The Ugly Canada Thread

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Mister F

Where in the developed world do urban main streets like Queen exist with overhead power lines strung on wooden poles?

Sydney, Australia? Ottawa, Ontario? Don't get me wrong - I find them ugly. But lots of places still have them.

[LeftCoaster]

Vancouver has loads of them too. It's really not that uncommon.

I think those thinking overhead power lines maintained by Canadian Hydro providers look third world maybe need to take a trip to Cambodia or something and get out of their little bubble.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Mister F

Where in the developed world do urban main streets like Queen exist with overhead power lines strung on wooden poles?

They are pretty common in Australia (completely random main streets):

https://goo.gl/maps/GQjH1tegcQT2

https://goo.gl/maps/cTsWPMDt81N2

https://goo.gl/maps/o8YY2hMubYM2

https://goo.gl/maps/2QtxAiwZh9o

Seattle too:

https://goo.gl/maps/Q863bfYg6QH2

https://goo.gl/maps/MW6C1Yhbobr


Ditto New Orleans, although that's prob not a fair comparison.

https://goo.gl/maps/7XAkRjH9ic42

Not defending them at all - wish we had taken Montreal's cue and buried them in the 60s. Unfortunately at this point that is much harder to do. And I wish they didn't replace them with shitty wooden poles like I linked to on the previous page. I much prefer the old birdcage poles which legitimately do have character regardless of whether you hate or love them.

They aren't on every main strip in Toronto - Bloor/Danforth and Yonge don't have them which I assume has to do with the subway. Interestingly the strip of Dundas in the Junction doesn't either and may be one of the more aesthetically pleasing older retail stretch: https://goo.gl/maps/yH3nK9UrQU62

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by Mister F

Where in the developed world do urban main streets like Queen exist with overhead power lines strung on wooden poles?

They are absolutely everywhere throughout North America, Asia and, Australia. As I said, only tourist/CBDs tend to have them buried. The old timey ones ... the ones that I wouldn't mind to have a section preserved are quickly being replaced by other overhead infrastructure or removed as redundant lines in Toronto.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by niwell

They aren't on every main strip in Toronto - Bloor/Danforth and Yonge don't have them which I assume has to do with the subway. Interestingly the strip of Dundas in the Junction doesn't either and may be one of the more aesthetically pleasing older retail stretch: https://goo.gl/maps/yH3nK9UrQU62

Lot of the main streets have had the hydro power lines removed. You wouldn't know it because the TTC's power grid and street lighting wasn't buried/upgraded at the same time.

Riverdale has had the street lighting and hydro lines put underground. No wires connecting to buildings. The TTC's power system are still strung on the south side of the street.

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Riverda...252!8m2!3d43.669714!4d-79.353185!6m1!1e1


The section of Little Italy's hydro have been buried. There are no wires connecting to buildings. but, the street light and TTC power system (again south side of street .. note it feeding into the streetcar cable) hasn't been buried/upgraded

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Little+...e!8m2!3d43.6547828!4d-79.4169356!6m1!1e1

The Village

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Church+...73!8m2!3d43.659859!4d-79.3785092!6m1!1e1

Just give it time.

[niwell]

^I forgot how good Queen E looks now! Definitely one of the nicer strips, particularly now with the influx of bars and restaurants. Honestly though this is something I barely notice in person. I've asked friends (both from Toronto and visitors) if they notice out of curiosity, but so far nobody gave it a thought before I brought it up. Overall a busy and engaging street is more important than an aesthetically pleasing one - although ideally you'd have both.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by niwell

They aren't on every main strip in Toronto - Bloor/Danforth and Yonge don't have them which I assume has to do with the subway. Interestingly the strip of Dundas in the Junction doesn't either and may be one of the more aesthetically pleasing older retail stretch: https://goo.gl/maps/yH3nK9UrQU62

With a few exceptions (Ossington is the only one I can think of offhand), wooden poles & overhead power supply is absent from major streets without streetcars - Church, Bay, Front, Danforth, etc. Even streets like Spadina and St. Clair only have them along the central streetcar ROWs.

I don't think people realize that these poles & wires primarily exist to serve streetcars, not for general hydro - though in many cases the power lines will piggyback on the overhead infrastructure that needs to exist regardless.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by niwell

^I forgot how good Queen E looks now! Definitely one of the nicer strips, particularly now with the influx of bars and restaurants. Honestly though this is something I barely notice in person. I've asked friends (both from Toronto and visitors) if they notice out of curiosity, but so far nobody gave it a thought before I brought it up. Overall a busy and engaging street is more important than an aesthetically pleasing one - although ideally you'd have both.

