HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #81  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 4:49 AM
Corndogger Corndogger is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 7,727
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkahHigh View Post
... everyone says that about their own city though. Really I think the only canadian city that stands a chance is Toronto, and it's a slim one.

Let's not kid ourselves. Imagine the political clusterf*ck if an American company moves it's second headquarters to Canada. Amazon is private but like others said, some politicians just won't let that happen.
Like I said, it depends on what Amazon is looking for. If they need a lot of office space Calgary can deliver that a lot better than just about any city and do it cheaply at the moment. Some of you are way too focused on Toronto as if it's the only city in the country. Based on the thinking of a lot of people in this group you never would have pictured Seattle being the headquarters for Amazon, Microsoft, etc.

As for politicians not letting it happen, we're talking about America not Canada. Bezos is going to do what is best for the company not for Trump. I wouldn't be surprised one bit if their second headquarters is located outside of America but it likely won't be Canada.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #82  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 4:57 AM
ssiguy ssiguy is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: White Rock BC
Posts: 10,659
The only city in Canada that has a shot is Toronto. I would put Calgary, Ottawa, and Montreal ahead of Vancouver's chances. Why on earth would a company set up a massive secondary office only 200km from it's main office and it's advantages of having a port and Asian gateway are also irrelevant as Seattle has the same and in Vancouver due to the high cost of living employers can't even find people to fill current open positions.

It has to be a place that has great continental, local, and international connections which writes off Ottawa and getting a massive amount of high tech bilingual staff for a Montreal base would be very hard. It does have the advantage of having a large creative class, low cost of living and very cheap Hydro but I don't think that's enough to outway the language issues. It has a great urban scene and Metro but Trudeaau Internatonal is not a very well connected airport

Chicago has excellent transportation connections and a high skilled workforce but the state's finances are in horriid shape and both Iiiinois and Chicago are dropping in population much of that due to very high taxes in general and extremely high crime rates in Chicago in particular.

If urban transit plays a part then Austin is a right off but both Dallas and Atlanta have some RT which helps but neither have a good transit system. Both have high crime raates but nothing even close to Chicago. Atlanta has the benefit of being in an Eastern timezone and the world's busiest and most connected airport but still has a huge image problem where it might find it difficult to get skilled labour.

To me it will come down to just 2 cities............Toronto and Boston. Both are safe cities, Eastern time zone, have excellent universities, a very educated workforce, and large established high tech industry, large airports, good transit systems, have large creative classes,and offer a high quality of life that few other cities can match.

The advantage for Boston is that it is in the US so the border is no problem nor is an anti-free trade President. Conversely Toronto offers the huge wage subsidy of our dollar and due to Canada's much more liberal and welcoming immigrant attitudes getting international workers to relocate is much easier knowing the workers will bemore welcomed both economically but also politically and socially.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #83  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 5:11 AM
Black Star's Avatar
Black Star Black Star is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 7,159
Quote:
Originally Posted by 240glt View Post
Aww poor snowflake

Edmonton hasn't the faintest chance at this.

Peddle your righteous indignation elsewhere


Hey man....this just in.

Allied Van Lines is having a moving sale.

You should inquire. You're miserable.
__________________
Beverly to 96 St then all the way down to Riverdale.
Ol'Skool Classic Funk, Disco, and Rock.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #84  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 5:20 AM
TorontoDrew's Avatar
TorontoDrew TorontoDrew is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,775
I love how many pages this is in already. It really only seems like 3 Canadian cities are in the running. Vancouver Halifax and Toronto. Halifax bid is terrible so far offering a disjointed area where Amazon could be set up. Vancouver is a great location but why set up shop right next door. Toronto is the most obvious expansion city but are they even looking for a city on the continent?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #85  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 5:36 AM
lio45 lio45 is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Quebec
Posts: 42,021
Halifax?!? Did they even read Amazon's RFP? The very first thing they specify is that they require a metro of at least a million people.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #86  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 5:52 AM
Corndogger Corndogger is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 7,727
Quote:
Originally Posted by ssiguy View Post
The only city in Canada that has a shot is Toronto. I would put Calgary, Ottawa, and Montreal ahead of Vancouver's chances. Why on earth would a company set up a massive secondary office only 200km from it's main office and it's advantages of having a port and Asian gateway are also irrelevant as Seattle has the same and in Vancouver due to the high cost of living employers can't even find people to fill current open positions.

It has to be a place that has great continental, local, and international connections which writes off Ottawa and getting a massive amount of high tech bilingual staff for a Montreal base would be very hard. It does have the advantage of having a large creative class, low cost of living and very cheap Hydro but I don't think that's enough to outway the language issues. It has a great urban scene and Metro but Trudeaau Internatonal is not a very well connected airport

Chicago has excellent transportation connections and a high skilled workforce but the state's finances are in horriid shape and both Iiiinois and Chicago are dropping in population much of that due to very high taxes in general and extremely high crime rates in Chicago in particular.

