is much busier to be fair.  

I miss things though.  I loved Toronto then, and I do now, but it's quite different.  

Late breezy nights in 2010 at the waterfront.  Nobody checking our cans.  Cycle up to Queen W- hey we can sneak this can of Tiger in as they sell it there.  Seeing Crystal Castles in an abandoned theatre in Chinatown.  Oh, they only come on at 4am?  You still sell beers? Things were a vibe.


I remember seeing Crystal Castles around that same time (2010/11), in what was then an industrial wasteland on the banks of the Don River - now part the River City & Corktown Commons area.

I was back in Toronto over the holidays and ended up at the Bovine one night, and we got to reminiscing over the club scene of the Queen & Bathurst area of late 00s/early 10s, with several major venues all within a block or two of the intersection. Those are mostly all gone now, but the crazier part is how there were still derelict warehouses on the blocks to the south towards King & Bathurst that were home to after hours', skate parks, DIY venues and the like, before there were any condos or much of a King St. nightlife scene. Hard to imagine now that this is what that it looked like 10-15 years ago:

https://live.staticflickr.com/3350/3662398071_95195a61a1_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/6zCKmk)
City Sonic_Toronto music_Cancer Bats_Adrift Clubhouse_3 (https://flic.kr/p/6zCKmk) by City Sonic (https://www.flickr.com/photos/citysonic/), on Flickr

[Loco101]

It definitely doesn't feel busier where I live than 10 years ago. It feels pretty much the same.

[SpongeG]

there was talk about population growth on Friday on the radio and Canada will be bringing in 500,000 in 2025, Surrey is apparently gaining 1500 people every 30 days. Traffic in Surrey is really quite the nightmare now and continues to get worse.

Canada's immigration has caught US media attention.

Canada and the U.S. both face labor shortages. One country is increasing immigration. (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/canada-us-increasing-immigration-labor-shortage-rcna64691)

[north 42]

Windsor felt like it was very slowly getting busier every year I lived there from 2015-2021. COVID destroyed downtown (like most cities) but it is slowly recovering from what I have been observing on my occasional trips down. My partner, however, who spent most of her life in Windsor, says that Windsor, especially downtown, is a far cry from what it used to be before the Financial Crisis. Lots of growth is happening but it’s been more on the outskirts and less in the city.

Mississauga, where I grew up, has changed significantly over the years. More infill development, more traffic, and more new money. I can say I have also noticed more panhandling in various areas in recent years on my trips back. Kind of crazy how rapidly it has changed and it feels like a different place now. Feels more of an extension of Toronto than a true suburb like it used to.

There is actually a fair amount of infill going up right now throughout the city, and not just on the outskirts like before. I’m seeing a lot of 6 or more unit buildings going up on properties where there used to be just one singe family home, and a fair amount of mid-rises as well. There is still room for improvement, but at least it’s slowly moving in the right direction.

[Innsertnamehere]

From 2016-2021 the population downtown went up by 26% and I think that likely sped up toward the end of that period. The rate will go down as the population grows too but basically it is changing significantly every year. There is a blogger who tracks businesses opening and closing, and there are significantly more openings every year. The quality and variety seem to be going up too.

As one example, Halifax really did not have a great selection of hotels just a few years ago. It still doesn't have what would qualify as a major luxury hotel in a big city, but it has or is getting a handful of nicer higher end and interesting ones (e.g. Marriott Autograph or Sutton Place). In the 80's and 90's the old railway hotels were almost like rooming houses and the owners contemplated tearing them down.

A lot of the changes are more like "phase changes" than incremental. For example for tourism a town can be worth flying to for a long weekend or not. And a neighbourhood can be convenient to live in without a car or not.

Hamilton is still really lacking on the hotel front as well. The Sheraton downtown is an old-school 4-star property which has declined to the point where it could barely be considered a 3-star property at this point.

