The Bizarre Canada Thread

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Some of those figures are downright creepy. There's probably a horror movie to be made about that Humpty Dumpty... he comes alive, stalks and eats people who wander past.

That treehouse is awesome though. The kind of thing I imagined building when I was a kid. Plus it may provide protection from carnivorous fairy tale egg-men.

The eggman creeps me out too. He's not even the worst of the nightmare characters though. There was one by the exit that I can't seem to find a picture of. It was a faceless grey demon creature.

Adding to the creepiness of the Enchanted Forest is the Three Valley Lake Chateau across the highway that looks straight out of the Shining.

[HomeInMyShoes]

The blue spandrel/glass was a huge mistake. They replaced all the 1960s greenish glass with it. It looks terrible to me too as it previously looked period-correct.

[Laceoflight]

The néo-mauresque Château Saint-Antoine, in Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, QC, is for sale ! The house was built in 1897 by Louis-Joseph Cartier, George-Étienne Cartier's cousin. L-J Cartier was town councillor and mayor of Saint-Antoine.





Pictures by Charles-Alexandre Sylvestre Re/max Imagine inc., on Facebook

[MonctonRad]

I detect a bit of a Moorish influence in the design (perhaps that is what you mean by néo-mauresque ?).

It's somewhat exotic. Perhaps a little bizarre, but I like it.

[Laceoflight]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I detect a bit of a Moorish influence in the design (perhaps that is what you mean by néo-mauresque ?).

It's somewhat exotic. Perhaps a little bizarre, but I like it.

I guess that néo-mauresque could translate to neo-moorish ! I didn't feel like looking for a translation on the Internet, so thanks.

The house was always an object of curiosity in the village. It's one of a kind.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Laceoflight

I guess that néo-mauresque could translate to neo-moorish ! I didn't feel like looking for a translation on the Internet, so thanks.

The house was always an object of curiosity in the village. It's one of a kind.

Moorish Revival in English. Not common in residential architecture in Canada, but not any more bizarre that other revivalist styles, istm.

[Laceoflight]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Moorish Revival in English. Not common in residential architecture in Canada, but not any more bizarre that other revivalist styles, istm.

Thanks for that. I should have guessed !
And you're right. It probably didn't belong to this thread, I just thought it was unusual enough to make the cut.

[stevanford1]

This thread isn’t complete without Habitat 67

[RoshanMcG]

Prince's Lodge rotunda off the Bedford Highway in Halifax.
It's not very accessible (you have to cross the street and train tracks and then go up a hill), and you can't go inside, but I think it's quite unique. Some more information about it here.

[stevanford1]

Fort Gary Place and it’s bizarre faux historical podium


“The Castle”


And last but not least, the startrekian condo building

[esquire]

^ The bizarre podium is just the beginning at Fort Garry Place. It has what might very well be the most bizarre mall in Canada, even though it never took off as a retail destination and is now mostly home to offices, including (ironically enough), the City's Property, Planning and Development Department:



This nearly block-long curiosity is obscure and largely unknown even among Winnipeggers.

[Calgarian]

Was in Winnipeg to apply for some permits last week and I hated that building and every second I spent in it lol. Had to wait 4 hours looking at the horrible faux grandeur, cheesiest civic building I've seen.

[esquire]

^ It's completely bonkers, it's like someone used Liberace's mansion ca. 1972 as the design inspiration for a 1980s mall, but with only half the budget. I find it weird that the City ended up putting offices in there... I guess they must have gotten a good deal on the lease rates. Or at least one would hope.

[stevanford1]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ It's completely bonkers, it's like someone used Liberace's mansion ca. 1972 as the design inspiration for a 1980s mall, but with only half the budget. I find it weird that the City ended up putting offices in there... I guess they must have gotten a good deal on the lease rates. Or at least one would hope.

It’s completely Donaldtrumpian

[niwell]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ It's completely bonkers, it's like someone used Liberace's mansion ca. 1972 as the design inspiration for a 1980s mall, but with only half the budget. I find it weird that the City ended up putting offices in there... I guess they must have gotten a good deal on the lease rates. Or at least one would hope.

A tell-tale sign of a failing mall* is becoming home to various government offices - property management will generally give a pretty good deal to them for a long term lease knowing that they'll stick around. Hell, they will sometimes keep paying the bills long after the office has moved elsewhere!

*Failing, but not yet ripe for redevelopment into condos or a power centre.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by stevanford1

Fort Gary Place and it’s bizarre faux historical podium


“The Castle”


...

Is there a connection (owner/developer/architect) between these two?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by niwell

A tell-tale sign of a failing mall* is becoming home to various government offices - property management will generally give a pretty good deal to them for a long term lease knowing that they'll stick around. Hell, they will sometimes keep paying the bills long after the office has moved elsewhere!

*Failing, but not yet ripe for redevelopment into condos or a power centre.

That's Place d'Orléans Mall in Ottawa's suburban east end. The mall will be serviced by an O-train extension in 2024.

We went to that Winnipeg mall last year and we were unsure if they had used a historic building as a podium or if it was cheap faux-historicism. That's what I'm afraid will happen to the Château Laurier if they build in a similar style as the original.

Was that complex controversial when it was proposed and built? Blocking the views of the historic Fort Garry Hotel?

[stevanford1]

Originally Posted by niwell

A tell-tale sign of a failing mall* is becoming home to various government offices - property management will generally give a pretty good deal to them for a long term lease knowing that they'll stick around. Hell, they will sometimes keep paying the bills long after the office has moved elsewhere!

*Failing, but not yet ripe for redevelopment into condos or a power centre.

There’s also ones held up by one business and nothing else like the Hopedale Mall in Oakville and it’s Metro grocery store.





You should see the barren inside.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

That's Place d'Orléans Mall in Ottawa's suburban east end. The mall will be serviced by an O-train extension in 2024.

We went to that Winnipeg mall last year and we were unsure if they had used a historic building as a podium or if it was cheap faux-historicism. That's what I'm afraid will happen to the Château Laurier if they build in a similar style as the original.

Was that complex controversial when it was proposed and built? Blocking the views of the historic Fort Garry Hotel?

That's it.

[stevanford1]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

That's it.

When I first saw Fort Gary Place I was immediately annoyed by he fact that they “put an ugly apartment tower over that nice historic base”. Later I figured out that yes the base at Fort Gary Place was indeed faux historic (which annoyed me even more)