The Great Canadian Waterfront Thread

[Beedok]

I'm not even sure I can afford to look at a lot of those Vancouver shots.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

I've never been to a city, anywhere in the world, that has a better waterfront than Vancouver: beaches, parks, cycle paths, etc.

And only Vancouver, in my opinion, could make public pools sexy - Kits Pool is absolutely stunning. Now, if only the summers were a little hotter.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by Dr Awesomesauce

Now, if only the summers were a little hotter.

If it was hot in Vancouver I'd be insanely jealous and would probably be figuring out a way to move there. Of course, so would the rest of the country.

Those photos are gorgeous.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by rousseau

If it was hot in Vancouver I'd be insanely jealous and would probably be figuring out a way to move there. Of course, so would the rest of the country.

I popped by for a quick visit in June and it was 14C and rainy on my last day. There's the rub. That and the fact that real estate is obscenely expensive, of course.

[Delirium]

june is such a weird month in vancouver. it's actually called 'juneuary' because the weather is so iffy while the rest of canada is enjoying summer. come july though, bam summer hits. it's true downtown rarely hits over 30c but that's because of the ocean (the valley get super hot). the bonus is that there's little to no humidity. i play tennis or go for a bike ride and not break into a sweat. one of things that always irritated me living back east. you're inside all winter only to escape to air conditioning in the summer because of the oppressive heat/humidity.

anyone coming for a visit - best time is July/August/Sept.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by Delirium

june is such a weird month in vancouver. it's actually called 'juneuary' because the weather is so iffy while the rest of canada is enjoying summer. come july though, bam summer hits. it's true downtown rarely hits over 30c but that's because of the ocean (the valley get super hot). the bonus is that there's little to no humidity. i play tennis or go for a bike ride and not break into a sweat. one of things that always irritated me living back east. you're inside all winter only to escape to air conditioning in the summer because of the oppressive heat/humidity.

anyone coming for a visit - best time is July/August/Sept.

I can live with the rain and the relatively cool weather, believe me; it's a city I never grow weary of.

[Prometheus]

During July and August, Vancouver is substantially drier and sunnier than Toronto. In fact, it might be the driest and sunniest place in Canada. In July 2013, for example, Vancouver did not experience a single drop of rain and had over 411 hours of sunshine. That was a record, but it was not too far off from a typical good summer. And Vancouver's average maximum temperature for July and August is just 3 or 4 degrees cooler than Toronto.

Toronto Weather Data
Vancouver Weather Data

False Creek South Seawall:


Photo by Steve Chou Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stchou...57646791161560

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

During July and August, Vancouver is substantially drier and sunnier than Toronto. In fact, it might be the driest and sunniest place in Canada. In July 2013, for example, Vancouver did not experience a single drop of rain and had over 411 hours of sunshine. That was a record, but it was not too far off from a typical good summer. And Vancouver's average maximum temperature for July and August is just 3 or 4 degrees cooler than Toronto.

A lot of the rain in southern Ontario in the summer comes in the form of strong, brief showers. It's not "rainy in summer" at all, though I'm guessing there are more cloudy days here with so many Great Lakes pushing up against each other.

A 3 or 4 degree difference in summer highs is substantial. 22 degrees and dry during the day ends up being a cool evening, and wearing a jacket at night in the summer is not my idea of summer at all. By contrast, 26 degrees and humid during the day means the evening will be warm, providing for 24-hour enjoyment.

But even so, those photos of the waterfront in Vancouver are really nice.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by rousseau

A lot of the rain in southern Ontario in the summer comes in the form of strong, brief showers.

I don't know. Rainstorms in the middle of summer just isn't natural.

[1overcosc]

Ontario didn't have any rain at all in July 2012. At least Ottawa & Kingston didn't.

Ontario summers aren't that rainy. The spring, on the other hand, is. Big time.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by rousseau

A 3 or 4 degree difference in summer highs is substantial. 22 degrees and dry during the day ends up being a cool evening, and wearing a jacket at night in the summer is not my idea of summer at all.

