The Great Canadian Skyline Thread! II

[Martin Mtl]

By antoinekister on Flickr

[ZeDgE]

Originally Posted by dancinb

When I lived in Toronto, many people couldn't believe the following when I told them:
1. Edmonton is bigger than Halifax
2. Calgary and Edmonton are the "same" size

I think there are even quite a few people in Calgary that don't realize Edmonton is as big..

[FrAnKs]

Aside the fact that Edmonton were bigger than Calgary in the past. Peoples should know that aswell !

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by dancinb

When I lived in Toronto, many people couldn't believe the following when I told them:
1. Edmonton is bigger than Halifax
2. Calgary and Edmonton are the "same" size

God, people are dumb.

[ciudad_del_norte]

At one point after visiting Edmonton I went back to Halifax (where I was living at the time) and a friend from Halifax welcomed me back to "the big city". It was awkward because I thought he was joking... but he thought Edmonton was about the size of Fredericton.

I'm usually just surprised because I think inside I expect everybody else to have wasted as much time following populations/statistics as I do. But I do understand that where you are and what you hear about could give an interesting perception of city size. Based on media and perceived importance, for example, I would probably have a very skewed perception of the size of cities like Quebec City, which I think I would have vastly underestimated, and Halifax, which I would have overestimated.

[armorand93]

[SaskScraper]

Originally Posted by ciudad_del_norte

At one point after visiting Edmonton I went back to Halifax (where I was living at the time) and a friend from Halifax welcomed me back to "the big city". It was awkward because I thought he was joking... but he thought Edmonton was about the size of Fredericton.

I'm usually just surprised because I think inside I expect everybody else to have wasted as much time following populations/statistics as I do. But I do understand that where you are and what you hear about could give an interesting perception of city size. Based on media and perceived importance, for example, I would probably have a very skewed perception of the size of cities like Quebec City, which I think I would have vastly underestimated, and Halifax, which I would have overestimated.

[Originally Posted by dancinb
When I lived in Toronto, many people couldn't believe the following when I told them:
1. Edmonton is bigger than Halifax
2. Calgary and Edmonton are the "same" size]


I've always considered Edmo and Cgy equivalent in size and influencial scope, but I can see how if people only reference current national media and/or a cities skyline size etc, they may get skewed preceptions on size & importance of the city itself.

An example I've seen from my own province are the comparisons between Saskatoon and Regina nationally. Most everyone that I talk with outside of Saskatchewan automatically assumes without questioning it that Regina is the largest metropolitan area in the province. Saskatoon is viewed in same scale as say Moose Jaw or Brandon. For example, if a televised University of Saskatchewan sports team plays in a game outside of province, they are wrongly broadcasted as a team that must surely be from Regina.

I think it may have to do with facts like Regina's skyline has more impact than Saskatoon's (Regina has 5 buildings ~80m, Saskatoon has only 2 buildings ~80m tall plus another along with a ~90m tall building soon) and Regina has the only professional nationally recognized sports team in the province. Also in the earlier part of the 20th century Regina was larger in size than Saskatoon so people outside of province may be relying on statistics (or mind set) from the 1970's or earlier.

I'm not sure if there are other similar examples to these two in Canada. Maybe Saint John and St John's size and influence comparison? if the similarity in names doesn't confuse people enough..

[ciudad_del_norte]

I think another part of it may also have something to do with the reality that most provinces in Canada have one city that is signifcantly more populous than than the others. Maybe a lot of people just assume that is just how it works. Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick don't really fit this trend. That combined with the skylines and general profile of the cities...

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by ciudad_del_norte

I think another part of it may also have something to do with the reality that most provinces in Canada have one city that is signifcantly more populous than than the others. Maybe a lot of people just assume that is just how it works. Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick don't really fit this trend. That combined with the skylines and general profile of the cities...

I think you're right.

I even just had to Google SK cities because I thought, "What else is there comparable to Regina?"

In the case of Halifax's overestimation, it's probably also because it's the regional hub for federal government activities. Since Harper came to power, papers in Newfoundland have even complained that the consolidation of federal services has meant we've become "not a colony of Ottawa, but of Halifax."

For Edmonton's underestimation, I think it's because Calgary takes the spotlight and it's closer to the main travel routes. Edmonton isn't even on the TCH - so the people who are just passing through don't even see it.

It's easy to imagine it's very small and important only for economic regions - Alberta's Labrador City, basically. Meanwhile, the truth is completely different.

[Chadillaccc]

You didn't know that Saskatoon is significantly larger than Regina?

[oiler-dude]

Originally Posted by ciudad_del_norte

At one point after visiting Edmonton I went back to Halifax (where I was living at the time) and a friend from Halifax welcomed me back to "the big city". It was awkward because I thought he was joking... but he thought Edmonton was about the size of Fredericton.

