Vancouver General Discussion Thread

[logan5]

Insite is handing out free drugs? Don’t think that’s the case.

[retro_orange]

Yikes, this would be totally unacceptable and unlivable for me. Has anyone else ever heard a noise like this just from wind on a building? I have had my windows shake in a highrise during a windstorm but nothing like this nightmare. Story below videos, interesting reddit thread too: https://www.reddit.com/r/toronto/comments/9utf44/new_condos_metal_facade_make_a_terrible_sound_in/

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Listen to wind gusts and a condo tower make not-so-beautiful music together

Sound engineer likens phenomenon to 'Coke bottle that you blow over' to make noise


The E Condo Tower at Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue is believed to be the cause of mysterious sounds as wind gusts whip across the building. (Google Maps)

A video posted to Reddit is catching the eyes — and ears — of residents who live near a particularly musical condo tower in midtown Toronto.

The video captures wind gusts whipping off the metal facade of the E Condo Tower, at the ultra-dense corner of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue, creating a sound like heavy traffic or the roar of a sports stadium.

"It sounded very similar to a vuvuzela instrument ... a bee swarm," said Tony Dreher, a neighbour of the building at 8 Eglinton Ave., and the original poster of the video.

Dreher said he and his partner have heard the noise several times over the last few months, but that the racket was at its loudest on Tuesday, as Toronto experienced wind gusts up to 80 km/h.

"It only happens on very windy days and it was pretty consistent for about four to five hours, depending on the wind," he added.

Where does the sound come from?

Payam Ashtiani, a sound engineer for the design firm Aercoustics Engineering, specializes in designing acoustics for spaces like concert halls and meeting rooms.

Ashtiani reviewed the Reddit video and said there's little doubt that the eerie howls come directly from the condo tower.

"It's quite likely that it's a wind-induced noise over the building. I'd be looking at balcony railings that have holes in them, or holes that ring out when the wind is at a specific speed."

Ashtiani said the facade of the building essentially acts "like either a whistle, or if you can imagine, a Coke bottle that you blow over. Because the sounds are very constant notes, like a trumpet note.

Ashtiani is not able to determine how loud the wind was during the filming of the video.

Considering how it drowned out the normal downtown hum, he said it's likely that in strong weather events, the sound could be called "a public nuisance."

The condo developer, Bazis International, did not respond to requests for comment on the design of the building.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/wind-gusts-at-yonge-eglinton-condo-tower-1.4898249

[jollyburger]

Veronika Belovich, director of sales and marketing for Bazis, tells us that the company is aware of the problem. “The building is still under construction and we are working on fixing the noise issue,” she wrote in an email. “[The] noise is created by wind interaction with balcony railings. Once all the railing components are installed, the noise will cease.”

Belovich says Bazis is aiming to have all those balcony components installed by spring, meaning Yonge and Eglinton has at least a few more months of intermittent condo scream ahead of it.

https://torontolife.com/real-estate/condos/help-might-way-yonge-eglintons-screaming-condo-tower/

[SpongeG]

New Metro park will be 1.5 times the size of Stanley Park

A draft management plan for Widgeon Marsh regional park reserve in northeast Coquitlam will be open for public comment this summer.

Janis Cleugh / Tri-City News APRIL 6, 2019


The south end of Widgeon Slough.
Photograph By METRO VANCOUVER

A draft management plan for a closed regional park reserve in northeast Coquitlam will be open for public comment this summer.

This week, the Metro Vancouver parks committee green-lighted the second round of consultations for Widgeon Marsh, an ecologically sensitive site — about one-and-half times the size of Stanley Park — north of Minnekhada regional park, on the east side of Burke Mountain.

...

https://www.tricitynews.com/news/new-met...imes-the-size-of-stanley-park-1.23782583

[Feathered Friend]

Originally Posted by Feathered Friend

I had to post this somewhere just to blow off a little steam. I had a rather nasty experience at the UDP tonight with one member of the city staff.

Originally Posted by jlousa

Sorry to hear that, and you aren't alone. There is certain members of city staff and councilors that mock members of the general public that attend open houses, meetings etc.

Originally Posted by misher

Exactly. I swear the city just sends its low level staff and not the real decision makers. I do wonder if they get overtime for being there.

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone again for their support over the last couple weeks. They were certainly tough ones, but your encouragement made it easier to keep going.

We have a positive relationship with many of the staff from various departments, so this incident with a member of the admin team caught us both off guard. After speaking with those in city management, I can say their response and handling of the matter was to my satisfaction.

I'm deeply sorry to hear that you've had similar negative encounters, Jlousa. One day we'll have to go for a drink (coffee or otherwise) and trade horror stories.

Generally, our experiences have been that the engineering, development, and planning staff are willing to explain and entertain all sorts of feedback from Vancouverites, even in spite of some horrific abuse.

