megadude................I don't think Google streetview is allowed because the roads are not public and more just like wide sidewalks and the homes not freehold.
When you buy a house on the Islands you are not actually buying it but leasing it although possibly for life. It's kind of like Googling for a townhouse, the complex may be massive but as soon as you enter the boundaries of the complex, Google stops as it is considered private property and the Islands are akin to that.
It's quite possible. But I do wonder why the 2011 version is up still. Those certainly are basically sidewalks or pathways in a sense, but have street names. Still could be private though.
Would be no problem for google to affix a 360 camera on an e-bike and cover it in like 10 minutes, but that rider would be getting cut eye the whole time from anyone standing outside.
As cool and novel as it is to live there, I wouldn't invest any money into that like I wouldn't in the Florida Keys. Several years ago when Lake O was high, lots of that land flooded. I remember seeing pics of carp swimming on the baseball diamond.
Couple weeks ago I posted about Halton Safety Village. I was just looking up Playdium arcade in Brampton and then saw Peel Safety Village nearby. They did not have this when I grew up in Brampton. And I never had a Power Wheels. Looks like they grow on trees there. They are all over the place now. I got the same two seater jeep for my kids and they each have a quad.
All four suburban regions surrounding Toronto have a safety village but not Toronto itself.
We heard that Hamilton used to have one. And I just googled Ontario safety villages and it turns out Belleville, Waterloo, Niagara, Windsor and Brant Co. all have one. Sarnia and the Soo were trying to build one. And I see Ottawa used to have one.
Okay, so the Niagara site actually lists the other villages in Canada:
Belleville
Brant
Chatham-Kent
Durham
Halton
Lambton
London
Nepean
Peel
Waterloo
Windsor
York
Red Deer Alberta
Grande Prairie & Area Safe Communities
Calgary Safety Council
Kelowna & District Safety Council
Because there’s so many snowmobiles or because there’s too many bad snowmobile drivers?
By the way, do you see them on actual roads or the shoulders? I know some communities up there grappled with that — allowing them on shoulders.
I have never even seen one at all In action in my life. And I’ve only seen an ATV on a shoulder once. Was in Uxbridge.
I only know about the snowmobile issue because I would listen to the fishing show hosted by Angelo Viola on the Fan 590 while I would be driving to a fishing spot. He also talked outdoors sports in general and interviewed people from up north. Many he knew because he’d fish at remote lodges all the time, often only accessible by float plane.
Speaking of Timmins, some few eminent Canadians have a connection to it. Shania Twain is of course the most famous Timmins resident. But there was also the Nobel Prize-winning economist Myron Scholes. I recently learned that Frank Gehry spent his adolescent years in Timmins. There he said he discovered two things: a love of hockey and anti-Semitism.
Lovely shot. It has been 40 years since I have visited there.
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The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. (Bertrand Russell)
Couple days ago I mentioned power wheels, as shown in the pic above. And whaddya know, guy on the next street over put out three of them on the curb today. He happened to be outside and said two of them only need batteries. So I took them and will try putting the drill battery adapter kit in them like I did for my kids' power wheels. Hopefully they will work as clearly they've been sitting for a while.
The Toyota Tundra will be used for hauling stuff. The Bentley Continental will be used for cruising around town in style.
A few months ago someone on my street put out four new bike tires at the curb for some reason. And I bought the new fat bike tire for a dollar at a liquidation store. Was planning on cutting them and splaying them out on the plastic tires of the power wheels and screwing them in to provide traction for going up hill. And I already collected two kids bikes people put out with the idea of using those tires, which are pretty bald though. I must have seen about a dozen kids bikes put out at the curb or by the dumpster of an apartment building in the past six months. When the tires are bald or the tube doesn't hold air, the kids bikes are basically worthless. I think even if donated that it wouldn't be worth the cost of the recipient buying new tubes and/or tires. I don't think I recall seeing bikes at thrift stores.
On my way back from Niagara on the weekend we decided to drive around and see the painted ladies of Grimsby. Not at all a walkable neighbourhood in terms of amenities but that little area is so charming.
A few months ago one of them went up for sale. I haven't read that it's been sold since it's January listing, but price was only $675k. Though, somehow it's only a 1 bed 1 bath. Dated inside but still cute. I want to know if the $675k was to pique interest or that's the real market price for it.
I'm wondering what would stop a rich person from buying it and air bnb-ing it. Or even short term leases at a premium. Perhaps there is a bylaw there. Based on the fact that it's surrounded by several other "painted ladies" and not just a one off, meaning the whole street is charming, I'd think that would command a hefty premium.
I noticed that in one of the pics there's an awkwardly placed bath tub.
Why do coastal towns have such boxy, wooden homes? They still look nice because they are painted different colours, but I wonder why there's so little variation in archictectural style and material.
