The Ugly Canada Thread

[vid]

Our Sears has been a dead end for years, businesses in that end struggle the most. I've never shopped there myself, I've only been in it maybe 2 or 3 times since 2000. The mall has very limited space due to the property it's on, they can't expand anymore, so getting rid of Sears will allow them to add a lot of options that weren't possible with it there.

"Now that we have more clarity in knowing when we're gonna get the space back, it will be helpful. We've had may discussions with prospective tenants. We've looked at a number of different options. We're going to continue to advance those,"

https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/intercity-shopping-centre-looks-for-sears-replacement-737538

[SignalHillHiker]

Sigh. Laneway houses try to get away with things that'd never fly on actual streets.



Also, no sidewalks. You could theoretically get hit by a car your first step outside lol.

[MolsonExport]

Most of your newfoundland submissions are really not that ugly (some even have character).

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Our Sears in Timmins closed earlier this year. Unfortunately there is nothing likely to replace the space for a very long time. Most people here didn't like the store over the last decade anyways except for some seniors. There were so many times I went into the store where there were fewer than 10 people shopping in it!

Timmins Square is getting quite the kicking. First Zellers takes it on the chin at the one end of the mall, now Sears on the other.

It is interesting that it seems we've hit 'peak retail' in this country in the past few years. Futureshop, Zellers, Target and now Sears have left, despite the economy being quite good. I know each has their own story, but the giant holes these departures have left in certain malls will be hard to fill.

I could see malls subdividing these stores into smaller compartments - space on that scale just isn't needed.

[MolsonExport]

^don't forget Toys R Us Canada (which filed for bankruptcy)

http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/toys-r-us-files-for-bankruptcy-protection-in-canada-1.3595722

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Most of your newfoundland submissions are really not that ugly (some even have character).

Hehe. That striped house is an abomination. I'd rather have a miniature Rooms there.

[MolsonExport]

well, the Rooms....that is ugly.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by wave46

Timmins Square is getting quite the kicking. First Zellers takes it on the chin at the one end of the mall, now Sears on the other.

It is interesting that it seems we've hit 'peak retail' in this country in the past few years. Futureshop, Zellers, Target and now Sears have left, despite the economy being quite good. I know each has their own story, but the giant holes these departures have left in certain malls will be hard to fill.

I could see malls subdividing these stores into smaller compartments - space on that scale just isn't needed.

I think you're right but that we're only at the very beginning of the revolution in retail.

All of Canada (it's even worse in the U.S.) is seriously "over-stored" in terms of retail when you think about what's coming down the pike. Or is it pipe?

Anyway... I am not even sure that there will be enough demand in the new retail world for the multitude of smaller retail outfits that you'd need to fill all of these huge spaces that are going to become vacant.

Just looking at the Sears store in my city at Les Galeries de Hull, if you were to repurpose that space with 20 or so smaller shops... is there really a market for that here when you've already got a full range of retail in the adjacent mall, on nearby streets and in a power centre not too far away?

I would surmise that we will see a huge acceleration of the trend of malls reinventing themselves as multi-use destinations mixing shopping, dining, entertainment and attractions.

There hasn't been a ton of repurposing of unused mall space in Canada yet but I expect this will take off big time once the limits of the shop-dine-fun mix become apparent. (There is only so much they can do.)

[WhipperSnapper]

There are also a lot of malls currently anchored by Sears that are doing quite well for themselves. They'll probably be quite happy to take back the leases if Sears doesn't sell them to other retail tenants. Others in more dire situations may not take it back without significant compensation. The only loser is Sears.

[MolsonExport]

It doesn't help matters that cities around the country are busily zoning more big box barf retailing on the fringes of the cities. Here in slow-growth London, every direction is getting more big box barf, even as the malls are dying (and many earlier big box barf areas are starting to suffer). Always the same shit too: Winners, Marshalls, HomeSense, Jysk, Bed-Barf-and-Beyond, Sportschek, some wretched KFC/Taco-hell combo, Milestones, Montana's. A cancer upon the landscape.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Hehe. That striped house is an abomination. I'd rather have a miniature Rooms there.

What exactly are those laneway houses doing that goes against the rules.?

