Edmonton Construction 9 (2008-08) - Page 342

240glt · #**6821** Posted **Jul 12, 2009, 6:46 PM**

^ I'm not home yet. Sitting @ YVR now, just got bumped to standby.

I don't know why I still give AC the time of day. Hoping for a bump up to 1st class, otherwise I could be sitting here for a while.

CanadianCentaur · #**6822** Posted **Jul 12, 2009, 7:13 PM**

240glt, glad you enjoyed your stay in Vancouver.

As a frequent visitor to Vancouver, I've become a bit jaded, but still, I can't complain about how much better the urban life is compared to Edmonton or Calgary. But of course, it's far from perfect.

While Edmonton is far behind in terms of urban life along the lines of downtown Van, etc. and there's no arguing that it has quite a ways to go, it's better than what it used to be 15-25 years ago, IMO. If we're to push Edmonton in the right direction, it needs to be done in a timely manner. Not too fast, or the citizens might be in an uproar. But not too slow, either, or things just won't improve.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin_foster

That's it. I'm voting Steamwhistle as one of my top 5 favorite Canadian Pilsners.

I had a couple of those last night, in addition to a double Jamesons, a pint of Wraspberry and BR Lime each and a couple of bottles of Okanagan Spring Pale Ale.

newfangled · #**6823** Posted **Jul 12, 2009, 9:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

-The cycling infrastructure in this city is far superior to anything we have in Alberta. I've been skeptical of just paining lines on streets but it appears to work very well in Van.

I think it has a lot to do with perceived comfort. Our current infrastructure is anti-cyclist. Telling people that they are not allowed to ride on sidewalks and that they must ride in traffic is not the way to making cycling accessible to non-cyclists. A simple line provides a safe middleground.

(it can also lead to the problem of making them feel too safe to the point where they think they're in their own little bubble and stop paying attention traffic, but a lot of people don't pay attention when they're driving cars either)

And the bike-as-vehicle approach only works when you actually want to be vehicle. If I'm trying to get somewhere quickly by myself, then I don't mind being a vehicle. If I'm riding somewhere with my girlfriend, then me being a vehicle means leaving her blocks behind. That painted line gives a place with a bit of breathing room, where you can still be social instead of needing to keep up with traffic.

(and of course then you get people riding side-by-side like they sometimes do on the High Level, but people are dumb. What are you going to do?)

Rogie · #**6824** Posted **Jul 12, 2009, 10:01 PM**

I've lived in Vancouver for the past 5 years, and I can vouch that the people here are nowhere near as friendly as people in Edmonton. I can't explain why, but it's the truth.

Notwithstanding, there is a school of urban development called Vancouverism. I don't know its particulars, but I know the locals are proud of it. I assume it involves making everything denser.

To my mind, the single biggest contributing factor to the urban feel of this city is the lack of space. Obviously, there's the water, but the province also has an Agricultural Land Reserve in the undeveloped parts of the Lower Mainland. If you want to put an industrial or residential development on an agricultural property, you have to make your case to a board, and more often than not, those proposals are turned down.

For example, in Richmond, there's something called the Garden City lands. Ottawa owns it, it wants to give the land to local Native bands who want to develop it, the city's onside... but no one can get it past the Agricultural Land Commission. So the rather large tract of land sits, unused.

I wish the province put a similar, legislated, restriction around Edmonton and its suburbs (Calgary too for that matter). That, to my mind, more than anything else, would spur greater densities in the city.

Without the ALR, I have no doubt the suburbs east of Vancouver would sprawl just as they do everywhere else.

Rogie · #**6825** Posted **Jul 12, 2009, 10:29 PM**

I was just up in Edmonton, and something I noticed, that has largely flown under the radar, is the doubling in size of le Centre francophone or La Cite francophone (I can't remember its actual name). It's across from the Faculte St-Jean, and I'm amazed at all the new development that's gone on in that area in the past few years. The expansion that's going in there looks great, IMO.

I went to school at St-Thomas d'Aquin that used to stand on that plot at 91 St & 86 Ave so many years ago, and I can tell you, what's there now is a vast improvement.

Glad to see the French community doing so well in Edmonton.

240glt · #**6826** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 12:33 AM**

^ It's come along, that's for sure.

Re: Burrard lane closure in Van, I made a mistake, they're only closing one lane. Regardless, that bridge is dangerous because there is no separation between the sidewalk and traffic. THey put a concrete barrier up separating one of the southbound lanes off from traffic. I think it will work fine. I don't think we should restrict ourselves to only providing cycling infratructure if it doesn't come at the expense of car infrastrucure. Of course we need to provide infrastructure that people will use. I don't want anything done just for the sake of it.

I just got home, and drove down Jasper on my way to the house. A streetscape improvement and new streets & sidewalks will make an immense difference in how it looks down there. I think one of the reasons Van looks so good right now is that it seems that the city has done an incredible about of concrete and resurafacing work. Jasper is looking shabby.

I am glad to be home though.

CMD UW · #**6827** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 12:59 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

I just got home, and drove down Jasper on my way to the house. A streetscape improvement and new streets & sidewalks will make an immense difference in how it looks down there. I think one of the reasons Van looks so good right now is that it seems that the city has done an incredible about of concrete and resurafacing work. Jasper is looking shabby.

