The Ugly Canada Thread

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by vid

In Thunder Bay, we allow larger lot sizes, with enables developers to put the garage in the back with a driveway leading up to it along the side of the lot.

The odd thing about it is, in spite of our slightly declining population, because we can't put as many houses in developments as other cities, we've actually run short on available building lots. The city has been trying to get developers to survey and prepare their land as quickly as possible and is preparing subdivisions faster but mistakes will probably be made. We're forcing more of the land to be devoted to commercial and high density use though. Something like 30% to 50% of all dwellings in new subdivisions must be in multi-unit buildings, and public transit and walking trails must be available.



The average lot here is 15m (just under 50 feet)

I actually like that set up of the side driveway going to the garage. Wish we saw that more here.

[speedog]

Originally Posted by vid

I don't think those neighbourhoods are what people want, but it's certainly what they're settling for.

So if you don't want it, why would you settle for it then?

Why would people compromise on something that they're going to spend a lot of time in? Some 19 years ago, we were looking to move to a larger home from our first home and we wanted a bungalow that was within walking distance of all levels of public schooling , within 5km of downtown and quite close to secondary schooling as well - what we bought stretched us a bit financially at the time but we did not compromise and move into something that we would regret.

I would also still say people still want the double front drive garage thing because there is still a considerable amount of them being built here in Calgary - if the demand was there for something different, then you'd see something different being built on a larger scale but it still just isn't happening all that much.

That is unless people like compromising and if they do, then that is sort of a sad thing.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by speedog

Sure, they have character if you considered a streetscape of double wide garage doors an ideal character streetscape and it's quite obvious in the last 30 or so years that this is what people want.

Personally, I don't get it but then again my mid-50's bungalow on a 60 foot wide lot with a rear-drive double garage goes even more against what many skyscraper forum members want to see - yeah, we're seeing redevelopment/densification in our community but for now our street is all wonderful owner occupied bungalows who have been living in their homes for at least 15 years now, a great sense of community we have as a result.

Ideally this is the kind of area we were looking to live in in another 5 years or so. Buy a house with good bones in somewhere like Acadia, gut it and renovate it. I'm not opposed to a backlane garage but my wife is. I think the thing with many of these communities, especially closer to the core, is that their density is being increased by duplexes and condos being built on every other lot. Most of Calgary's non suburban growth is occurring in this way.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by speedog

So if you don't want it, why would you settle for it then?

Why would people compromise on something that they're going to spend a lot of time in? Some 19 years ago, we were looking to move to a larger home from our first home and we wanted a bungalow that was within walking distance of all levels of public schooling , within 5km of downtown and quite close to secondary schooling as well - what we bought stretched us a bit financially at the time but we did not compromise and move into something that we would regret.

I would also still say people still want the double front drive garage thing because there is still a considerable amount of them being built here in Calgary - if the demand was there for something different, then you'd see something different being built on a larger scale but it still just isn't happening all that much.

That is unless people like compromising and if they do, then that is sort of a sad thing.

I would say for one reason and one reason only: budget. When all you can afford is something in the burbs and that style is all that's being offered then you don't have much of a choice. Technically I guess you could look inner city for half the square footage at the same price, but people still have the notion they need x amount more of space for kids etc. plus a white picket fence and a lawn. The reality of the 50's dream is gone yet people still lap it up like cool aid.

[speedog]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I'll give you High River but Strathmore?!?

I guess if you enjoy the smell of cow shit and nothing but bald ass prairie? To me it's on par with Airdrie but smellier.

Forgot about the cow shit smell and yeah, High River's probably got way more cow shit smell than Strathmore.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by speedog

Forgot about the cow shit smell and yeah, High River's probably got way more cow shit smell than Strathmore.

Once you get past the slaughterhouse I never noticed the smell the same way you do with the stockyards in Strathmore.

[speedog]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Once you get past the slaughterhouse I never noticed the smell the same way you do with the stockyards in Strathmore.

My parent's have lived in High River for 31 years and there's a large feed lot to the WNW of High River and trust me, it can be very country smelling in High River a lot of the time.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by speedog

My parent's have lived in High River for 31 years and there's a large feed lot to the WNW of High River and trust me, it can be very country smelling in High River a lot of the time.

I'll believe you as I've only been a couple of times. I'm very familiar with Strathmore though and it's cow patty aroma. The stench wafts all the way into NE Calgary sometimes. High River is nicer looking though. It has an older Main Street and nicer environment. Strathmore is basically the Trans Canada hwy, stockyards and suburban neighbourhoods. Nothing charming or visually appealing.

Edit: forgot to mention Strathmore's most famous export: Trampede.

[vid]

Originally Posted by speedog

So if you don't want it, why would you settle for it then?

It's not the inner city. It's easy. It's "affordable". It's "safe". It has room for all the cars they need.

