The Great Canadian Skyline Thread!

[HomeInMyShoes]

^It's a Canadian thing.
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[Klazu]

Originally Posted by flipv

Toronto's been doing this since the late 70s...

Also Vancouver has some 70s/80s examples of similar development nearby Granville Island, but who was first was not the point. The point was that Vancouver seems to be doing this kind of waterfront development very successfully. Our Seawall is the only Canadian waterfront that is truly world-famous and has gathered lots of recognition by city planners and people alike. I don't remember hearing much about other cities' waterfronts, so Vancouver seems clearly be setting an example on what great waterfront development looks like.

And let's not forget that there are also other things Vancouver has inspired - even its own style of city planning, Vancouverism. I think that is a pretty remarkable feat for a small city. Vancouver being so well-known around the world is pretty amazing as well, so we are clearly doing many things right.

The comment about Toronto taking a cue was of course just a small tease that did not warrant the attention that followed. Knowing this forum I am not surprised that it did, but it was unwarranted and thus pretty hilarious.

Originally Posted by TownGuy

You can't blame them. They're fed stuff about being "The Greatest Place on Earth". What else did you expect?

Well, there must be something to it when so many people want to live here even despite the crazy housing prices...

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Edmonton? pffft, you should be in Calgary!

I was there on Saturday. Doing a grand tour of the west that will end tomorrow with Saskatoon.

[SkahHigh]

Excited to see all these gaps filled up in two years!

Montreal Skyline by Dominic Labbe, sur Flickr

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by Beedok

I was there on Saturday. Doing a grand tour of the west that will end tomorrow with Saskatoon.

Saskatoon is a cool little city, haven't been there in over a decade now though. Where else have you been on your trip?

[Calgarian]

So what's going to happen with that bridge in Montreal?

[SkahHigh]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

So what's going to happen with that bridge in Montreal?

The one in the picture is Jacques-Cartier, it's not being replaced.

Champlain, however, will be replaced by the new Champlain Bridge to open in 2018. This one is located further West. Construction work starts this summer.

The new Champlain:


http://fr.canoe.ca/infos/galeries_photos/20140627114434_nouveaupontchamplain/01.jpg

[Calgarian]

My mistake, both look somewhat similar. New bridge looks awesome, congrats Montreal!

[SkahHigh]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

My mistake, both look somewhat similar. New bridge looks awesome, congrats Montreal!

They do look sort of similar. Thanks.

Here's a shot taken from Verdun, showing the impact of the Deloitte Tower:

Verdun, Montréal by Axel Drainville, sur Flickr

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by SkahHigh

They do look sort of similar. Thanks.

Here's a shot taken from Verdun, showing the impact of the Deloitte Tower:

Verdun, Montréal by Axel Drainville, sur Flickr

Looks like a milk carton in that shot.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Saskatoon is a cool little city, haven't been there in over a decade now though. Where else have you been on your trip?

Thursday was Winnipeg, Friday was Regina, Saturday was Calgary, Sunday was Victoria, Monday was Vancouver (where my camera broke), yesterday was busing through the BC interior (through some miracle my Camera deemed me worthy of a couple pictures of the Rockies before dying for good).

[scrapin]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Also Vancouver has some 70s/80s examples of similar development nearby Granville Island, but who was first was not the point. The point was that Vancouver seems to be doing this kind of waterfront development very successfully. Our Seawall is the only Canadian waterfront that is truly world-famous and has gathered lots of recognition by city planners and people alike. I don't remember hearing much about other cities' waterfronts, so Vancouver seems clearly be setting an example on what great waterfront development looks like.

And let's not forget that there are also other things Vancouver has inspired - even its own style of city planning, Vancouverism. I think that is a pretty remarkable feat for a small city. Vancouver being so well-known around the world is pretty amazing as well, so we are clearly doing many things right.

The comment about Toronto taking a cue was of course just a small tease that did not warrant the attention that followed. Knowing this forum I am not surprised that it did, but it was unwarranted and thus pretty hilarious.



Well, there must be something to it when so many people want to live here even despite the crazy housing prices...

People here are so dense, excellent points klazu.

[Rico Rommheim]

Originally Posted by SkahHigh

Montreal Skyline by Dominic Labbe, sur Flickr

Truly the best angle of Montreal's skyline.

Originally Posted by SkahHigh

Excited to see all these gaps filled up in two years!

I don't think the huge gap will be filled all that much. The Canadiens tower will make a small impact, but it will partially blocked by Le 1000. I can't tell if L'Avenue will be completely hidden by Le 1250 or entirely. Really, the only thing that can fill that gap is a project on top of Central Station.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

Truly the best angle of Montreal's skyline.

Agreed. The view from the hill is also fantastic, but is played out I think.