We are getting a new 3-star hotel downtown right now (Hampton Inn), but it's hardly anything which could actually be called "luxurious". It's the third 3-star property to open in the last decade. The lack of 4-star properties is one thing which is really lacking in Hamilton.

I'm hopeful with the residential expansion occurring downtown and the imminent renovation of Copps Coliseum, which should drive a lot more hotel business once done, we will see a real 4+ star hotel open. We'll have to see.

Generally I've seen even in the 3-years I've been here, a slow expansion of restaurants downtown and amenities. I really think downtown is going to hit a critical mass in the next 5 years where things really start to take off.

Toronto comparatively is quite different than in 2013, especially outside of the financial district. The Financial district is still a lot quieter than back then, but basically the rest of the city is teeming with life compared to when I moved there a decade ago. Certian areas in particular, like Yonge-Bloor and the entertainment district, are night and day differences in pedestrian traffic versus back then. The entertainment district used to have pretty minimal pedestrian activity back then, it's a zoo now.

[urbandreamer]

You kids must be young. The last decent rave I attended was in 1998. The last time I went to Queen and Bathurst area to club? 2001: Elements, Nasa Dance pub, System Soundbar, Industry on King West, Mod Club on College, a few times to Bovine/Savage Garden/Gypsy Coop/Big Bop and I went to the final goth night at the Sanctuary - and was the first customer at the Starbucks that replaced it. There used to be crazy art parties on Spadina in Chinatown, Eastside. The entertainment district was actually entertaining in 1995; 905 trash fighting after last call, 1am then iirc.

[jonny24]

You kids must be young. The last decent rave I attended was in 1998. The last time I went to Queen and Bathurst area to club? 2001: Elements, Nasa Dance pub, System Soundbar, Industry on King West, Mod Club on College, a few times to Bovine/Savage Garden/Gypsy Coop/Big Bop and I went to the final goth night at the Sanctuary - and was the first customer at the Starbucks that replaced it. There used to be crazy art parties on Spadina in Chinatown, Eastside. The entertainment district was actually entertaining in 1995; 905 trash fighting after last call, 1am then iirc.

I think you've been to more different clubs than times I've ever been clubbing in total :cheers:

[Spocket]

Despite experiencing sizeable population growth Winnipeg doesn’t feel any busier and in certain segments of the city (Downtown and Osborne) it feels less busy.

The two areas it does feel noticeably busier is the area around U of M and to a lesser extent the Forks.

I was out of the country for 11 years and Winnipeg is definitely busier now. That being said, it's hardly on a Hong Kong level either way.

[Spocket]

there was talk about population growth on Friday on the radio and Canada will be bringing in 500,000 in 2025, Surrey is apparently gaining 1500 people every 30 days. Traffic in Surrey is really quite the nightmare now and continues to get worse.

Canada's immigration has caught US media attention.

Canada and the U.S. both face labor shortages. One country is increasing immigration. (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/canada-us-increasing-immigration-labor-shortage-rcna64691)

I don't know what to make of the high population growth. We're told we need it because there aren't enough people to fill the vacancies but the government did absolutely nothing to prepare the country for the influx. On top of that, with housing and healthcare being huge issues, you'd expect a little more planning going in to this.

[MolsonExport]

London is growing faster now than at almost any time previously, and is apparently one of the fastest growing cities in Canada. Downtown still has not recovered to pre pandemic foot traffic (despite all the construction cranes). On the other hand, the homeless/junkie population has exploded downtown.

[MolsonExport]

> Obvious joke goes over his head
> Responds with deliberately offensive comment

Sorry to break this to you, but you might be the fucking dumbass here.

:haha:

[O-tacular]

It's got its issues, but certainly has charm in parts and is a beautiful spot.

Makes sense he finds it ugly as it's the headwaters of Calgary's sewage canal river.

[O-tacular]

Calgary feels significantly grittier and more dangerous at street level downtown than it did in 2013 when things were booming. Also way more panhandling in every quadrant from Tim's drive thrus, to stop signs at Big box stores, to red lights on main roads.

