Ugly Canada 2 (Only architecture, planning and design faux pas)

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by megadude

Wouldn't call this house in Barrie ugly, but it's very bold. Maybe he took inspiration from my favourite hotel chain, Red Roof Inn. Doesn't exactly fit in with the neighbourhood.

These kinds of places are all over Stoney Creek. I think it's an Italian thing.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.20715...7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.21003...7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.21384...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.22417...7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.22618...7i16384!8i8192

Two right beside each other here!

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.21935...7i13312!8i6656

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Architype

^ They also removed the mullions from the windows (generally a good thing), but by adding the red roof tiles they now have a "spanglish" style house.

It's funny they got rid of all the mullions in windows but added windows with mullions to the garage doors.

[SignalHillHiker]

That irritated me too but I’ve reached a point in my life where I can’t let a random house in ON I’ll never see affect my mood

I can’t fixate on that right now lol

[esquire]

Not quite a castle, but I took my kids to this ugly tourist trap in Kensington, PEI... the Haunted Mansion. It is huge, there is way more inside than I expected. I'd love to know the story behind it, though... part of the walk through involves what looks like a 1980s-decorated apartment on the top level. It's pretty weird. Was it just a repurposed apartment building? Some kind of institutional building? Or just a straight-up actual haunted mansion?

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by esquire

Not quite a castle, but I took my kids to this ugly tourist trap in Kensington, PEI... the Haunted Mansion. It is huge, there is way more inside than I expected. I'd love to know the story behind it, though... part of the walk through involves what looks like a 1980s-decorated apartment on the top level. It's pretty weird. Was it just a repurposed apartment building? Some kind of institutional building? Or just a straight-up actual haunted mansion?

That actually looks cool. 80's decorated apartment in a castle you say? Was it similar to this masterpiece in Calgary?
















https://globalnews.ca/news/3980470/l...le-in-calgary/

Also has a similar vibe to this strange and possibly haunted hotel by the Enchanted Forest in BC:





https://www.google.com/maps/@50.9340...7i13312!8i6656

[esquire]

^ The vibe is actually not dissimilar to the Calgary castle, although the Calgary one looks a lot more luxurious... that apartment in Kensington's version is pretty humble, looks like it was maybe a caretaker's residence or some such.

You probably could turn that Calgary one into a dandy haunted mansion attraction, I'm sure the neighbours would love that

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ The vibe is actually not dissimilar to the Calgary castle, although the Calgary one looks a lot more luxurious... that apartment in Kensington's version is pretty humble, looks like it was maybe a caretaker's residence or some such.

You probably could turn that Calgary one into a dandy haunted mansion attraction, I'm sure the neighbours would love that

It ended up being bought by a home builder and turned into artists' studios. I think his gf was an artist or something.

https://curiocity.com/calgarys-castl...e%20for%20rent.

A worthy repurposing of such a unique home. I hope they kept the furniture.

[megadude]

Yeah, most likely. They also tend to be the ones with the lion statues at the end of the driveway from my experiences.

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

These kinds of places are all over Stoney Creek. I think it's an Italian thing.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.20715...7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.21003...7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.21384...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.22417...7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.22618...7i16384!8i8192

Two right beside each other here!

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.21935...7i13312!8i6656

[jonny24]

Was there a "medieval" trend at some point in like the 60s or 70s? Or is the look just so dated that it tends to look that old regardless of when it was built?

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by jonny24

Was there a "medieval" trend at some point in like the 60s or 70s? Or is the look just so dated that it tends to look that old regardless of when it was built?

I feel like the "castle" in Calgary could host some epic DnD nights!

[lio45]

Originally Posted by quall

That's absolutely nuts! Why aren't they only keeping the perimeter as a street? The center could so easily become a little park. (Grass/trees/benches.)

[megadude]

An ugly… whatever this is in Crystal Beach area in Fort Erie. But, given the neighbourhood and its quirks, it’s not so bad. If you told me this neighbourhood was located in a town somewhere around the Mid Atlantic region I’d believe you based on the look. Plus, just like as is more prevalent in the US, there is a gated community right across the road.

