Post some pictures of your city! II

[Chadillaccc]

A winter day in Toronto...



The big two by Chadillaccc, on Flickr


Glorious by Chadillaccc, on Flickr


Lwalk by Chadillaccc, on Flickr


Yonge & Dundas by Chadillaccc, on Flickr


SOLD OUT by Chadillaccc, on Flickr


Emperor by Chadillaccc, on Flickr


You're in a city of wonders by Chadillaccc, on Flickr


Season's Greetings by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

[FrAnKs]

Awesome

Is it that new cladding on first canadian place that makes it so shiny now ?

[Chadillaccc]

Thanks! Testing out settings on the new cam. Haven't quite got the hang of it yet but the pics look pretty decent so I thought I'd post.


Yes it is, the new cladding is entirely glass, rather than stone. I believe the white glass has ceramic frit of some kind embedded in it.

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

A prime minister and a premier are the same thing - the leader of the government. In the present day we happen to use the naming convention of premier being provincial government and PM being federal government, but this is not an all encompassing rule. In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister" which used to also be the case with Canada.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premier


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premier

Obviously I can see how this would lead to confusion in our modern era, but the fact that your region referred to the leader of its government as a prime minister didn't make your colony a country any more than any other place which did so.

I cannot wrap my head around this sentiment. I feel as though you're arguing the world is flat. Is it a common sentiment in Nova Scotia that your colony was of an equal political status as our Dominion?

Mind-blowing.

We had our own Parliament, our own Prime Minister, our own national police force, our own central bank that printed our own currency, our own passports, our own national anthem, our own postal service with our own stamps, and the list goes on and on.

You had none of these things.

I almost don't know where to turn to find something to share, because there's just so much. So I'll choose something simple - the official portrait from the Imperial Conference of 1926:



Pictured are, beginning with the back row, from left:

Walter Stanley Monroe, Prime Minister of Newfoundland
Gordon Coates, Prime Minister of New Zealand
Stanley Bruce, Prime Minister of Australia
James Hertzog, Prime Minister of South Africa
W.T. Cosgrave, President of the Irish Free State
Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
King George V
William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada

I guess Nova Scotia's Prime Minister couldn't make it? Probably would have been too awkward since I'm sure all involved would have been startled to discover he even existed.

[SignalHillHiker]

The last day of 2013, in the first North American city to see 2014. ;-)

While our total snowfall thus far this winter hasn't come close to breaking any records, our total snowfall accumulation on the ground is the most it has been since 1946.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I cannot wrap my head around this sentiment. I feel as though you're arguing the world is flat. Is it a common sentiment in Nova Scotia that your colony was of an equal political status as our Dominion?

Mind-blowing.

I'm not sure anyone in NS has ever really thought or cared about the topic of NFLD's pre-confederation status, I just happened to notice you making baseless and irrelevant claims and refuted them. Sorry if I blew your mind. It sounds like all these things are simply accepted as part of the cultural doctrine there, so I'm sure the idea of anyone questioning them is tantamount to heresy.

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

We had our own Parliament, our own Prime Minister, our own national police force, our own central bank that printed our own currency, our own passports, our own national anthem, our own postal service with our own stamps, and the list goes on and on.

You had none of these things.

All colonies with their own governments would have these things although they would have a variety of naming conventions. Try googling the currencies used in the other provinces pre-confederation. Quite interesting.

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I almost don't know where to turn to find something to share, because there's just so much. So I'll choose something simple - the official portrait from the Imperial Conference of 1926:



Pictured are, beginning with the back row, from left:

Walter Stanley Monroe, Prime Minister of Newfoundland
Gordon Coates, Prime Minister of New Zealand
Stanley Bruce, Prime Minister of Australia
James Hertzog, Prime Minister of South Africa
W.T. Cosgrave, President of the Irish Free State
Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
King George V
William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada

I guess Nova Scotia's Prime Minister couldn't make it? Probably would have been too awkward since I'm sure all involved would have been startled to discover he even existed.

Nova Scotia had already joined confederation at that time as one of the founding four. I thought the discussion was about the colonies' pre-confederation status.

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

All colonies with their own governments would have these things although they would have a variety of naming conventions. Try googling the currencies used in the other provinces pre-confederation. Quite interesting.