Obviously those attending the open house events aren't the department leads, but they aren't the same as the admin clerks at the UDP. They are people who have completed masters programs and make a good salary, at least according to the Vancouver Sun. To clarify, they don't get overtime for these events, but they are compensated with in lieu time off.

At the end of the day, for us, this feels like it was a one off event, rather than a representation of the culture of city staff.

[jollyburger]

The reclad of 2015 Main Street for WeWork actually looks pretty nice.

[SpongeG]

does anyone else get this ad on here? what is it?

[SpongeG]

I've noticed some new signs around Vancouver from the Government of Canada on the roads. One on Cambie and one was on 12th.
They say something about the transportation of plants and soil are regulated or monitored? I will have to pay attention next time.
Has anyone else seen them? any idea what they are about?

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I've noticed some new signs around Vancouver from the Government of Canada on the roads. One on Cambie and one was on 12th.
They say something about the transportation of plants and soil are regulated or monitored? I will have to pay attention next time.
Has anyone else seen them? any idea what they are about?

The one on 4th is something about Japanese beetles. Probably an invasive species PSA.

[SpongeG]

yeah ok cause they weren't there a couple weeks ago.

...

Onto another topic, the west side could really use a movie theatre, maybe near the arbutus terminus for the extension or the arbutus village redevelopments next phase? somewhere on the west side.

We were desperate to see Avengers Thursday night, cause both my friend and me were going out of town and would not be able to see it unless we saw it thursday, so we found tickets on monday night for 5th ave, every other showing for thursday was sold out, gateway, scotia, metropolis etc, anyway the theatre was so small and the screen is so high it made for a weird viewing. I haven't been to that theatre in years. Anyway Landmark should look to build something on the west side, it would do really well cause 5th ave just isn't that great.

[misher]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

yeah cause they weren't there a couple weeks ago.

Onto another topic, the west side could really use a movie theatre, maybe near the arbutus terminus for the extension or the arbutus village redevelopments next phase? somewhere on the west side.

We were desperate to see Avengers thrursday night, cause both my friend and me were going out of town and would not be able to see it unless we saw it thursday, so we found tickets on monday night for 5th ave, every other showing for thursday was sold out, gateway, scotia, metropolis etc, anyway the theatre was so small and the screen is so high it made for a weird viewing. I haven't been to theatre in years. Anyway Landmark should look to build something on the west side, it would do really well.

There is an older one on West Blvd. I don't believe it gets the brand new releases though.

[SpongeG]

where?

A good state of the art multiplex with multiple showings and movie options like you get at most theatres these days. Having to go downtown or the suburbs is really annoying when you want to avoid going so far.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

yeah ok cause they weren't there a couple weeks ago.

...

Onto another topic, the west side could really use a movie theatre, maybe near the arbutus terminus for the extension or the arbutus village redevelopments next phase? somewhere on the west side.

We were desperate to see Avengers Thursday night, cause both my friend and me were going out of town and would not be able to see it unless we saw it thursday, so we found tickets on monday night for 5th ave, every other showing for thursday was sold out, gateway, scotia, metropolis etc, anyway the theatre was so small and the screen is so high it made for a weird viewing. I haven't been to that theatre in years. Anyway Landmark should look to build something on the west side, it would do really well cause 5th ave just isn't that great.

The Dunbar is showing it. Good sound system, wide space between aisles and popcorn that makes Cineplex's taste like carboard. Plus a balcony!

[misher]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

where?

A good state of the art multiplex with multiple showings and movie options like you get at most theatres these days. Having to go downtown or the suburbs is really annoying when you want to avoid going so far.

My mistake its on Dunbar as whatnext said.

[SpongeG]

oh right

yea thats still no multiplex

[GeeCee]

A big multi-screen movie theater in the west end? I can't imagine the creme de la creme NIMBYs putting up with that, not to mention the land costs.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Jericho Lands, maybe? It's in the same place (figuratively) that Marine Gateway was ten years ago.

[SpongeG]

I heard they had to wait for low tide to get this in, its just so big. The news was saying they are looking at raising the Lions Gate bridge to accomodate the bigger ships. Is that true?

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[GeeCee]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I heard they had to wait for low tide to get this in, its just so big. The news was saying they are looking at raising the Lions Gate bridge to accomodate the bigger ships. Is that true?

Raising the bridge isn't super feasible given that they can just build another cruise ship terminal elsewhere, which is much more likely I think. This article from 2013 discusses raising the bridge: http://www.vancouversun.com/cruise+ship+...gate+bridge+next+year/8303017/story.html

[Migrant_Coconut]

We've had this discussion before. Consensus was that it'd have to be close by; practically nobody would want to disembark at Tsawassen and drive in.