Canada's Hidden Paradise

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by bulliver

Calling Osoyoos 'suburban' is laughable....there is no 'urban' area anywhere near Osoyoos. It is simply a town whose built form reflects the fact it caters mostly to retirees and tourists. It is actually a lovely little place, in an incredible natural setting:

I think it shows just how few people on SSP have ever spent much time outside of major cities.

While suburbs often attempt to mimic small towns, small towns are most definitely NOT trying to be suburban. They're trying to be small towns.

[Deepstar]

Originally Posted by cormiermax

Like I said, I was referring to the house in the last picture of the original post, not all the houses. That house its not Spanish influenced but Pueblo Indian influenced.

Which house are you talking about? The bungalow? If so, what makes you think it's Mexican influenced? Just because they have them in Mexico doesn't mean that it's Mexican influenced. They have those same styles of houses in Spain, and as I said earlier a few times, Spain has had those styles of houses there long before Mexico was discovered.

[Deepstar]

Agreed. A post done showing a different side of Osoyoos would result in different comments. a photo of one gated community with a few houses does not represent fairly represent a place like Osoyoos.

Originally Posted by Surrealplaces

I couldn't have said it better myself.

In fairness to the other comments on here, I don't know what the intention of this post was supposed to be, but it in no way represents the true Osoyoos.

A couple of things to note. Osoyoos in in area that is Canada's only true natural desert. Osoyoos is also the first place in Canada every year that ready to have fruit picked.

[cormiermax]

Originally Posted by Deepstar

Which house are you talking about? The bungalow? If so, what makes you think it's Mexican influenced? Just because they have them in Mexico doesn't mean that it's Mexican influenced. They have those same styles of houses in Spain, and as I said earlier a few times, Spain has had those styles of houses there long before Mexico was discovered.

I can't tell if your trolling, but here...

http://i50.tinypic.com/ek1oj.png

[240glt]

I know where the real paradise is in BC, but I ain't telling any of you guys where it is

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Surrealplaces

The question is, were you surprised before looking that up?

No I was not. But I was open to being proven wrong.

People who have good knowledge of Canada's demographics would be surprised to hear that there is a small town (far from a major city) in the country where most people are of Spanish and Portuguese origin. First of all, the Spanish origin population in Canada is quite small, and while the Portuguese population in Canada is quite large, they tended to settle in the larger cities.

I would also be surprised if you told me of a small town in Ontario or New Brunswick where most people are of Chinese origin.

[Deepstar]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Surprised?

http://www.welcomebc.ca/local/wbc/do...06/Osoyoos.pdf

Outside of British origins, even today Western Europe still is the second largest group of ethnicity background after the default British background, which could still make it the Spanish Capital of Canada, although I see they no longer use that slogan.

I don't have the numbers, but I'm pretty sure that the percentage of western Europeans was much higher years ago and that's where it started.

[Surrealplaces]

Overly sensitive on my part.

I think most people would be surprised to find there are actually a few small Portuguese communities around western Canada, particularly in northern Alberta and BC. From what I remember about Osoyoos, it seemed more Portuguese than Spanish. The terrain in Southern Okanagan is very similar to parts of Spain, and Portugal, and of course lots of fruit and grapes, so I can see why they would settle there.

Originally Posted by Acajack

No I was not. But I was open to being proven wrong.

People who have good knowledge of Canada's demographics would be surprised to hear that there is a small town (far from a major city) in the country where most people are of Spanish and Portuguese origin. First of all, the Spanish origin population in Canada is quite small, and while the Portuguese population in Canada is quite large, they tended to settle in the larger cities.

I would also be surprised if you told me of a small town in Ontario or New Brunswick where most people are of Chinese origin.

[artvandelay]

Originally Posted by cormiermax

Usually there's some sort of cultural connection to the area when such styles are used.

That's news to me. So would you say that I would need a cultural connection to 16th century England if I were to design a house in Tudor revival style? (not that I would ever do that as I find the Tudor style to be tacky)

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by artvandelay

That's news to me. So would you say that I would need a cultural connection to 16th century England if I were to design a house in Tudor revival style? (not that I would ever do that as I find the Tudor style to be tacky)

Altough as a Van de Lay, your origins are quite obviously Dutch!

[Surrealplaces]

nm

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by harls

Osoyoos looks a lot like this place.



