I hope I live to be that old. My husband's grandmother is going to be 102 on Canada Day.
Once you hit 100 I figure you have to think "Well I guess I can call that a 'lifetime'"
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Toronto-Age |OT2|
- Thread starter EvilMario
- Start date
I hope I live to be that old. My husband's grandmother is going to be 102 on Canada Day.
Once you hit 100 I figure you have to think "Well I guess I can call that a 'lifetime'"
OrangeYouGlad
Banned
That's amazing and I'm sure she got to see some drastic change in her time. Of course we always think about the large global changes people experience, but that's not really the stuff we remember as stuff that defined our lives outside of something large like 9/11. I can't imagine what it would be like to watch the cultural shift that happens over that lifetime.
added_time
Member
Although the growth in Toronto has been astounding the last few decades, his facts about Buffalo being the bigger city are way off.
I can't see how he thinks Buffalo was bigger when he was a kid because Toronto has been a larger city than Buffalo since 1920 and the gap has widened every year since then. So Toronto has been the big city for almost 100 years now.
Ah yeah looking at the numbers your right. Though Buffalo has had a huge drop in population since the 70s. Maybe he was referring to the size of city architecture wise or something. Or maybe the grass is greener on the other side.
This is closer to reality. Buffalo was a very important manufacturing and trade hub, and although smaller than Toronto in population, I'm sure many Americans living in the area during that time didn't feel like it was smaller. But like the rest of the Rustbelt, Buffalo started to shrink rapidly in the 70s and 80s, and continues to lose population today.
Architecture is amazing in Buffalo. It's just too bad many of the buildings downtown are depressingly boarded up.
crazy monkey
Banned
How is london, ontario for living? I am moving there soon. Probably next week for job purposes.
I just moved here in October.
It's alright, the area of the city I'm in is, as described by a co-worker "Great for running errands".
The city has a Uni (Western) and a College (Fanshawe), so it's got that, downtown seems to be pretty popping at night down a couple of the streets because of that. From what I've heard you want to be on the west side of the city, "East of Adelaide"(EOA) is what you want to avoid.
Other than that, it's got some nice areas, the transit system is pretty decent if you rely on buses. Some decent malls and shopping areas (Masonville, White Oaks)
Curious, what company are you going to be working with - send me a PM if you'd rather not say in the thread.
Yeah I feel bad for the people living there who have basically experienced the opposite of what added_time's grandmother must have felt about Toronto's growth.
I've mentioned it before, but going across the border to Niagara and Buffalo never ceases to be a depressing experience. The best parts are literally all the tourist shopping centres.
lunarworks
Member
Keeping up with Torontoist's liveblog of the transit meeting at City Hall.
It's not even noon yet, and things have reached the levels of insanity already.
It's not even noon yet, and things have reached the levels of insanity already.
You should have watched the livestream. It was fucking embarrassing the last five minutes before they had to call a recess. Fucking circus.
Also, how the hell does Nunziata still have her job as speaker. She could not be more biased if she tried.
Suburbs in Buffalo can be decent. I lived in Lewiston for a year and it's a nice quiet little town, and you'd have no idea a major city was decaying nearby. Even places closer to Buffalo like Tonawanda, along the canal, look like they could be great places to live if the economy was more favorable for the area. Basically all they have is the banking sector now.
Niagara Falls is always an interesting contrast. While the Canadian side is a gigantic tourist trap with well groomed gardens, shops everywhere and amusements, the American side has a park and not much else in the area except a casino a ten minute drive away through the mostly barren city. Of course, both cities are not in great shape once you escape the tourist filled areas, and the Canadian Niagara Falls is filled with poorly kept housing and auto shops.
added_time
Member
Amazingly, it was actually my *Great* Grandmother that just passed away! Although she was 102, the last 13 years or so her mind was pretty much gone and she didn't recognize anyone from he family anymore. She moved to Canada from Ireland in 1915 because there was extreme poverty there.
On my mother's side of the family, my grandparents moved to Canada from Austria in the 1950s because WWII destroyed their land and the Russians that were supposed to help them rebuild actually stole everything that was left.
It's nice to think that Canada was here to accept the different parts of my family when they felt hopeless in their home country and they were able to build very successful and happy lives here. (it's just a shame that my Grandfather became a Montreal Canadiens fan)
Strip clubs. You forgot to mention the strip clubs.
I went to College down in Welland and I went to Niagara way too much time/money going to to the Fallsview Casino lol
Ah sorry, Great grandmother, my mistake. I'm glad your family was able to come here and find such great success.
