What's missing from your city?

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by suburbanite

That's disappointing. I always remembered the wolf story from childhood trips to the zoo.

The story I was always told as a kid was that there had been a horrible accident and lots of people died. I think my dad may have just had a dark sense of humour...

[megadude]

Speaking of zoo incidents. Remember the mauling at African Lion Safari?

On April 19, 1996, Cowles and Balac, then 25 and 23, respectively, drove into the zoo's carnivore section. According to Court of Appeal documents, the car windows were lowered about the time a Bengal tiger approached the vehicle. It's not clear whether, as the zoo contended, the passengers had done so to take a picture, or the windows inadvertently came down during the attack, as Cowles and Balac maintained.

The tiger leapt into the car through the passenger-side window, and two others partly lunged into the driver's-side window. Balac and Cowles suffered catastrophic injuries.

As a result, the Cambridge, Ont., tourist attraction will have to pay damages of $1.7 million to David Balac and $800,000 to Jennifer-Anne Cowles, as originally ordered by an Ontario judge in 2005, plus legal costs and accrued interest.

[Hawrylyshyn]

Lol I work there, and it's honestly amazing how dangerous some of the stuff people do is when they drive through.

[suburbanite]

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

Lol I work there, and it's honestly amazing how dangerous some of the stuff people do is when they drive through.

Youtube has enlightened us with just how clueless some people can be. This video shows a family get out of their car to look at 200 pound cats with their damn child in hand.

• Video Link

It starts at the two minute mark.

Even worse is this one.

• Video Link

The woman who was originally grabbed ended up surviving, but her mother who got out of the car to pursue them was killed.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by suburbanite

That's disappointing. I always remembered the wolf story from childhood trips to the zoo.

Sorry to have spoiled that for you. But, if I'm ever asked about it now I will tell people that the train derailed and a pack of wolves ate 11 guests. Much more exciting.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by suburbanite

Youtube has enlightened us with just how clueless some people can be. This video shows a family get out of their car to look at 200 pound cats with their damn child in hand.

I strongly believe most rules and laws are in place for stupid people. Unfortunately there is only such much you can do to protect them.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

A larger underground pedestrian system (based around the Skytrain (Subway) Stations it course).

Surprised to hear that from Vancouver considering the mild weather. And you guys already have a decent network around each station as far as I know.

That would be something for Ottawa's list as well. On day one, about 16 buildings will have indoor access to our downtown subway stations, plus a major mall plugged into an underground station outside downtown. There are a few opportunities for expansion, but not much.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Surprised to hear that from Vancouver considering the mild weather. And you guys already have a decent network around each station as far as I know.

I think the underground tunnel system for getting around downtown Vancouver is unnecessary but a lot of transit stations in Vancouver are conspicuously underdeveloped.

For example, City Hall station on the Canada Line has one entrance on one corner that is a little standalone one storey building with an empty lot next door. Across the street is a suburban style Wendy's. It's been this way for nearly a decade.

The Wendy's property is assessed at just under $40M and Vancouver has a rental vacancy rate somewhere south of 1%.

A more ambitious plan would have been to build a big multi-use complex above City Hall station and then have pathways under the Broadway and Cambie intersection with exits on some of the other corners.

[905er]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I strongly believe most rules and laws are in place for stupid people. Unfortunately there is only such much you can do to protect them.

I couldn't agree with you more. lol.. people are so stupid.. it's Darwinism at it's best.

[someone123]

Another missing thing for Halifax is a bridge over the Northwest Arm. This has been contemplated for about 100 years but never built. The Northwest Arm is only a couple km from downtown, is 5 km long, and only about 200 m across.



A drawing from a 1945 plan:


Source

The aquatic gardens were never built either. The rotary by the end of the arm is there and so are stretches of Connaught and Chebucto Road in 1940's-era boulevard form. But Connaught abruptly ends somewhere in the middle of a residential area without connecting up to anything in particular.

This project was also supposed to happen in the 1970's and connect up with a highway through downtown and third harbour bridge that were never built. That is probably for the best but the Northwest Arm bridge by itself would be useful.

[dennis]

Originally Posted by esquire

Yes, the heavy horse barn has been open for a couple of seasons now, and the finishing touches are happening to the new temporary exhibit building near the butterfly garden. As for the lions, they are still there near the tigers in the Asia section.

Much like the rest of Assiniboine Park, the zoo has been steadily improving over the last few years after a fairly long period of stagnation.

Actually, the lions were Asiatic lions, which I believe were one of only two(?) zoos in North America to house that species. Unfortunately, they were relocated to England for breeding purposes a few years ago. Gibbons are now occupying the space.

https://globalnews.ca/news/2528238/t...land-to-breed/

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by dennis

Actually, the lions were Asiatic lions, which I believe were one of only two(?) zoos in North America to house that species. Unfortunately, they were relocated to England for breeding purposes a few years ago. Gibbons are now occupying the space.

I was pretty sure that the gibbons hadn't forcibly displaced the lions.

[dennis]

Originally Posted by Andy6

I was pretty sure that the gibbons hadn't forcibly displaced the lions.

Those would have been some formidable gibbons.

