Great Canadian Skyline Thread II

[isaidso]

Mont Royal is the gold standard for urban parks in this country. Most Canadian cities seem to think setting aside an area where there are trees and grass constitutes a park..... and a job done. In Mont Royal they did things properly. They hired a talented landscape architect who designed it from one end to the other. The result speaks for itself; it's gorgeous. Most of Canada's other urban parks are just a bunch of trees and bushes with no thought given to layout, aesthetics, colour, flowers, monuments, fountains, pathways, benches, lighting, etc.

[csbvan]

I used to jog in Montreal Royal 3 or 4 times a week when I lived down the street on de Bullion. It has its moments, but it is far from the gold standard of parks in Canada. To be honest, my first time there I was quite disappointed. It grew on me, but it never wowed me.

[Chadillaccc]

Layers by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

Reconciliation Bridge by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

The Bucolic Bow by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

[logan5]

The thing with Stanley Park, even though it sits adjacent to 110 000 people in the downtown peninsula, it is only accessible from the south end, so a lot of the park is unused forest reserve.

Central Park in NY is the gold standard for urban parks. None of the space there sits idle.

This is pure fantasy (because developing any part of Stanley Park would be considered a crime against humanity), but imagine if the Stanley Park Causeway had high density development flanking it one block deep on each side. That would be enough to house 30 000 people. You would lose about 10% of the park space, but a lot more of the park would be active and accessible.

[Phrescata]

Originally Posted by rdave

Taken today

From the Kelowna thread

[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by csbvan

I used to jog in Montreal Royal 3 or 4 times a week when I lived down the street on de Bullion. It has its moments, but it is far from the gold standard of parks in Canada. To be honest, my first time there I was quite disappointed. It grew on me, but it never wowed me.

I think that the Royal Mount park’s wow factor is its typography, being a hill in the center of the city, with superb and varied views of downtown. That and it’s size and luxurious forest with many paths and stairs. That makes it special.

One could argue, actually, that the golden standard for park in Montreal is actually the botanical garden, which IS a gorgeous park, but not accessible for free. The Jean Drapeau park on St-Helen and Notre-Dame islands, is also fantastic with many secret gardens and ponds that make it magical and also great views of the St-Lawrence and the city. Parc Lafontaine and Angrignon are also notable, and so is Westmount Park, and the Outremont park, and Jarry. All of them have ponds and fountains and beautiful landscaping. It’s hard to choose the best one.

[kool maudit]

Mount Royal is great, maybe the best, but pre-Hurricane Point Pleasant in Halifax was something very special as well.

[TorontoDrew]

A view from 2 towers 70km apart.

Distant Towers by Charles Zhu, on Flickr

Niagara Falls, Canada by Yu-Lin Chan, on Flickr

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

Mount Royal is great, maybe the best, but pre-Hurricane Point Pleasant in Halifax was something very special as well.

Agree 100%.

I very clearly remember the first evening I spent in Halifax in 1979, just after I had been dropped off by my family for my first year at medical school.

I suddenly felt very lonely (not surprising) and decided to take a walk down into the south end of the city. I came across Point Pleasant Park, and I remember how tremendously impressed I was about the size of the park, and all those tall majestic pine trees within the park. There was nothing like that back on PEI, where the trees were much smaller, and a mixed spruce/maple forest. It just seemed so different and exotic to my experience.

I also remember how devastated I was after Hurricane Juan. I was in Halifax about a week after the hurricane, and about 98% of those tall majestic pines had been destroyed. It was heartbreaking...........

[ZTrade]

A little off topic but has a ferry from Toronto to Niagara Falls ever been considered?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by ZTrade

A little off topic but has a ferry from Toronto to Niagara Falls ever been considered?

Good question.

It would have to be to Niagara-on-the-Lake, but even that would be popular since there is the Shaw Festival there, Fort George, and the city is a delightful tourist destination in it's own right, but a fast ferry system, combined with dedicated busses to the Falls should be quite marketable I would think.

[Martin Mtl]

Source

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by ZTrade

A little off topic but has a ferry from Toronto to Niagara Falls ever been considered?

One was in talks last year. Not sure where it stands right now.


$25 ferry service proposed between NOTL and Toronto
https://www.niagaranow.com/news.phtml/3189-25-ferry-service-proposed-between-notl-and-toronto

[ZTrade]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

One was in talks last year. Not sure where it stands right now.


$25 ferry service proposed between NOTL and Toronto
https://www.niagaranow.com/news.phtml/3189-25-ferry-service-proposed-between-notl-and-toronto

Thanks, I wonder what the time difference vs GO Train would be...That's pretty much the same price for a nicer view/ride imo.

[Martin Mtl]

C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr


C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr


C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr


C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr


C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr


C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr


C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr


C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr


C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr


C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr


C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr


C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr


C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr


C-GVMQ by Philippe Colin on Flickr

[MonctonRad]

I am always impressed when I see skyline shots of Kelowna. It is clearly BC's third city (after Vancouver & Victoria), perhaps not in population, but certainly in terms of regional importance. I believe Kelowna s is already one of the top eight cities in western Canada and will continue to grow and develop in an impressive manner. It may never be one of Canada's top tier cities, but it could certainly be a major second tier city if things continue to progress. I think Kamloops destiny is sort of a Canadian version of Phoenix AZ.

[scryer]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I am always impressed when I see skyline shots of Kamloops. It is clearly BC's third city (after Vancouver & Victoria), perhaps not in population, but certainly in terms of regional importance. I believe Kamloops is already one of the top eight cities in western Canada and will continue to grow and develop in an impressive manner. It may never be one of Canada's top tier cities, but it could certainly be a major second tier city if things continue to progress. I think Kamloops destiny is sort of a Canadian version of Phoenix AZ.

*ahem* I think you might mean Kelowna... Although I have recently been to Kamloops for the first time, and Kamloops was also very impressive to me .

But yeah I agree with you in terms of importance in BC. It's also one of the top destinations that people from Vancouver choose to raise families since Kelowna has a lot of charming qualities. Also like many BC municipalities the geographical limitations (the mountains, the lake, the protected agricultural land (read: wineries)) really help encourage denser build outs. There are more skyscrapers on the way for Kelowna - just you wait!

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by scryer

*ahem* I think you might mean Kelowna... Although I have recently been to Kamloops for the first time, and Kamloops was also very impressive to me .

Dammit. I hate when I do that. Yes, you are quite right, I meant Kelowna. I do know the difference between the two cities BTW.

I will correct this in my original post.

[TorontoDrew]

It is an impressive little skyline no matter what you want to call it

[TorontoDrew]

Millwood Overpass Bridge by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Millwood Overpass Bridge by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Millwood Overpass Bridge by Marcanadian, on Flickr