If urban transit plays a part then Austin is a right off but both Dallas and Atlanta have some RT which helps but neither have a good transit system. Both have high crime raates but nothing even close to Chicago. Atlanta has the benefit of being in an Eastern timezone and the world's busiest and most connected airport but still has a huge image problem where it might find it difficult to get skilled labour.

To me it will come down to just 2 cities............Toronto and Boston. Both are safe cities, Eastern time zone, have excellent universities, a very educated workforce, and large established high tech industry, large airports, good transit systems, have large creative classes,and offer a high quality of life that few other cities can match.

The advantage for Boston is that it is in the US so the border is no problem nor is an anti-free trade President. Conversely Toronto offers the huge wage subsidy of our dollar and due to Canada's much more liberal and welcoming immigrant attitudes getting international workers to relocate is much easier knowing the workers will bemore welcomed both economically but also politically and socially.
Has Amazon said why they want to do this? And why is everyone discounting Europe? A second headquarters in North America makes little sense when you think about it.

Last edited by Corndogger; Sep 8, 2017 at 6:11 AM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #87  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 5:55 AM
mistercorporate's Avatar
mistercorporate mistercorporate is offline
The Fruit of Discipline
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Toronto
Posts: 4,036
Quote:
Originally Posted by ssiguy View Post
The only city in Canada that has a shot is Toronto. I would put Calgary, Ottawa, and Montreal ahead of Vancouver's chances. Why on earth would a company set up a massive secondary office only 200km from it's main office and it's advantages of having a port and Asian gateway are also irrelevant as Seattle has the same and in Vancouver due to the high cost of living employers can't even find people to fill current open positions.

It has to be a place that has great continental, local, and international connections which writes off Ottawa and getting a massive amount of high tech bilingual staff for a Montreal base would be very hard. It does have the advantage of having a large creative class, low cost of living and very cheap Hydro but I don't think that's enough to outway the language issues. It has a great urban scene and Metro but Trudeaau Internatonal is not a very well connected airport

Chicago has excellent transportation connections and a high skilled workforce but the state's finances are in horriid shape and both Iiiinois and Chicago are dropping in population much of that due to very high taxes in general and extremely high crime rates in Chicago in particular.

If urban transit plays a part then Austin is a right off but both Dallas and Atlanta have some RT which helps but neither have a good transit system. Both have high crime raates but nothing even close to Chicago. Atlanta has the benefit of being in an Eastern timezone and the world's busiest and most connected airport but still has a huge image problem where it might find it difficult to get skilled labour.

To me it will come down to just 2 cities............Toronto and Boston. Both are safe cities, Eastern time zone, have excellent universities, a very educated workforce, and large established high tech industry, large airports, good transit systems, have large creative classes,and offer a high quality of life that few other cities can match.

The advantage for Boston is that it is in the US so the border is no problem nor is an anti-free trade President. Conversely Toronto offers the huge wage subsidy of our dollar and due to Canada's much more liberal and welcoming immigrant attitudes getting international workers to relocate is much easier knowing the workers will bemore welcomed both economically but also politically and socially.
You bring up a very good point. This will be a second Global HQ for Amazon. I wonder if the timing and immigration restrictions have everything to do with this. Why didn't they consider other locations in Europe or Asia? Suddenly Canada sounds like a real possibility...
__________________
MLS: Toronto FC
Canadian Premier League: York 9 FC
NBA: Raptors
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #88  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 5:56 AM
mistercorporate's Avatar
mistercorporate mistercorporate is offline
The Fruit of Discipline
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Toronto
Posts: 4,036
Quote:
Originally Posted by Corndogger View Post
Has Amazon said why they want to do this? And why is everyone discounting Europe? A second headquarters in North America makes little sense when you think about it.
Everyone's discounting Europe because Amazon specificaly stated only locations in North America are being considered.
__________________
MLS: Toronto FC
Canadian Premier League: York 9 FC
NBA: Raptors
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #89  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 6:12 AM
Corndogger Corndogger is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 7,727
Quote:
Originally Posted by mistercorporate View Post
Everyone's discounting Europe because Amazon specificaly stated only locations in North America are being considered.
I just saw that. Now where is the delete button on this forum?!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #90  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 6:50 AM
ssiguy ssiguy is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: White Rock BC
Posts: 10,659
Quote:
Originally Posted by TorontoDrew View Post
I love how many pages this is in already. It really only seems like 3 Canadian cities are in the running. Vancouver Halifax and Toronto. Halifax bid is terrible so far offering a disjointed area where Amazon could be set up. Vancouver is a great location but why set up shop right next door. Toronto is the most obvious expansion city but are they even looking for a city on the continent?
Halifax is absurd and Vancouver almost equally so.