I'm usually just surprised because I think inside I expect everybody else to have wasted as much time following populations/statistics as I do. But I do understand that where you are and what you hear about could give an interesting perception of city size. Based on media and perceived importance, for example, I would probably have a very skewed perception of the size of cities like Quebec City, which I think I would have vastly underestimated, and Halifax, which I would have overestimated.

In fairness....maybe he thought you said Edmunston?

[someone123]

Most people don't know the population numbers and in any case I think people on SSP tend to place too much importance in them.

I don't find that there's a dramatic difference in scale among smaller cities like Edmonton or Halifax. Or at least I can understand how somebody might spend a couple days in the two towns and think they are about the same size. Visiting Edmonton is not like going to New York or even Toronto.

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

You didn't know that Saskatoon is significantly larger than Regina?

No.

I even assumed it was WAY smaller.

[roccerfeller]

Originally Posted by someone123

Most people don't know the population numbers and in any case I think people on SSP tend to place too much importance in them.

I don't find that there's a dramatic difference in scale among smaller cities like Edmonton or Halifax. Or at least I can understand how somebody might spend a couple days in the two towns and think they are about the same size. Visiting Edmonton is not like going to New York or even Toronto.

Really? I find with smaller cities the scale is much easier to discern than larger cities. Larger cities all generally have the same amenities and scale, same "rush hour traffic jams" and busy atmosphere with tall buildings...

...but smaller cities are on different developments paths and some may have different "feeling" to them. Case in point, Winnipeg feels vastly different simply because of a new airport terminal, or a city like Halifax would feel different with a new Going from Toronto to Chicago is harder to discern between scale than between smaller cities. a CMA of 400k vs one of over a million is arguably much, much more noticeable.

[flar]

I have to agree with someone123. I've lived in a few mid sized cities and there is not a huge qualitative difference between places like Ottawa, Halifax or London, ON. You don't usually get the big city critical mass until you're up past a couple million people. Is Edmonton really a "bigger" city than Winnipeg?

[kool maudit]

urbanity is a huge factor. stats-type can people can tell me all they want that ottawa is as "big" as dublin... but you go there, and it all falls apart.

[patm]

With Calgary v. Edmonton you have two factors playing into it.

Calgary recieves more attention in the media and gets more hate from other cities. When people make jokes about "albertans being rich" or "being hicks" they often use Calgary as the specific reference if they make one.

First impressions are everything. First thing you notice when you drive around any city is a skyline. Calgary automatically seems like the bigger city.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by ciudad_del_norte

At one point after visiting Edmonton I went back to Halifax (where I was living at the time) and a friend from Halifax welcomed me back to "the big city". It was awkward because I thought he was joking... but he thought Edmonton was about the size of Fredericton.

I'm usually just surprised because I think inside I expect everybody else to have wasted as much time following populations/statistics as I do. But I do understand that where you are and what you hear about could give an interesting perception of city size. Based on media and perceived importance, for example, I would probably have a very skewed perception of the size of cities like Quebec City, which I think I would have vastly underestimated, and Halifax, which I would have overestimated.

In fairness though, the first example may not have just been an issue of underestimating Edmonton, but also of overestimating Halifax. There have been numerous occasions in which people I've encountered in Halifax seem to view it as a "big city" and place it roughly on the same level as Calgary, Winnipeg, QC, etc, rather than on the scale of London or Victoria, to which it's closer in population.

Not sure if this is due to isolation, a bloated sense of scale from being the largest city in the 4 Atlantic provinces with having all nearby cities being much smaller, the density of institutions and facilities like universities, military, port, etc. or just human ignorance.

Mind you, even though it's common, it isn't everyone who's like that. I'd say it's perhaps 40-50%.

[Martin Mtl]

By Icaptured1703 on Flickr

[SaskScraper]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I think you're right.

I even just had to Google SK cities because I thought, "What else is there comparable to Regina?"

In the case of Halifax's overestimation, it's probably also because it's the regional hub for federal government activities. Since Harper came to power, papers in Newfoundland have even complained that the consolidation of federal services has meant we've become "not a colony of Ottawa, but of Halifax."

For Edmonton's underestimation, I think it's because Calgary takes the spotlight and it's closer to the main travel routes. Edmonton isn't even on the TCH - so the people who are just passing through don't even see it.

It's easy to imagine it's very small and important only for economic regions - Alberta's Labrador City, basically. Meanwhile, the truth is completely different.

[Originally Posted by ciudad_del_norte
I think another part of it may also have something to do with the reality that most provinces in Canada have one city that is signifcantly more populous than than the others. Maybe a lot of people just assume that is just how it works. Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick don't really fit this trend. That combined with the skylines and general profile of the cities...]

I think you are right!
I never thought of the 'one province/one city' concept..(Montreal/Quebec, Vancouver/BC, St John's/NF-LB) and Winnipeg must mean main city in Manitoba perception, particularly since Canada is so linear..

..and most people that may drive thru Saskatchewan would take TransCanada Hwy and assume primary city in province must be on main highway..
..food for thought on peoples perception..