Pic by me - taken here - http://goo.gl/maps/n91Pv

I would not be surprised if some of the folks summering in Osoyoos (old fogies, I am lookin at y'alls) snowbird down in Aridzone-a, hence the popularity of the gated communities. I spent several months living in Osoyoos (in early Spring as well as mid-summer periods)....breathtakingly beautiful, but absolutely full of sodden assholic alcoholics as well. Seemingly half the people there during summer months are golden agers, which many vanish like a fart in the wind once the colder months comes creeping in.

As for Portuguese, at one point many of the orchards/vineyards were owned by Portuguese-Canadians (hence architectural style), but many of these have been sold to East-Indians, primarily Sikhs. Iqbal is a common name in the lower Okanagan.

[Deepstar]

Originally Posted by cormiermax

I can't tell if your trolling, but here...

http://i50.tinypic.com/ek1oj.png

No, not trying to be a troll. For some reason that photo was not showing up on my browser. Only two photos were showing up and I didn't understand where the 'pueblo' angle was coming from.

[240glt]

From what I remember about Osoyoos, it seemed more Portuguese than Spanish.

Most prevalent in that area is the East Indian community, due to the orchards. You see a great many Dhaliwal and Singh, etc.. farms.

[whatnext]

The style of architecture has nothing to do with Spain and everything to do with BC's Pacific Coast connection to California and its architecture. People from the East don't seem to get how tied into "Cascadia" BC is. I've been LA way more times than Toronto or Montreal.

Half the seniors of BC seem to winter around Palm Springs (or Phoenix)

[Big Sky]

The original debate was over the pueblo style of housing that originated from southwestern US and Mexico, which has nothing to do with BC or Canada. We have lots of those Peublo adobe style houses here in Calgary too, and like the ones in BC are simply based on a style from somewhere else. Not that there's anything wrong with that, most houses and buildings around the world are based on styles from somewhere else.

Originally Posted by whatnext

The style of architecture has nothing to do with Spain and everything to do with BC's Pacific Coast connection to California and its architecture. People from the East don't seem to get how tied into "Cascadia" BC is. I've been LA way more times than Toronto or Montreal.

Half the seniors of BC seem to winter around Palm Springs (or Phoenix)

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by bulliver

Calling Osoyoos 'suburban' is laughable....there is no 'urban' area anywhere near Osoyoos. It is simply a town whose built form reflects the fact it caters mostly to retirees and tourists. It is actually a lovely little place, in an incredible natural setting

That its a retirement community doesn't make it any more appealing.


And while the landscape is nice and all, and certainly unique for Canada, I can't say I find it terribly appealing, myself. These are much closer to "paradise", in my opinion:




















Or just this.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by whatnext

The style of architecture has nothing to do with Spain and everything to do with BC's Pacific Coast connection to California and its architecture. People from the East don't seem to get how tied into "Cascadia" BC is. I've been LA way more times than Toronto or Montreal.

Half the seniors of BC seem to winter around Palm Springs (or Phoenix)

Yeah. Huge historic architectural connection between BC and California. Gotcha.

Listen, people are allowed to build and like what they want. You can built a Bavarian chalet in the middle of the Sonoran Desert if you want. No problem with me.

But there still is "faux Mexican" or "faux Spanish" aspect to some of these buildings, as if someone said: "it's sort of desertic around here, and I saw this kind of house in some western movie, so this is what would look good here".

Pretty sure there's no real historical or cultural connection involved, although that's no big deal.

BTW - I am actually a big fan of the Pueblo style, but people who are vouching for its authenticity in BC should know that it is often derided for being fake even in the SW US.

[Allan83]

Osoyoos is hidden? One of my favourite views in Canada his when you’re coming into Osoyoos on the #3 from the east and the valley opens up before you. For those who haven’t done it, the drive between Calgary and Vancouver taking the #3 Crowsnest highway is one of the great drives in Canada. Make sure you get off the highway a bit too and take in places like Waterton National Park, Fort Steele, Nelson, and a number of other options as well. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is a unique place as well.

[bulliver]

@MonkeyRonin...not sure why you've quoted 'paradise'? I wrote no such thing...in fact there are a great many places in this country I much prefer myself. I wrote 'lovely little place, in an incredible natural setting' which it is, and which I stand behind. I'm not trying to champion the place, just clearing up some misconceptions put forth by some in this thread who have clearly never been there.