Well then, please, do tell me:

1. When did Nova Scotia get responsible government?
2. When did Nova Scotia elect its first Parliament?
3. Who was the first Prime Minister of Nova Scotia?
4. In what ways did the position of Nova Scotia's Prime Minister differ from Governor or Premier? What, exactly, were his increased responsibilities as the leader of an independent country?
5. What was Nova Scotia's national anthem?
6. What did Nova Scotia's currency look like and which bank printed them?
7. What did Nova Scotia's stamps look like and which postal service printed them?
8. When did Nova Scotia get the title of a Dominion, which was created by Canada and later adopted by other independent countries, such as Newfoundland and New Zealand, as the official term for an independent nation in the Commonwealth?

For Newfoundland, the answers are:

1. May 22, 1855
2. May 22, 1855
3. Philip Francis Little
4. The position of Prime Minister of Newfoundland was modeled on that of the United Kingdom, with the same authority and responsibilities. This far exceeds anything that was afforded to colonies like Nova Scotia or even overseas territories such as Bermuda, which too had far greater independence than Nova Scotia but not as much as Newfoundland (for example, defense and foreign policy)
5. The Ode to Newfoundland
6. Ours were printed by the Bank of Newfoundland and looked like this:



It's interesting to note that they were issued by the central bank on behalf of the government, as opposed to a Union Bank printing money on behalf of the United Kingdom. For this reason, Newfoundland currency is still legal tender in the Commonwealth countries.

7. Our stamps were provided by the Government of Newfoundland. This is a small sample of what they looked like:



8. Newfoundland achieved partial independence (limited self-rule) from Britain in 1832. It achieved full independence from Britain in 1855. When Canada followed suit and adopted the same form of government as existed in Newfoundland later in 1867, it adopted the title of Dominion:

The Act begins with a preamble that declares that the three provinces New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada (which would become Ontario and Quebec) have requested to form "one Dominion...with a Constitution similar in Principle to that of the United Kingdom"

This term came into favour and was subsequently adopted by other independent countries which did not want to use the title Kingdom for humble reasons, including Newfoundland and New Zealand in 1907.

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

Nova Scotia had already joined confederation at that time as one of the founding four. I thought the discussion was about the colonies' pre-confederation status.

It is. Nova Scotia was only ever a colony prior to Confederation. It joined with others to form the Dominion of Canada, whereas we established the Dominion of Newfoundland on our own. Canada and Newfoundland both gradually built up their independence in the 1800s and 1900s. Nova Scotia did this, from 1867 onwards, as a part of Canada - and an increasingly overshadowed one. We did it alone.

We weren't as independent as Canada (primarily because there was no desire to do certain things separately from the United Kingdom), but we certainly were moreso than Nova Scotia on its own. For example, we sent a delegation representing Newfoundland to the negotiations that led to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Canada had one as well, of course, but Nova Scotia had none of its own. However, we didn't feel the need to sign it separately. Canada and a few other Dominions insisted, so they were allowed to sign, indented below Britain. We just never bothered with it.

So there's lots of little things like that you point to and show that Newfoundland was more comfortable being spoken for by Britain than was Canada, but all of this is far beyond what Nova Scotia ever did on its own.

[cam477]

I really don’t know much about any of the other provinces pre-confederation history. So this discussion has prompted me to do some reading.

From Wikipedia: “During this century, Nova Scotia was the first colony in British North America and in the British Empire to achieve responsible government in January–February 1848 and become self-governing through the efforts of Joseph Howe.[23] Nova Scotia had established representative government in 1758, an achievement that was later commemorated by erecting the Dingle Tower in 1908.

This is an interesting topic. Let’s all keep it civil.

[Nouvellecosse]

I agree about the keeping it civil part. I'm starting to get the feeling that all this is more about putting Nova Scotia in its place and proving how special and advanced NFLD is by comparison than about any concern for historical accuracy. Neither someone nor I ever introduced NS into the discussion and were speaking strictly about NFLD history and it's relation to Britain and Canada, yet all we're hearing is how NS didn't do this and NS didn't have that...

It may come as a shock to some but NS did in fact think of itself as an independent country before confederation, and most didn't actually want to join at the time (there was no formal vote and it was agreed upon by our representatives who we felt betrayed by) and there was even a prominent separatist movement will into the 20th century which didn't die out until after the wars.