Fort Erie is interesting because there is also the Ridgeway community, which is looking nice and then there’s also the area around the bridge to Buffalo, which has some interesting specimens.

[TorontoDrew]

Wow Crystal Beach trying to look like Cape Cod but in miniature form on a budget. The ugliest thing about that town is that massive trailer park that's a gated community tgat has its own Boston Pizza for the park users.

[niwell]

Crystal Beach is an interesting place and has a lot of potential. Tons of pre-WWII houses (may seasonal) on tiny lots can result in a pretty happening place during summer. We looked at property there in winter but it was grossly overpriced for what you get - noticed it's started to come back down to earth in a big way.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

These kinds of places are all over Stoney Creek. I think it's an Italian thing.

Stoney Creek? I could have sworn that was Palermo.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by niwell

Crystal Beach is an interesting place and has a lot of potential. Tons of pre-WWII houses (may seasonal) on tiny lots can result in a pretty happening place during summer. We looked at property there in winter but it was grossly overpriced for what you get - noticed it's started to come back down to earth in a big way.

A lot of the old part with the super narrow streets has been run down for decades but is starting to get renovated again. It has a lot of potential owing to the super narrow streets, if a bit of small scale infill could happen it would be an excellent little town which is completely unique for Ontario.

you can see them being renovated here, it's quite a neat little strip of stores now, and leads to an intimate little urban park / square.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@42.86392...7i13312!8i6656

Crystal Beach has a really interesting history due to it's ties to Buffalo. It probably feels American because, especially historically, it was overwhelmingly a vacation spot for Americans. Even today I would guess 30%+ of visitors / cottagers are from Buffalo, not Canada.

Regardless, I would not call the town "ugly". It has one of the nicest beaches in the province in my opinion, and is a really neat, urban beach town. It's just lacked investment for decades, which is finally changing.

The gated community was unfortunately built on an old Amusement park lands which closed several decades ago. It's a shame a more public use couldn't have been found for it.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by quall

Ottawa's Texas-sized cul-de-sacs:

[O-tacular]

Those Ottawa cul de sacs give Calgary's unidriveways a run for their money!

Speaking of unidriveways I've noticed an even worse trend recently driving to my in-laws. Paving entire yards for parking in old neighbourhoods with no front garages. Check these two out on the same street:

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.9816...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.9904...7i16384!8i8192

[megadude]

That second one seems like something you'd see if the house was zoned for commercial use in the front like for a denist. But you can see going back on streetview that this was not the case and you can see the lawn and hedges there too, which was decent looking.

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Those Ottawa cul de sacs give Calgary's unidriveways a run for their money!

Speaking of unidriveways I've noticed an even worse trend recently driving to my in-laws. Paving entire yards for parking in old neighbourhoods with no front garages. Check these two out on the same street:

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.9816...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.9904...7i16384!8i8192

[megadude]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Crystal Beach has a really interesting history due to it's ties to Buffalo. It probably feels American because, especially historically, it was overwhelmingly a vacation spot for Americans. Even today I would guess 30%+ of visitors / cottagers are from Buffalo, not Canada.

That would explain this below.

I'm due to stop by St. Kitts, NF, Welland and Port Colborne next month for work. And since I'll have a rental car I'm going to take a very inefficient route that takes me along Niagara Parkway and the Lakeshore to follow the water with stops in Queenston, Fort Erie, Ridgeway, Crystal Beach, Dunnville (Byng Island Conservation Area to fish for mudcats for an hour), Cayuga, Caledonia, Simcoe and Waterford. Places I've never been or didn't get to explore last time I was there.

Last time I was in Fort Erie was ten years ago when coming back from the US we decided to stop at the racetrack and play some slots. There were some random giveaways and one of the drink ladies gave my wife and a new leather wallet from Danier or something with $100 in it. She also won a couple hundred at the slots. I might have to try my luck there too.