Canadian skylines of the past

[MTLskyline]

I actually don't shed too many tears for the Hotel Laurentien. Not a fan.

[Rico Rommheim]

It wasn't built with high quality in mind, that's for sure. And towards its life's end it looked pretty drab.

My great aunt visited the place quite often in the 70's and told me it was anything but spectacular inside, or outside.


But I would of liked for it to be renovated / upkept. There are so little 1940's streamline skyscrapers in this country, and its biggest representative is no longer around As for the office tower that replaced it....meh!

[Rico Rommheim]

Toronto, early 1900's

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6060/6...3cec3eaf_b.jpg

What is that beautiful imposing Victorian building at the left of city hall and why was it destroyed?

[canarob]

It's the Confederation Life Building, and we didn't tear it down -- a real gem!

[Rico Rommheim]

It is a real gem thanks for posting!


Quebec from Parliament, 1908

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3093/2...0934c492_o.jpg

[MolsonExport]

outstanding montreal and QC photos of yesteryear.

[Rico Rommheim]

This is probably 1961.


http://www.vieux.montreal.qc.ca/plaq...ges/11_01b.jpg

Montreal's two main train stations with the Cathedral in between them. The new office tower giants are almost completed.

[MTLskyline]

Wow, look at all the covered tracks at Windsor Station. It's a shame it's not functional any more.

[MolsonExport]

^I remember embarking/disembarking from Windsor station in the early 1970s (CP passenger lines, just before the creation of VIA) when you would line up in the glass atrium and walk down the dark aisles of the track sheds (like you can still do at Union)...always an exciting way to begin a journey. The hustle and bustle of Windsor station...the shops, the restaurants. Now just an empty shell.

[SignalHillHiker]

Corner Brook, Newfoundland's fourth city.

[SignalHillHiker]

All pictures from the City of St. John's Archives.

Construction of Cabot Tower on Signal Hill:


Water Street in 1890:

[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.

[SignalHillHiker]

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.

And Cleopatra lived closer to the moon landing than to the building of the pyramids.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

And Cleopatra lived closer to the moon landing than to the building of the pyramids.

Not sure what you mean?

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Stryker

Not sure what you mean?

Chronologically, the years when Cleopatra lived are closer to the year man walked on the moon than to the years the Egyptian pyramids were built.

I meant it as as opposite example of your point, "It's strange to realize that the gap between 1862 and 1912 is far greater than the century since."

Just another curious fact.

[someone123]

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.

[zoomer]

A few of Victoria's Chinatown, the oldest in Canada and second to San Francisco in North America. First Chinese immigrants came in 1858 because of the gold rush.

1876 courtesy BC Archives:



Chinatown in 1886


Chinese Street, Victoria, BC. / Rue du quartier chinois de Victoria, C.-B by BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives, on Flickr

Victoria Chinatown in 1898 courtesy Vancouver Archives (click pic for BIG size)

[someone123]

Here are some rare World War II-era views of Halifax from the NS archives.

I think there were only 2 real highrises (12+ floors) in Halifax before 1940. One is shown here (the other one is the Bethune Building):

[Rico Rommheim]

It took over 200 posts but we finally have some halifax action here Very nice and impressive. But I wonder why so few halifax skyline pics from those days?


Oh and can I have more info on the bethune building? I never heard of it before as it is not on the SSP database.

[someone123]

The Bethune Building is part of one of the hospital complexes in Halifax (Victoria General). The main building is 14 storeys and was built in the 1940s. The Bethune Building is 12 and I believe it was built in the 1930s. It is in the SSP database: http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=84142


Source

It's hard to find "vintage" skyline or street-level shots of Halifax from around the WWII-pre digital photography period, I guess because the archives don't yet host a lot of those photos. Here is one taken in 1967, but it's not very clear. The prominent building in the background is the Tupper Building, and one of the larger foreground buildings is the Ralston Building. The Royal Bank building was also one of the taller buildings in the city back then.


Source