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Midtown Urbanist said:
Missed the majority of this discussion a few pages back, but I wanted to add that in addition to a network of strong towns, we should really be building up a few more cities into major population centres. Specifically thinking of Victoria, Kelowna, Red Deer, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Hamilton, London, Quebec, and Moncton. I believe that Canada would be better positioned if a few of these cities greatly expanded in size.
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What would be the benefit of these cities being larger?

It's not that I disagree, but the grouping of cities features places of varying sizes. Quebec City is six times the size of Moncton, and likewise for Winnipeg versus Red Deer. I understand the fascination with wanting to fill more space and create more dots on maps but there should be more motivation to it rather than doing it just because.

Like, yeah, in an ideal world maybe Ontario would benefit from having a large Belleville or Kingston or wherever but...what is that benefit? What changes if Kingston has a pop. of 300K instead of 150K? We should be creating housing options in all cities instead of just specific smaller ones we select.
 
lenaitch said:
I've not lived in the Maritimes but have friends and family down there. I find them very friendly, but it takes them a while to accept you are a coaster. A buddy moved down to samll town NS about 10 years ago - cold, no family connections. Got involved in the local community, council, legion, etc. as is now one of them. Because they saw the influx as moves of personal convenience and gain rather than a desire to be a coaster. Significant increases in housing prices that accompanied the influx also didn't help. Increased demand and buyer with pockets full of money.
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We just got back from a cruise from NYC to Halifax, Sydney (NS), St. John's and four ports in Greenland. Greenland was amazing - and we made sure to identify as Canadians rather than annex-minded Yanks.

As we walked from the cruise terminal in Halifax up to the Public Gardens, Citadel and back down to the boardwalk and market spaces, my 20-something daughter (who's afraid of the insane and addicted that populate Toronto's transit, parks, etc.) kept on remarking, "I want to live here. Look there are no crazy people, no junkies or beggars, just regular folks walking about their business!" After 30 mins of this I was praying for a wigged out nutter to be around the next corner, but no, just normies walking or driving to work, class or out for leisure. Now, as a former Atlantic Canada resident, I know that Halifax has its rough areas, especially in parts of the North End, particularly around Almon Street. Additionally, areas in Dartmouth are sketchy. But not in my daughter's limited experience, to which I exclaimed, damn you Halifax, you're going to split up the family. She thought that that the next stop, Sydney was too small to live in. When we got to St. John's, we walked over to the convent to see the Veiled Virgin, and being a church had St. John's largest homeless shelter next door. Upon seeing folks injecting and smoking up their drugs, shouting at the sky and flaying about, I said to my wife, thank goodness, we found them, and daughter crossed off St. John's as an alternative to Cabbagetown.

As an aside, why can't Toronto have a public garden like they have in Halifax? No dogs allowed, no encampments, no booze or smoking, the gates close at sunset, and a staff to keep the plants, ponds and grounds looking clean and beautiful. Clearly there must be an ongoing donation to maintain and staff the park, as property taxes can't do this alone.
 
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Admiral Beez said:
We just got back from a cruise from NYC to Halifax, Sydney (NS), St. John's and four ports in Greenland. Greenland was amazing - and we made sure to identify as Canadians rather than annex-minded Yanks.

As we walked from the cruise terminal in Halifax up to the Public Gardens, Citadel and back down to the boardwalk and market spaces, my 20-something daughter (who's afraid of the insane and addicted that populate Toronto's transit, parks, etc.) kept on remarking, "I want to live here. Look there are no crazy people, no junkies or beggars, just regular folks walking about their business!" After 30 mins of this I was praying for a wigged out nutter to be around the next corner, but no, just normies walking or driving to work, class or out for leisure. Now, as a former Atlantic Canada resident, I know that Halifax has its rough areas, especially in parts of the North End, particularly around Almon Street. Additionally, areas in Dartmouth are sketchy. But not in my daughter's limited experience, to which I exclaimed, damn you Halifax, you're going to split up the family. She thought that that the next stop, Sydney was too small to live in. When we got to St. John's, we walked over to the convent to see the Veiled Virgin, and being a church had St. John's largest homeless shelter next door. Upon seeing folks injecting and smoking up their drugs, shouting at the sky and flaying about, I said to my wife, thank goodness, we found them, and daughter crossed off St. John's as an alternative to Cabbagetown.

As an aside, why can't Toronto have a public garden like they have in Halifax? No dogs allowed, no encampments, no booze or smoking, the gates close at sunset, and a staff to keep the plants, ponds and grounds looking clean and beautiful. Clearly there must be an ongoing donation to maintain and staff the park, as property taxes can't do this alone.
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Every city is going to have its grotty areas. I thought St. John's was a wonderful city; although we didn't hang around churches which, by their acts of charity, no doubt tend to attract the needy. Nor were we downtown at night. We found The Rooms fascinating.
 
picard102 said:
Probably due to having about 6,600,000 more people.
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I think you might be expanding the borders a tad. I’m referring to Toronto, not the Golden Horseshoe or GTA. But besides, plenty of cities with six million or more inhabitants have beautiful public gardens that are well maintained and closed at night. Look at London, UK for instance, with its public gardens.
 
MisterF said:
A larger population is an argument for more public gardens, not fewer.
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Agreed. And since we’re on the PM Carney’s Canada thread, let’s note that the federal government has in the past provided heritage restoration project funding (through Parks Canada or Heritage Canada) in collaboration with HRM and TFPG (The Friends of the Public Gardens) to support the Halifax Public Gardens, for instance…

Restoration Campaigns — Friends of the Public Gardens

www.halifaxpublicgardens.ca www.halifaxpublicgardens.ca

“The Friends of the Public Gardens gratefully acknowledge the financial and in-kind gifts contributed by the following persons, non-profit organizations, business, federal, provincial and municipal governments to The Friends of the Public Gardens Victoria Jubilee Campaign for the restoration of the Victoria Jubilee Bandstand (c.1887), the Victoria Jubilee Fountain (c.1897)”
 
picard102 said:
who's talking about the amount of gardens? The complaint was that undesirables were in our parks.
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Maybe go up the page and read it again. The question you were responding to is why Toronto doesn't have a public garden like Halifax.
 
MisterF said:
Maybe go up the page and read it again. The question you were responding to is why Toronto doesn't have a public garden like Halifax.
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"No dogs allowed, no encampments, no booze or smoking, the gates close at sunset".

We clearly have gardens like the Halifax one, just not without people in them some don't like. Which you have a lot more of in a city 5 times the size.
 
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