On a positive note mid rise development is off the charts and is significantly beefing up density in all areas of the city. Design has come a long way and is generally better than it was in the 00's.

[cranes]

This brochure (https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60e07a3cc4a4df1444aae398/t/60ef3d5ef23c6b54231465a7/1626291558651/Inten-City_WalkingTourDowntownKitchener_2021.pdf) does a good job highlighting the boom occurring in Downtown Kitchener. (could also be cross-posted in a "Walking Tours of Canada" thread)

Inten-City / 2021 - Witness the effects of rapid intensification on Kitchener's Downtown core
https://www.buildingwaterlooregion.com/

There are so many projects under construction at this moment that it is almost impossible to grasp the scale of the change our city is about to undergo. More projects are going up in the core than were built in the last 25 years. The highest of these buildings will be more than twice as tall as any previous structure in the Kitchener core. Towers are looming over our most cherished open spaces including Victoria Park. The vast majority of the buildings are residential. The population of the Kitchener core will virtually double. This talk introduces a new guide to the changing core and provides the background to the present surge, laying out the four previous phases in the development of the core since the middle of the last century. This presentation also asks the very important question: What kind of City are we building? --- What Kind of City Are We Building? Lecture at the Kitchener Public Library Presented by Rick Haldenby, Professor, University of Waterloo School of Architecture, 19 May 2021

https://i.postimg.cc/fZQYk9GH/Inten-City-2021-Page-1.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/h4nmYk8F/Inten-City-2021-Page-2.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/V19ntN1z/Inten-City-2021-Page-3.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/vQpfrgcZ/Inten-City-2021-Page-4.jpg

[Harrison]

Canmore sucks. It's like Waterdown without the historic charm. Very beige and grey.

The urban form, sure, but it's popular almost exclusively to it's natural setting, which nothing in Ontario can hold a candle to, and that has lead to it becoming increasingly popular and very, very busy.

[theman23]

The Canmore to Waterdown comparison makes no sense at all. You might as well compare either to Tel Aviv.

[urbandreamer]

I wasn't really a fan of any of the mountain towns east of Revelstoke. I actually prefer the coastal range and Kootenays, maybe not Cranbrook and Fernie was kind of blah too. I find the new build aesthetic, with fake wood accents over beige and grey siding/EIFS depressing. And as for natural setting, eastern Ontario is beautiful.

I suppose if you're an oilman, drive large SUV and into biking, Canmore/Cochrane/Jasper/Banff is appealing. I'm more at home in the woods, even Alberta ranch country.

[rousseau]

Canmore sucks. It's like Waterdown without the historic charm. Very beige and grey.
In Google Street View Canmore Alberta looks like a standard issue tourist town in the mountains in North America. Is that bad?

I don't get the Waterdown reference, unless you mean it's a small town on the outskirts of a big city? Waterdown isn't a tourist destination, though.

[rousseau]

Kitchener-Waterloo is still a dog's breakfast to look at, but the construction scene is quite active. And traffic has palpably increased over the last ten years, without question. It feels a bit like a boomtown.

[Drybrain]

In Google Street View Canmore Alberta looks like a standard issue tourist town in the mountains in North America. Is that bad?



Oddly enough, I was there a couple of weeks ago, and that's exactly what it is. It's not exactly a marvellous place in terms of its built environment, nor does it stand out among other towns of its type (Banff is still the superlative Alberta mountain town, even if it is overly busy nowadays).

But it's pleasant, bustling, walkable, and most importantly, in the mountains, which is why people go there.

Someone mentioned Revelstoke as more appealing, and I understand that: its residential streets are more eclectic, with a jumbled-up mix of smaller, older, more attractive houses. Canmore's residential sections are a little but like a new-build Calgary suburb stuck in the mountains, complete with massive garages and massively wide streets.

