Great Canadian Skyline Thread II

[niwell]

It’s been interesting the see the shift from referring to “Hull” when I lived in Ottawa in the early 2000s to “Gatineau” today. When I first moved nobody had really heard of the latter but now it seems to be the standard reference among people I know in Ottawa.

[J.OT13]

Vast majority of the time, I still use the old City boundaries (Aylmer, Hull, Gatineau, Masson-Anger, Buckingham), with the exception of Plateau, which I refer as its own thing (as it was split between Hull and Aylmer). I do the same in Ottawa, with the exception of Orleans, which like Plateau, was in two cities, Cumberland and Gloucester, and Barrhaven and Riverside South, which were in Nepean and Gloucester, respectively, but are today, and pre-amalgamation, very distinct from their overlords.

[Maldive]

The view from across Humber Bay. Many layers featuring the latest office tower addition, 160 Front West (TD Terrace).


A Torontonian Now

This view to be dominated by The One… one day.


Rascacielo

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Vast majority of the time, I still use the old City boundaries (Aylmer, Hull, Gatineau, Masson-Anger, Buckingham), with the exception of Plateau, which I refer as its own thing (as it was split between Hull and Aylmer). I do the same in Ottawa, with the exception of Orleans, which like Plateau, was in two cities, Cumberland and Gloucester, and Barrhaven and Riverside South, which were in Nepean and Gloucester, respectively, but are today, and pre-amalgamation, very distinct from their overlords.

Yes, referring to western parts of the Plateau, east of Chemin Vanier, as "Aylmer", is ridiculous. Some of the media still do this.

As for Gloucester, to me that's the area of Ottawa around Blair and Ogilvie. Even though technically several other parts of Ottawa could be called Gloucester. Including some well to the south of there.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Yes, referring to western parts of the Plateau, east of Chemin Vanier, as "Aylmer", is ridiculous. Some of the media still do this.

As for Gloucester, to me that's the area of Ottawa around Blair and Ogilvie. Even though technically several other parts of Ottawa could be called Gloucester. Including some well to the south of there.

Yet, I lived in the Plateau for years and considered it more Aylmer than Hull, my landlord called it Aylmer, and my neighbors called it Aylmer. I'm in Aylmer proper now, but I just met someone at Bayshore who said they live in Aylmer and I asked where, and they said 'The Plateau'. I think having Gatineau Park separating the Plateau from Hull makes it feel geographically more related to Aylmer, but that's just me...

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Yes, referring to western parts of the Plateau, east of Chemin Vanier, as "Aylmer", is ridiculous. Some of the media still do this.

As for Gloucester, to me that's the area of Ottawa around Blair and Ogilvie. Even though technically several other parts of Ottawa could be called Gloucester. Including some well to the south of there.

Agreed on the definition of Gloucester, or at least, as I see it. Even though Riverside South, Leitrim, parts of Orleans, Blackburn and Beacon Hill were part of Gloucester, I really only consider roughly what borders the 174, Aviation Parkway and Montreal Road (though I was under the impression Caron Grove and La Cité were in Ottawa, but seems I was wrong about that).

Originally Posted by Harley613

Yet, I lived in the Plateau for years and considered it more Aylmer than Hull, my landlord called it Aylmer, and my neighbors called it Aylmer. I'm in Aylmer proper now, but I just met someone at Bayshore who said they live in Aylmer and I asked where, and they said 'The Plateau'. I think having Gatineau Park separating the Plateau from Hull makes it feel geographically more related to Aylmer, but that's just me...

For a while, I thought Plateau was more Hull than Aylmer, but I believe the line was des Grives (maps of pre-amalgamation Outaouais are harder to find than pre-amalgamation Ottawa). When I was younger, we went to Star Cité Hull in Le Plateau. Today, I agree it feels more like Aylmer because it's so isolated from Hull.

[Coldrsx]

https://twitter.com/CherylProbert1/status/1708842552382886367

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Agreed on the definition of Gloucester, or at least, as I see it. Even though Riverside South, Leitrim, parts of Orleans, Blackburn and Beacon Hill were part of Gloucester, I really only consider roughly what borders the 174, Aviation Parkway and Montreal Road (though I was under the impression Caron Grove and La Cité were in Ottawa, but seems I was wrong about that).



For a while, I thought Plateau was more Hull than Aylmer, but I believe the line was des Grives (maps of pre-amalgamation Outaouais are harder to find than pre-amalgamation Ottawa). When I was younger, we went to Star Cité Hull in Le Plateau. Today, I agree it feels more like Aylmer because it's so isolated from Hull.

At least to me, the Plateau has always been associated with Hull. That said, agree with you guys that it's increasingly simply its own thing, and not seen as either Hull nor Aylmer.

My kids who never knew the pre-fusion cities, would never refer to that area as Hull or Aylmer. It's Plateau point final.

And this is one thing about mergers, is that they reinforced the more logical community names in both Ottawa and Gatineau.

I agree that no one would refer to Barrhaven as "Nepean" today, for example. Nepean to everyone is the area roughly centred along Merivale Road.