I'm not really aware of any legislation that allows a municipality to dictate the colour or materials of a single family house unless it is in a heritage district. In most places multi-unit developments are subject to site plan approval etc but actual colour choices are still left up to the property owner/developer.

Based on what I've seen on this forum parts of St John's look nice but the suburbs are a lot of vinyl siding, big pick up trucks on driveways, few if any trees and pretty desolute streetscapes.

My time in Newfoundland is from an hour in the 60's as a five year old at Gander on the way to the ROC from the UK for one year as a trial balloon for our family to see if we wanted to come permanently. My parents, looking out the window of the plane, couldn't believe there was an airport down there in amongst all the trees.

[SignalHillHiker]

They're within Heritage Area 3, the least restrictive designation. I believe they still require the proper windows, which none of them have. But I misspoke - should have said norms I guess because I was talking about the stripes. Not sure if it's actually illegal (repainting is allowed without a building permit in all heritage areas), but it wouldn't be tolerated. Even that striped house has none on its main street-facing side.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

It doesn't help matters that cities around the country are busily zoning more big box barf retailing on the fringes of the cities. Here in slow-growth London, every direction is getting more big box barf, even as the malls are dying (and many earlier big box barf areas are starting to suffer). Always the same shit too: Winners, Marshalls, HomeSense, Jysk, Bed-Barf-and-Beyond, Sportschek, some wretched KFC/Taco-hell combo, Milestones, Montana's. A cancer upon the landscape.

It's true all across the country. With what's coming in the retail sector we probably have way too much built space devoted to retail already, and yet we keep adding more.

We're not really good at the "re-use" thing, compared to other parts of the world.

I guess we just can't say no to corporate/developer greed.

And to hell with what our cities will look like. Which is a pity just as things started looking up.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

It doesn't help matters that cities around the country are busily zoning more big box barf retailing on the fringes of the cities. Here in slow-growth London, every direction is getting more big box barf, even as the malls are dying (and many earlier big box barf areas are starting to suffer). Always the same shit too: Winners, Marshalls, HomeSense, Jysk, Bed-Barf-and-Beyond, Sportschek, some wretched KFC/Taco-hell combo, Milestones, Montana's. A cancer upon the landscape.

We're just over-retailed as a society, IMO. There's a point where it has to end - we have so much stuff that we barely know what to do with it all. We have almost endless choice in 'stuff' and 'content' and it doesn't seem to be making us much happier.

It galls me whenever news articles refer to people as consumers - as if the only purpose of people is to consume.

We've lost something along the way, some part of our essential humanity. Maybe that's the Ugly Canada that isn't being discussed. A country of unimaginable physical wealth, but hollowness within.

Maybe I'm just rambling though.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by wave46

We're just over-retailed as a society, IMO. There's a point where it has to end - we have so much stuff that we barely know what to do with it all. We have almost endless choice in 'stuff' and 'content' and it doesn't seem to be making us much happier.

It galls me whenever news articles refer to people as consumers - as if the only purpose of people is to consume.

We've lost something along the way, some part of our essential humanity. Maybe that's the Ugly Canada that isn't being discussed. A country of unimaginable physical wealth, but hollowness within.

Maybe I'm just rambling though.

[MolsonExport]

There are dumb posts, and then there is this:

Originally Posted by Black Star

Jesus Christ....You need facts son. Oil is the Life blood of a now society.

Sure we renewable resources.

Whats your solution.

Liberals are a dying breed.

Do you have a computer? Thats Oil.

Do you use Transit to get to work or Uni? Thats Oil.

Do you have a brush for your hair....Thats also Oil.

We should stop all oil to make some left wing nuts Happy lol. F--k off

You make me sick!

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

There are dumb posts, and then there is this:

Charming. What thread is that from?

[Fischbob]

A contribution from Saint John, a city with many beauties, but also many uglies.

"R Bar". This is the front facade, BTW.

Street View Link

Currently for sale for the bargain of $475k (including the dive bar business on the ground floor).

[SignalHillHiker]

A step up, but still ugly. The entrance to Rabbittown - Merrymeeting Road (ahead-right). They replaced a Mary Brown's with cheap rowhouse blocks.

[kwoldtimer]

I wonder why they built that bilious green end unit with no windows on the side?