Still, Canmore's downtown area is just fine for what it is, and really, it's all about what's just out of town, not town itself.

[Coldrsx]

Canmore was a coal mining town with a train yard and some miners cabins. It didn't really begin to grow until the 40s/50s and then died in the late 70s until 1988 -> the Calgary Olympics and then boomed. It was the industrial service centre for Banff and played second fiddle until recently when it has really become its own destination.

My photos from the last 2 yrs here:

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=246523

[river]

I wasn't really a fan of any of the mountain towns east of Revelstoke. I actually prefer the coastal range and Kootenays, maybe not Cranbrook and Fernie was kind of blah too. I find the new build aesthetic, with fake wood accents over beige and grey siding/EIFS depressing. And as for natural setting, eastern Ontario is beautiful.

I suppose if you're an oilman, drive large SUV and into biking, Canmore/Cochrane/Jasper/Banff is appealing. I'm more at home in the woods, even Alberta ranch country.

Every time I hear your comments, I roll over laughing. The fact that you lump Banff into a category of beige/ grey siding shows how little you know about everything west of Toronto. The town arguably has the best historic stock for western Canadian mountain towns. The only other one up there would be Nelson in my opinion

[MisterMillionz]

I definitely feel like my city is busier than previous years... I'm from Laval, Montreal's largest suburb and it's feeling more and more like it's "own city". In 2021, the city's population was determined to be just under 450,000.

The amount of construction for new condos, new warehouses along highways and in neighborhoods across the island is a lot. On the positive side, I feel like there are way more pedestrians and cyclists (and new bike paths) in the city too now. The traffic on the major highways has got worse as well, the 440, 15 and 13 especially.

[Hali87]

I agree there's a subtle but definite difference in feel between most of the BC "ski etc" towns and the Alberta ones. Although I'd draw the line east of Golden/Fernie (both are very similar to Revelstoke) and there are exceptions on both sides.

When I think of Alberta I think of Banff/Lake Louise + Jasper, all of which are in national parks, each being built around an iconic resort, Banff in particular feeling very hotel-dominated. Canmore doesn't have a ski hill (other than the Nordic Centre, which is for cross-country) and mentally I kind of lump it in with the Banff "region", it does have a very suburb-like feel, lacking a street grid, and mostly being contemporary, highway-oriented stuff. It's not immediately obvious whether there's enough of a year-round population to support things like public schools (I don't think I've ever met anyone who grew up in Canmore and I've definitely never met anyone who grew up in Banff!)

The smaller BC Interior cities all have a remarkably similar layout, architecture, and overall feel that is pretty distinct, with gridded streets and walkable cores that are partially but not completely tourist-oriented and there are usually other industrial things going on locally and not just tourism/recreation. The housing stock tends to mostly be a generation or two older than what you'd see in Canmore, with a handful of Canmore-esque new builds sprinkled in occasionally. A lot of them are adjacent to national or provincial parks but none of them are really built around a large-scale, deliberate, Banff Springs type tourist centre. They tend to feel less busy overall than Banff (or even Canmore), at least in peak seasons, while also feeling "busier with non-leisure, non-tourist stuff" year-round. The infrastructure (bridges, dams, etc) tends to be cooler-looking and older but in some cases the highways feel much sketchier to drive on, while Alberta universally feels pretty "plain but new" when it comes to highways through mountains, other than the wildlife overpasses, which are pretty neat.

There are others that are kind of halfway in between (the Okanagan cities, Kamloops) and then Whistler which I've never been to but seems like Banff x Canmore with the town itself being fairly atypical for BC and almost entirely tourist/leisure oriented. There are a few similar examples like Sun Peaks but I tend to just think of that as part of metro Kamloops.

[SignalHillHiker]

^ From my experience in Halifax last summer, it has taken on a bit of a European city feeling where it can be a bit hard to tell where the downtown and downtown-adjacent areas end, and the rest of the city with outlying neighbourhoods begin. There's a lot of continuity in the urban fabric.