And I wonder why there's no communities that somewhat resemble this inland along the many humongous lakes we have. Or is there somewhere inland with bright, boxy houses spaced out sitting on different elevations around a lake?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Architype
I visited the small historic town of Trinity (in Trinity Bay) Newfoundland a few years ago. I am not sure if I ever posted the pics, so I will post some of them here.
Trinity is located on the west side of Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, about three hours driving distance from St. John's. Trinity Harbour was used by fishing ships in the 16th century, and the town was settled by merchants from Poole, England in the 1700's. Today it is one of the most historically preserved locations in the province, and is home to summer festival activities and a theatre company. "During the 1720s Trinity was home to about 30 permanent families and host to 200-300 seasonal fishermen per year. By 1869, the population peaked at more than 800 people." Today the year round population is less than 100, and the village is renown as a tourist attraction.
I also have a personal connection to this town, the headstones pictured in the cemetery (the one with the flowers and ocean view) are those of a great-great-uncle who was a well known sea captain, and family, who lived here for most of their lives.
Why do coastal towns have such boxy, wooden homes? They still look nice because they are painted different colours, but I wonder why there's so little variation in archictectural style and material.
And I wonder why there's no communities that somewhat resemble this inland along the many humongous lakes we have. Or is there somewhere inland with bright, boxy houses spaced out sitting on different elevations around a lake?
Many of the older communities were located close as possible to the fishing grounds; this was in the age of sail, so proximity was important. There was no economic reason to have a town around a lake or even a deep inlet; agriculture was very limited so was of no economic importance. Today though you will find summer cottage communities around lakes. As for the boxy wooden houses, they followed the form of 18th /19th century England and Ireland where the traditions are from, and are not really too different from early buildings in some other parts of Eastern Canada and New England. Houses were built of available wood because there typically weren't many stonemasons and other skilled trades around. In many areas, settlement was still illegal for years after people actually settled, so permanent stone or masonry structures were not popular as they might have been destroyed by the British overseers. Many of the boxy flat roofed houses which you see also had their attic storeys, bay windows, porches, etc., removed in the early 20th century for easier maintenance due to availability of newer roofing materials rather than wood shingles. Weather is another factor, discouraging flimsy decorative buildings and materials, but there were lots of fancy Victorian structures that are now long gone. Today, the boxy look is almost iconic, and it is somewhat played up for heritage and tourism purposes.
An interesting community of floating houses in Toronto. The only 25 that are licenced as they are grandfathered in and the city banned such domiclies. Located in Scarboro next to the Bluffs. Very unique as it's not like BC where I'm sure there are tonnes, but this is apparently all TO has. I seem to recall one at Queens Quay downtown back in the day and saw the owner a couple of times. Though not quite sure it was a house boat or yacht he just lived on.
When I lived in Vancouver (94-98), Granville Island had a few score of floating homes.
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The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. (Bertrand Russell)
There are several over on Toronto Island as well but not it large groupings like that and not nearly as large.
With housing shortages and much warmer winters now I don't see why we can't have more of these floating communities. Maybe it's because the city hasn't figured out how to tax them yet since they don't have to pay any sort of property taxes. I'm sure they could figure something out. I would happily live in a floating home.
The Ford Government banned them in cottage country a year or two back. Outside of BC, and a small number of location in Ontario are there any other locals that have house boats permanently moored? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess Quebec, and some of the maritime provinces must have some in sheltered coves???
I've seen a few videos from a guy on tiktok that shows his life living on one of those in Yellowknife. Interesting content.
Yesterday I was in Newmarket and Aurora.
Newmarket is one of my favourite downtowns. I had only driven through before. Walked around this time. I'm a big fan of downtowns that are small enough that you know all the ins and outs but not so small that you get bored. It's charming and it has a handful of interesting alleys or side streets. They've done a great job integrating new architecture with old.
Aurora's downtown is small. And too bad there's one spot where the business is set back from the road. And the building beside that is a cheap, ordinary thing that detracts from the rest. Anyway, Aurora is like Kleinburg. Towns with not much population, feel very suburban outside of their main streets, and if someone says to you they live there, you automatically assume they have money. I assume Frank Stronach and Magna were a big part of forging that identity with his massive chateau HQ and surrounding golf club, stable and executive mansions that are devoid of colour.
I visited my old boss in Newmarket and his daughter started out doing hair in a salon in Aurora, but she moved to Barrie a long time ago. But due to existing clientele, most with money, she is more than willing to do the longer commute.
This was the trip I did from Friday morning to Monday night. Did so much driving in the Corolla rental with only 7k on it that my '09 and '17 cars at home feel like I'm driving cars without power steering. They feel so stiff now compared to the new car.
2017 was when I developed an interest in small towns and interesting neighbourhoods. Now I feel like I have to see any that are on the way to my destination.
I'll post about each one as I get time to go through the pics I took.
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