My wife and I went to Buffalo once about a year ago just for the day (Rent was playing with some of the original cast, and she fucking loves the shit out of Rent). The theatre was right in downtown Buffalo. It was on a sunday during the day.
If you had told me that a nuke went off and killed everyone in Buffalo, I probably would have believed you. Holy shit downtown was barren. There was no one around. it was almost eerie. I kept commenting about it while we were walking. Best part? Parking downtown is free on a Sunday. I remember having to park close to the theatre, and just thinking about how much I would have to pay for the parking for the day. As I'm leaving the parking area, I drive up to the booth and roll down my window. I go "How much?", guy goes "nothing, go on ahead", I go "really?" "Yup, parking is free today".
It's pretty sad. They've been talking for decades about building up the water front, in hopes that it will get people to come / move downtown, but they never actually do anything in regards to the water front except burn money thinking of ideas. Buffalo could have been an amazing city where it's situated, but alas.
Funny comment from twitter:
Also, pretty embarrassing that Doug called councillor Filion, of my ward, a monkey.
Zombie James
Banned
Nothing pissed me off more in this LRT vs. subways debate than calling LRT's streetcars. They're not streetcars, for the 16546th time.
Most Pub burgers in town. The Bull Burger at the Black Bull...mmm....
Or GBC at Yonge/Eg. Or South St. All over town; and they've got NYFries which destroy all the competition's fries.
Most overpriced gourmet burger joints need to die a quick death.
Oh man, subway tourettes, that's pretty damn funny.
I was quite sad to hear one of my best friends pretty much agreeing with Ford and that we should have subways in Scarborough and North York. He kept saying that we should be looking to the future and that those areas are going to get more populated. Does someone have that link that showed Scarborough and North York were pretty stagnate in terms of jobs etc? I gotta show him that. The guy is pretty smart and whatnot, but hearing him say that, ugh.
Population / job growth is a concern, but it's more about cost at this point. It's not as if we'll be ripping up LRTs in 20 years and the LRTs allow us to provide service to five times the amount of people, encouraging growth in some areas that might not meet demands for a subway yet.
Maybe in 50 years we'll be replacing lines with subways, but that means finding funding eventually. They don't build themselves and it's no excuse to sit idly by on developing transit in these parts of the city, while we pray for funding.
BigJonsson
Member
lol @ Ford losing his cool..........and STILL not explaining how he will pay for SUBWAYS SUBWAYS SUBWAYS
In 50 years we may not have gas cars anymore
In 50 years we may not have gas cars anymore
More depressing is having friends who actually voted for Ford, for the stupidest reasons. Not that I thought those friends were smart or anything to begin with, just disappointed in how selfish/NIMBY they can be.
BigJonsson
Member
I think Ford really just wants to stall, stall, stall so that no money gets spent and no taxes have to be increased........he doesn't want a subway or LRT, he wants nothing but has to make it appear that he cares
Zombie James
Banned
Finally, time to vote.
He just wants a wedge issue for his reelection campaign.
Zombie James
Banned
Sheppard LRT vote passes, 24-19.
BigJonsson
Member
After all this why the hell would he want to run again? I can't imagine the job is worth the stress
I can't believe how terrible the candidates were last election. City government would have been a mess with Smitherman, or Ford. And Pantalone had no chance. I hope someone with half a brain (and that hasn't been involved in half a dozen scandals) runs next time.
She needs quiet, or she can't hear herself clearly.
He wants to be premier after this, then prime minister. If he could wrestle Toronto into the arms of the conservative government, he'd be a hero in their eyes. It's too bad he's actually a dumbass and his brother continues to sabotage his campaign with his uncivilized insults and slurs.
Do we have any idea who might be running against him?
Too close for comfort. Also terrible that it probably won't be open for three, or more likely four years. Whereas it might have actually opened next year if Ford didn't cancel Transit City in the first place.
Only speculation. Obviously people view Stintz as positioning herself to make a run at Mayor. John Tory could throw his hat in once more. Wong-Tam is insanely popular in younger circles, the internet and in the LGBT community.
BigJonsson
Member
I think John Tory could actually win if he ran next time, Tory seems like a level headed centrist compared to Ford, Hudak and Harper
Zombie James
Banned
I'd vote for Stintz or Wong-Tam. Don't know enough about Tory to say though I can't imagine him being worse than Ford.
Also interestingly enough, for all his bluster, Mammoliti didn't show up to vote today.