This is my impression as well. I was at a laundromat on Cornwallis as soon as it opened (8 a.m.) to wash and dry a load. Grabbed coffee and mostly sat outside and people watched. It’s a couple blocks from downtown (might technically be part of it, but not really, and when I was there was separated from it by significant construction) but it was surprisingly busy at that early hour, especially parents with kids, cyclists, and even a combination of the two (those bikes with baby seats). It was as good as people watching gets at that early hour.

[Acajack]

Most parts of Ottawa are a pale shadow of what they were 10 years ago.

Downtown Ottawa and even Gatineau had some pretty impressive momentum but most of that seems to have been lost during the pandemic.

There is still a considerable amount of construction in urban districts - almost all of it residential. But paradoxically the streets these buildings sit on have become grittier and even dodgier in some cases.

[Acajack]

I am also in Montréal a lot and it seems to have rebounded from the pandemic a lot better than Ottawa-Gatineau. Though obviously it was starting from a stronger positon anyway.

Even so one senses a lot of momentum was lost there too.

[theman23]

Downtown Ottawa and even Gatineau had some pretty impressive momentum but most of that seems to have been lost during the pandemic.

There is still a considerable amount of construction in urban districts - almost all of it residential. But paradoxically the streets these buildings sit on have become grittier and even dodgier in some cases.

This probably has to do with the federal WFH, right? The students and tourists and drifters all seem to be back.

[Acajack]

This probably has to do with the federal WFH, right? The students and tourists all seem to be back.

Yes, that's probably 95% of the issue right there.

[Drybrain]

This is my impression as well. I was at a laundromat on Cornwallis as soon as it opened (8 a.m.) to wash and dry a load. Grabbed coffee and mostly sat outside and people watched. It’s a couple blocks from downtown (might technically be part of it, but not really, and when I was there was separated from it by significant construction) but it was surprisingly busy at that early hour, especially parents with kids, cyclists, and even a combination of the two (those bikes with baby seats). It was as good as people watching gets at that early hour.

Yep. This is the kind of not-quite-downtown area that was definitely quieter as little as five years ago, and comparatively wind-swept 10 or 15 years ago (despite a fairly dense population).

The change in this area is a really good argument for up-zoning established residential areas, btw. This is an area that saw a lot of historic housing stock lost in the past 50-70 years, and replaced with light industrial/commercial uses, especially car-oriented ones: dealerships, autobody and repair, etc. You'll walk down a lovely street full of historic houses, and then find a one-storey muffler shop on the corner. In a few places, entire blocks were razed and replaced with parking lots and the like.

That was obviously unfortunate, and contributed to the area's decline. But it also created a dozens of potential sites for infill housing. Today, the remaining historic housing stock is mostly protected by restrictive zoning, but there are dozens of good infill sites which have been carved out of those neighbourhoods and zoned for mid-rise intensification. The result is that in the past ten years, and especially the past five, there have been loads of apartment buildings erected, which have added several thousand new residents to the bordering census tracts. And the process is continuing, as there are still a fair number of development sites left.

This wouldn't have happened if the whole area had been blanketed by houses, with fewer redevelopment sites available.

[Coldrsx]

When I think of Alberta I think of Banff/Lake Louise + Jasper, all of which are in national parks, each being built around an iconic resort, Banff in particular feeling very hotel-dominated. Canmore doesn't have a ski hill (other than the Nordic Centre, which is for cross-country) and mentally I kind of lump it in with the Banff "region", it does have a very suburb-like feel, lacking a street grid, and mostly being contemporary, highway-oriented stuff. It's not immediately obvious whether there's enough of a year-round population to support things like public schools (I don't think I've ever met anyone who grew up in Canmore and I've definitely never met anyone who grew up in Banff!)


