Quote:
Originally Posted by rousseau
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I just insulted my neighbour, a joyless old maid straight out of an Alice Munro short story who I normally get on with fine. She happened to be walking toward downtown just as I set out to do the same, so we strolled together for a few blocks and ended up talking about the new square.
Or rather, she ranted. After I said that it was a terrific improvement over its previous status as a bleak parking lot filled with cars and idling diesel buses (
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.36969...7i13312!8i6656), she went on a tirade about what a profligate waste of money it was,* how her taxes had gone up, how the buses were now a block away, how you wouldn't like it if your mother had to go to the new location for the buses, how these new people moving into the city were changing it (that was an inadvertent shot at my wife and I, only here for thirteen years now), how if you wanted it to "look like Europe" you could just go to Europe, and on and on ad infinitum.
She fit so much bile and vitriol into our two blocks together that it was exhausting to listen to. Finally I said: "You know what? I hate to say this, but you sound like someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."
Her face reddened at that and she muttered darkly about that being fine if I felt that way. Jeezus. I understand concerns people have for so-called gentrification, but taxes haven't actually been going up much at all. She's a haggard old woman of about sixty who has always lived alone. I don't think she's ever even been out of Stratford save for some trips earlier in her life to Hamilton where her sister lived. But she owns her house outright and has owned the rental property next door to her for well over a decade, so she's a scrooge with about $750 thousand in real estate equity.
Change is frightening. And I don't mean that in a sneering way. I genuinely feel sorry for her.
*
"The Market Square revitalization project (cost: $2.5 million) will be funded in large part by $1.13 million donated by Wal-Mart, plus a $250,000 Canada 150 Grant and a series of other funds.
The original $1.25-million Wal-Mart donation was partially a recognition of the costs incurred by the city’s Ontario Municipal Board appeal that attempted to keep the retail giant out of the Stratford’s east end. The 2013 gift – specifically earmarked for the Market Square revitalization – came with a seven-year window.
Close to $200,000 is set to come from the water reserve, $216,000 from the working capital reserve, and just over $100,000 from a parking reserve fund. A 2017 infrastructure levy takes care of another $250,000, plus $140,000 from the federal gas tax grant."
http://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com...s-and-visitors
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Love the greenery of our river valley.
because I found that your set was extremely light on architecture and buildings, which is what most of us are here for. 
Don't sweat it. Nice square BTW.
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