Originally Posted by speedog

Why would people compromise on something that they're going to spend a lot of time in?

They don't think there is anything better, or they don't think anything better is attainable for them.

Originally Posted by speedog

I would also still say people still want the double front drive garage thing because there is still a considerable amount of them being built here in Calgary - if the demand was there for something different, then you'd see something different being built on a larger scale but it still just isn't happening all that much.

That is unless people like compromising and if they do, then that is sort of a sad thing.

A house in a decent inner city neighbourhood with a garage (let alone a two car garage) costs too much, so they settle for second best, and that's the suburbs. It's easier for suburbs to meet demand than the inner city because they're "infinite".

You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you'll get what you need.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by vid

It's not the inner city. It's easy. It's "affordable". It's "safe". It has room for all the cars they need.



They don't think there is anything better, or they don't think anything better is attainable for them.



A house in a decent inner city neighbourhood with a garage (let alone a two car garage) costs too much, so they settle for second best, and that's the suburbs. It's easier for suburbs to meet demand than the inner city because they're "infinite".

You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you'll get what you need.

Agreed.

[MolsonExport]

Laval? Pretty close by:

caribb

Kirkland (QC) Colisee from the air. Still with space for future highway connecting from...yup, you guessed it, Laval! Imagine the unbreakable power of the Colisee combined with the Laval Clocktower.


navut

[WhipperSnapper]

All the coliseums have been repainted and rebranded Cineplex theatres. Can see the Cineplex blue and white in the aerial.

[O-tacular]

Do the houses near the Colisee look like this though?

Originally Posted by O-tacular

It happened again! More grass replaced with unidriveways in NE Calgary. Completely contravenes city by-laws. My father in law went to go see his old house and snapped these pics of the neighbours' renos. They also decided to paint the formerly white house the colour of urine.



And this one: the Listerine house.

[MolsonExport]

Unidriveways are not common in Montreal. There are, however, very ugly driveway snow covers (i.e., Tempos) that are popular in certain neighborhoods, and banned in others.


spacing Montreal


flickriver

I wonder what famous landscape artists like Andrew Jackson or other members of the Group of Seven would think of Tempos. Would they paint them into winter scenes, or ignore them completely? Imagine if you will, one of Jackson’s winter paintings dotted with white Tempos. It wouldn’t happen and a simple Google image search for Houses St. Urbain supports my theory. Do you see any?

http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/off-island-gazette/do-you-tempo


the gazette


fugly.com

[MolsonExport]

good lord, what were they thinking? And wouldn't you know it: there is a clocktower!!

Behold the Missingsausage City Hall.

wookie's pedia

[MonctonRad]

That is a particular brand of hideousness. Did they hang, draw and quarter the architect responsible for this monstrosity?? If they didn't, they should have.

On the bright side, that clock tower seems to be leaning a bit. Maybe it'll fall over.

[O-tacular]

From my admittedly limited experience visiting industrial Mississauga their city hall is in keeping with the character of the city.

Why is the clock tower so tall? Do they have public hangings? It's almost like a smokestack with a clock on it. It would be even better if it did emit a dark plume of smoke. The actual building is bizarre. Reminds me of a brick barn style NHL arena. It's girth contrasted with the tall skinny tower is bizarre.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Unidriveways are not common in Montreal. There are, however, very ugly driveway snow covers (i.e., Tempos) that are popular in certain neighborhoods, and banned in others.


spacing Montreal


flickriver


http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/off-island-gazette/do-you-tempo


the gazette


fugly.com

I saw a few of these in Boucherville but they were one offs - not an entire block of houses. That is awful. It would be less ugly to have an actual garage built in front of the house. Are these meant to be as ugly as possible to spite the city and their by-laws?

[MolsonExport]

Do we have the world's ugliest city hall?

MISSISSAUGA — Is Mississauga home to the world’s ugliest city hall?
Well, some people think so.
The verdict is not in as yet, but early returns in a recent call-out by The Toronto Star for nominations for the planet’s biggest civic eyesore suggest 300 City Centre Dr. could be in the running for the dubious honour.
Comments from readers ranged from “I want to take a wrecking ball to Mississauga’s city hall” to “Mississauga’s city hall looks like a 19th-century prison.”

the design was chosen in 1982 in an international competition which drew 246 entries. The winning architect was James Kirkland, who returned to his creation just last year to help celebrate the building’s 25th anniversary.
Kirkland designed a tribute to Mississauga’s agricultural past: the main building represents a farmhouse, while the council chamber represents a grain silo and the clock tower a windmill.

perhaps it is a testimony to the manure they used to spread on the fields, because it looks like a piece of shit.

[MolsonExport]

Some droll comments:

The Ten Ugliest Buildings in Toronto (from 2010)

This poo-brown thing makes the list, naturally. Toronto's answer to Laval's Clocktower of Doom.

robford'srectum