What's missing from your city?

[TorontoDrew]

What's missing from your town or city. When you look around and realize other places similarly sized as your location have things that yours is missing what is it or what are they?

The one thing I find it strange Toronto doesn't have not only for it's size but for it's demographic mapping is a Chinese Garden. Vancouver has one, Montreal, but nowhere in the GTA can you find one. If you Google Toronto Chinese Garden's all you will find are restaurants.


Ad anything and everything you think is missing from where you live.

Vancouver
[IMG]Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden by Adrian Berg, on Flickr[/IMG]


Montreal
[IMG]Le Jardin Botanique, Chinese Garden, Montreal by Sarah Nichols, on Flickr[/IMG]

Toronto
[IMG]Free delivery by Gary Baker, on Flickr[/IMG]

[CivicBlues]

That's not Vancouver's Chinese Garden.

This is: https://vancouverchinesegarden.com/

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by CivicBlues

That's not Vancouver's Chinese Garden.

This is: https://vancouverchinesegarden.com/

Fixed it, thanks for pointing that out, that's International Buddhist Society Temple in Richmond.

[esquire]

Winnipeg: a waterpark or an amusement park. Our climate is the culprit for the latter, but I find it surprising that an indoor waterpark has never been built somewhere along the way. Many small towns in Manitoba have more impressive setups than we do.

[Acajack]

Ottawa-Gatineau has a couple of waterparks but no amusement park with roller coasters and other thrill rides.

[scryer]

My city doesn't have affordability. Does that count?

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Ottawa-Gatineau has a couple of waterparks but no amusement park with roller coasters and other thrill rides.

And no botanical garden ...

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

And no botanical garden ...

The Dominion Arboretum does not count?

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

The Dominion Arboretum does not count?

Only "kinda sorta" - it's not much of an attraction at present.

[SpongeG]

That top pic is the Buddhist temple place in Richmond.

I don't know what Vancouver is missing, maybe a good waterpark.

[megadude]

Toronto lacks lakes or reservoirs to boat in. Okay the big lake you can but most casual paddlers don't want to ferry over to the islands first and rent. And launching from mainland should only be done on really calm days.

But for instance, you can't boat on Grenadier pond in high park like you can in Central park NYC. There were rentals a long time ago. No idea why boating is not allowed in a place that seems perfect for a paddle.

There several lakes or ponds within city limits but no rentals and I'm fairly certain they have no boating signs.

Rivers are another story. Humber, Don, Rouge you can paddle in. Humber you can take a motor boat in.

As for GTA, lots of lakes and reservoirs to rent. Can also use electric motor in most.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by megadude

Toronto lacks lakes or reservoirs to boat in. Okay the big lake you can but most casual paddlers don't want to ferry over to the islands first and rent. And launching from mainland should only be done on really calm days.

But for instance, you can't boat on Grenadier pond in high park like you can in Central park NYC. There were rentals a long time ago. No idea why boating is not allowed in a place that seems perfect for a paddle.

There several lakes or ponds within city limits but no rentals and I'm fairly certain they have no boating signs.

Rivers are another story. Humber, Don, Rouge you can paddle in. Humber you can take a motor boat in.

As for GTA, lots of lakes and reservoirs to rent. Can also use electric motor in most.

You can paddle in High Park, not many people do though. My friend used to teach S.U.P there to inner city kids in the summer. I think Toronto offers as many paddling options as one could hope for minus white water.And if you don't want to power boat on this big lake it's a short drive to one of the most densely packed lake districts on the planet.

[megadude]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

You can paddle in High Park, not many people do though. My friend used to teach S.U.P there to inner city kids in the summer. I think Toronto offers as many paddling options as one could hope for minus white water.And if you don't want to power boat on this big lake it's a short drive to one of the most densely packed lake districts on the planet.

High Park website still says boats are not allowed. So do you mean people illegally row there because it's loosely enforced or just SUP because technically that's not a boat?

There are ponds like L'Amoreaux that have comparables in size to suburban ponds like Loafers Lake or Chinguacousy Park in Brampton where paddle boats were or are still being rented. And even though Loafers no longer rents, there are no signs stopping you from dropping a canoe in there. If I remember correctly, when I was last at L'Amoreaux five years ago, signs stop you from boating.

Eglinton Flats is another pond where I'm pretty sure you can't boat. The pond at Evergreen Brickworks is another.

Anyone know if they still rent out boats at Ontario Place? That's Lake Ontario but it's sheltered there so wind is not a factor. I don't think they rent there anymore.

Swan Lake in Markham had rentals but no longer. I also believe there are no signs stopping you from launching.

