The Soul-Sucking Canada Thread

[MolsonExport]

The Great Wall of NDG: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4634...7i16384!8i8192
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4631...7i16384!8i8192


laberge

Bigger than life, and twice as ugly. Does very well on bedbugs. This is the Bharad Dur of NDG, as little sunlight ever reaches the north side, other than after 6pm in the summer months only.

[harls]

^I'll see your NDG and raise you a Montgomery Mills.

https://goo.gl/maps/hVnb87CwQyXkbRa99

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by harls

^I'll see your NDG and raise you a Montgomery Mills.

https://goo.gl/maps/hVnb87CwQyXkbRa99

Nothing beats the Megaplex at Garrison St Jean.



It's even worse inside and its actually a design for a prison.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Nothing beats the Megaplex at Garrison St Jean.



It's even worse inside and its actually a design for a prison.

Ha ha ha! Memories.

The soul-sucking is a feature in this case. Not a bug. LOL.

The good thing is that for most of us, you only ever spend a few months there.

[MolsonExport]

My soul has been sucked royally.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Ha ha ha! Memories.

The soul-sucking is a feature in this case. Not a bug. LOL.

The good thing is that for most of us, you only ever spend a few months there.

I went from one of the most beautiful bases in the CAF at Chilliwack (BOTC) to the CAF shithole (Second Language Training). Thank God Montreal was 20 minutes up the road.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Hey now! That's authentic Western architecture! That's not even our worst casino either!







[IMG]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.comI
/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQWXL7pusKH8_LSGamca3YlOhcXuttltMgz8w&usqp=CAU[/IMG]

I have seen the first, second and last of those during my time here in Alberta!

I honestly thought that the second one was part of a set for a TV show or movie. The "Cash Casino" thing really seems strange. I can't remember the exact locations but I one of the really ugly ones was in Red Deer and another in Calgary.

After having spent some time in Calgary...it reminds me a lot of Mississauga. Although I'd say that Mississauga is somewhat more attractive looking and may even have more skyscrapers than Calgary today. Does anybody agree?

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Loco101

After having spent some time in Calgary...it reminds me a lot of Mississauga. Although I'd say that Mississauga is somewhat more attractive looking and may even have more skyscrapers than Calgary today. Does anybody agree?

Mississauga is dreck. It's far worse than Calgary.

Anyway, what did you expect? Calgary's population in 1951 was ~130,000. Or somewhat less than the City of Greater Sudbury today, if you want a more tangible way of putting it. The vast majority of Calgary's growth has happened in the modern era and its (sub)urban makeup reflects that. I don't take it as a knock against Calgary as much as a knock against modern design.

The older parts of the city are nicer than Mississauga because they're more extensive.

[le calmar]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Ha ha ha! Memories.

The soul-sucking is a feature in this case. Not a bug. LOL.

The good thing is that for most of us, you only ever spend a few months there.

I spent two months in there back when I wanted to join the military. I eventually changed my mind Awful place, awful times. Nothing like being yelled at at 4:30 am next to that running track after being sleep deprived.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by le calmar

I spent two months in there back when I wanted to join the military. I eventually changed my mind Awful place, awful times. Nothing like being yelled at at 4:30 am next to that running track after being sleep deprived.

You just didn't have the right attitude.

But you are right, worst 5 months of my life being in that hell hole.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Loco101

After having spent some time in Calgary...it reminds me a lot of Mississauga. Although I'd say that Mississauga is somewhat more attractive looking and may even have more skyscrapers than Calgary today. Does anybody agree?

Having crossed the Prairies twice in the last 5 months, I totally agree. On my first crossing (first time NOT crossing the continent through the USA - thanks Covid ) I was shocked by the ugliness. Everything seems utilitarian and no one cares about aesthetics in architecture.

(These observations predate the Maple Creek conversation, if you can believe that. I just didn't bring them up on this forum back in March.)

[lio45]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

You just didn't have the right attitude.

I survived a summer of being yelled at (and mosquitoes) in Valcartier, I must have had the right attitude (I got out of there a freshly minted 2LT of the reserves.)



Great memories, actually. (I guess I REALLY have the right attitude!!!)

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by Loco101

After having spent some time in Calgary...it reminds me a lot of Mississauga. Although I'd say that Mississauga is somewhat more attractive looking and may even have more skyscrapers than Calgary today. Does anybody agree?

No, I think that’s unfair. Whatever you want to lob at Calgary, it’s a real city with a good amount of civic pride, and you can see how that pays off: the city has at least half a dozen buildings from famous architects, it has cultural institutions that receive local philanthropy and patronage; it has a contiguous network of walkable neighbourhoods (if small). It has a real downtown.

