The Great Canadian Skyline Thread! - Page 267

1overcosc · #**5321** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 5:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razor

I could also see a city like Calgary growing a high tech industry and RD.

Labour costs in Calgary are too high for most high tech. Costs in this sector are labour-driven not capital-driven, for example its very common for software companies to have 90% of their costs be salaries.

Daveography · #**5322** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 5:27 PM**

Big Sky by Daveography.ca, on Flickr

Spring2008 · #**5323** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 5:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Labour costs in Calgary are too high for most high tech. Costs in this sector are labour-driven not capital-driven, for example its very common for software companies to have 90% of their costs be salaries.

There's a wide variety of tech, tech companies in Cali for example are well known to pay salaries and bonuses well above other industries in order to attract talent. Google most tech startups per capita Canada and guess what city comes up the most - cgy. Distribution/logistics is growing very fast here too, a drive anywhere near the airport/east side of the city confirms that. The energy sector is still the main driver here though and thus will continue to steal most of the spotlight.

https://www.google.ca/search?site=&sourc....mobile-gws-hp..19.30.2875.0.poW2w1t1TVs

GreaterMontréal · #**5324** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 6:00 PM**

to have a strong HT sector, it takes more than money to attract talent.

O-tacular · #**5325** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 6:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

to have a strong HT sector, it takes more than money to attract talent.

Agreed! Which is why Calgary being a nice city to live in is a bonus.

1overcosc · #**5326** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 6:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spring2008

There's a wide variety of tech, tech companies in Cali for example are well known to pay salaries and bonuses well above other industries in order to attract talent. Google most tech startups per capita Canada and guess what city comes up the most - cgy. Distribution/logistics is growing very fast here too, a drive anywhere near the airport/east side of the city confirms that. The energy sector is still the main driver here though and thus will continue to steal most of the spotlight.

https://www.google.ca/search?site=&sourc....mobile-gws-hp..19.30.2875.0.poW2w1t1TVs

Calgary startups have a high failure rate as they mature, and labour costs are a big part of that. Ottawa also has a high failure rate, for similar reasons actually.

The problem is that to offer higher salaries to attract talent, you need to go substantially above the standards of the local labour market. In a city like Calgary or Ottawa, that means going much higher as the background labour cost is already so high. By contrast not nearly as much is required in cities like Toronto or Vancouver.

Toronto & K-W take the lion's share of tech growth in Canada, with Vancouver doing pretty well too. I'm not familiar with the scene in Montreal.

SkahHigh · #**5327** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 7:05 PM**

MontréalVuDuCiel4 by lyonelkaufmann, on Flickr

Monolith · #**5328** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 7:08 PM**

Vancouver by michaelnugent, on Flickr Taken on April 5, 2015

Skyline_Olympus E-M5_Olympus 14-42mm by Arlene Gee (seeker of artistic vision), on Flickr Taken on April 5, 2015

Dancing Blossoms by Clayton Perry Photoworks, on Flickr Taken on April 5, 2015

Spring 2015 Canada. Vancouver BC by publifabian, on Flickr Taken on April 6, 2015

Witty Nickname · #**5329** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 7:34 PM**

Deep blue clouds over Downtown by Witty nickname, on Flickr

ZeDgE · #**5330** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 8:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

Funny how the city just, ends there.

Don't most cities just 'end' at some point?

Beedok · #**5331** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 9:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZeDgE

Don't most cities just 'end' at some point?

American ones don't. They just gradually fizzle with all their exurbs.

Some parts of some Canadian cities are a bit blurry too.

ZeDgE · #**5332** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 9:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beedok

American ones don't. They just gradually fizzle with all their exurbs.

Some parts of some Canadian cities are a bit blurry too.

How is that any different? Eventually the built up area gives way to country side?

Although on the west and south sides of Calgary there are larger houses spread out in areas like Bears Paw, Springbank etc. I guess Calgary is not as spread out as people think, probably farmland in that pic not being developed. So it just stops.

logan5 · #**5333** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 9:09 PM**

I think cuz Calgary is a young city that didn't have small outposts established at the same time. Langley in Metro Vancouver for example.

ZeDgE · #**5334** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 9:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by logan5

I think cuz Calgary is a young city that didn't have small outposts established at the same time. Langley in Metro Vancouver for example.

Thats a good point. I guess in 20-30 years the satellite cities like Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, etc will blend in with Calgary the way Greater Vancouver does with those.

scrapin · #**5335** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 10:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monolith

Vancouver by michaelnugent, on Flickr Taken on April 5, 2015

Skyline_Olympus E-M5_Olympus 14-42mm by Arlene Gee (seeker of artistic vision), on Flickr Taken on April 5, 2015

Dancing Blossoms by Clayton Perry Photoworks, on Flickr Taken on April 5, 2015

Spring 2015 Canada. Vancouver BC by publifabian, on Flickr Taken on April 6, 2015

Beautiful shots!

Calgarian · #**5336** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 10:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by logan5

I think cuz Calgary is a young city that didn't have small outposts established at the same time. Langley in Metro Vancouver for example.

well we did, they were just amalgamated into the city, several neighbourhoods used to be their own towns (Forest Lawn, Ogden, Midnapore...).

Mrs Sauga · #**5337** Posted **Apr 8, 2015, 12:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkahHigh

MontréalVuDuCiel4 by lyonelkaufmann, on Flickr

Love this shot

dleung · #**5338** Posted **Apr 8, 2015, 12:36 AM**

Lol, everyone's so passive-aggressive. Calgary guy is offended that a Quebecer says his city "just ends there", because he assumes it's a dig in the context of Montreal's extensive urbanity, and retorts with a disingenuous question. The reality is that sunbelt cities (Calgary, Phoenix, LA, etc) all "just ends there" quite vividly and in ways worthy of comment sometimes. Not too different from Toronto's 905. It's more sustainable than east-coast sprawl, though the aesthetics are somewhat grim.

Just let it out!

Monolith · #**5339** Posted **Apr 8, 2015, 12:53 AM**

8264 by Light, lines, and colours., on Flickr Taken on April 3, 2015

Blader · #**5340** Posted **Apr 8, 2015, 2:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dleung

Lol, everyone's so passive-aggressive. Calgary guy is offended that a Quebecer says his city "just ends there", because he assumes it's a dig in the context of Montreal's extensive urbanity, and retorts with a disingenuous question. The reality is that sunbelt cities (Calgary, Phoenix, LA, etc) all "just ends there" quite vividly and in ways worthy of comment sometimes. Not too different from Toronto's 905. It's more sustainable than east-coast sprawl, though the aesthetics are somewhat grim.

Just let it out!

I think that there's a beauty to just ending - definite - urban/rural - typical of prairie cities. Grim aesthetics - it's in the eye of the beholder.