Halifax is isolated and too small. As for Vancouver, why would Amazon look for a second location only 200km away? What would be the point? Vancouver's extreme cost of living would also make getting workers to move there and near impossibility. Vancouver is critically short of profs, teachers, to say nothing of high tech workers primarily because they can't get anyone to move there.

Toronto is the clear Canadian front runner but I wouldn't cross off Montreal. It has a superb quality of life, a great urbanity which younger high tech workers want, cheap Hydro rates, great public transit, excellent universities, and a very large creative class. Montreal has 2 big problems though..........language barrier of being able to find their workforce and Trudeau International which is a relatively small airport with surprisingly few international and continental connection considering the size of Montreal.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #91  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 10:23 AM
SignalHillHiker's Avatar
SignalHillHiker SignalHillHiker is online now
I ♣ Baby Seals
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Sin Jaaawnz, Newf'nland
Posts: 34,660
Boston is probably a front-runner if it's in North America, but I hope one of the mainland Canadian cities gets it. Good luck!
__________________
Note to self: "The plural of anecdote is not evidence."
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #92  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 11:35 AM
ainvan ainvan is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Toronto/Vancouver
Posts: 965
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #93  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 12:47 PM
SkahHigh's Avatar
SkahHigh SkahHigh is offline
More transit please
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Montreal
Posts: 3,794
^Montreal and Toronto not even ranked for universities, while Phoenix and Houston are? Joke joke joke
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #94  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 12:57 PM
big T's Avatar
big T big T is offline
Give us a kiss
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: mtl
Posts: 1,242
Look at the sources: US dept of education, etc. Chances are Canadian cities simply do not have data on those metrics. Clearly a poor choice of dataset, but can we really say we're surprised a US outlet would simply overlook Canada?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #95  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 12:57 PM
north 42's Avatar
north 42 north 42 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Windsor, Ontario/Colchester, Ontario
Posts: 5,806
Detroit for the win! I'd be happy with Toronto getting it as well though!
__________________
Windsor Ontario, Canada's southern most city!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #96  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 1:02 PM
osmo osmo is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,716
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkahHigh View Post
^Montreal and Toronto not even ranked for universities, while Phoenix and Houston are? Joke joke joke
Houston by aggregate has more impressive Universities. Also, Rice University is one of the better private schools in the USA.

Overall, I think the list is both helpful and silly. It is helpful as it gets you thinking about certain strong and weak points. It is a silly list though as it's apples to oranges with data. Are airports crap in general with wait times? Flight access? Or, the fact that Canadian stats obviously were not really used.

Houston and Atlanta both look very attractive and have the bones to support the project, I just don't think Texas and Georgia would roll out big time subsidies for Amazon though.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #97  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 1:07 PM
Acajack's Avatar
Acajack Acajack is online now
Unapologetic Occidental
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Province 2, Canadian Empire
Posts: 67,778
Do we even know what the objective of building this new co-headquarters is?
__________________
Amber alerts welcome at any time
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #98  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 1:10 PM
kwoldtimer kwoldtimer is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: La vraie capitale
Posts: 23,490
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack View Post
Do we even know what the objective of building this new co-headquarters is?
The unanswered question. I wonder if Bezos' purchase of a mansion in Washington D.C. late last year will turn out to be relevant?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #99  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 1:10 PM
Acajack's Avatar
Acajack Acajack is online now
Unapologetic Occidental
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Province 2, Canadian Empire
Posts: 67,778
Quote:
Originally Posted by Loco101 View Post
That's basically calling francophones an "issue."
We are for him!
__________________
Amber alerts welcome at any time
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #100  
Old Posted Sep 8, 2017, 1:37 PM
SkahHigh's Avatar
SkahHigh SkahHigh is offline
More transit please
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Montreal
Posts: 3,794
Quote:
Originally Posted by osmo View Post
Houston by aggregate has more impressive Universities. Also, Rice University is one of the better private schools in the USA.

Overall, I think the list is both helpful and silly. It is helpful as it gets you thinking about certain strong and weak points. It is a silly list though as it's apples to oranges with data. Are airports crap in general with wait times? Flight access? Or, the fact that Canadian stats obviously were not really used.

Houston and Atlanta both look very attractive and have the bones to support the project, I just don't think Texas and Georgia would roll out big time subsidies for Amazon though.
I mean, it does show Riverside, Jacksonville, Grand Rapids and Richmond to have better job growth than Montreal and Toronto, which I find hard to believe. They probably didn't fetch much data on that part either.
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 3:31 PM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.