Depends. I've never really had an American comment on the wires. My German family has commented but, those tend to be completely overshadowed by all the high rises in every corner of the city.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Depends. I've never really had an American comment on the wires. My German family has commented but, those tend to be completely overshadowed by all the high rises in every corner of the city.

That would make sense - the visitors I've talked to have been from either elsewhere in Canada, the U.S., or Australia.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by niwell

^I forgot how good Queen E looks now! Definitely one of the nicer strips, particularly now with the influx of bars and restaurants. Honestly though this is something I barely notice in person. I've asked friends (both from Toronto and visitors) if they notice out of curiosity, but so far nobody gave it a thought before I brought it up. Overall a busy and engaging street is more important than an aesthetically pleasing one - although ideally you'd have both.

Yep, I can't believe the change. Makes me feel old. The new developments have also done an excellent job of fitting in instead of overpowering the existing build form. There's a whack of them too with more underway.
The neighbourhood is full of fun and interesting people.

[GreaterMontréal]

downtown Montréal has no overhead power lines.

[GeneralLea]

From how I've always seen it, power lines, at least the wooden ones, don't look that bad. If their the shorter ones that kind of work with a street lined with 2-4 floor structures, I think it can really mesh well with the existing area. I can understand somewhat if someone doesn't like them, but they are a very common element in many cities. Now, the only power lines that I CANNOT STAND are the ones in certain parts of the GTA, like this in Mississauga:https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.5848694,-...Z-J50SEnSeB8ZzQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

They completely stick out really anywhere along the main streets of Mississauga, and they look worse IMO in the suburban area because their the tallest thing around. They also do no favours to what's supposed to be the forming area of a "downtown".

[whatnext]

Vancouver was actually saving some of their power poles in alleys for the benefit of the film industry!

[Gresto]

^^Those are ugly, but even worse are the extremely broad hydro corridors. At least some of them are somewhat mitigated by filling the surrounding area with trees, parkland, bike trails, etc., as in this example.

[WhipperSnapper]

Those don't both me. They are mostly hidden from view. Rather impressive looking infrastructure too.

It's these corridors running parallel to suburban arterial that bother me more.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.7292696,-...527aR6JU83MjVH6c_rE5A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.613952,-7...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

The hundreds of connections to customer businesses and homes are all underground so the costs to bury these shouldn't be that much; at least compared to Queen Street in the older parts of Toronto. It's just so suburbia though.

[LeftCoaster]

Burying the transmission lines is the least of the worries for those roads...

[WhipperSnapper]

That's where the "it's so suburbia" comes in. Spending the money to burying the lines on these road and other roads would be a great first step in changing the opinion that these road are just to get from point A to point B.

[GeneralLea]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Those don't both me. They are mostly hidden from view. Rather impressive looking infrastructure too.

It's these corridors running parallel to suburban arterial that bother me more.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.7292696,-...527aR6JU83MjVH6c_rE5A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.613952,-7...itch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

The hundreds of connections to customer businesses and homes are all underground so the costs to bury these shouldn't be that much; at least compared to Queen Street in the older parts of Toronto. It's just so suburbia though.

I'll be honest, the Eglinton Ave one doesn't phase me at all, I'm VERY used to it, it's the one like the Dixie Road one that just.....UGH I really don't like it. Partly is just how tall and wired up it is, it seems almost innecessary with all those wires. I honestly cannot wait until they bury those monsters, but even then, that'll take a couple of years or more

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Vancouver has loads of them too. It's really not that uncommon.

I think those thinking overhead power lines maintained by Canadian Hydro providers look third world maybe need to take a trip to Cambodia or something and get out of their little bubble.

Japanese cities are nothing but power poles and lattice towers. Seriously, they should be the official national tree here.

Funny enough I was showing some co-workers pictures of Vancouver a few month back and one of their comments actually was, "where are all the power lines?" They were actually impressed with how few there were.

If maintained and kept organized I don't mind them, especially in more suburban settings. I actually like the look of some lattice tower corridors.

Oh, and just a fun little ironic extra to this conversation, many of those in Canada who are hired to construct lattice towers from this spring on will have to listen to my voice as they watch the safety orientation video that I was hired to create for lattice tower construction

[O-tacular]

In Calgary the suburbs have Buried lines and the inner city has power poles.