I am glad to be home though.

I totally agree, Jasper Avenue needs a reno, she's looking tired. The planned streetscape improvements will definately make a big difference in its overall feel and appearance.

240glt · #**6828** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 1:22 AM**

^ I have no doubt. Can't happen soon enough.

@ EE, re: Rosdale, Granville Island is so much more than a weekend farmers market. Restos, arts & crafts, bars, deserts, boat rentals and water taxies, neat stuff to see... I could definitely see our existing farmers markets exsiting alongside a very nice development at the PP.

ue · #**6829** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 2:17 AM**

Yeah I know, but could we really fit all that in the Rossdale EPCOR Power Plant? That's why I assumed you just meant market, although would be cool there, I think it would be too much, as we have the City Market and the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market nearby.

Kevin_foster · #**6830** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 2:31 AM**

So anyone been to Credo Cafe on 104th?

Coldrsx · #**6831** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 2:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin_foster

So anyone been to Credo Cafe on 104th?

yup... not bad, not great, but another good place to draw people onto the street.

Simon Speichert · #**6832** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 2:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin_foster

So anyone been to Credo Cafe on 104th?

I went during the farmer's market. Really good coffee, very nutty and flavourful. Went well with my mini donuts! Nice atmosphere as well. I think I'll be making regular trips. Great to see another non-chain at street level!

Coldrsx · #**6833** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 2:49 PM**

^that's because they serve the bestest coffee ever

http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/

kcantor · #**6834** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 3:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogie

I've lived in Vancouver for the past 5 years, and I can vouch that the people here are nowhere near as friendly as people in Edmonton. I can't explain why, but it's the truth.

...

it's not that the city is nowhere near as friendly, it's that vancouver doesn't "work" nearly as well as edmonton when it comes to getting around and making friends. if you meet someone in vancouver and they live in coquitlam and you live in kits or if you live in deep cove and they live in tsawwassen, a friendship won't develop. it's not that either of you is "not friendly", you both just live too far from one another to make it work. in edmonton, you may as well try and strike up a friendship with someone from red deer. with henday and more lrt and hopefuly reverting to a grid for bus service one day and greater densities, if we're lucky we'll build on that and stop thinking everyone else from vancouver to ottawa does it better just because they're "not edmonton" and we can stop being our own worst enemies.

Coldrsx · #**6835** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 3:10 PM**

^concur Ken.

It is far more geographically divided than here.

Rogie · #**6836** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 4:02 PM**

You're right about the geographical divisions, but it's more than that. I lived in Toronto for a few years, and also found it much easier to meet people there, despite the huge geography and the fact you really had to plan ahead to get together with folks who lived across town.

I've long maintained that one of the reasons Edmonton seems to have a better cultural life than Vancouver is because people here spend so much time outdoors, hiking and whatnot, there are few spaces where people really congregate to share common experiences. People here really seem to spend their time and money doing outdoor, individual, pursuits, whereas for various factors, in most other places I've lived (including Edmonton), people spend their time and money pursuing interests that put you more in touch with other people, such as arts, festivals, and sports.

As for your point, Ken, about Edmontonians always comparing themselves with others, I agree fully. I was just in Ottawa, and that city is now tearing itself to pieces trying to put a 13 km LRT line through a tunnel downtown. Glad Edmonton got that out of the way years ago, and it's moving on (albeit slowly) with a much-needed expansion.

Airboy · #**6837** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 5:53 PM**

Its easier to move in TO and Edmonton. My time in TO, I found it quite easy to move around on the TTC or just walking. And Edmonton is easy to drive around. It’s not unusual to go to Leduc from St Albert to see someone.

I find Vancouver tougher to move around, but hope that will change as the public transit expanse. There is a noticeable bigotry with respect to where a person lives that I don't see as much in Edmonton.

rapid_business · #**6838** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 7:32 PM**

/\ Ha. There is in some circles, but not to the degree that exists in more divided centres like Vancouver.

ExcaliburKid · #**6839** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 7:36 PM**

This is a little O.T. but this is good to see. Can never get enough summer festivals and hopefully this baby can grow!

New Edmonton music fest draws top rock acts

By Sandra Sperounes, edmontonjournal.comJuly 13, 2009 1:15

EDMONTON — Two of Canada’s top rock acts, Billy Talent and Alexisonfire, will headline Edmonton’s newest music festival.

Sonic Boom will explode Saturday, Sept. 5 at Northlands Grounds — on the same site as Capital Ex’s Ed Fest.

The one-day, modern-rock fest will also feature electro-popsters Metric, Scottish dance-rockers Franz Ferdinand, mash-up DJ Girl Talk, and local indie-rockers, The Wet Secrets.

Actor Jason Mewes, who stars in many of Kevin Smith’s films, will emcee the event.

General admission tickets are $69.50, V.I.P. passes are $102.90 plus service charges. On sale: Friday, July 17 at Ticketmaster.

For more details, log on to unionevents.com.

[email protected]

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Edmonton+music+fest+draws+rock+acts/1786714/story.html

rapid_business · #**6840** Posted **Jul 13, 2009, 8:47 PM**

/\ That would have been a good ticket to see.... I'll be outta town then however.