HULL, Québec | Contrasts and Contradictions - Page 2

ScotM · #21 Posted **Jul 27, 2009, 6:14 AM**

Beautiful pics, Flar.

Can't wait to come home.

Acajack · #22 Posted **Jul 27, 2009, 1:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by niwell

Great shots!

I never realized that Bixi was in Hull, when did that happen? I've heard nothing but good things about it from friends in Montreal

They are a new addition for this summer. Bixi is in Ottawa as well now.

flar · #23 Posted **Jul 27, 2009, 6:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LSyd

weird. it looks so european in some pics, so american in some pics.

-

A common sentiment regarding places in Quebec. When it comes down to it, it's thoroughly North American, but there is something distinct about Quebec. Strangely enough, when I first started working in Quebec I sometimes had this fleeting sensation that my money was no good here, like I was in a different country.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

That makes sense. How come you only have a couple hours to take pictures? Do you travel to visit these places as part of your work and take some time off on the side?

I'm just always busy, mostly with work and family, but also with other hobbies like baseball or music.

samne · #24 Posted **Jul 27, 2009, 7:15 PM**

I was in Hull for a few days on business last year. I didnt step foot in Ottawa outside the airport. I really liked it and it felt like Quebec City to me with bikes, hippies, civil servants and 5-à-7.

I find 60's slabcitechture as much Quebec as Mansard roofs.

Mille Sabords · #25 Posted **Jul 28, 2009, 9:46 AM**

Beautiful shots, flar. Your time of day choice was perfect. Downtown Hull looks so much better with people on the streets.

Stanz · #26 Posted **Jul 28, 2009, 10:07 PM**

Ah, so many teenage drinking memories. Great great thread.

Evergrey · #27 Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 3:40 AM**

Hull looks nice... it seems to have a lot of exciting dining options.

ErickMontreal · #28 Posted **Jul 29, 2009, 7:43 AM**

PET (Trudeau) destroyed downtown Hull... anyway...Nice pics.

flar · #29 Posted **Jul 30, 2009, 12:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ErickMontreal

PET (Trudeau) destroyed downtown Hull... anyway...Nice pics.

Urban renewal destroyed many downtowns back in the 70s, Hull probably came out of it better than most.

Acajack · #30 Posted **Aug 2, 2009, 3:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Hull looks nice... it seems to have a lot of exciting dining options.

I live in this city and dining would be one of the rare areas where it punches above its weight.

I generally find that in most areas we tend to punch *below* our weight, particularly compared to other cities of comparable or even smaller size in Quebec like Sherbrooke.

In my opinion, we tend to rely too much on Ottawa's presence next door for a lot of stuff, and can't really decide if we want to be our own city or a just suburb of Ottawa.

flar · #31 Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 12:14 PM**

The majority of Gatineau is suburban, and Ottawa is the reason much of it exists, so I'd have to say it is a suburb of Ottawa. Still, I think Hull itself is an interesting city, with its own history and charms.

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

le calmar · #32 Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 2:05 PM**

If Gatineau were bigger, it could have been a twin city just like Saint-Paul/Minneapolis, Dallas/Fort Worth. Ottawa is 4 times as big as Gatineau, so like flar said it is somewhat condamned to be a suburb of Ottawa.

Echoes · #33 Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 3:08 PM**

Great tour flar!

I have a brother who works in Place du Portage. I visited his 10th floor office this past spring which had a great view of Hull, though I never explored downtown.

I wonder, does anyone have any photos of downtown Hull before the urban renewal of the 60s and 70s?

dktshb · #34 Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 3:44 PM**

Very nice! I like the old brick buildings, but not the towers. Thanks for sharing.

sznter · #35 Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 4:25 PM**

Wow, some very beautiful concrete architecture there. Looks damn nice.

arbeiter · #36 Posted **Aug 6, 2009, 6:53 PM**

I think it's just fantastic. Ool has some handsome brutalist beauties as well as the turn of the century storefronts that make a city a city. Ool has my 'eart.

Serge · #37 Posted **Aug 22, 2009, 7:42 PM**

Damn... you did it right Flar.
< thank's

Acajack · #38 Posted **Aug 23, 2009, 3:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by flar

The majority of Gatineau is suburban, and Ottawa is the reason much of it exists, so I'd have to say it is a suburb of Ottawa. Still, I think Hull itself is an interesting city, with its own history and charms.

Not to dispute that Gatineau is certainly very much in Ottawa's sphere of influence, but I lived in Ottawa suburbs (Ontario side) for much of my life and have now lived in Gatineau for some time. But for some reason Gatineau just doesn't feel like an Ottawa suburb like places like Kanata, Orleans and even Rockland, Arnprior and Carleton Place do.

I occasionally hear people from Ottawa who have moved to Gatineau, or others from elsewhere who moved to Ottawa in their minds but ended up in Gatineau, who say that they don't really like it in Gatineau because it doesn't feel like Ottawa.

I have also noticed that people from Gatineau, when travelling, very rarely say they are from Ottawa, but will instead say they are from "Quebec near Ottawa" or "Gatineau, Quebec, just across the river from Ottawa". Whereas people from Arnprior, Carleton Place, Embrun, etc. will invariably say they are from Ottawa when travelling, just like people from Mississauga say they are from Toronto.

Rumors · #39 Posted **Aug 23, 2009, 3:34 PM**

Awesome.

gatt · #40 Posted **Apr 4, 2012, 6:06 PM**

i miss the time i was living in the neighberhood.