CBC as Peggy Cameron's Press Agent

[someone123]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

My point was simply that I view the surface-lot era as a transition point between the old working waterfront, and today's developed waterfront. To my way of thinking, that's like comparing an empty lot where a building was demolished and let sit for four decades to a finished building. That's it. Full stop.

It definitely was a transition period, much like those shots of the Cogswell area during the 50's and 60's. The waterfront plan was to clear out the old industrial buildings and replace them with buildings like the Law Courts, Maritime museum, Purdy's, and so on. For a long time there was very little demand for residential along the waterfront.

[Drybrain]

Yes, when people started talking about nostalgia, I wasn’t thinking about the original intent of the question—more the nostalgia that a Peggy Cameron-esque person might have for the city or era of decades past. No negative comment on anyone on this forum intended.

Obviously when the conversation moved into racism/social stuff it moved away from the original focus simply on the quality of the built environment.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by someone123

While it's undeniable that people are more enlightened and less discriminatory today, and that is a good thing, I find that the past is often presented as a caricature. This is definitely true of a lot of historical Halifax stuff where at the time there was a variety of people of differing levels of enlightenment who were coping with trade-offs that provided important context that tends to be lost.

It interacts with NS negativity and Canadian attitudes toward the Atlantic region as well with a lot of people arguing that NS was particularly bad, while Canadians often don't really understand their history. A lot of places in Canada used to chase out or turn away black people, like the freed slaves in the 1700's. It's not true at all that there were a bunch of pluralistic societies around the world prior to 1960 and NS was a special place where people didn't get along. Everywhere was racist, and most places had no mix at all or had some extreme institutionally enforced caste system.

Well said. Thanks for writing this.

I also want to say that the characterisation of "everybody" being racist in those days is also creating an inaccurate caricature of the past. I'm not going to get into it, as it would be pointless to even try, but narratives, especially viewed in hindsight, can often leave out positive aspects of a time while focusing on the worst, leaving people with a skewed viewpoint.

[someone123]

That 1962 video actually did show a much nicer Barrington than what exists today. More businesses, more people, more intact heritage buildings.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

I also want to say that the characterisation of "everybody" being racist in those days is also creating an inaccurate caricature of the past.

I should have written "by today's standards". I don't think it is a useful perspective for learning from the past.

The #1 thing people tend to leave out is that progress builds on the past. We seem to get this for technology but not for social issues. There was a time when what's considered conservative Christian belief today was the progressive stuff that was meant to replace clannish warfare and cousin marriage or polygamy etc. as one example. And societies need to move in coherent steps.

[Half-Axed]

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[q12]

I also want to point out that any desire to have kept buildings that were around from the 1960's doesn't mean anyone here wanted society to return to the norms of that period of time. I just thought when Africville was mentioned and time travel, the 1962 video would bring to light how different society was back then. It's interesting to see how people talked and their mannerisms. Of course not everyone was racist in 1962 in Halifax, just listen to the young guy at then end talking about wanting to play on a mixed race ball team and not be harrased about it.

If only you could teleport some of these older buildings we should have kept into 2022 that were destroyed.

Back to the original discussion, I like the skyscrapers we are seeing built in this city in last 10 years and I'd like it to continue. I'd also like to see CBC and CTV stop giving the Peggy Cameron a mic every time she whines.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by q12

I also want to point out that any desire to have kept buildings that were around from the 1960's doesn't mean anyone here wanted society to return to the norms of that period of time. I just thought when Africville was mentioned and time travel, the 1962 video would bring to light how different society was back then. It's interesting to see how people talked and their mannerisms. Of course not everyone was racist in 1962 in Halifax, just listen to the young guy at then end talking about wanting to play on a mixed race ball team and not be harrased about it.

If only you could teleport some of these older buildings we should have kept into 2022 that were destroyed.

Back to the original discussion, I like the skyscrapers we are seeing built in this city in last 10 years and I'd like it to continue. I'd also like to see CBC and CTV stop giving the Peggy Cameron a mic every time she whines.

I appreciate your thoughts, and yes the video was an interesting window into the past, a time capsule of sorts when taken in context of the year (which was before my time).

I agree with your other points as well.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

I also want to say that the characterisation of "everybody" being racist in those days is also creating an inaccurate caricature of the past.

It is a term that the younger generations throw around rather freely without recognition that it has been part of the human condition for centuries and exists to some greater or lesser extent in every society.

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by q12

Things got better on the waterfront in the mid 80s if you like parking lots instead of old dilapidated industrial sites. Of course Purdys wharf tower l in 1985 was a game changer for the skyline.

Oh my God, yes. It's hard for me to fathom now that when I was a kid (late 1970's) and Dad would take me over on the ferry for a Voyagers game or to see Bluenose, that the public usable portion of the waterfront was basically from the Ferry Terminal north to The Lower Deck. That was it. The rest was giant gravel parking lots and industrial wharves.