[vanman]

Originally Posted by SkahHigh

The new Champlain:


http://fr.canoe.ca/infos/galeries_photos/20140627114434_nouveaupontchamplain/01.jpg

Damn that is going to be a beautiful bridge!

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by SkahHigh

Champlain, however, will be replaced by the new Champlain Bridge to open in 2018. This one is located further West. Construction work starts this summer.

Just curious, how did they end up funding the new bridge? I remember reading a lot of outcry in our local papers on us (Western Canada / Vancouver) having to fund a local traffic bridge in Montreal. Did it receive significant federal funding or are they going to pay for it by tolling it, like we are doing with our new Port Mann Bridge?

[SkahHigh]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Just curious, how did they end up funding the new bridge? I remember reading a lot of outcry in our local papers on us (Western Canada / Vancouver) having to fund a local traffic bridge in Montreal. Did it receive significant federal funding or are they going to pay for it by tolling it, like we are doing with our new Port Mann Bridge?

They'll be tolling it. Champlain is managed by the federal government so I wouldn't classify it as a local bridge but as a federal bridge.

[Rico Rommheim]

Just curious, how did they end up funding the new bridge? I remember reading a lot of outcry in our local papers on us (Western Canada / Vancouver) having to fund a local traffic bridge in Montreal. Did it receive significant federal funding or are they going to pay for it by tolling it, like we are doing with our new Port Mann Bridge?

The champlain bridge is the busiest in the country. beyond commuting, the bridge is an important transport/shipping link between Canada and the US. and from the ROC to the maritimes. The Feds built it in 1962 and own it to this day. and they did a terrible job, the Champlain is fallimng apart and its not even funny for a bridge built 60 years ago. the Jacques-Cartier bridge was built in the 30's and is in tip top shape. The Victoria bridge too, is still alive and kicking despite having been built in the 1850's. Hopefully the new Champlain won't have to be rebuilt in 50 years. I believe they will be tolling it.

[lio45]

The problem with the tolling idea is that there are four other bridge/tunnel options to get on the island from the south shore, all of which are free. The provincial government is absolutely opposed to tolling only the new Champlain on the basis of MTQ (or "QCDOT" for you guys) traffic prediction studies that show it would be a total mess as many would just want to go around the one non-free bridge.

Last I checked, Mulcair was saying no toll, so it's probably not set in stone even if Denis Lebel doesn't change his mind (which could happen -- his renaming of the bridge was originally supposed to be a final decision too).

IMO one easy way to make sure the province gets some federal funding for that project is to plan -- if the responsibility for the new bridge did get dumped by the federal govt onto the province -- to make the bridge lower and cheaper to save provincial funds (just pillars, no wider opening for ships in the middle, no big span) as Montreal's seaport and docks are downriver from the Champlain anyway.

It's people in Ottawa, not Quebec City, who are accountable to the Americans for making sure the St. Lawrence Seaway continues to be a functional passage for ships as was jointly agreed upon. In the end, I'm pretty sure that Ottawa (i.e. taxpayers countrywide, including in BC) would be forced to pay to uphold the terms of the 1950s Seaway treaty with the US. It wouldn't be fair to have a province pay alone to abide by a federal commitment that benefits federal relations with another country (US) and at least another province (Ontario).

[TownGuy]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Also Vancouver has some 70s/80s examples of similar development nearby Granville Island, but who was first was not the point. The point was that Vancouver seems to be doing this kind of waterfront development very successfully. Our Seawall is the only Canadian waterfront that is truly world-famous and has gathered lots of recognition by city planners and people alike. I don't remember hearing much about other cities' waterfronts, so Vancouver seems clearly be setting an example on what great waterfront development looks like.

And let's not forget that there are also other things Vancouver has inspired - even its own style of city planning, Vancouverism. I think that is a pretty remarkable feat for a small city. Vancouver being so well-known around the world is pretty amazing as well, so we are clearly doing many things right.

The comment about Toronto taking a cue was of course just a small tease that did not warrant the attention that followed. Knowing this forum I am not surprised that it did, but it was unwarranted and thus pretty hilarious.



Well, there must be something to it when so many people want to live here even despite the crazy housing prices...

This is all fine and dandy but I don't get what it has to do with Toronto? Toronto has developed similar successful areas only this one happens to be next to a lake. What's Vancouver have to do with anything? It could like any number of places, I've always thought more Dutch than anything and someone else mentioned this also. The world famous Vancouver waterfront never came to mind.

Ultimately yeah they do look similar. If you had of left it at that then no one would have cared. To say your most contentious comments, which started this whole thing, were just a "tease" is pretty convenient. If you ever read something that I write that you don't like it was just a tease also...