The Great Canadian Skyline thread for CMAs 1 million and under - Page 248

theman23 · #**4941** Posted **Sep 10, 2023, 2:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

I've spent a fair bit of time in Nanaimo over the past few years, and I can't say I see much appeal either. The historic downtown core is nice (worth stopping in for lunch or something if you're passing through), but tiny even for a city of its size, and not particularly vibrant. Its surrounded by parking lots, and then the rest of the city is pretty much all horrible suburban sprawl. Somewhere like Nelson has a better, more substantial downtown and it's 1/10th the size.

Sure, the setting and climate are nice, but so is everywhere else on Vancouver Island - that doesn't excuse the lacklustre urban environment (especially when you can get an actually good one with an even better setting/climate down island). Nanaimo is basically BC's version of Barrie: a small town that's grown into a sprawling exurb for people priced out of Toronto/Vancouver.

A good comparison to Nanaimo is Bellingham. Both have the same socioeconomic issues and are beta or gamma cities within their respective province or state. The two are about the same size, but Bellingham's urban core is far larger and the city has a far higher mode share (2x aggregate but 5x greater for cycling) for non-car transportation. Bellingham also has a smaller historic district on the periphery in Fairhaven that probably is about equivalent to Nanaimo's main core.

Kilgore Trout · #**4942** Posted **Sep 10, 2023, 10:05 PM**

Bellingham is twice the size of Nanaimo so I don't think it's a fair comparison.

But MonkeyRonin is right in that Nanaimo is a small town stuck in the midst of a giant suburb. Its urban core is nice enough, charming even, but it's tiny. Courtenay is a fraction of the size and yet it has a similarly sized downtown. Hell, even Duncan has a downtown area that isn't much smaller than Nanaimo.

Aside from downtown and the adjacent "old town" area, there's working class bungalow belt that is kind of dumpy, and then endless sprawl that is shocking for a city of only 100,000 people. The location is great and the natural setting is gorgeous, but Nanaimo definitely punches below its weight.

There's a lot of potential though. It's a very linear urban area, so if you revamped the old E&N tracks into a kind of interurban tram-train running from Nanaimo Airport up to Qualicum Beach, you'd have a chance at creating a proper city.

Wigs · #**4943** Posted **Sep 10, 2023, 11:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

Hamilton, ON - same location 12 years apart

I can't get over how Soviet looking the top image is. Replace the Canadian flag with the Russian or USSR flag

Novo Hamontov

MonctonRad · #**4944** Posted **Sep 14, 2023, 11:46 PM**

Recent nighttime drone shot of the Three Sisters development (under construction) in Moncton, with the Avenir Centre, the federal Public Dominion Building complex and the Crowne Plaza Hotel in the background.

Andre Audet Photography, found on Facebook

thurmas · #**4945** Posted **Sep 15, 2023, 12:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Recent nighttime drone shot of the Three Sisters development (under construction) in Moncton, with the Avenir Centre, the federal Public Dominion Building complex and the Crowne Plaza Hotel in the background.

Andre Audet Photography, found on Facebook

Three sisters? Is there a kissing cousins tower coming too ?

thurmas · #**4946** Posted **Sep 15, 2023, 12:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wigs

I can't get over how Soviet looking the top image is. Replace the Canadian flag with the Russian or USSR flag

Novo Hamontov

Petrov Polieivsky is working on it once he removes those gatekeepers in Petrograd

MonctonRad · #**4947** Posted **Sep 16, 2023, 9:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thurmas

Three sisters? Is there a kissing cousins tower coming too ?

Indeed, and possibly a fourth sister across the street too

giallo · #**4948** Posted **Oct 3, 2023, 8:01 PM**

Kelowna

MolsonExport · #**4949** Posted **Oct 3, 2023, 8:13 PM**

^cool. I can barely recognize Kelowna from my time living there (1994-95)

Tone · #**4950** Posted **Oct 20, 2023, 7:42 PM**

Rimouski

https://www.instagram.com/cegeprimouski/?hl=fr

BoofGodBoof · #**4951** Posted **Oct 25, 2023, 11:33 PM**

Probably the best angle of London atm. But really the only way you can see it is from apartment buildings. Found this on Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/londonontario/s/Kp1EatDN7i

ScreamingViking · #**4952** Posted **Oct 26, 2023, 1:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoofGodBoof

Probably the best angle of London atm. But really the only way you can see it is from apartment buildings.

What is that building in the foreground? And from which direction was this taken?

GreatTallNorth2 · #**4953** Posted **Oct 26, 2023, 2:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

What is that building in the foreground? And from which direction was this taken?

That is Alumni Hall at Western University. That would be looking southeast if I’m not mistaken.

MolsonExport · #**4954** Posted **Oct 26, 2023, 1:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

That is Alumni Hall at Western University. That would be looking southeast if I’m not mistaken.

Kerrect!

BoofGodBoof · #**4955** Posted **Oct 27, 2023, 12:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

That is Alumni Hall at Western University. That would be looking southeast if I’m not mistaken.

yessir

ScreamingViking · #**4956** Posted **Oct 27, 2023, 1:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

That is Alumni Hall at Western University. That would be looking southeast if I’m not mistaken.

Thank you. I've driven through parts of Western's campus but that's it.

Djeffery · #**4957** Posted **Oct 27, 2023, 1:44 AM**

A really good angle of downtown London is from Fanshawe Park Rd a couple hundred feet west of Clarke Rd before you go down the hill at Cedar Hollow. It is a little far for an Iphone shot though. I'm usually in a truck so I have a bit of an elevated position as well. Next time I'm over that way I'll try to pull over and take a pic and see how it is.

sparky212 · #**4958** Posted **Oct 27, 2023, 12:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djeffery

A really good angle of downtown London is from Fanshawe Park Rd a couple hundred feet west of Clarke Rd before you go down the hill at Cedar Hollow. It is a little far for an Iphone shot though. I'm usually in a truck so I have a bit of an elevated position as well. Next time I'm over that way I'll try to pull over and take a pic and see how it is.

You know it's funny I have told my self for years I'd stop at that corner and get a photo but never had gotten around to it

MolsonExport · #**4959** Posted **Oct 27, 2023, 1:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djeffery

A really good angle of downtown London is from Fanshawe Park Rd a couple hundred feet west of Clarke Rd before you go down the hill at Cedar Hollow. It is a little far for an Iphone shot though. I'm usually in a truck so I have a bit of an elevated position as well. Next time I'm over that way I'll try to pull over and take a pic and see how it is.

Also, Sunningdale just west of Adelaide (on the hill).

BoofGodBoof · #**4960** Posted **Nov 3, 2023, 5:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djeffery

A really good angle of downtown London is from Fanshawe Park Rd a couple hundred feet west of Clarke Rd before you go down the hill at Cedar Hollow. It is a little far for an Iphone shot though. I'm usually in a truck so I have a bit of an elevated position as well. Next time I'm over that way I'll try to pull over and take a pic and see how it is.

This spot? this is a pic i got in August. its an alright view