Bayshore also isn't "Nepean" to people. It's just Bayshore.

[J.OT13]

Look at that space between towers in Edmonton. Contrast that with the wall to wall towers in Ottawa (brought to you by height restrictions) or Calgary. Edmonton has more similarities with Winnipeg or, to a lesser extent, the Saskatchewan twins, in that sense.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Look at that space between towers in Edmonton. Contrast that with the wall to wall towers in Ottawa (brought to you by height restrictions) or Calgary. Edmonton has more similarities with Winnipeg or, to a lesser extent, the Saskatchewan twins, in that sense.

Edmonton, gives me an Australian city vibe because of the space between towers and the variance in height it has.

[TorontoDrew]

Yonge and Eglinton by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Doors Open Toronto by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Nuit Blanche 2023 by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Doors Open Toronto by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Canadian International Air Show 2023 by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Danville Park by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Love Park by Marcanadian, on Flickr

The One by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Portlands Flood Protection by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Doors Open Toronto by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Doors Open Toronto by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Doors Open Toronto by Marcanadian, on Flickr

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Edmonton, gives me an Australian city vibe because of the space between towers and the variance in height it has.

That's an interesting point. Definitely true with skyline views from a distance, but at street level your typical Australian state capital city has way less surface parking (ie almost none) than Edmonton does.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by Acajack

That's an interesting point. Definitely true with skyline views from a distance, but at street level your typical Australian state capital city has way less surface parking (ie almost none) than Edmonton does.

Edmonton certainly has some work to do, but when the surfaces fill in it will probably void the comparison as Edmonton (and most Prairie cities) have a distinct lack of the density from the early and mid 20th century period and given the cost scale involved, that five to eight story in-fill that would complete the picture is economically difficult.

[Martin Mtl]

Photo: https://x.com/montreal?s=21&t=RY_nTQy6krZW5kIDCGyR9w

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Look at that space between towers in Edmonton. Contrast that with the wall to wall towers in Ottawa (brought to you by height restrictions) or Calgary. Edmonton has more similarities with Winnipeg or, to a lesser extent, the Saskatchewan twins, in that sense.

Height restrictions and tower separations are two unrelated things. The majority of development will continue to built right up against the lot lines as long as they are allowed to do so.

[scrapin]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

Yonge and Eglinton by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Doors Open Toronto by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Nuit Blanche 2023 by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Doors Open Toronto by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Canadian International Air Show 2023 by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Danville Park by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Love Park by Marcanadian, on Flickr

The One by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Portlands Flood Protection by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Doors Open Toronto by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Doors Open Toronto by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Doors Open Toronto by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Wow! Great photos in this thread always! Thank you!

[harls]

I love the passive aggressive posting of Toronto skyscrapers to stifle conversation.

Uh oh, I started it again.

[ssiguy]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Edmonton certainly has some work to do, but when the surfaces fill in it will probably void the comparison as Edmonton (and most Prairie cities) have a distinct lack of the density from the early and mid 20th century period and given the cost scale involved, that five to eight story in-fill that would complete the picture is economically difficult.

As the downtown population of Edmonton increases so will the vitality of the city but it has an exceptionally long way to go and certainly more than any other {non-suburban} city of over 200,000 in the country. I've been to all of them and Edmonton stands out as being the worse by a long shot.

You need people to create vitality but you need more than that. Despite it's growing downtown population, there isn't one single block of a "complete street" in the entire city centre. A restaurant beside a bank tower beside a parking garage entrance beside barber shop beside an office tower beside a hotel is not a complete street. A complete street is basically one where you can sit and watch the people go by and the entire inner city of Edmonton doesn't have one.

This is in very stark contrast to Calgary where the entire inner city is nothing but one complete street connected to the other. Considering they have always had roughly the same size, same natural resource based economies, similar historic founding, similar high incomes, and relatively same weather, the 2 couldn't have more dissimilar urban development if they tried.

[logan5]

Another (out of 1000's) head scratcher of a post.

[Repthe250]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

As the downtown population of Edmonton increases so will the vitality of the city but it has an exceptionally long way to go and certainly more than any other {non-suburban} city of over 200,000 in the country. I've been to all of them and Edmonton stands out as being the worse by a long shot.

You need people to create vitality but you need more than that. Despite it's growing downtown population, there isn't one single block of a "complete street" in the entire city centre. A restaurant beside a bank tower beside a parking garage entrance beside barber shop beside an office tower beside a hotel is not a complete street. A complete street is basically one where you can sit and watch the people go by and the entire inner city of Edmonton doesn't have one.

This is in very stark contrast to Calgary where the entire inner city is nothing but one complete street connected to the other. Considering they have always had roughly the same size, same natural resource based economies, similar historic founding, similar high incomes, and relatively same weather, the 2 couldn't have more dissimilar urban development if they tried.

I think what you’re talking about is a high street. And downtown Calgary is not all high streets. It’s very bank next to office tower next to parking garage next to restaurant next to office tower next to hotel. Downtown Calgary empties out at 5 pm just like Edmonton.