The only major difference I see is that NFLD had an actual vote, and that it joined much more recently so it is fresher in people's minds.

[cam477]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

I agree about the keeping it civil part. I'm starting to get the feeling that all this is more about putting Nova Scotia in its place and proving how special and advanced NFLD is by comparison than about any concern for historical accuracy. Neither someone nor I ever introduced NS into the discussion and were speaking strictly about NFLD history and it's relation to Britain and Canada, yet all we're hearing is how NS didn't do this and NS didn't have that...

I think it goes both ways.

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

It sounds like all these things are simply accepted as part of the cultural doctrine there, so I'm sure the idea of anyone questioning them is tantamount to heresy...

One person who posts on an internet forum about skyscrapers does not represent the “simply accepted… cultural doctrine” of Newfoundland.

Anyways, it’s a fascinating topic.

I definitely think you are correct in suggesting NL joining the confederation so much more recently probably makes it feel much different in people’s minds. My grandparents were not born in Canada, they were born in NL. My parents only missed it by a few years.

[jeddy1989]

I thought this thread was about pictures... oh well it goes the way of most SSP Canada section threads

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by cam477

I think it goes both ways.



One person who posts on an internet forum about skyscrapers does not represent the “simply accepted… cultural doctrine” of Newfoundland.

I was perfectly justified in saying it "sounds like", because to the high drama level present in his reaction when his long accepted assumptions were challenged. There's no way a person would say things like "I cannot wrap my head around this sentiment." or "I feel as though you're arguing the world is flat." or "Mind-blowing" unless he had never been exposed to anything other than the total acceptance of such assumptions.

Unless of course you're suggesting he was lying and really wasn't as shocked as he implied.

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

I agree about the keeping it civil part. I'm starting to get the feeling that all this is more about putting Nova Scotia in its place and proving how special and advanced NFLD is by comparison than about any concern for historical accuracy.

...

The only major difference I see is that NFLD had an actual vote, and that it joined much more recently so it is fresher in people's minds.

I have no desire to put Nova Scotia in its place. It would never have even occurred to me to bring it up if Someone123 hadn't claimed St. John's had never been a national capital, and consequently that Newfoundland had never been a nation.

Originally Posted by someone123

This could be said of all of the older provinces (colonies), and today we still have representative government in each of the provincial capitals but they are not really considered "national" capitals.

...

The same thing goes for the elected assembly in NF -- it was behind the times.

The above is an attempt to belittle and deny one of the cornerstones of our history: the fact that our small country ever existed at all. None of the other colonies that comprised the Dominion of Canada ever achieved on their own what we did. So to say that we were not only less politically independent than them, but actually their inferiors, is ridiculous.

We were a Dominion, equal in status and independent authority to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. If Canada was a country in 1934, and Ottawa its national capital, then so too was Newfoundland and St. John's. Period.

There was absolutely no relevant difference in the political status of the two.

And that's my point. Someone123 can think that the colonies of the Maritimes were our political superiors all he wants. He's fighting a losing argument.

[urbandreamer]

Why haven't I been to NFLD yet?! Those photos have sold my hard-earned dollars on a trip down east.

[Tone]

Rimouski and the icy St. Lawrence today

[someone123]

Snowstorm in Halifax:


Source

[Nouvellecosse]

That picture looks a bit like Montreal with the houses in the background with the metal staircases.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

That picture looks a bit like Montreal with the houses in the background with the metal staircases.

It's still a pretty shabby neighbourhood but it has great bones. It could be quite something in a few years.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

That picture looks a bit like Montreal with the houses in the background with the metal staircases.

I was thinking the houses looked like they belong in parts of Philly or somewhere else in Pennsylvania.

[Nouvellecosse]

Yes, it does look more like PA doesn't it? I've actually seen other similarities between Halifax and Pittsburgh due to the urban fabric being largely composed of tighly-packed SFHs and townhouses which are more often wood or vinyl siding rather than brick or stone which tends to dominate much of the rest of northeastern NA.

Also similar in the rather eclectic mix of styles. We don't really have any nabes with street after street of identical houses like can be found in many other parts of the Northeast, and Pittsburgh doesn't seem to either.