The Ugly Canada Thread

[WhipperSnapper]

Ridiculous exists in Toronto too

http://condos.ca/toronto/the-chedington-1-chedington-pl

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Ridiculous exists in Toronto too

http://condos.ca/toronto/the-chedington-1-chedington-pl

That's still better than what they would build out here. At least the roof looks like a proper mansard style. In Calgary they're bizarre fantasy theme park versions.

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Quarry+...!8m2!3d50.9598364!4d-114.0123883!6m1!1e1

[kwoldtimer]

Looking through the last few posts, it occurs to me that the vast majority of the world's population would kill to live in the sort of housing usually dismissed in this thread as "ugly". Our standards of esthetics and good taste are very high, it seems.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Dude, It's one guy's opinion!


Is this Toronto?
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.8093765,-...J8zQsxLHqgdN67DZMmVqw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Holy 🞵🞵🞵🞵. That could almost be Gatineau but on a bigger scale.

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Rue+de+...a180298a4!8m2!3d45.5008196!4d-75.7030515

[matthew6]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Our standards of esthetics and good taste are very high, it seems.

It just seems to be a waste that we don't live up to the standards we set for ourselves in the early to mid twentieth century.

[matthew6]

Since Laval comes up here often - I actually think their earlier suburbia has aged well. I like the scale of these houses. They are modest. In my estimation they look much much better than what is being built today.


https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5511288,-...!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!9m2!1b1!2i43!6m1!1e1

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Ridiculous exists in Toronto too

http://condos.ca/toronto/the-chedington-1-chedington-pl

So a serious question - is the rounded roof on that condo considered a type of mansard roof, or does it have a different name? I wonder because I recently saw something grander but similar on an impressive 19th century building outside Canada and didn't know what the style was called.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by matthew6

Since Laval comes up here often - I actually think their earlier suburbia has aged well. I like the scale of these houses. They are modest. In my estimation they look much much better than what is being built today.


https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5511288,-...!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!9m2!1b1!2i43!6m1!1e1

That looks like pretty standard post war suburbia. Lots of stuff like that around the country. I agree it's infinitely better than today's garage fronted homes.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

That looks like pretty standard post war suburbia. Lots of stuff like that around the country. I agree it's infinitely better than today's garage fronted homes.

Most of the Laval that I am familiar with looks like that (a friend used to live up there). The only difference I noticed from comparable suburbs elsewhere in Canada is the extraordinary number of backyard swimming pools. That has been commented on before.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Most of the Laval that I am familiar with looks like that (a friend used to live up there). The only difference I noticed from comparable suburbs elsewhere in Canada is the extraordinary number of backyard swimming pools. That has been commented on before.

All of Greater Montreal is full of pools. Hot humid summers. I'm guessing southern Ontario would be the same.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

All of Greater Montreal is full of pools. Hot humid summers. I'm guessing southern Ontario would be the same.

There are a decent number of pools in southern Ontario compared to the west, but nowhere near the levels of Quebec. Check out the differences between Gatineau and Ottawa - it's very obvious when flying out of the city. Quebeckers LOVE their pools.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

All of Greater Montreal is full of pools. Hot humid summers. I'm guessing southern Ontario would be the same.

Not nearly to the same degree, istm. Opinion seems pretty evenly split in Ontario re whether a backyard pool is an asset or a liability, or at least that has always been my impression. I suspect that, with water and hydro costs, it can be a considerably more expensive proposition than in Montreal.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

That's still better than what they would build out here. At least the roof looks like a proper mansard style. In Calgary they're bizarre fantasy theme park versions.

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Quarry+...!8m2!3d50.9598364!4d-114.0123883!6m1!1e1

A Mansard roof is designed to give the impression of a roof/attic when it's actually functional space. It's key feature are windows. If this barrel roof style is a version of a Mansard than it's completely fake.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Not nearly to the same degree, istm. Opinion seems pretty evenly split in Ontario re whether a backyard pool is an asset or a liability, or at least that has always been my impression. I suspect that, with water and hydro costs, it can be a considerably more expensive proposition than in Montreal.

High maintenance costs certainly factor in. I'm curious how big cottage life is in the Montreal area. Is it as big as in Ontario? That would play a role as well. My neighbourhood is a ghost town on the weekend.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

High maintenance costs certainly factor in. I'm curious how big cottage life is in the Montreal area. Is it as big as in Ontario? That would play a role as well. My neighbourhood is a ghost town on the weekend.

I wondered whether "cottage life" doesn't factor in to that as well. Cottage people are less likely to go for the backyard pool, istm, although some would have both.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Not nearly to the same degree, istm. Opinion seems pretty evenly split in Ontario re whether a backyard pool is an asset or a liability, or at least that has always been my impression. I suspect that, with water and hydro costs, it can be a considerably more expensive proposition than in Montreal.

The debate about the effect of a pool on the value of your property exists in Quebec as well. (Though I am not sure if it is couched in the same terms as in Ontario.)

Obviously, it's based on a number of factors: is it in-ground or above-ground? Does it take up the entire lot or only part of it? What kind of house goes along with the pool ()? A two-storey mansion or a small semi-detached?

I have an in-ground pool that takes up about one-third of the backyard. It's private enough that you can swim naked in the middle of the day if you want to.

In the market I live this is seen as a *plus*.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

High maintenance costs certainly factor in. I'm curious how big cottage life is in the Montreal area. Is it as big as in Ontario? That would play a role as well. My neighbourhood is a ghost town on the weekend.

"Secondary residence" life is big in the Montreal area as well. Either with cottages in a setting similar to Muskoka in the Laurentians, or country houses in the Eastern Townships.

But backyard pools are still very popular. Many people in Quebec have both, from what I can gather.

[GreaterMontréal]

A lot of the cottages are situated right next to ''ski'' mountains.

[WhipperSnapper]

That was my impression. I wasn't sure though.

It would be interesting to have a year over year (decade over decade) comparison between the number of public pools in each respective city. My neighbourhood has a few private backyard pool but, less than you would think given the backyard can be large and people could afford it. The local community pool down the street is extremely busy at all times in the warm months even with so many out of town at their cottages

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

A lot of the cottages are situated right next to ''ski'' mountains.

Yes, this is a big advantage that Laurentian chalets have over Muskoka!