Community Thread (Off Topic) - Page 22

Ayreonaut · #**421** Posted **Feb 28, 2013, 3:08 PM**

Yeah, I really enjoyed the boat tour of the port. It's certainly impressive. It's funny, there's so much water all around there, but I had no idea which way the ocean was (same with Amsterdam, really).

And that bridge... I love it.

Ayreonaut · #**422** Posted **Feb 28, 2013, 4:56 PM**

This was posted recently in the Calgary section. The new head of the planning department, Rollin Stanley, discussing smart growth. He touches on some important issues in Canadian cities (he doesn't know Calgary all that well yet; this presentation could apply to any city in the country) such as the limited ways in which they can generate revenue from development (and how that needs to be changes. Mayor Nenshi is also a vocal proponent of this).

I would definitely recommend giving it a watch if you have about 50 minutes (then he takes questions for half an hour I think, I haven't watched the end yet).

• Video Link

I jotted down some times of note:

3:30 - the camera finally moves to his slideshow
6:50 - a video clip I think everyone here would enjoy
30:00 - he makes fun of a newspaper article. I lolled.
- Then goes on to talk about how cities can raise revenues and how different types of development are really a drain on municipal coffers. He brings up some very good examples of how American cities can generate revenue that isn't possible right now in Canada.

In fact, if you don't want to sit through an hour, I would recommend even just watching from 30:00 onward.

45:00 - another video that should get some lols
46:50 - local sales tax

"Compact, mixed-use development subsidizes sprawl." Not exactly news to most here, but something we all wish everyone could figure out.

SignalHillHiker · #**423** Posted **Feb 28, 2013, 4:59 PM**

Wow, thank you for taking the time to share this with us too!

I can't wait to watch after work!

SignalHillHiker · #**424** Posted **Feb 28, 2013, 7:01 PM**

Anyone else reading everyone's posts in their voices since we've met?

SignalHillHiker · #**425** Posted **Mar 1, 2013, 12:58 AM**

Great video, Ayeronaut. It's all so... common sense. I can't believe we ever developed suburban sprawl.

SignalHillHiker · #**426** Posted **Mar 1, 2013, 1:02 AM**

Berliners outraged by plans to demolish Berlin Wall in favour of luxury flats

http://www.thelocal.de/society/20130226-48197.html#.US_92jCG2Wn

It's not just us.

Ayreonaut · #**427** Posted **Mar 1, 2013, 1:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Great video, Ayeronaut. It's all so... common sense. I can't believe we ever developed suburban sprawl.

It really is, isn't it? I think my favourite part is about local sales taxes. Municipalities in Canada really do need more control over the funding of important civic projects and not have to always rely/hope for provincial or federal money. The idea of a referendum asking citizens if they would agree to a 1/4 or 1/2 cent sales tax to fund certain projects (so such taxes could even be temporary until finding is secure) is really appealing to me.

AnUrbanLife · #**428** Posted **Mar 1, 2013, 3:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ayreonaut

This was posted recently in the Calgary section. The new head of the planning department, Rollin Stanley, discussing smart growth. He touches on some important issues in Canadian cities (he doesn't know Calgary all that well yet; this presentation could apply to any city in the country) such as the limited ways in which they can generate revenue from development (and how that needs to be changes. Mayor Nenshi is also a vocal proponent of this).

I would definitely recommend giving it a watch if you have about 50 minutes (then he takes questions for half an hour I think, I haven't watched the end yet).

• Video Link

I jotted down some times of note:

3:30 - the camera finally moves to his slideshow
6:50 - a video clip I think everyone here would enjoy
30:00 - he makes fun of a newspaper article. I lolled.
- Then goes on to talk about how cities can raise revenues and how different types of development are really a drain on municipal coffers. He brings up some very good examples of how American cities can generate revenue that isn't possible right now in Canada.

In fact, if you don't want to sit through an hour, I would recommend even just watching from 30:00 onward.

45:00 - another video that should get some lols
46:50 - local sales tax

"Compact, mixed-use development subsidizes sprawl." Not exactly news to most here, but something we all wish everyone could figure out.

Good stuff Ayreonaut,

The presentation does a good job at showing what most of us already know, ie. Suburbs are a net loss, density especially mid and high rise are a net gain.

Something interesting is the methods of taxation which differ from Canada to the U.S. I'm not sure we would like to follow their lead, but we will have to look at the way our cities generate income. Our current method actively discourages home owners from investing in their properties and encourages slum housing, something no one would think is a could thing.

It would be best if we could create a simple method of taxation which was not only fair but also none punitive to those who would like to invest in property. Land size/street frontage based taxation paired with a commercial/retail tax might be a better fit but would need extensive study.