G. Ross Lord is an ugly reservoir so even if you could row there, don't know who would want to. But the reservoirs in the more rural parts of the suburbs encourage boating. However, don't know how often G. Ross actually fluctuates their water levels. And the reservoirs in the burbs are obviously in a better natural setting.

To compare TO to other big cities, as mentioned NYC you can boat in Central Park. You can rent pedal boats at Flushing Meadows in Queens. Same with Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

Same with Humboldt Park in Chicago. And I believe you can boat in Wolf Lake Chicago.

These can all be compared to High Park, but for some reason not supposed to boat there. Would love to know why you're not allowed to anymore.

Oh, and another comparison, you can rent boats at Ile Notre Dame in Montreal for their inland lake. You can drive there of course which makes it very convenient. Can rent boats in TO islands, but of course, you can't drive there.

[softee]

Originally Posted by megadude

To compare TO to other big cities, as mentioned NYC you can boat in Central Park. You can rent pedal boats at Flushing Meadows in Queens. Same with Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

Same with Humboldt Park in Chicago. And I believe you can boat in Wolf Lake Chicago.

There is that small pond at the Harbourfront where you can rent paddle boats.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by softee

There is that small pond at the Harbourfront where you can rent paddle boats.

Oh ya! I think even a small canoe is available. Also the harbour over near Cheery Beach feels like a lake onto itself so Toronto actually has plenty of water sport activities.

[megadude]

Toronto is missing a CHL team since st Mike's majors moved to Sauga. Though TO does have AHL team.

Not sure if Vancouver Giants, Calgary Hitmen and Edmonton oil kings are in city limits but they have CHL.

GTA has Mississauga Steelheads and Oshawa generals. And not long ago had St Mike's and Brampton as well in addition to the Marlies.

[Nouvellecosse]

Halifax is lacking a downtown department store, whether it be a full size Bay, Simons, Holt's type store or a smaller discount store like Giant Tiger. We only have speciality boutique-type shops, grocery stores, and pharmacies. I'd be happy if we just had one downtown Giant Tiger honestly.

We also don't really have a zoo since the closest one is over an hour away. But that's close enough to suit me so meh...

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

Halifax is lacking a downtown department store, whether it be a full size Bay, Simons, Holt's type store or a smaller discount store like Giant Tiger. We only have speciality boutique-type shops, grocery stores, and pharmacies. I'd be happy if we just had one downtown Giant Tiger honestly.

There's Mills Brothers and a Miniso but this is generally true.

It's not something people would notice as much today but Hudson's Bay was conspicuously absent from downtown Halifax in 1950. I don't think they came to the region until the 1960's or so, and when they came they opened suburban stores. Quebec City also does not have a downtown location and I am not sure they ever had one, but they do have Simons (it started there).

The single Bay location left in metro Halifax is a depressing run down suburban location in Dartmouth, not even in the nicest mall in the city, let alone downtown.

I would not be surprised if Halifax ends up with a Simons soon.

Other missing Halifax stuff:
- Stadium with more than 10,000 permanent seats
- Downtown train station or multimodal transit hub (instead trains go to one place, ferries are someplace else, buses terminate in a third location)
- Purpose-built performing arts venue with more than 1,000 seats or so. There are lots of medium-sized venues but no big ones (not counting arenas). The nicest theatre in the city was torn down in the 1970's and a bigger one was never built.

[bnk]

Chicago is missing a second NFL team

Bring back the Chicago Cardinals!!!

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by someone123

There's Mills Brothers and a Miniso but this is generally true.

It's not something people would notice as much today but Hudson's Bay was conspicuously absent from downtown Halifax in 1950. I don't think they came to the region until the 1960's or so, and when they came they opened suburban stores. Quebec City also does not have a downtown location and I am not sure they ever had one, but they do have Simons (it started there).

The single Bay location left in metro Halifax is a depressing run down suburban location in Dartmouth, not even in the nicest mall in the city, let alone downtown.

I would not be surprised if Halifax ends up with a Simons soon.

Other missing Halifax stuff:
- Stadium with more than 10,000 permanent seats
- Downtown train station or multimodal transit hub (instead trains go to one place, ferries are someplace else, buses terminate in a third location)
- Purpose-built performing arts venue with more than 1,000 seats or so. There are lots of medium-sized venues but no big ones (not counting arenas). The nicest theatre in the city was torn down in the 1970's and a bigger one was never built.

Hudson’s Bay didn’t have stores anywhere in eastern Canada until well after 1950 when they bought out Morgan’s in Montreal and began opening locations in shopping malls.

You’re right that, as nice as it is, Halifax seems to lack amenities that would be taken for granted in most North American cities. Hopefully a stadium will come soon.