By dry I meant zero rain, not zero humidity. And notwithstanding the mathematical averages, a typical July/August day in Vancouver is more like 26 degrees, and there is always a heat wave or two during which temperatures soar to 29 or 30 plus degrees for a number of consecutive days. Sandals, shorts and a T-shirt are adequate most summer evenings.

Coal Harbour Seawall:


Photo by pjpurcell01: https://www.flickr.com/photos/968438...n/photostream/

[csbvan]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

Notwithstanding the mathematical averages, a typical July/August day in Vancouver is more like 25 or 26 degrees, and sandals, shorts and a T-shirt are usually adequate most summer evenings

And the perfect temperature, when combined with the low humidity, to be active! I found that in the Okanagan, even though the heat was dry, anything in the low to mid 30s (needless to say the high 30s too) was too hot to do much. Nice for sure, in short bursts, but I am a fan of the mid-20s, and have been ever since I moved to Vancouver.

[GlassCity]

You guys don't think Vancouver is hot in the summer? I honestly barely suffer through. Once it gets to 25 I literally sweat just from walking around. I can understand that this isn't very hot compared to most other places, but I'm surprised that it's desirable for it to be even hotter though. I'll admit I'm a cold-climate person though.

[someone123]

To some degree you eventually get used to the conditions you're exposed to. If you live in a place with cooler summers, the low 20's feel perfect and Ontario feels oppressively warm when you get off a plane there in August. If you do want warmer weather, the Fraser Valley is a bit warmer and places like Osoyoos get hot, dry weather. I usually spend a few days each summer in the BC interior and I'm happy to get back to cooler weather afterward.

Another thing the averages don't capture is that Ontario generally has wider temperature swings, on top of the wider seasonal range. Coastal BC is very stable in comparison and the temperature is easy to get used to as a result. The Atlantic coast is similar, though to a lesser degree.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

You guys don't think Vancouver is hot in the summer? I honestly barely suffer through. Once it gets to 25 I literally sweat just from walking around. I can understand that this isn't very hot compared to most other places, but I'm surprised that it's desirable for it to be even hotter though. I'll admit I'm a cold-climate person though.

Sorry, I've spent most of my adult life in the tropics, so Vancouver is downright chilly for me. Still love it, though.

[wg_flamip]

Originally Posted by logan5

I don't know. Rainstorms in the middle of summer just isn't natural.

Weird. A summer thunderstorm can be quite nice as long as you're not caught outside and it's not happening everyday. After several days above 30 with humidity beating down on you, the cathartic release of violently thrashing rains, deafening thunder and wild forks of lightning comes as a welcome relief.

To bring this back to the waterfront: I think one of the most beautiful moments I've experienced in Toronto occurred on a summer night out on the Leslie St. Spit. Behind us and across the harbour, the skyline was silhouetted by the pink-and-purpling twilight. Above us, the stars were beginning to poke out from the deep blue sky. But the lake before us was nothing. A void. The horizon did not exist. The water and sky met in a impenetrable haze with no definite beginning or end. Distant thunder rumbled over the surface of the lake, with intermittent forks of lightning appearing out of nothing, hinting only for a moment at the rolling clouds above and the we're-just-getting-started waves below. We sat on an old log taking it all in silently, half-terrified we'd be caught on the bare and narrow spit when the storm rolled in. The park was closed and there was no one around, just the fresh smell of the churning lake and the refreshing taste of a cool wet breeze through a three-days-stale and sweltering city.

Absolutely magical.

[Prometheus]

Music by Nick Drake:

• Video Link


All photos by Clayton Perry Photoworks:

[giallo]

^Good lord!

[Dr Awesomesauce]

By Odin's beard!

[kool maudit]

so long as the city comes right up to the water's edge (without stadia or parking lots or interpretation centers or whatever), waterfronts take care of themselves.



vancouver has the right idea in canada, as does old montreal for a kilometer or so.