Does anyone know of a better taxation system currently being used in a current municipality?

SignalHillHiker · #**429** Posted **Mar 1, 2013, 8:02 PM**

For your interest...

Quote:

Originally Posted by craneSpotter

Added some more places:

Average February 2013 Temps for CMAs (airport stations):

City / Avg daily High / Avg daily Low / daily mean Temp

Western:

Victoria 8.6 / 2.3 / 5.5c
Vancouver 7.8 / 3.0 / 5.5c
Abbotsford 7.9 / 2.2 / 5.1c
Kelowna 4.6 / -3.0 / 0.8c
Edmonton -0.7 / -12.4 / -6.6c
Calgary 4.5 / -6.5 / -1.0c
Saskatoon -5.9/ -15.6 / -10.7c
Regina -5.3 / -15.2 / -10.3c
Winnipeg -8.2 / -18.7 / -13.5c (some data missing)

Eastern:

Toronto -1.0 / -8.1 / -4.6c
Windsor 0.4 / -6.4 / -3.0c
Ottawa -3.8 / -11.7 / -7.8c
London -1.4 / -9.5 / -5.5c
Halifax -1.0 / -8.8 / -4.9c
St. John's -0.9 / -5.5 / -3.2c

jeddy1989 · #**430** Posted **Mar 1, 2013, 9:07 PM**

INTERESTING!!!! the NLSS has various locations buahahah dun dun dun

from facebook:

Quote:

Sherwin Flight
Was out for a walk the other day, and found a funny little concrete bunker thing. There are power lines running to it, and there is a security camera, but it seems like the location is a little weird.

There's also a constant hum noise coming from inside.

You can walk to it, and the access road is completely cleared of snow, but there are no signs or anything to indicate what it is. There is a fence there, so you can't drive in, but the East Coast Trail passes right by it.

Here's a link to the location on a map, and I'm hoping someone can tell me what it is.
http://goo.gl/maps/kBz9j

https://www.facebook.com/groups/stjohns2013/?bookmark_t=group

Marty_Mcfly · #**431** Posted **Mar 1, 2013, 9:47 PM**

hey you kids get away from my house!

jeddy1989 · #**432** Posted **Mar 2, 2013, 4:09 PM**

Found some more tourism videos .. this one reminds me of my childhood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLVGFV...&v=uNDwa6cQMOI&feature=player_detailpage

SignalHillHiker · #**433** Posted **Mar 2, 2013, 4:13 PM**

I posted that in the Canada section and made exactly the same point - that I did this as a child.

They really are making these commercials authentic.

Ayreonaut · #**434** Posted **Mar 2, 2013, 4:23 PM**

That one certainly seems more authentic. I've always enjoyed heading out to pick berries. At home it's Saskatoons and wild strawberries. Then my dad has a huge raspberry patch in his yard (like, 5+ litres a day all summer). My aunt and uncle have huckleberries lining their driveway. The west coast is all blackberries. Damn I love berries. I don't like straight blueberries, but love them in muffins and pancakes.

Anyway, I like that one more than a couple other ads. The one I really don't care for is the new one where people get up at sunrise and randomly head out for a row around the coastline. I guess it just doesn't have the realism, colour, and vibrancy that often make NL ads the best in the country.

SignalHillHiker · #**435** Posted **Mar 2, 2013, 4:25 PM**

It's not my favourite either - but I still love it, for obvious reasons.

RE: berries... we used to pick mostly blueberries, but also partridgeberries and bakeapples. And we'd eat the blueberries in a bowl with tin milk and sugar, like they say in the commercial, ha!

Blackberries grew wild in the ditches around our house so we'd pick those too but not as often because they felt dirtier, somehow, being that close to home.

We associate freshness with wilderness.

Copes · #**436** Posted **Mar 2, 2013, 5:32 PM**

Speaking of Blackberries, I solved my phone issue.

SignalHillHiker · #**437** Posted **Mar 2, 2013, 5:43 PM**

My neck hurts from that segue.

How'd you do it? I'm considering BB10 as my next phone...

Marty_Mcfly · #**438** Posted **Mar 2, 2013, 6:03 PM**

solid segue

I always enjoyed picking the wild raspberries as a young boy, but they were always so small. I also stumbled across a few wild strawberry bushes behind my parents house but they were no bigger than partridgeberries so I never bothered picking/eating them

SignalHillHiker · #**439** Posted **Mar 2, 2013, 6:05 PM**

Look at Marty, acting like he knew how to spell segue and didn't just copy me after I Googled it.

Marty_Mcfly · #**440** Posted **Mar 2, 2013, 6:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by signalhillhiker

Look at marty, acting like he knew how to spell segue and didn't just copy me after i googled it.

no way!