Mississauga has none of that. Like the other giant suburbs like Laval, Surrey or Vaughan, Mississauga was just a rural township with a bunch of unincorporated villages that the provincial government decided would be easier to administer as an amalgamated municipality, since it was in the eventual path of sprawl, anyway.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Mississauga has none of that. Like the other giant suburbs like Laval, Surrey or Vaughan, Mississauga was just a rural township with a bunch of unincorporated villages that the provincial government decided would be easier to administer as an amalgamated municipality, since it was in the eventual path of sprawl, anyway.

This.

Stand at the corner of Burnhamthorpe and Hurontario and tell me about how 'downtown' Mississauga feels. Cross those 8 lanes of traffic quickly!

You're but minutes away from the airy, massive parking lots of Square One Shopping Centre. Observe the lively street life of the Petro-Canada and of suburban office parks and condos on steroids. Revel in the complete lack of any mass-transit system for a city of 750,000. Or any urban amenities like delightful little restaurants, parks, sports facilities or attractions.

Downtown Calgary feels like a decent city. It has mass transit, strips of restaurants, things you'd might do after work or as a tourist. Sure, nobody's going to compare it to European cities or large northeastern North American cities, but it's OK for late-era North America.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by lio45

I survived a summer of being yelled at (and mosquitoes) in Valcartier, I must have had the right attitude (I got out of there a freshly minted 2LT of the reserves.)



Great memories, actually. (I guess I REALLY have the right attitude!!!)

Late August to Mid December in Chilliwack. Our platoon bonded quite quickly and the 13 weeks was a piece of cake! Our motto was "The Right Attitude!"

Lots of rain, but running around the mountains playing soldier was a lot of fun. But I had my fill of "Army Camping" by the end of it, and graduated from the course as a shiny new A/Slt. Clean sheets in the rack and linen at the table was more to my liking!

[905er]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

No, I think that’s unfair. Whatever you want to lob at Calgary, it’s a real city with a good amount of civic pride, and you can see how that pays off: the city has at least half a dozen buildings from famous architects, it has cultural institutions that receive local philanthropy and patronage; it has a contiguous network of walkable neighbourhoods (if small). It has a real downtown.

Mississauga has none of that. Like the other giant suburbs like Laval, Surrey or Vaughan, Mississauga was just a rural township with a bunch of unincorporated villages that the provincial government decided would be easier to administer as an amalgamated municipality, since it was in the eventual path of sprawl, anyway.

I have to agree.. you can't compare Mississauga to Calgary.. at least not yet. Mississauga aspires to be more like Calgary. I will say, as a native Mississaugan, we do have a lot of civic pride as well.. I still do and I don't even live there anymore. We're all pretty excited about the changes that are happening as our city continues to grow and slowly becomes slightly more urban.

[MonkeyRonin]

Comparing Calgary - an actual city - to a bedroom community of Toronto is not only unfair, but downright insulting. By any observable urban or cultural metric, Calgary is on another level. As it should be - it has all the trappings of being a major metropolitan centre. Mississauga does not, because it's just a big suburb.

The only area in which Mississauga might compare is in the skyline department. It's not too far off quantity or height-wise, and may even have more towers under construction now. Still, the architectural and aesthetic quality of Calgary's skyline is miles ahead.

[905er]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

Comparing Calgary - an actual city - to a bedroom community of Toronto is not only unfair, but downright insulting. By any observable urban or cultural metric, Calgary is on another level. As it should be - it has all the trappings of being a major metropolitan centre. Mississauga does not, because it's just a big suburb.

The only area in which Mississauga might compare is in the skyline department. It's not too far off quantity or height-wise, and may even have more towers under construction now. Still, the architectural and aesthetic quality of Calgary's skyline is miles ahead.

with all due respect, Mississauga is an actual city by definition and in how it functions. It was a bedroom community at one point. Insulting would be to insinuate that being compared to Mississauga is insulting and it's not fair that the city gets bashed so much imho. I do agree however, Calgary is most definitely on another level.
I'm always going to be a big defender of the city, shortcomings and all. Now if someone had compared Calgary to lets say Laval, Markham, Niagara Falls.. or Kanata.. then I'd be more inclined to be insulted if I was a Calgarian.
Mississauga... "We're getting there"

[MolsonExport]

Having spent time wandering around Calgary and Mississauga, there really is no way to compare the two except maybe on the skyline metric, and even here, Calgary is head and shoulders above Mississauga in terms of the quality and mixture of its architecture. Calgary is no Montreal or Quebec city at street level, but it stands miles above the wretched urban fabric of Missisingsausage City Centre, which is completely unwalkable. Overall, for its size and newness, Calgary does very well.

There are no great cities that are unwalkable.

Mississauga, Laval, much of Longueuil, and much of Surrey/Burnaby are just lacking the qualities necessary to be interesting. Namely, having a great walking street level experience.

[urbandreamer]

Port Credit is more urban than downtown Calgary; yet it's not very urban at all.