Central Canmore has a very established grid, but the rest is impacted by two creeks, the Bow river, former railway lines/yard and Hwy1; that's just the valley bottom. Keep in mind that much of the town (re)developed in the 80s/90s and so it become strip malls, car-orientated commercial and hwy hotel.

The sides of the valley are curvilinear and very suburban in nature.

It has two schools and one high school is is over 16000 people and 20000 on weekends.

[Acajack]

I know grit has its fans on here but for Ottawa(-Gatineau) I am still disappointed that the pandemicus interruptus has allowed a lot more shitty grittiness to take root in the urban heart, whereas just before things seemed to be pushing towards the direction of a more elegant finer-grained urbanity.

Not sure the tide can be fully turned back.

[niwell]

Canmore doesn't have a whole lot of historic building stock from my experiences having spent a fair bit of time there (albeit not for a number of years). The main street makes up for it in general vibrancy though - it's a solid streetwall with interesting establishments even if they're in newer buildings. Looks to be a lot more new infill as well from looking at streetview. I'm not a particular fan of the fake riverstone/exposed timber look - especially when it's done in Calgary suburbs - but I'll admit it works a lot better in an actual mountain town. Thinking this kinda stuff:
https://goo.gl/maps/93VtjG33sM7SrsTP6

Honestly for that matter Banff doesn't have great historic stock outside of the obvious iconic structures. Banff Springs notwithstanding a lot of the buildings themselves aren't more impressive than the standard Southern Ontario town. But more than makes up for it in main street density, pedestrian traffic and of course the natural setting. It's a tourist town so it simply has a lot more stuff than most similar sized places.

[Coldrsx]

A few shots I took of Canmore to help provide context.

Canmore is VERY busy Fri-Sun these days and has become a lifestyle and outdoor Mecca. As mentioned, 10yrs ago it was a place to sleep en route to Banff, but now it is the destination for many visitors and part-time residents.

There is friction between old-time residents and the 'new money' about how things are changing (and rapidly) and what the vision of this place should be.

Polarized, fractured, but very engaged and passionate people here; it has an amazingly dedicated community and is a wonderful place to live (other than housing costs and lack of some retail).

https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/15oct22-canmore-pano-png.432758/

Old miners housing
https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/dsc_1470-jpg.313232/

Newer hwy commercial/hotel/short-term
https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/dsc_1476-jpg.313234/

https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/dsc_1192-jpg.309156/

Old hwy hotel
https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/dsc_1482-jpg.312953/

Old mainstreet Canmore
https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/dsc_0058-jpg.302701/

Mainstreet feel during busy summer weekends
https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/x164/coldrsx/DSC_1310(2).JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

New housing
https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/dsc_0249-jpg.316716/

[goodgrowth]

A lot of the valleys in the Rockies/Southern BC Interior just aren't large enough to feasibly build much beyond "resort/small town" imo.

The only place other than Kelowna that I could see potentially being a large city sometime in the (distant)future is the Cranbrook/Kimberly area. Just because it technically has a wide enough valley.

[OldDartmouthMark]

A few shots I took of Canmore to help provide context.

Canmore is VERY busy Fri-Sun these days and has become a lifestyle and outdoor Mecca. As mentioned, 10yrs ago it was a place to sleep en route to Banff, but now it is the destination for many visitors and part-time residents.

There is friction between old-time residents and the 'new money' about how things are changing (and rapidly) and what the vision of this place should be.

Polarized, fractured, but very engaged and passionate people here; it has an amazingly dedicated community and is a wonderful place to live (other than housing costs and lack of some retail).

https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/15oct22-canmore-pano-png.432758/

Old miners housing
https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/dsc_1470-jpg.313232/

Newer hwy commercial/hotel/short-term
https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/dsc_1476-jpg.313234/

https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/dsc_1192-jpg.309156/

Old hwy hotel
https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/dsc_1482-jpg.312953/

Old mainstreet Canmore
https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/dsc_0058-jpg.302701/

Mainstreet feel during busy summer weekends
https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/x164/coldrsx/DSC_1310(2).JPG?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

New housing
https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/attachments/dsc_0249-jpg.316716/

Looks lovely to me. We stayed in Canmore in the 1990s as an alternative to staying in Banff, which even then was starting to feel overwhelmed by tourists. Enjoyed every moment of it, especially waking up in the morning, looking outside and being surrounded by beautiful scenery. Aside from being busier, it doesn't look like much has changed from my perspective... and that's a good thing.