[megadude]

Just remembered this blast from the past. The McLaughlin Planetarium. One of the essential field trips along with the Zoo, Science Centre, AGO (art gallery) and ROM (museum).

There is the David Dunlap Observatory in Richmond Hill, so something still in the region, but I've never been there. Wonder if kids have been taking field trips there since 1995. Though I don't believe this one has that laser and star show or whatever on the ceiling, which was always the highlight as a kid.

Just read that Montreal got one recently. And there's a push to build one in Sauga in the near future.

Pictured below is the McLaughlin one and the Richmond Hill one.

A campaign to save the McLaughlin Planetarium, slated for demolition on the University of Toronto campus, is gaining momentum.

In its prime, the planetarium was a standard field trip for generations of Toronto school kids to learn about the magic of the universe. Others fondly recall the laser shows in the 1980s, featuring music from Led Zeppelin, U2, Rush and Pink Floyd.

“It is absolutely one of the most significant works of architecture built in the 20th century in Toronto, not only for its own formal esthetic merits but because of the cultural role that it played and the history of that building as a public venue,” said Jeff Balmer, associate professor at the School of Architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The Royal Ontario Museum abruptly shut the planetarium down in December, 1995, despite a small surge in attendance. Its closure was a direct result of a $626,000 cutback imposed by Mike Harris’s Tory government.

Of the three dozen planetariums in North America, Toronto remains the only city to have one that has been slated for the wrecking ball without replacement.

Edmonton is currently reconstructing and reopening the Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium after it, like the McLaughlin, lay dormant for 30 years.

https://ericajourno.wordpress.com/20...ium-projector/


https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/2919599...24165/?lp=true

TIMELINE

1968: Planetarium opens in the “space race” days. Architects Allward and Gouinlock’s design referenced both ancient places of worship and modern observatories. The “Theatre of the Stars” had seating for 340 persons.

1968: The Royal Ontario Museum was formally granted its independence from the University of Toronto. The McLaughlin Planetarium — donated by philanthropist Samuel McLaughlin — ended up as a ward of the museum.

1995: The McLaughlin Planetarium is abruptly closed by the ROM, a direct result of cutbacks by the Mike Harris government.

1997: The original endowment fund donated to the museum by McLaughlin to run a planetarium was reported at $1.4 million by the Toronto Star.

1998: The planetarium is briefly transformed into The Children’s Own Museum, for kids aged two to eight. It had a three-year lease.

2005: William Thorsell (former director of the ROM) proposed a 46-storey condo complex to replace the planetarium but plan was rejected.

2009: The ROM sold the McLaughlin Planetarium to the U of T for $22 million.

2014: The U of T proposes a new complex to be built on the site. Initial plans for the Centre for Civilizations, Cultures and Cities called for the building to house the departments of history, Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, along with the Institute of Islamic Studies, as well as an auditorium for the Faculty of Music.

2016: The U of T announces a partnership with high-profile architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

2017 summer: Architectural renderings to be unveiled for the centre.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by someone123

Another missing thing for Halifax is a bridge over the Northwest Arm. This has been contemplated for about 100 years but never built. The Northwest Arm is only a couple km from downtown, is 5 km long, and only about 200 m across.

...

And building that short bridge in Halifax seems less likely and more difficult than the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge in China.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by megadude

Just read that Montreal got one recently. And there's a push to build one in Sauga in the near future.

Pictured below is the McLaughlin one and the Richmond Hill one.


]

Montreal had a planetarium downtown (the Dow) for many decades, but it closed in 2011. They opened a new one near Olympic Stadium two years later.

[megadude]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Montreal had a planetarium downtown (the Dow) for many decades, but it closed in 2011. They opened a new one near Olympic Stadium two years later.

Ah, okay. Hadn't actually heard of the old one.

Saw an article on The Star that basically said if Montreal can get a new planetarium then Toronto should get one too.

Though honestly, I don't think planetariums are exactly tourist draws. Seems like they're mainly for school kids.

I have been to East Lansing, MI about ten times to watch MSU play ball. Once stayed for five days too. And not once did I go to their planetarium. Firstly because it wasn't well advertised and so I wasn't aware, and secondly because their hours didn't match up with my schedule. And it's not like there's a lot to do in Lansing! Though I did go to their art museum.

[TorontoDrew]

On a Halloween side note, the Planetarium is reportedly haunted. People have reported seeing the spectre of a seven-year-old girl running through the halls of the former McLaughlin Planetarium and hearing her laugh.

Now owned by the University of Toronto.

Originally Posted by megadude

https://ericajourno.wordpress.com/20...ium-projector/

[someone123]

Originally Posted by someone123

That is true... I forgot about that one. There was a proposal to build a tower like that in the seaport area of Halifax around 1910 but it never happened. There are some old postcards that have a drawing of the tower in them. It looked like the St. Mark's campanile.

This is what I was thinking of, although I think this is a different rendering from what I saw before:


Source

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I strongly believe most rules and laws are in place for stupid people. Unfortunately there is only such much you can do to protect them.

We're likely the only species that have a large number who are extremely low functioning. Natural selection would normally have killed off these people long ago; the modern world keeps them safe. By saving these people from themselves we're actually making our species dumber and less resilient over time.