Quote:
Originally Posted by Stryker
It's amazing how some of these pictures look so modern. It's strange to realize that the gap between 1862 and 1912 is far greater than the century since.
|
You mean technologically or in terms of development?
One interesting aspect of Canadian urban development over the past 100 years is that, in addition to reflecting global changes in technology, it reflects the huge growth of Canada's national development and level of importance. Back in 1900 Canada was playing "catch up" with European countries and the US. It did not have the same relative standing it has today, and its cities were not very developed compared to the largest and wealthiest cities of that period.
When we look back, we're comparing a mid-sized modern country's developed cities with colonial backwater cities and towns. That's not the case when you look at a city like Vienna, one of the top cities of 1900. In the same way there are cities like Antwerp that hit their peak relative importance even earlier.