If it weren't for the draw of living near the ocean, the Rockies would be the next most desirable spot to live for me.

[Ozy_Flame]

The only place other than Kelowna that I could see potentially being a large city sometime in the (distant)future is the Cranbrook/Kimberly area. Just because it technically has a wide enough valley.

Shhhh don't give this area away, the southern Kootenays are the best kept secret in lower BC.

[Coldrsx]

Shhhh don't give this area away, the southern Kootenays are the best kept secret in lower BC.

:haha: so true, so true.

If there was an airport expansion somewhere down there, perhaps, but it is a bit far from anything to have significant growth.

That said, Kimberley, Nelson, Kaslo, et. al are wonderful places and will only become more desirable going forward.

[river]

Banff actually has a tonne, it's just most either blend in, but the town does have immense stress for development. As for less impressive than a southern Ontario town I'd say it's really debatable, Welland, Orangeville, Niagara on the lake are all very different...

Banff has some important building stock like the spring, banff museum, cave and basin, upper springs, Whyte and Luxton historic blocks, superintendent's office, train station etc. I am part of a small group working with the town at the moment where they are finishing up a heritage resource list which has approx. 450 buildings which for a small town is quite substantial. There are some great small projects going on right now like this one:

https://cottagelife.com/general/banff-cottage-of-albertas-first-premier-to-be-restored-to-former-glory/

As for the question of this thread, Canmore and Banff are way busier with tourism becoming a crux for the Bow Valley. One example is Moraine lake recently closing to vehicular traffic where crowds caused the lake to reach a tipping point with Parks Canada. They are both facing immense pressure from development and are becoming more connected to each other daily. The next 10 years will be interesting as some ongoing proposals (three sisters) may set the communities path for the next 30 years.

[Coldrsx]

Tourism/visitation is up 20-25% over a 10yr average... and that is SIGNIFICANT given that that average is 4.1mil or so.

There is significant talk about restricting personal vehicles more and more and requiring local buses, private commercial transport and a train from Calgary/YYC to make this workable for all.

[Ozy_Flame]

:haha: so true, so true.

If there was an airport expansion somewhere down there, perhaps, but it is a bit far from anything to have significant growth.

That said, Kimberley, Nelson, Kaslo, et. al are wonderful places and will only become more desirable going forward.

My retirement plan is Kimberley, hoping a direct flight to Cranbook from Toronto is in the cards within 30 years :)

[goodgrowth]

My amatuer theory with the Cranbrook/Kimberley area is simply that it has the land capacity potential to get into a "tipping point" territory of sorts.... where as most of the town's/cities in the Interior/Rockies don't.

Nobody has really thought about what would happen if you had an urban area in the Canadian "Rockies" that managed to get into the 50-100K territory. At some point it moves beyond small town/resort town that's far out of the way and becomes a small city/CMA in a very scenic area.

[urbandreamer]

Cranbrook has better urban bones than either Banff or Canmore. I'm not a fan of tourist traps like downtown Banff. Those photos of Canmore illustrate why I hate the place. I preferred the few Ontario-style small towns I saw like Olds, Vermilion, High River; I did like Pincher Creek and Fort Macleod, with Lacombe being my favorite.

[memememe76]

Downtown Vancouver is still suffering from the effects of C19.

In terms of suburbs, I think the most (and nicest) evolution from 10 years ago is Lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver.

