Island Life - Page 2

GreaterMontréal · #21 Posted **Oct 11, 2016, 11:08 PM**

Salaberry-de-Valleyfield is located on this island, pop.41k

080720102183 by Bernardo., sur Flickr

TownGuy · #22 Posted **Oct 11, 2016, 11:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

I don't want to be picky, but the Island of Montréal has passed the 2M mark in 2015. 2.025M in 2016.

The second most populated river island in the world, ahead of Manhattan.
The most populous of any island in the world on fresh water.

I would hope it's at or near the top of these super rare things. I mean, river island, fresh water island? Seriously? I've never even heard of a river island until now, lol.

SignalHillHiker · #23 Posted **Oct 11, 2016, 11:22 PM**

A couple of my local favourite islands.

Fogo Island

Population: 2,706

St-Pierre

Population: 6,080

Pinion · #24 Posted **Oct 11, 2016, 11:27 PM**

I didn't even realize people considered a piece of land surrounded by a small river a legitimate island until recently. I'd argue my area is more of an island than something like Montreal, isolated by the ocean on three sides and an endless mountain range on the other. Only 11 lanes of traffic leave the area of nearly 200,000. In the background on the water:

I've always wanted to live on Salt Spring Island. My aunt lives there. I feel much more relaxed there and part of a friendly community, although the lack of cell service may become more troublesome long term.

GreaterMontréal · #25 Posted **Oct 11, 2016, 11:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TownGuy

I would hope it's at or near the top of these super rare things. I mean, river island, fresh water island? Seriously? I've never even heard of a river island until now, lol.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_island

Rico Rommheim · #26 Posted **Oct 11, 2016, 11:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TownGuy

I would hope it's at or near the top of these super rare things. I mean, river island, fresh water island? Seriously? I've never even heard of a river island until now, lol.

Hey, hey don't you dare take these prizes away from us, you hear me chief?

geotag277 · #27 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 12:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ue

Indeed. Crossing to Richmond is no different than crossing the North Saskatchewan River, really. Crossing to PEI or similar is entirely different.

I don't see how these urban island crossings are much different than river crossings throughout Alberta. Getting into and out of downtown Calgary from the north is also constrained by river crossings. That isn't unique to islands.

If we are going to have a meaningful discussion about "Island Life" in Canada, I think it makes sense to limit things to places like Vancouver Island, Newfoundland, and similar. Those places have very real infrastructure limitations and cultural quirks that can inspire some meaningful conversation. If we are lumping Montreal into this category the distinction becomes almost superfluous.

LeftCoaster · #28 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 12:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

Hey, hey don't you dare take these prizes away from us, you hear me chief?

Victoria is the largest city on the Canadian west coast whose name starts with "Vi"

vanatox · #29 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 12:53 AM**

It is so ignorant to call the St. Lawrence a small river...go in the same category as Montreal is landlocked...

giallo · #30 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 1:53 AM**

I was born in Victoria, so I spent a couple years living on Vancouver Island before moving to Kelowna.

For three years, I lived in Taiwan which is probably one of the most populated islands in the world.

CountryMike · #31 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 1:59 AM**

Random fact: Manitoulin Island in Ontario is the largest freshwater island in the world. It also has the largest lake on an island in lake.

MonkeyRonin · #32 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 2:29 AM**

We have some islands...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toront...s_panorama.jpg

It actually used to be more developed than it is now, but most of the neighbourhoods on it were demolished in the 1950s to turn back to parkland, including commercial areas like this one:

Still, a small car-free community of around 300 homes still exists:

http://smallstreets.org/tag/toronto/

MolsonExport · #33 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 2:31 AM**

Treasure island in lake Mindemoya on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron is the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake, in the world.

Acajack · #34 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 2:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TownGuy

I would hope it's at or near the top of these super rare things. I mean, river island, fresh water island? Seriously? I've never even heard of a river island until now, lol.

You'd never heard of Manhattan island, an island in a river?

MolsonExport · #35 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 2:34 AM**

Good, the conversation has begun. Of course I am not equating Montreal island-ness with Newfoundland Island-ness, or what not. (reminds me of the good ol "big four" conversation)

There is Dorval Island, Canada's smallest municipality.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Île-Dorval,_Quebec
http://www.mtlblog.com/2015/07/every...orval-island/#

Pinion · #36 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 3:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vanatox

It is so ignorant to call the St. Lawrence a small river...go in the same category as Montreal is landlocked...

Spoken like a truly landlocked individual. I didn't say Lawrence was a small body of water, although it is to someone living on an actual island, and the separation from the "mainland" (lol) is almost nothing everywhere but the southeast side.

MolsonExport · #37 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 3:12 AM**

?
I lived on the downtown peninsula in Vancouver. There are 3 multi-laned bridges due south, one (albeit woefully inadequate) to the northwest and attachment to the street grid in the east. Ocean? Nah...Burrard inlet gives a sense of distance from the North Shore (as does Lac St. Louis in Montreal, but I digress), but you could easily throw a baseball across much of False creek.

GreaterMontréal · #38 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 3:13 AM**

del. made a big mistake here

sunsetmountainland · #39 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 3:25 AM**

I think this conversation is interesting. I was born and raised on Vancouver island. I was born in Victoria and raised in Nanaimo. It was never really an island too me. So for me living on a island was a normal thing. I was always near the ocean it was a way of life for me. Seeing Orcas or grey whales while dropping crab traps or fishing was a normal thing. I would fall asleep too the waves crashing on the shore as well as the sea lions barking.

However, I was also fully intune to lakes and rivers as so many are close too my upbringing. I spent summers on Shawnigan lake fishing canoeing water skiing, as well as dirt bike riding along the old train tracks.

I used to spend hours swimming jumping off cliffs and chasing salmon and steelhead in englishman river falls and little qualicum falls.

Living on Vancouver island you are going to naturally become an outdoorsman.

I had a huge passion for mountain climbing and hiking. I have spent many weeks and days hiking and climbing mountains in Strathcona park.

Climbing the comox glacier or the islands largest mountain the golden hinde which I did two times. I used to climb a different mountain every Sunday on the island.

So for me it was not an island it was a way of life.

I had a friend whom moved from greater Vancouver too live on the island but he said he felt trapped like he could not just get in his car and drive down the I-5

I never felt this though I understood I would have too take a ferry to make it too the mainland. So for me it was just a way of life.

Mister F · #40 Posted **Oct 12, 2016, 3:34 AM**

I don't know why people are getting uppity about Montreal being on an island. It just is. An island that's the core of a major metropolitan area is still an island. There are different kinds of islands with different characters and degrees of isolation. Montreal isn't isolated the same way as St. John's, sure, but it's an island all the same. I don't see the problem.