[ccw219]

Edmonton feels like a study of contrasts. Downtown momentum was absolutely pummeled by the pandemic, and I know more and more folks who completely avoid the area from fear for personal safety. What was turning into a bustling fun neighbourhood, now only has small pockets of life between large areas of blight.

The university/Whyte Ave area has recovered very well in recent months. It feels busier than ever (although with the encroaching sense of sameness that seems to afflict more and more streets in Vancouver/Toronto). The Garneau area adjacent to the university is busy at all times now.

Oliver and 124 Street seem to have weathered the pandemic storm best since it's largely anchored by local dense residential rather than commuting office workers or the University of Alberta. There are plenty of new towers and small commercial projects each year - and pedestrian traffic is noticeably busier.

There are cute little neighbourhood hubs that are clearly growing into their own - Highlands, Ritchie and Bonnie Doon are visibly more popular at street level. Gentrification in less desirable areas feels practically non-existent.

Suburbs continue to grow endlessly, so traffic on major arteries feels worse by the year. Light rail will double soon but this pales in comparison to enormous investments in highways. Some power centres and minor malls are full of empty retail now, while popular centres for visitors are packed (I'm looking at you Ikea & West Edmonton Mall).

[Kilgore Trout]

Montreal as a whole definitely feels busier than 10 years ago, which isn't surprising considering there are 120,000 more people on the island and 500,000 more people in the metropolitan area.

The street-level impact is harder to gauge. The pandemic really did a number on the Latin Quarter and the Village, both of which had been struggling a little bit before the pandemic but were still reliably busy. They're much quieter than before. At the same time, large parts of downtown were literal parking lots in 2013, and they're now filled with housing and businesses. Griffintown is the prime example, but there's also the area around the Bell Centre and the blocks between Ste-Catherine and René-Lévesque in the western part of downtown.

The street-level impact is pretty varied. The southwest is generally way busier than it was 10 years ago. The Lachine Canal is bustling in the way it never used to be, for instance. But other areas feel about the same as they used to, just a bit more gentrified.

I think if you'd asked this question in 2019 it would have been easier to answer. Right before the pandemic it felt like the city was bursting at the seams. The metro was more crowded than I'd ever seen it. But things have changed very quickly...

[kool maudit]

My impression in 2018 was that the revitalization of Montreal's many 'outer-inner' areas, plus Griffintown, had actually taken a toll on downtown + lower Plateau + inner Westmount busy-ness, as had construction etc.

Wellington was great and west of McGill St. was interesting. The replacement of what was essentially once a red-light district with a state-sponsored theatre area was notable. But St-Laurent and St-Denis were shadows of themselves, and Ste-Catherine West was spotty and underpowered.

[kool maudit]

Montreal has a funny central core at the best of times. The focus of the whole thing wandered from the Place d'Armes to Square Victoria, up Beaver Hall to PVM, and west past Dominion Square before losing its footing and petering out. Now it seems like it may be headed back to Square Victoria.

Something like this process writ large seems to be occurring across the city. It has been great for streets like Masson and Beaubien, of course Wellington, and it even jumped around Notre-Dame West a bit. But the city's clothes still feel big for it, and it is hard to find epicentres of energy.

[kool maudit]

Montreal can sort of feel like if Brooklyn existed without a Manhattan.

[Coldrsx]

^never thought about it like that, but that's bang on actually.

[Taeolas]

Fredericton is certainly feeling busier. We're in the post Christmas Dead season now so downtown is quieter, but when I was out some evenings pre-Christmas, it felt VERY busy with lots of downtown restaurants doing good business.

Most of the busy-ness is being felt up at the malls and shopping nodes. Regent Mall is feeling busier though it's also trimmed its hours post-COVID. The other big box nodes are doing more and more business it feels too.

I don't think the city has quite come to terms with just how much growth we're getting here too. Transit especially needs a major overhaul IMO, to shift from "big town government focused" transit to a "Medium city serve everyone" transit model that handles the region better.